USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Waterbury > The town and city of Waterbury, Connecticut, from the aboriginal period to the year eighteen hundred and ninety-five. Volume III > Part 51
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On April 21, 1892, in Paris, France, he married Flora, daughter of William Hartley. They have a daughter, Catherine.
AUGUSTUS JOSEPH SMITH, son of Thomas A. and Catharine Smith, was born in the city of New York, August 15, 1865. He came to Waterbury when eleven years of age, studied in our public schools and graduated from the High school in April, 1882. Purposing to become a physician, he entered the office of Dr. Walter H. Holmes and studied medicine for some time. After three years spent in travel in the west and south, he decided to become an architect, and entered that profession in 1887. He opened an office of his own in 1891, and during the first year thereafter completed plans that were accepted for over fifty buildings. Among the buildings designed by him are the new almshouse, St. Cecilia's church, the Washington school building, the rectories of the Sacred Heart and St. Patrick's parishes, the Pratt street Fire-Engine house, Meriden, also several business blocks and private residences.
Mr. Smith was the secretary of the board of education and the clerk of the finance committee of the Centre district in 1890-91.
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PAINTERS, SCULPTORS AND ARCHITECTS.
On October 19, 1892, he married Anna N., daughter of Martin F. Moore.
Other architects who followed their profession here for a short time only are A. M. West, who was here about five years, L. Jepson, M. L. Pritchard, G. L. Robinson and G. A. Upham (now of Seeley & Upham, builders).
CHARLES JACKSON, son of Timothy and Catharine (Curry) Jack- son, was born in Ireland, county Tipperary, October 17, 1835. His ancestors for several generations were stone-cutters. He came to America in his boyhood, landing in New York May 1, 1851. He made his way directly to Albany and was employed at stone- cutting for two years, after which he returned to New York, and was there from 1853 to 1855. In 1855 he went to Washington, and was employed for a year or two upon stone carvings in the interior of the capitol. In the spring of 1857 he came to Waterbury and entered the employ of Samuel Warren. He remained with Mr. Warren for four years and a half, and went into business for himself in 1861. In 1887 the concern became Charles Jackson & Son, and it still retains this name; but Mr. Jackson retired from active connection with it in 1893, leaving the business to his two sons, Thomas F. and Charles A. Jackson.
On August 17, 1857, he married Bridget, daughter of Michael Walsh. They have had eight children, two of whom died in child- 100d. The names of the others, and the dates of their birth, are as follows: Thomas Francis, September 29, 1858; Joseph Aloysius, February 21, 1861; Jerome Andrew, March 17, 1863; Charles Augus- ine, July 1, 1865; William Henry, May 14, 1871; Frederick Stephen, uly 10, 1873.
Joseph A. Jackson was born in Waterbury and studied in the ublic schools of the city. After leaving the High school he ntered St. Francis college in Brooklyn, N. Y., and continued there ne year. Having decided to make architecture his profession, he tudied first with Albert M. West, and afterward with Robert W. Iill, in whose office he remained for six years. He began busi- ess for himself in 1887, and since that time has made designs which have been accepted for a large number of public build- igs, among these being the Bank street and Clay street schools, le convents of Notre Dame and St. Mary, St. Patrick's hall, the ew High school, the Judd building and the Bohl building. He as made a specialty of buildings of heavy and intricate con- ruction.
On November 11, 1891, he married Margaret L., daughter of Tilliam Grimes of this city. They have two children.
1052
HISTORY OF WATERBURY.
STONE YARDS AND MONUMENTS.
The first stone yard in Waterbury was opened and carried on by Samuel Warren, probably in 1852. The yard was in the rear of what is now the Holohan property, on the corner of South Main and Scovill streets. The plant was removed to a point opposite the present Naugatuck railroad station and afterward to the place sub- sequently occupied by the store of N. W. Heater on the northeast corner of Bank and Meadow streets. In 1859 Charles Jackson, the founder of the firm of Charles Jackson & Son, bought the stock and commenced business on South Main street. In a short time he removed to Bank street and finally to the present quarters of this prosperous concern. They have another yard near the gas works. Others who have carried on the business in Waterbury are H. W. Tomlinson, Kinslow & McFarland, H. Doyle, Hall & Rubey, Thomas M. Fitzachery, and William H. Rubey of the New York and Water- bury Marble and Granite works. Besides Charles Jackson & Son, Messrs. Fitzachery and Rubey are the only proprietors of stone yards in Waterbury at the present time.
On February 22, 1889, Charles Jackson & Son completed a care- fully prepared list of the monuments in Riverside cemetery. The total number of monuments at that date, including twenty-eight headstones and tablets used as monuments (that is, bearing two or more inscriptions), was 310. Their total cost, which was in some cases estimated, but upon a quite certain basis, was $168,625; the average cost $545. During the past six years a large number of additions to this list have been made, and in order to obtain a full view of the marble and granite industry in Waterbury the demands of other cemeteries here and in the surrounding towns, and the stone work which goes into important buildings, must be considered.
The public monuments of Waterbury, apart from those in the cem- eteries, are the Soldiers' monument at the west end of the Green and the Welton fountain at the east end of it. These are described elsewhere,-the former in the "Book of the Soldiers' Monument," published in 1886, and more briefly in the military chapter of this History; the latter on page 906 of this volume. Monuments have been placed in several of the churches in the form of mural tablets of marble or bronze, and to these must be added a considerable number of memorial windows. Most of these have been described in detail in the history of the buildings which contain them; but it seems desirable, in view of its historical significance, to put on record here the inscription on the tablet erected in the First
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PAINTERS, SCULPTORS AND ARCHITECTS.
church by the Hon. F. J. Kingsbury (referred to on page 611). It is as follows :
In memory of The Reverend Jeremiah Peck, First minister of this church. Born in London, England, 1623. Educated at Harvard College. First master of New Haven Colony School. Minister at Saybrook, Elizabeth, N. J., and Greenwich. Pastor of this church at its organization, August 26, 1691. Died June 7, 1699. Also of The Reverend John Southmayd, Second minister. Born at Middletown, August, 1676, Graduated at Harvard, 1697. Ordained here, after six years' service, May 12, 1705. Resigned the pastorate 1738, Died November 14, 1755. Also of The Reverend Mark Leavenworth, Third minister. Born at Huntington, 17II.
Graduated at Yale College, 1737. Ordained March, 1740. Died August 20, 1797. This tablet is erected by A lineal descendant of the three. 1887.
WATERBURY COINAGE.
In a memorial dated October 18, 1785, Samuel Bishop, James Hillhouse and John Goodrich, of New Haven, and Joseph Hopkins f Waterbury, applied to the legislature of Connecticut for liberty ) establish a mint for coining coppers. "There is," they alleged, a great and very prevalent scarcity of small coins in the state," consequence of which "great inconveniences are severely felt," articularly "by the laboring class, who are the stay and staff f any community. Our late enemies and our fellow citizens," hey continued, "are busy counterfeiting," etc .* The petition
* See Miscellaneous Papers in the State library, Vol. III, Doc: 243.
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HISTORY OF WATERBURY.
was granted at the same session, and the persons named were authorized to make copper coins not to exceed in value £10,000, lawful money, each piece to be of the value of the British half- penny and to weigh six pennyweights. They were to have a man's head on one side, with a circumscription in the words or letters, ATCTORI : CONNECT:, and on the other side the emblem of liberty, with an olive branch in her hand, with the words and figures, INDE: ET LIB: 4785. The grant was to continue during the pleasure of the Assem- bly. Of the coins stamped, one-twentieth part was to go to the state, and none were to be put in circulation until inspected and approved by a committee consisting of the Hon. Roger Sherman, James Wadsworth, Esq., David Austin, Esq., and Messrs. Ebenezer Chittenden and Isaac Beers. They were not to be a legal tender except for change, nor for any sum not exceeding three shillings. At the same session an act was passed forbidding the manufacture of copper coins, except by permission of the General Assembly. The penalty was £100, one-half to go to the informer .*
In January, 1789, Daniel Holbrook and James Wadsworth were appointed a committee to inquire into the conduct of those author- ized to manufacture coppers, and to ascertain whether the resolu- tion of the Assembly as to the intrinsic value of the coins and the proportion to be paid into the treasury of the state had been com- plied with. From their report, made in May following, it appears that on November 12, 1785, the original grantees, together with Pierpont Edwards, Jonathan Ingersoll, Abel Buell and Elias Ship- man, had formed a company by the name of the "Company for Coining Coppers." The business was carried on until about June 1, 1786, when being unable to procure more stock, they were obliged to suspend operations. In September of the same year, a lease of privileges and apparatus was given, for six weeks, to Mark Leaven- worth, Esq. (afterward a proprietor), Isaac Baldwin and William Leavenworth, the first and last natives and the last two residents of Waterbury. There were frequent changes of ownership. At the date of the report, April 9, 1789, James Jarvis, who had removed from New York to New Haven, owned nine parts in sixteen, James Hillhouse, Mark Leavenworth and Abel Buell each two parts, and John Goodrich one part. Up to about June 1, 1787, when the coin- age ceased, there had been inspected by the committee 28,944 pounds (avoirdupois) of coined coppers. Reckoning eighteen pieces,
* In 1785 John Porter and Elnathan Jennings of Waterbury were apprehended for counterfeiting coin. They escaped twice and were rearrested and imprisoned. They then broke gaol and fled. (Bronson's His- tory, p. 369.) The workmen engaged, in 1865, in tearing down the walls of the old Clock factory, near the present Naugatuck railroad station, came upon a deposit of about 800 quarter-dollar pieces of base unfin- ished coin. There was also a one-dollar piece among them.
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PAINTERS, SCULPTORS AND ARCHITECTS.
each weighing one hundred and forty-four grains, as equal to one shilling (the committee's estimate), the whole inspected coinage would amount £3908, 6s, 8d. Of this amount, the state should have received 1447736 pounds by weight, which "amounts to £192, 195, 2d." But there had been paid into the treasury only 13864 pounds, which "amounts to £184, 16s, 2d," leaving a balance due the state of 61-% pounds, or £8, 3s .*
WATERBURY CENTS, OR "HARD TIMES TOKENS."
One of the series of tokens specially interesting to American numismatists is that known by the different names of "Jackson tokens," "Waterbury cents " and "Hard Times tokens," whose issue ranged from 1834 to 1841, and whose origin was principally, if not wholly, in the busy borough of Waterbury. These tokens may be divided into three classes: (1) political, referring principally to the workings of the different political parties, and dealing in a satirical manner with President Jackson's action in regard to the United States bank; (2) patriotic, bearing certain mottoes and patriotic expressions then popular; and (3) personal, used generally as adver- tisements for some particular business or calling. They were prin- cipally of copper, but in a few cases brass was used, in others a composition of tin and copper, and occasionally an inferior compo- sition known as white metal, a mixture of tin and lead. Impres- sions in silver of one or two of these tokens exist, but they are rery uncommon; in fact, all impressions except those in copper are scarce.
The issue of these tokens, or at least some of them, was in a ertain sense the test of a principle, that is, of the right of a repub- ican people to issue personal coins, if conformed to standard in egard to weight and fineness. That there were two sides to the question is shown by the fact that the issue of these tokens ran hrough a series of years, that they were in circulation as money, assing current even after the government had forbidden their sue by the firm manufacturing them, and that the matter was rought to the notice of the legal authorities of the nation, and a ecision reached concerning them. Their appearance was at a eriod when the coinage of the country was in a transition state, he whole series of the gold, silver and copper coins of the nation howing marked variations in design, until the year 1842 brought t length the uninteresting and expressionless coinage now so
* There is a small error in each of the quoted sums, made in converting weight into money.
1056
HISTORY OF WATERBURY.
aggravating to American numismatists .* That the question of the right of private individuals to coin money should arise is a natural result of the discussions which a free people is apt to indulge in. Series of tokens that passed current as money have been common in England and in other countries. The old German city of Nurem- berg has a curious set of these coins, and one of the most interest- ing series in English numismatics, exhibiting much artistic merit as well as national feeling, is the set of tradesmen's tokens ïn far- thing, half-penny and penny sizes, issued from 1788 to 1800. It was but natural, then, that the Scovill Manufacturing company of
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* The first pattern gold dollar is a product of this period. The coinage of silver dollars, discontinued in 1804, was resumed in 1836, the date of the gold dollar. The silver half dollar passed through three types and twelve varieties; the silver quarters, dimes and half dimes were almost as varied, and the one year 1830 SaW four varieties of the copper cent. It was in 1838, too, that the branch mint at New Orleans was established, and thus the period was one of numismatic as well as of political turmoil.
+ Several years later, express companies, firms and private individuals disputed the government's right to the exclusive issue of postage stamps, and these parties printed and sold stamps and carried mails until the national authority was exercised to suppress them.
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PAINTERS, SCULPTORS AND ARCHITECTS.
Almost the first, if not the first to appear, was a copper piece of the size of the old United States cent, bearing on the obverse the bust of Andrew Jackson, with his name, and on the reverse the mottoes, "The Bank must perish," "The Union must and shall be preserved." A wreath and five stars complete the reverse design. This token, which appeared in 1834, was accompanied by another of the same date, the obverse of which showed a ship under full sail, surrounded by the legend, "For the Constitution, Hurrah," while the reverse had, in addition to the date, the following inscriptions: " Flourish commerce, Flourish industry," "Whigs of New York vic- torious. Les trois jours, April 8, 9 and 10." The Jackson tokens of the series followed in quick succession, and are mostly satirical, for General Jackson's ways were such as to lead his opponents to resort to any methods of annoyance open to them, that they might repay his bitter thrusts. The most common of these satirical pieces are two- the first showing on one side a hog running, with the legends, "Per- ish credit, perish commerce, My victory, Down with the Bank," and on the hog, "My third heat"; and on the reverse a bust of Jackson, with the legends, "My substitute for the U. S. Bank, My experi- nent, My currency, My glory." The second has on the obverse a oust of Jackson rising from an iron safe, sword and purse in hand, with the legend, "I take the responsibility," and on the reverse a lonkey labelled "LL. D." and the legends, "The Constitution as I understand it, Roman Firmness, Veto." Another token has the lonkey on the reverse (only the animal has assumed a stubborn ttitude), while a full length figure of Jackson, with a sword in the ight hand and a purse in the left, adorns the obverse, accompanied y the legend, "A plain system, devoid of pomp." There is a umber of varieties of these tokens, but the main characteristics emain the same.
The series of tokens belonging to Van Buren's administration pens with one whose obverse shows a tortoise bearing a safe, with 1837 " and the words "Fiscal Agent" below it, the legend being, Executive experiment." The reverse has a running donkey and le legend, "I follow in the steps of my illustrious predecessor." hen came a number of pieces with the head of Liberty as shown 1 other current copper cents, with date, stars and the legend, "E uribus Unum" on the obverse, and stars and leaves and the gend, " Millions for defence, not one cent for tribute," on the verse. Sometimes the reverse legends were changed to "Specie yments suspended, May tenth, 1837," and in others the obverse ows a phœnix rising from the flames, with the legend, “Substi- te for shin plasters, Novr., 1837." A very hideous head of 1838 67
1058
HISTORY OF WATERBURY.
had a surrounding of stars and the word " Loco-foco " on the band across the forehead for an obverse, and on the reverse a wreath enclosing the legend, "Mint Drop," and surrounded by the words, "Benton Experiment." Others of this later period have on the obverse a ship under full sail, labelled, "Constitution," with the legend, "Webster credit currency, 1841," and on the reverse a dismasted ship driven on the rocks in a thunder-squall, with the legend, "Van Buren metallic currency, 1837." Often these dif- ferent obverses and reverses are exchanged, so that there are numerous varieties. Two pieces have obverses showing different views of the Merchants' exchange of New York; another represents Centre market, in the same city; and there are other less marked varieties.
On the personal tokens, the names of many firms and callings are given, sometimes accompanied by an eagle, sometimes by the head of Liberty, while the reverse shows the different articles man- ufactured or sold by the person issuing it. Combs, brushes, boots, grates and lathes figure extensively; wine and tea, kitchen furni- ture, steam washing, and Bucklin's "interest tables" are intro- duced, and other things equally inappropriate for representation upon coins appear. The excuse that these tokens were to serve as advertisements, as well as for change, can of course be advanced, but no one can claim that " T. D. Seaman, butcher," is a very taking legend for a coin. One of these tokens has a steer and the legend, " A friend to the constitution," on the obverse, and on the reverse a ship sailing, with the legend, " Agriculture and commerce "; another has a kneeling slave, manacled and in chains, with the legend, " Am I not a woman and a sister?" on the obverse, and a wreath, with "Liberty, United States of America, 1838," on the reverse. These are the most striking of the series, and though some of the minor varieties are very hard to obtain, most of them are comparatively common in copper .*
It would be impossible to give a complete account of these tokens, or to state with accuracy the extent of country they cir- culated in. One, bearing a full length figure of Lafayette, was
* One small set, struck in the composition of copper and tin already spoken of, is so identified with this series of tokens, although a New York issue, as to deserve mention therewith. This is the Feuchtwanger series, in which the three cent piece first appears. It was intended as a pattern, but was not accepted as such by the government. It is a strange feature in this set that the one cent piece assumed the reduced size that was made standard in 1857, and that an eagle replaced the Liberty head, as it did in the small one cent issue of 1857. The Feuchtwanger set is composed of two pieces,fa one cent and a three cent piece. Of the one cent pieces the main features are the same, although minor variations occur; of the three cent pieces, one has the coat of arms of New York for an obverse, and the other two an eagle with raised wings standing on a pile of rocks. The legends are, " Feuchtwanger's composition," and " One cent" or " Three cents," according to the coin.
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PAINTERS, SCULPTORS AND ARCHITECTS.
sent out by Walsh's general store at Lansingburg, N. Y. Providence, R. I., Portsmouth, N. H., New York and even Chicago used them, and the devices were numerous. Waterbury, however, was the birthplace of the greater number of them, and a token having a phoenix rising from the flames, and the legend, "J. M. L. and W. H. Scovill, Waterbury, Conn., 1837," reveals their original home. On the reverse of the token just mentioned, the reading is, "Gilt but- tons of every description. Sheet brass, plated metal and gold plate." It is said that the Scovills were one of the firms enjoined by the government from issuing these tokens.
That the "Hard Times tokens " were instrumental in improving the design on the old copper cent is plainly evidenced, though it is to be regretted that the improvement did not result in a more striking and nationally emblematic device. The number of these tokens, counting the main varieties, is about 175,-one hundred of them personal and seventy-five political and patriotic. A collec- ion of them would constitute a specially interesting feature in any numismatic cabinet .*
THE LATER COINAGE.
About the year 1866, the Scovill Manufacturing company fur- ished the United States mint with planchets for the three-cent ickel coins. These planchets were not milled on the edge, nor vere they dipped or cleaned. Since April, 1890, they have furnished he mint with cleaned and milled planchets for the one-cent bronze oins and for the five-cent nickel coins. Such planchets are in a ondition to go immediately to the coining press.
In December, 1880, the Scovill Manufacturing company made a ontract with the United States of Colombia to furnish them nickel oins of the value of two-and-a-half centavos and five centavos. he company put in at that time an outfit of coining machinery and upplied that government with these coins for the succeeding six ears. The dies were engraved by the company from designs fur- shed by the purchaser. During the year 1895 they furnished the Peruvian government with bronze coins of the value of two cen- vos, made with dies engraved by the workmen of the company ter designs furnished by the purchaser.
The Benedict & Burnham Manufacturing company, and prob- ly other Waterbury concerns, have also furnished coins or plan- ets for the governments of South or Central America.
* The late Dr. Henry Bronson published in 1865, in Volume I of the Papers of the New Haven Colony torical society, a paper occupying 200 pages on the History of Connecticut Currency, which was also ited separately in pamphlet form. This contains a full history of the early coinage of Massachusetts, ch may be depended on for accuracy.
1060
HISTORY OF WATERBURY.
The latest achievement of the Scovill Manufacturing company in this line is the production of the award medals (23,757 in num- ber) for exhibitors of the Columbian Exposition of 1893. The man- ufacture of these medals was undertaken by them early in 1895, and involved a year's incessant labor. It was without doubt the most difficult and exacting work of this character ever done in Waterbury. The medals, which are three inches in diameter, were executed in pure copper and finished in a rich bronze, burned on and planished. The description is as follows:
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