USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Fairfield > This is Fairfield, 1639-1940 > Part 41
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Just six years before the Company moved to Fairfield Mult-Au-Matic, a multi-spindle ma- chine which performs operations automatically so that one such machine can perform all jobs necessary to complete a part was introduced. In
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1923 the Franklin Gold's Medal for leadership was awarded Mr. E. P. Bullard, Jr.
The flight of Charles A. Lindbergh to Paris in 1927 marked the opening of another era in which the Bullard Machine Tool Company was to play an important part-the age of flight. The firm's early service to aviation was rewarded by a certificate of appreciation from the Guggen- heim Fund for the Promotion of Aeronautics.
In 1929 the corporate name of the company became The Bullard Company.
In 1937 the Bullard Company received new plaudits in the form of a presentation of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers an- nual award to E. P. Bullard, Jr., for "outstand- ing leadership in the development of the station type of machine tools" and four years later a new assembly building was planned and built.
1945 brought the introduction of an electro- hydraulic device - Man-Au-Trol, which per- forms a cycle of functions automatically when used on a Vertical Turret Lathe, and the next year a Spacer Table, a positioning machine which eliminates use of jigs and fixtures nor- mally required to determine location of holes, was introduced.
The shipment of the 20,000th Vertical Turret Lathe took place in 1955 and a year later the new Bullard Grey iron foundry was completed.
It is remarkable to realize that this Company which was family owned for more than forty years and now some eighty years after its found- ing is still headed by a family member-Ed- ward P. Bullard III, grandson of the founder.
The Max Ams Machine Company
The Max Ams Machine Company, manufac- turers of automatic machinery for cans and metal containers as well as for presses and dies moved to Fairfield in 1915 from Mount Vernon, New York.
The Civil War gave the first great impetus to canning in our country. A million blue-clad Union soldiers were clamoring for milk and food processed by Yankee canners. The enor- mous advantage of having canned foods over dried foods was emphasized by the event of the War. Even in 1849 when the gold fever broke out canned food came in great demand because of adaptability for transportation and conveni- ence.
The sanitary can had its beginning with the Max Ams Preserving Company of 372 Green-
wich Street, New York City. Mr. Max Ams en- gaged in the canning and packing business in 1868 and soon established a very large export business of American foods. He was an enter- prising preserver of food and was continually experimenting with not only containers, but also with waterproof and oil proof compounds for lining the outer rim of the cover in order to obtain a perfectly air tight can. In 1888 Mr. Ams' son, Charles M. Ams, a graduate chemist was taken into the firm which assumed the firm name of The Max Ams Company and took up the problems of the hermetically sealing of food products. At that time the can tops had been either soldered on by hand or a paper ring o1 rubber ring was used on the flange to make the can air tight if possible by double seaming. A double seamer of the hand type was in use in those days for seaming the bottoms on tin pails, cannisters and sheet metal boxes. There had been almost as many leaky cans as there were per- fect ones.
Charles M. Ams introduced the liquid com- pound for lining the outer rim of the cover, and he applied the compound by hand with a camel's hair brush.
After this method was introduced it became necessary to make a machine for lining the cov- ers with the compound. Mr. Julius Brenzinger, the mechanical expert of the company produced just that and in 1897 took out a patent for such a machine. It was Mr. Brenzinger who produced the double seamers for the canning industry as well. In 1896 the working staff of the plant consisted of Mr. Brenzinger, four men and two boys.
The can was soon advertised as "The Can Without the Cap Hole" and "Bottom Like the Top" and
anitary Can Scaled Without older or Acid
Mr. Charles M. Ams succeeded his father Max Ams as president in 1908. The Max Ams can and The Sanitary Can became synonymous.
The Max Ams Machine Company attained success in manufacturing machines for the pro- ducing of square, round, oval and irregular shaped tin cans sealed without solder, flux or heat for all kinds of food products and also machinery and tools for the making of tin and sheet metal ware in general.
A plant was erected in Turin, Italy to handle
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its European trade. In 1911 the company re- ceived the International Industrial Exposition Award at the Turin Exposition.
This company, now specialists in can making machinery, is another which has been guided by descendents of the original founding family from its beginning. Today the name of Ams still stands in a place of leadership in the Company.
When the 20th Century dawned and larger and more centralized business establishments took their place in town, mechanization took over for hand done activities. Transportation became
easier and goods from other parts of the Country and the World were made much more accessible. Increased communications brought new ideas, new modes and manners to Fairfield along with new responsibilities.
This has shown Fairfield's businesses of yes- terday. There were no doubt many, many others which were established, prospered and then gave way to still others. To be sure we have realized once again that because Fairfield's people have been busy and industrious we have been given a great background.
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Pulpit Rock-Unquowa Road (opposite Roger Ludlowe High School)
BUR COUNTRY
Old Oak Tree-Bronson Road (opposite Oaklawn Cemetery)
Bridge over Mill River-Plattsville-1890
PRESS
Above-Early Trolley Right-Later Model
X
X marks the spot where John Dimon was taken prisoner-Aspetuck Corners- during Revolution- ary War times.
FRED DISBROW'S
SOUTHPORTMARKET
Fred Disbrow and his delivery wagon
1894-Fred Disbrow's Southport Market- cleanest and most sanitary in Connecticut at that time-on Main Street-between Savings Bank and Pequot Inn (front yard of Pequot School) - Groceries, meats, fruits, vegetables-(Confectionery and Ice Cream Store next door operated by Charles E. Bulkley). See meat block in foreground -meat saws hanging up, etc.
Load of seaweed- Fairfield Water Fountain
Ash Creek Bridge
FAIRFIELD & SOUTHPORT
Summer Trolley
R.N.Shumway® SEEDSMAN · ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS THE PIONEER AMERICAN SEEDSMAN · ESTABLISHED 1870 89 ANNUAL CATALOG OF SEEDS AND PLANTS · 1959
R.H.SHUMWAY
567 Red Wethersfield
The largest yielder in cultivation-often producing 1,000 bushels per acre. Though well flattened the large-size Onions are quite thick. The outer skin is deep rich purple-rod, samoth i and glassy. The Dosh is white, lightly tinged with pinkish rose near the skin. The Onions are attractive, sohd, amt have a pleasing Onion flavor. It is & standard late variety which will keep in storage for a long time. Splendid for setx and widely grown for full size Onions, Pkt., 20 ets .;. oz,, 60 rt» .; 1/1 1b., $1,35; 15 Ih., $2.00; 1b., 81.00, postpaid.
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568 Southport Yellow Globe
My ared of this grand variety is of the finest home grown strain. The Onions nature all at the same time and are re- markably uniform in size, shape, color and quality. The sith I, bright golden yellow and the flesh is pure white, It is mill, cold and intry. The onions are gloty shape with slender neck. Have wwinlerful korping quality; Will store well until late spring. Very proilurtive, Pkt., 16 ets .; oa .. 50 ets .; 4 lb .. $1,10; 1% IL., $2.00; Ib., $3.70, postpaid.
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575 Early Yellow Bermuda Nwerteat Onlou
The next widely and turgely planted of the Bermuda varie Den: Bermuda Onions are natal on the miklos mul sweetest of all milone They are flat in shape and make fine larmy hulbe The Yellow Bermuda is of a clear light, straw polor, A wonderful ylekler. Pkt. 15 cta .: +z., 00 ets .; 11 lb .. $1,10: W Tb., 82.00; lb .. $3.75, postpald,
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569 Southport White Globe
U'ard annually ho the largest commercial growers, The mont attractive large round Omleir with pure paper-white skin. Tuy Bosh In nlso pure white, awont, juley aud of a most dirtightfut mill favor. It is a main-prop variety which will stor wall for winter consumption, A wonderful variety for early market and a big money maker, Pkt., 18 ets,; 0%., Bo ets.1 54'lb. $1,10; 16 1b., 88.00; Thu $3.76, postpaid
You can still enjoy the Southport Yellow Globe Onion.
1903-Dedication of Southport Water Fountain-Dorothy Ripley Chapter D.A.R .- Note Fountain covered completely by American Flag. Waterfront stores are at the top of picture.
St. Mary's Chapel- By-the-Sea -a favorite spot for weddings
Ash Creek is in foreground
IF
Southport on a sunny afternoon-notice cars-about 1909
About 1880-note sign post where fountain now stands. "Looking up Main Street"
Fairfield Center about 1906. Note street light and trol- ley tracks. This is looking west with Clampett's Corner- the Post Office on the center left.
St. Mark's Hotel on Old Post Road. Front now removed and used by Fairfield Chapter American Red Cross as the headquarters. Hotel had a large ballroom.
Hobart's Store on Beach Road- stood just to the east of the Town Hall- 1849-Post Office and Groceries
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GREENFIELD HILL GRANGE
Greenfield Hill Grange Float
D. A. R.
Connecticut Tercentenary Parade-September 28, 1935
The Gold Dragoons
Talley Ho!
CHAPTER 13
FARMING MONTH BY MONTH IN FAIRFIELD IN 1813
January-Threshing, went clamming, dressed flax and began to spin, breaking flax, killed a steer, picked stones off lot, thresh flooring of oats.
February-First lamb, clamming, threshing, fan oats, dressed flax for the wheel, shelled corn, cut wood, prune trees in February before sap begins to run.
March-Shelled corn, twin lambs, crackle flax, dressed flax, went clamming, more lambs, make cart whips, gathered brush, dug up building stone, set geese eggs, plant peas, radishes, cut chestnut saw logs, cut alders, sow hay seed.
April-Dress flax, set up ashes for soap, make soap, carry 1 barrel vinegar, 3 bushels par- snips, 11/2 bushels beets to Mill River for New York. Get some cloth which had been dressed and dyed blue, splitting hills, dug the asparagus bed, planted peppergrass, clamming, stub and burn briers, cart brush, graft trees, yoked steers, harrowed, plowed, butted saw logs, second calf born, set 63 Tur- key eggs, cart salt peter, geese begin to hatch, steers almost command, made the garden, cart manure, dug parsnips, dug stone.
May-Pick peppergrass, planting, pulled the first radishes, spread manure, turkeys hatch- ing, wash the sheep, planted potatoes and pumpkins, carried cider to the distillery, potatoes to Mill River to go to New York, chicken hatching, apple trees bloom, planted melons.
June-Carted seaweed, hoed corn and potatoes, mended road, picked peas, pulled turnips, hill potatoes, go for strawberries, half hill corn, went a clamming and a musseling, a
king crabbing, carted seaweed and sanfire, set out some tobacco, began to mow, rake hay, got some horsefeet, planted watermelon, cucumbers.
July-Mowed, new potatoes for dinner as large as eggs, pulled beets for dinner-size of corn cob, cradling grain, picked first cucumbers, sharpened rails, pulled flax.
August-Had corn and beans and squash for dinner, topping stalks, cradled oats, sent onions and potatoes to New York-sowed turnips, finished hay harvest, repaired cider press, plowed, made first cider, cut briers, mowed salt meadows, harrowed.
September-Cleaned rye, carted salt hay, go a graping, made cider, threshed and winnowed some rye, pay taxes $14.19, topped stalks, carted manure, fanned rye, sowing grain, went for oysters, fine weather for drying peaches.
October-Made cider, sowed grass seed, dug potatoes, finished sowing wheat, gathered apples, picked quinces, clean flax, cut wood, picked corn, went for chestnuts, clamming, thresh a grist of rye, husked corn.
November-Husked corn, whitewash house, picked corn, mended highways, dug beets, pulled turnips, took up flax, fenced haystack, cut turnips, carted savin brush, carted stalks, got seaweed, dressed poultry for Thanksgiv- ing, thresh oats, yoked young oxen, set frost fish pots.
December-Fanned oats, threshed a grist of rye, carted seaweed, butchered hogs, threshed a little, catching frost fish, cart brush, butch- ered hogs, fan wheat, cut up pork, shocked rye, fixed sausage meat.
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CHAPTER 14 FIN FISH AND SHELLFISH AND THEIR ESTEEMED VALUE TO FAIRFIELD FAMILIES
The shellfish and fin fish were a very im- portant source of food for the early people. On April 27, 1721 a special Town Meeting was held to prevent the destruction of Oysters along Fair- field's Shores. Any who took them and were caught would be fined. Then again on Dec. 27, 1764 the Town Meeting Records show that they met and agreed to protect the oyster and clam- beds.
The said Inhabitants have agreed and ordered and do hereby agree and order that no persons what-so-ever shall directly or indirectly take, catch or break from their beds any Oysters or Clams, commonly called Round Clams in any Harbors, Creeks or Cove within the bounds and limits of this Town anytime within two years from the first of January next ... any person ... shall forfeit for every such offence the sum of twenty shillings law- ful money-(3/4 to the informer and 1/4 to the Town Treasury) -except upon application of a woman in the state of pregnancy or a long continued sickness or such pregnant woman shall have a longing desire for Oysters or Round Clams-in such case the Sel- ectmen may in writing permit such quantity as they deem sufficient-(this permit given to the person catching same).
It was further voted that after the close of the two year period all must have a permit to take either oysters or clams and there was a 20 shil- ling fine if one did not have a permit. A Com- mittee of Townsmen was chosen to prosecute the offenders.
Clambroth was believed to be healing and highly nutritious. I remember my Dad telling about a man who was very near death in the height of winter. His son went to the beach for clams. He was only able to dig 10 clams for the weather was very extreme. These 10 clams were cooked upon the son's return home and the thought was that the broth had saved the father's life.
Two years later it was voted "that anyone who pulls down ye stones belonging to ye pillows under Squires Bridge or to catch any oysters growing on said pillows they shall forfeit £5 for
each offense". This evidently continued as a favorite spot to gather oysters for again in 1769 mention is made of taking oysters from Squier's Bridge and a fine of 20 shillings was again im- posed. Job Bartram was assigned the task of prosecuting all breaches of this act.
On Dec. 18, 1789, it was made unlawful to take Oysters from Ash House Creek.
The records show that on April 10, 1806 an- other stand was taken on this matter. Voted:
1. Be it ordained that no person or persons not an inhabitant of or residing within the limits of said town shall be permitted to dig or catch any clams or oysters or on any of the shores or within any of the harbors, shores, creeks, rivers or flats of said town. And that any person or per- sons who may be found guilty of breach of this ordinance shall be fined in a sum exceeding 17 dollars for each offense.
2. Be it ordained that no inhabitant of or residing within this town without a permission from a Justice of the Peace shall be allowed to catch any oysters in the part of the Saugatuck River within the limits of said town after the 1st day of May till the 1st day of September annually and a penalty of 5 dollars for each and every offense so committed.
3. Be it ordained that one third of all monies re- ceived from breeches of the preceding rules and ordinances shall be paid into the Town Treasury and the remaining two thirds to the complainant who shall prosecute to effect.
One wonders if the old belief of oysters not being "fit to eat" unless there is an R in the name of the month did not enter into this decision.
On April 20, 1812 Mr. John Stratton was given "the exclusive privilege of shad fishing from a line to be drawn from Beers Point so called to Roberson Wharf northerly to the dam of Burr's Mill during his life".
In 1819 it was reported that Oysters and Clams had been taken in great numbers from Fairfield's Shores. Thus the supply had been depleted. Shad and fin fish were listed as plenti- ful. That same year Mill River "appeared to be
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full of small mackeral". (This was also true in 1920)
At a meeting duly warned and held on Sept. 16, 1822 it was again voted that:
No person is to take oysters or scallops from May 1 to September 1 from any harbor, creek or river in Fairfield without first getting a special license from the inspector of that area.
and then only people from Fairfield and Nor- walk were allowed to obtain these special licens- es and they were first to cut off young oysters or scallops not suitable for eating and leave them. There was a fine for each transgression of one dollar per bushel with 1/2 of the total amount or 50¢ per bushel going to the complainer and the other half to the Town's Treasury. This is the first mention of scallops but if they too were available by the bushel to those with permits, there must have been quite a few of them.
On Dec. 11, 1826 the Town records show:
Resolved that if any person shall take any oysters in waters within limits of the Town of Fairfield other than Tuesdays and Saturdays, he shall be fined not less than one dollar nor more than $17 --- same fine if he takes more than ten bushels in one day-(from common property-not property of an individual) .
In 1840, 16,000 fish were caught in Black Rock Harbor on June 14. Scallops were said to be innumerable. The preceding year 40,000 fish had been caught in the Harbor.
The efforts of our predecessors to save the shellfish from annihilation continued and in 1846 the Selectmen were ordered to stake out the Oyster beds which they did for Thomas B. Bartram, Daniel Wilson of Black Rock and Wil- liam Sherwood and in 1866 a committee of five was appointed for the same task. Two years later the Town voted that not more than two bushels of oysters could be taken in any one 24 hours. Anyone who was caught breaking the law was fined $17.00.
This editorial appeared in the Southport Chronicle in 1868.
Southporters have, right at their very doors, a never failing supply of that delicious bivalve-the oyster; or rather would have with proper protec- tive laws to keep away those piratical crafts from neighboring ports, who scoop up and carry off, right from under our very noses, seed oysters. We had better organize again into a Borough, unless we can have a TOWN law strong enough to protect us in this respect. (And by the way, we need borough laws in other matters too.) If we understand the doings of the last town meeting, a vote was passed extending the time when no oysters can be taken
from the harbor until November 1st, instead of Sep- tember Ist, as heretofore. But if the notice requires two weeks publishing, as we hear rumored, the "pirates" will "do" us again this year, unless the "boys" take matters into their own hands and make the harbors too hot to hold them.
This one appeared in the same newspaper just two years later :
The Southport Chronicle, Sept. 14, 1870-THE TAKING OF OYSTERS. Measures have been taken to enforce strictly both the Town and the State laws regulating the taking of oysters in the waters within the limits of the Town of Fairfield.
In order that all may have fair warning, we print in another column our Town and State laws on this subject.
It will be observed that, by the State law, every person is forbidden to take or gather oysters from the first day of April to the fifteenth day of October in each year, under severe penalty.
Our Town law, enacted at a legally warned Town meeting, holden August 21st, 1868, provides that no person shall take or gather any oysters in the waters within the limits of the Town, or in the waters and flats adjoining and belonging to it, ex- ceeding in quantity two bushels in any one twenty- four hours, under a penalty of seventeen dollars for each offense. This law applies to every month in the year.
Our citizens must, therefore, be careful not to take any oysters until after the 15th of October, and even then they must never take more than two bushels in any one twenty-four hours in the waters within Town jurisdiction.
We also call attention to the provision in the State law respecting non-residents. The boats or vessels of oystermen who do not reside in Connecti- cut, and have not so resided for six months preced- ing, used by them in gathering oysters in the waters . of this State, may be seized by any person.
Let this be borne in mind, and if any foreign oystermen are found gathering oysters near our harbor, let their boats be seized at once. Do not wait for a warrant, but immediately after the seiz- ure, give notice to two of our justices and they will have the boats delayed.
Last Fall we were considerably troubled by the presence of a fleet of oyster vessels in our very har- bor. If they come again this year, let us see to it that they are taught a lesson which will secure us, hereafter, from their piratical visits.
The State Laws protecting the bivalves were also quoted to admonish the transgressors.
The Southport Chronicle, Sept. 14, 1870
STATE OYSTER LAW
Every person who shall from the first day of April until the fifteenth day of October, in each year, take, gather, or collect, any oysters, or oyster shells, in or upon any of the flats, creeks, banks, rivers, harbors, or waters, of this State, shall for each offense be punished by a fine of not less than seven dollars, nor more than fifty dollars, or by imprison-
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ment in the workhouse, or common jail, of the county in which the offense shall be committed, not exceeding thirty days, or by such fine and imprison- ment both, one half of which shall be to him who shall sue therefor, and prosecute his suit to effect, and the other half to the treasury of the town in which the offense is committed; but nothing, in this section contained, shall be so construed as to prohibit any person from re-taking any oysters be- longing to him and by him laid down or planted, and not so laid down or planted in or upon any natural oyster beds, or places where oysters naturally grow, nor extend to any town which shall have dis- sented from its provisions, at a legal meeting of the inhabitants of such town, duly warned, and held on or before the first day of November, 1842, except- ing the towns of Norwalk and Milford.
. No person except the owner, shall take, gather, or collect, any oysters, in any of the navig- able waters of this State, in any season of the year in the night time, between the setting of the sun and the rising of the same, on penalty, for every offense, of not less than seven dollars nor more than fifty dollars, or by imprisonment in the common jail or workhouse, not exceeding thirty days; one half of which penalty shall be to him who shall sue there- for, and prosecute his suit to effect, and the other half to the treasury of the town in which the offense is committed.
There is also a provision that "no person who is not at the time an actual inhabitant or resident of this State, and who has not been, for six months next preceding, an actual inhabitant or resident of the State, shall take, rake or gather, any oysters, either for himself or for his employer, in any of the rivers, bays, or waters of this State, on board of any canoe, flat, scow, skiff, boat or vessel, on penalty of twenty dollars, one half to the treasury of the town where the offense is committed and the other half to him who shall prosecute to effect."
It is further provided that "sheriffs and constables shall seize, and any other person may seize" any boat, vessel, &c. so used by any such person in gath- ering oysters, and forthwith give notice to two Justices of the Peace, residing in the town, and the Justices are to give an order for the detention of such boat. Notice is to be given to the parties to appear, and upon conviction such boat is to be for- feited and sold, and the avails thereof, after de- ducting costs, be paid one half to him who made the seizure, and the other half to the treasury of the town where the offense was committed. There is a heavy penalty for resisting the officer or person making the seizure.
In 1871 a Committee made up of Wakeman B. Meeker, Oliver Turney and Simon Squires was directed to designate places for planting Oysters.
Owners of the Oyster grounds just deeded were required to set buoys to mark their prop- erty and $1.10 had to be paid to the Commis- sioners for each acre. The Commissioners setting
the corner buoys, furnishing the deed and the map while the Ground Owners furnished boats, buoys and helped. The Commissioners supplied two sextant observers.
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