USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Brimfield > Historical celebration of the town of Brimfield, Hampden County, Mass > Part 13
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In 1853. Hartwell & Whitney, of Ware, bought the fac- tory and commenced the manufacture of cotton goods ; in 1854. it was burned. Rebuilt of stone, stuccoed, the north building was occupied by S. Packard, from 1856 to 1865, for the manufacture of shoe-makers' kits of tools. In 1865, it was bought by Charles Varney, who has oc- cupied it since then for making machines for pegging shoes. He also bought, at the same time, of Stearns & Owen, the saw-mill and grist mill on the south side, which they had purchased in 1858.
Grist-mills were among the prime necessities of the first settlers, and special inducements were offered for their erection. The first grist-mill in town was built by Ezra King. before 1753, on Elbow brook. This grist-mill of Ezra King's, was afterwards owned by Harvey and Ziba Fenton, then by James Bacon. David Parker and Cheney Solander succeeded them in the ownership of the property ; afterwards Abner and Samuel Nichols.
November 3, 1856. a company was organized under the name of the Brimfield Stockinet Company, who pur- chased the saw and grist-mill on Elbow brook, previously
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owned by Abner Nichols, and erected a factory and com- menced the manufacture of stockinet; the enterprise was not a success. May 1, 1863, William R. Parks pur- chased the property, and with his partner, Luther H. Ar- nold, under the firm of W. R. Parks & Co., enlarged the factory building, erected a boarding-house and several tenements, and commenced the manufacture of woolen goods, and continued the business, first by the firm and then by William R. Parks alone, until June 24, 1869, when the property was sold at auction to Charles Lane, who afterwards conveyed the same to Samuel Shaw, under whom William R. Parks recommenced business and continued until April 18, 1870, when the factory was burned. The privilege has remained unoccupied since.
The saw-mill now owned by Rufus Fosket, lower down on Elbow brook, was built by Darius Nichols. The first grist-mill on this site was built by William Tucker, who sold to Daniel Wight.
Mention is made in the Proprietors' book, page 196, of a grist-mill owned by David Bosworth in 1746.
There is mention made of another, page 152, owned by James Thompson.
The grist-mill at East Brimfield was built by Peleg Cheney Janes, and the business carried on by him till 1814; afterwards by the manufacturing company. Since then Isaac Stearns and Charles Varney have owned and managed the property.
The grist-mill at Eaton pond was erected by Nathaniel Danielson, and has been owned and run by the same per- sons as were proprietors of the saw-mill in connection with it. In 1875, Dec. 18, it was burned, and will not probably be rebuilt. In fact, the damage done to the land on the plain, by the setting back of the water from the dam, is annually greater than all the possible profit from continuing the use
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Joseph Craft, in 1760, according to the Proprietors' book, had a saw-mill on Elbow brook. It probably occu- pied the site, north of the Monson road, where now stands a disused mill and dam. In 1800, Nathaniel Danielson owned the saw-mill on Eaton pond, near John Need- ham's. The successive owners have been, General Eaton, J. Davis Browning, M. Converse, Abner Hitchcock, Em- ory Pierce, Levi A. Rice, James Willis, Paul Gray, C. R. Brown & Son, B. HI. Walker, and H. A. Webber. In 1833, Alfred Lumbard built a saw-mill on the Stoneiard's Meadow brook, south of the house where he then re- sided, afterwards run by steam. This was burned 1863, April 6.
The first grist and saw-mills at Little Rest were located lower down the stream than the present mills. These were built by Col. Aaron Morgan ; rebuilt by his son, Justin Morgan, who carried them on until his decease, Jan. 13th, 1843. Since that time the mills have been owned and managed by his son, Thomas J. Morgan.
At these mills, about 1812, Justin and his brother, Thomas Morgan, commenced the manufacture of nails, cut by machinery. Thomas Morgan was one of the first to invent and perfect a machine for that purpose. At first the nails were cut by the machine, and headed by hand ; soon after, Mr. Thomas Morgan perfected a ma- chine that did both. Thomas soon sold out to his brother Justin, who continued the business for nearly twenty years, when, finding himself unable to compete with manufacturers nearer the seaboard, he relinquished the business.
Horace Morgan, son of Justin, commenced the manu- facture of shoe nails about 1840. and continued the busi- ness until 1850, when T. J. Morgan took the business. and continued the same fifteen years, when, finding his
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water power insufficient for that, and his increasing lum- ber business, he gave it up.
The grist and saw-mills on Tufts brook, in the north- west part of the town. known as Homer's mills, were owned by Joseph Patrick ; afterward by Asa Patrick and Dady Blodgett, who sold them to Linus Homer, who at first alone, afterwards with his son Wilson, carried them on for a long time ; during the construction of the Boston and Albany Railroad, and since, they did a large lumber business. At the present time, owing to the scant sup- ply of timber and the erection of the saw-mills of S. N. Powers and A. W. Crossman & Son, further down the stream and nearer the West Brimfield station, the mills have only a small business.
The increase of cattle, and the necessity for disposing of their hides, naturally led to the building of tanning and currying establishments. J. W. Browning's is the only establishment that still continues in operation out of the three or four that at various times have carried on this branch of industry in various places in the town. Tan- ning was a slower process in those days, when three years was often the time taken thoroughly to make a hide into good leather. Now, by the aid of chemical agents and patented processes, the work is done -- I will not say how well done, in three weeks. Thompson's tan- nery, near what is now the poor-house, was in operation till quite a late date.
Philemon Warren came to Brimfield in 1791, and bought the tannery of Jason Munn. The tannery was between the brook and Mr. Wheeler's house; about 1823 it was removed and located north-easterly of the house, and enlarged by removing and adding the distillery build- ings of Lyon, Wyles & Co .; here Mr. Warren with his son John M. Warren, under the firm of P. Warren & Son, (afterwards P. Warren & Sons,) did a large tan-
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ning and currying business, until December, 1843. In 1844 William M. Ward and Augustus Wheeler bought the yard and shops and carried on the business for about three years, when Mr. Wheeler withdrew and Ward con- tinued the business until June 18, 1850, when the shops were burned.
Several years previous to the burning of the tannery James J. Warren built an addition to the building used by P. Warren & Sons for an office, and carried on the currying business for several years, selling out to John W. Browning, who removed the buildings to their pres- ent location.
The first boots offered for sale in Hartford and other cities in the south, "ready-made," were made in Brim- field, by the firm of P. Warren & Son. Often doing their business on shares, a large stock of leather would accu- mulate. In order to dispose of this to the best advan- tage, Mr. Warren engaged shoe-makers to make boots and shoes of different sizes. These were carried to Hart- ford for sale in that city, or shipped to Richmond, Va., for sale there or in cities farther south. Mr. J. Merrick Warren, in conducting this business, made frequent tours through the south. The business amounted to over $150,000 a year, and gave employment to two hun- dred and fifty hands in neighboring towns, when, in 1835, F. H. Warren became a partner in the firm of P. Warren & Sons.
The leather was generally furnished to the shoe-maker by the person who employed him. It was the custom in early times for each well-to-do family to prepare for win- ter, not only by the aid of a sempstress taken into the family circle for the time, but what was quite as impor- tant, boots and shoes must be made against a time of need, and the shoe-maker came, like the sempstress, to spend a week, or less, or more. This traveling about from house
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to house was called "whipping the cat." The boy or girl stood with bare feet close up against the side of the house, the heel brought back firmly against the mop- board. The shoe-maker's knife was stuck into the floor, so close to the end of the toe that there was apparent danger of drawing blood, if not of cutting the end of the toe entirely off. "Now step away," said the cord- wainer, or cobbler, old-time designations of the sons of Crispin. A twig was cut the exact length of the foot. That was about all the measurement taken. Care was taken simply to make the shoe broad enough and big enough. The graceful tournure of the modern lady's toilet, was a thing inconceivable in those days.
The shoe business of Massachusetts, the leading manu- facturing interest of the country, dates from about 1818, when Messrs. Spofford & Tileston began in New York city to sell on commission, and Joseph Walker, of Hop- kinton, Mass., introduced pegged boots in place of sewed boots.
Shoe-makers are to be found among the earliest inhab- itants of the town, as appears from the old deeds, in which, as early as 1728, Peter Montague is called " cord- wainer." This word is sometimes misspelled "cord- winder," though it is derived from Cordova, a city of Spain, famous for the manufacture of a peculiar kind of leather for ladies' shoes. Since the shoe manufacture has given employment to so many in the different depart- ments of the business, the bottoming and finishing of pegged boots and shoes has been carried on by many res- ident here, doing this work for the large establishments in the adjoining towns. Noah Hitchcock. Jesse Hitch- cock, Simeon Hunter, Albigence Griggs, Col. Robert An- drews did custom work. "Uncle Noah's" lapstone, with the date cut in 1757, his pincers and his hammer, are treasured relies in the family. He raised the frame of a
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house on or near the site afterwards occupied by Lemuel Allen, but concluding to take up his residence in the vil- lage, took down the frame and built his house on the site now occupied by Pliny F. Spaulding. It was afterwards owned and occupied by Dr. Justus Keyes. It has been removed to a site north of the Hitchcock school, and is now occupied by Lyman Webster. Uncle Jesse suc- ceeded his father Noah in the business. He was for many years a prominent man in society affairs, and built. all the houses on the south side of the Common, with the exception of P. F. Spaulding's.
Among the carpenters of the olden time may be men- tioned Nathan Read, who lived in what is now Warren, as did also Thomas Patrick. In 1739, Jonathan Brown, of Salem, "housewright and joiner," bought a farm in town. The most prominent of all who have been en- gaged in this business was Elias Carter. He built the meeting-house of 1805; General Eaton's house ; also those of William Brown, Solomon Homer, S. A. Hitch- cock, John Wyles, in style and durability creditable to his reputation as an architect and builder. He became embarrassed after building the factory at East Brimfield. He removed to Thompson, then to Killingly, then to . Mendon, building a church in each place. He also built the Lunatic Asylum at Worcester. Julius Ward did a large business as carpenter; he built the Conference Hall, the Church at South Warren, and many other buildings in the town and vicinity. Joseph Alexander (Uncle Joe) and his sons, Sullivan. Elliot and Nathan. were in the business for a long time.
The first mason mentioned is in 1759. Reuben Lilly, better known as Captain Lilly, an officer in the Revolu- tionary war ; others, were Col. Aaron Morgan, Aaron Morgan. Jr .. Rufus Baker. The first house painter, so far as can be ascertained, was AArtemas Sargent, a brother
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of the younger Dr. Moffatt's wife. Of those of later date engaged in this business, may be mentioned Gad Hitchcock. Augustus Wheelock, George HI. Upham, Aaron Morgan and John W. Morgan.
As horses and carriages came into more general use, harness-makers found steady employment at their trade. The name first given, " saddler," indicates the prevalence of horseback riding as the common mode of travel. Lemuel Bates was a saddler, and bought, 1773, Septem- ber 13, a house and one acre of land of Dr. Israel Trask. Marquis Converse came from Palmer, and began his life in Brimfield as a harness-maker, at first in the house where Mr. Solander now lives. His predecessor was a man by the name of Groves. James Brown bought Mr. Converse out, and carried on the business from 1814 to 1850. He was many years in partnership with his son, Henry F. Brown, who has now, however, given his attention to other matters. John Gates, who began to work at harness-making in 1859, is the only one who now carries it on. Wheelerights .- In a deed from De- liverance Brooks, executed 1735, he is described as " hus- bandman alias wheelwright." He lived where G. M. ยท Hitchcock resides ; said to have removed to east part of the town.
Albon Janes had a carriage manufactory, carrying on an extensive business for many years. Before him, and also cotemporary with him, Reuben Townsley and Abi- shai Townsley, his son, made wagons, carts and wheels for many years. At Little Rest, Alfred Blashfield carried on the business for many years, which is continued by his sons, William C. and Alfred.
The building in which Daniel Haynes now lives, was originally put up by Marquis Converse for a carriage fac- tory. He took into partnership N. Fisher Robinson to do the blacksmith work, and Abraham Rutan to do the
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woodwork. The experiment was not such a success as to warrant its continuance any length of time. Milton G. Puffer hired the shops and continued the business for some years. The manufacture of hames is now carried on by E. Evarts Tarbell, as it had been by his father William, and brother William G .. before him. The shop was originaly built for the manufacture of gun-barrels by William Butterworth. Near Tarbell's shop, in the build- ing now occupied as a shoe-maker's shop, by J. L. Woods, the rifles used by the Brimfield company were made by William Tucker, who succeeded Luther R. Lamb, both noted in their day because of their superior qualifications as gunsmiths.
As individuals showed a natural aptitude for such work when the season for killing beef or hogs came round. their services were in demand, and some found constant remunerative employment. James Moore is the first per- son of whom any mention is made as having thus taken up the butcher's trade. The practice of dressing meat and carrying it about town for sale, was begun about 1828 by Marquis Converse. Succeeding him were Che- ney Solander, William M. Ward, Philip G. Hubbard, Samuel Kelly and P. F. Spaulding, who now keeps a market.
Blacksmith's shops have been built and work carried on in various places in town, as the varying needs of the community, or the convenience of individuals has seemed to require. Benjamin Miller, in the early part of the century, had a blacksmith's shop on Tower hill, in the road north of the present school-house. The road to Dunhamtown then passed directly west down the hill. instead of turning north at the school-house, as it does NOW. Prominent among those in the trade of later date. have been Nicholas Holbrook, who had his shop on the spot where H. F. Brown now lives. Elijah and William
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Tarbell had for many years a shop on Main street south of the Hitchcock school, afterwards removed to the site now occupied by the cheese factory. Zenas Holbrook was a famous trumpeter in the militia cavalry, and earned his sobriquet of " Skipper Holbrook" from the peculiar tones of his bugle: his blacksmith's shop was opposite Mr. Potter's house.
In 1826 Johnson Bixby bought of William Upham the blacksmith shop, at East Brimfield, previously occupied by said Upham, Elijah Tarbell. William Smith, and prob- ably others, and continued the business until his decease. January 28, 1872; since that date the shops have been unoccupied.
Nathan F. Robinson built the blacksmith shop at the center of the town. in 1839, and carried on the business until September, 1852, when he sold to E. W. Potter, the present occupant.
About 1817 Abraham Mason, of Douglas, removed to Brimfield, and commenced blacksmithing at a shop about midway between the houses of Michael Shanley and Ansel Holbrook. The neighborhood was so well pleased with his work, that they assisted him to build a house and shop where Henry Adams now resides. Deacon Samuel Brown and Col. Solomon Homer. each giving an acre of land from their adjoining premises. Here he carried on the business for a number of years. He was a skillful and ingenious workman, and was noted as the maker of spring-tempered steel hay and other forks; the first known in this region. He was succeeded by Eaton Hitchcock, who here commenced the manufacture of cast iron plows, the first known in this vicinity. The pattern of plows made by Mr. Hitchcock, are to this time, exten- sively used by the farmers of this and adjoining towns, and are known as the " Hitchcock Plow." When Mr. Hitchcock removed to near the center of the town, Ralph
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Root took the shop and carried on the business. For several years after he left, other persons carried on the business for a short time. About 1849 William Crouch commenced the business at a shop north of the school- house, on Tower hill, and carried on the business for sev- eral years.
David Parker, in 1810, bought the farm in the west part of the town recently owned by Chauncey Green, erected a blacksmith shop and continued the business there eleven years, when he bought the Bacon mills, erected another shop, and carried on the mills and blacksmithing for four years, when he sold out and pur- chased the place in the " Hollow," now owned. by Wm. K. Howard, where he continued the business one year, when he removed to the place now occupied by his son, David Parker, where he continued the business for fifteen years, in connection with the usual work of a black- smith ; he did quite an extensive business in the manu- facture of augers.
Another blacksmith was Henry Abbott. He lived on the old road (now discontinued) leading from E. T. Sher- man's to the " East hill." He died July 31, 1797, of hydrophobia. Hearing a noise in his piggery one night, he rose and went out to find a mad dog among his hogs. He grappled the dog and held it till his daughter brought him a hammer from the shop, with which he killed it. In the struggle, however, he was bitten, and knowing that he must suffer the terrible consequences, it is said he forged a chain and gave orders to have it put on him if necessary to restrain him.
About 1855 Ephriam Fenton and George N. Stone com- meneed business at the West part of the town. as black- smiths and builders of horse carts. team wagons, and other heavy vehicles, and continued the business until
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Mr. Stone removed to Palmer. Since his removal the shops have been unoccupied.
This history would be incomplete without mentioning the cabinet-makers. Joseph Morgan, who died 1798. occupied a shop situated between the houses of George A. Stetson and Washington Lamb. After his death. his son Joseph continued the business for several years. Maj. Nathaniel Parker, though not a cabinet-maker him- self. established the business in a shop south of the road and east of the house of Porter A. Parker. His son Pennel learned the trade of his father's journeymen, and after his death continued the business, moving the shop to its present location, where he remained in business till his death, August 21, 1876.
Other trades that have been carried on by different individuals for a longer or shorter period, can only be briefly mentioned. 1737. Thomas Green. Jr .. is called a " dish-turner ; " 1811. Bela Welch, watch-maker; 1813. Alfred Moffatt, silversmith.
It may be in place to mention the Town Scales. They were between G. M. Hitchcock's and James S. Blair's, on or near the site of the conference hall, and were con- structed with four upright posts, with cross-beam and plates to support a roof. Loads were weighed by at- taching chains, connected with the balance to the wheels, and the load raised by a lever or windlass. These scales were blown down in the gale of Sept. 22, 1815.
About 1835 a few individuals bought a Fairbanks Hay Scales. These were located near the hotel, on or near the lot now occupied by the Soldiers' Monument. The present hay scales were purchased by S. C. Herring, when he refitted the hotel.
It has been a difficult undertaking to secure a complete and correct list of those who have at different times been engaged in mercantile business in Brimfield. In the
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Springfield Registry, Vol. G. p. 22. David Shaw, of Brim- field, is called a trader. Timothy Danielson was the first. to open a store in town. It was at the time the only store between Springfield and Brookfield. It was the rear part of the old Danielson house, that was torn down in 1875. Samuel Haynes had a store on the corner, south-west of the meeting-house. In 1794. mention is made of Col. Abner Morgan and Moore's store. Samuel W. Brown had a red store between Mr. Wheeler's house and Mr . Warren's. It was used afterwards as an office by P. Warren & Sons. Moved and enlarged by the addition of a lower story, it is now occupied by J. W. Browning for his currying es- tablishment. Capt. Joseph Hoar kept a store in his house in Dunhamtown. on the site long occupied by his son, Col. Solomon, and grandson, Dea. Solomon Hoar. Enos Hitchcock was a trader about 1800, using part of the house now occupied by Cheney Solander. John Park, unele of Professor Park, of Andover, kept a store in the rear part of the house now occupied by Braman Sibley.
Ichabod Bliss, about 1812, built west of his tavern stand a store, which was kept for some years under the name of I. and L. Bliss & Co., the partners being Levi Bliss, of Brimfield, and Colonel Denny, of Leicester. It stood on the front of the present school-house lot. It was moved back and altered into a dwelling-house in 1857, by Wilson Homer, and is now owned and occupied by Mrs. Knight, for her summer residence. The business was carried on with various changes in the firm name : Levi Bliss : Stimson & Salisbury; Truman Charles : Hub- bard & Tyler; Hubbard, Tyler & Homer; Sigourney & Drury; Hubbard & Lebaron ; and last of all, it was kept as a " Union " store.
Lewis Williams, a son of Rev. Nehemiah Williams, was for many years an enterprising and successful trader. The store he occupied was at the east end of the house
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which he then occupied, now John W. Morgan's. This building was moved and altered into a dwelling-house. It is now the residence of N. F. Robinson. Lewis Williams sold out the store and the business to his brother Ebene- zer, whose death occasioned the changes just mentioned.
The store and residence now occupied by J. T. Brown. were built about 1802. Since then, this corner store has been continuously occupied by successive traders, as fol- lows: Norcross. Lyon & Co. ; Lyon, Wyles & Co .; (Fes- tus) Foster & (Foster) Lee ; (Jonathan) Ferry. (J. W.) Bliss & (Royal P.) Wales; ( William H. ) Sessions & (Otis) Lane ; by these last with Addison Sanford under the firm name of Sessions, Lane & Co .; (Frank C.) Merrick & Co .; Seaver & Fisk ; John Newton ; J. T. & G. A. Brown ; J. T. Brown.
The store now occupied by George M. Hitcheook. was originally the wagon shop of Albon Janes. It was occu- pied as a Union store, Division 446, of the New England Protective Union, by Edwin Allen. The first occupant after this, was S. C. Herring in company with, David F. Parker. Since then it has been managed successively by S. C. Herring, with Oman Lawrence as salesman and ac- countant; now by G. M. Hitchcock.
The store at East Brimfield has been occupied as such by various individuals and firms. It was at first the store of the factory companies. Afterwards it was occupied by Emory Sanford, James W. Hale, Horatio Fitch. John Wales Bliss, Horatio Wales, E. Perry & Sons, and W. H. Rice.
During the Revolutionary war there was a great deal of traveling. Parties were going to the army and re- turning from it. Provisions and ammunitions were sent in large quantities from Eastern New England. Many persons kept a public house for the entertainment of man and beast. All that was needful, in those days, to keep a hotel was, according to a common saying, a barrel of
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pork, a barrel of potatoes, and a barrel of rum. Among those who kept such victualing houses at this period, may be mentioned Josiah Smith, at the old turn of the Palmer road down the hill, north of the present turn; Aaron Charles, where Edwin B. Webber now lives; Nathaniel Danielson, in a house that stood near where Emory Liv- ermore now lives ; Isaac Powers, where Norman Powers now lives at West Brimfield ; Benjamin Lumbard, on the old road from East Brimfield to Holland, west of Jona- than Emerson's: Col. Alfred Lyon, where now stands the house of W. H. Wyles.
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