USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Watertown > Historical sketches of Watertown, Massachusetts > Part 23
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The next room is the laboratory, where samples of every barrel of alkali, of tallow, and of oils are accur- ately tested, as every cask of soap is tested before it leaves the factory. All substances used in making soap are tried by delicate chemical tests, so that just what goes into a batch of fifty tons of soap is thor- oughly known, and is recorded for future reference
The next room is the shipping-room, with its appli- ances for weighing, marking and recording the de- scription of all packages sent away.
Natural alkaline waters are found and used, clays . ing-room, at the huge kettles that hold one hundred are sometimes used as absorbents of grease, by fullers, in cleansing cloths. Ammoniacal waters are some- times used for the same purpose. Now these three alkalies,-potash, soda, and ammonia-softened by the introduction of various fatty substances, are the active factors in all soaps.
We can look, in the next room which is the boil- and fifty barrels of seething, foaming, steaming liquid. Two of these largest kettles have been put in during the past year. "You can call spirits from the vasty deep, but will they come when you call them." The three witches may, with uncanny gesture, walk about these pots, and may cast in their horrid contributions from the four quarters of the globe, and produce a compound that would defy the evil one himself to know or to baffle, but the resident member of this company will prove every inch of this mass when cold, and tell you just what are its powers and how far it can go to the service of man. If unsatisfactory, he will order it back again to stew and stew, and boii and boil, with the addition of many a compound, till it is more ready for the service of man. You and I do not expect to learn the secrets of his art, which it would be worth a fortune to know ; we must be satis- fied to see and use the results of the knowledge and skill acquired by a score or more of years spent in closest application to secure the results.
The building belongs to the Gas Company. The alkalies are imported. The carbonates and caustic potash come from Germany, caustic soda and its car- bonates from England. The freight from Liverpool to East Boston is less than from East Boston to the Watertown works. This building was once used as a hat factory, afterwards as a soap factory by Mr. Robbins, then for wool pulling, then for the manu- facture of Johnson pumps, then for making wire fencing. It was first used by Mr. H. M. Warren, who employed Mr. Groeschner, in the manufacture of
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WATERTOWN.
magnesium for artificial light in stereopticon exhibi- tions. This agent is available now, is more easily managed than the calcium light, more convenient than electricity on account of its portability. There is, however, a disagreeable product of smoke of mag- nesia in fine powder,-which can be taken care of. But the quantity of the article required is not suffi- cient to make its manufacture remunerative.
In 1868, Mr. Warren began to make family soaps. After three or five years the bulk of the business came to be the production, in constantly increasing quantities, of textile soaps. We said that more than forty different kinds of soaps are made here. These vary, as one would suppose, with the materials used. Just what these are we do not expect to learn.
While these soaps are knowu to the trade as uni- form in character, scientific accuracy requires us to say that each batch of soap requires constaut watch- fulness : for different materials, or materials supposed to be the same, but really of different qualities, vary and require nice balancing, one with another, to give uniform and constant results. No cask is allowed to leave the factory without being first tried by careful tests. Resins are not used to increase the weight of their soaps.
The sale of soaps to large manufactories requires skilled experts, who, on occasion, can go into the works themselves and prove the quality of the soap offered by showing what work it is capable of doing. This may be vitiated by unskillful treatment. Thus an industry is gradually built up as confidence grows in the constant and uniform character of its products.
It was in 1880, at the death of Herbert M. Warren, the first proprietor, that the present company was really formed. Of this firm, incorporated not till 1890, as we have said, Mr. Groeschner-long a resident of Watertown-has been the superinten- dent and chemist at the works from the inception of the business. Mr. Warren acts as treasurer for the company, and Mr. Stevens acts as business manager, taking charge of the sales, each doing his part with harmony, energy, success.
Starch Factories .- On the same street, Water Street, along the south bank of the river, is what has been known for many years as the Starch Factory. Indeed, this roadway was long since known as Starch Factory Lane. There was formerly a distillery here. When the present proprietors began, only one building was oc- cupied .. 'This, some fifteen or twenty years ago, was burned. Now Messrs. H. Barker & Co. occupy five buildings, which they have successfully erected as the demands of the business have increased. They now employ sixteen men here and ten at a building about a half-mile up the river. This starch is made from wheat flour, is shipped to New York and other places by the ton, packed both in barrels and in boxes. It is used wherever the beat starch is required.
Another starch factory, on the north bank of the river, on Pleasant Street, near Bemis, is manufacturing
large quanties of wheat starch. These works, carried on by the Crystal Springs Manufacturing Co., em- ploying ten or twelve men, under the immediate charge of Charles R. Fletcher, are trying a new pro- cess, nowhere else employed, by which the gluten, separated from the starch, is saved and made a valu- able health food product, called Poluboskos, much nourishing. This is characterized by its easy digest- ibility, and is therefore suitable for weak stomachs. Dyspepsia, the curse of our driving, nervous civiliza- tion, it is hoped, will find here a foe.
The principal building is fifty feet wide and one hundred and fifty feet long. The capacity of the works is about five hundred barrels of flour each week. The Boston office is at 86 State Street, under the management of F. H. Odiorne, president, and Wm. B. Buckminster, general manager. The new process employed in the works is patented by Herman Barker, who is one of the board of directors of the company.
The starch and the soap made in town would be adequate for the laundries now existing here, were they to be multiplied a hundred-fold.
The Mill and the Dum .- Governor Cradock, the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Company, who was a wealthy London merchant, who never came to New England, yet owned two of the vessels of Gov. ernor Winthrop's fleet, the "Ambrose" and the "Jewel," had sent out in 1628, two years before Sir Richard Saltonstall came to the Charles River, a cer- tain Thomas Graves, who, judging from the words of the contract made with him, was a skillful engineer. "This 10th of March, I, Thomas Graves, of Graves- end, in the county of Kent, gent., and by my profes- sion skilful and experienced in the discovery and finding out of mines, as also of lead, copper, mineral salt aud alum, in fortifications of all sorts, according to the nature of the place, in surveying of buildings and of lands and in measuring of lands, in describing country by map, in leading of water [courses] to proper uses for mills and other uses in manufacturing, etc., have agreed," etc., etc. This Graves was to serve the company and Governor Cradock and to be at the expense of both-each one-half; he was to be retained three years if they wished. There is men- tion of a Thomas Graves admitted freeman twelve years after. It is to be presumed that he remained and made himself useful both to the Massachusetts Company and to Governor Cradock. For this Thomas Graves, admitted freeman, was probably either the engineer himself or his son, then of age.
On the 17th of March, 1628, a warrant was made to pay for iron and steel, also to pay for buhrs to make mill-stones :
£ .. d.
110 at 2s. apiece, bought of Edward Casson, of London, mer-
chant tailor . 11 0 0
14c. of plaster-of-Paris @ 18d. per c. 110
Porterage, weighing the plaster and casting ont of the buhrs, 3 0
12d. and 23d.
£12 4 0
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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.
This shows that before starting the colonists for the new country, that some one of the company, presuma- bly the Governor, the wealthy merchant in London, bought in London (it seems of a merchant tailor) some of the materials necessary for first-class mill-stones,
There is no record of the building of a dam in Wa- tertown or of the building of the mill. The fact is stated that Edward How and Matthew Cradock, the former Governor, the weilthy London merchant, sold, the latter by his agent. each one-half of the mill at Watertown to Thomas Mayhew, in August, 1635.
Perhaps Matthew Cradock's agent, Thomas Graves, the skillful civil engineer by his own profession and by the company's allowance, built the mill and the dam for the same, in the rapids at the head of tide- water, at the expense of his employer, Cradock, and of Mr. Edward How who probably took care of and run it until they sold it to Mayhew.
It is true there might have been a dam built there before by the Norsemen. Even if there had been, it must have been washed away during the chances of heavy floods weighted with fallen trees overthrown by cyclones or with masses of ice piled up by the spring melting, as has frequently been done since.
Thi- Graves built the large house in which the Governor and assistants first met in Charlestown. He built fortifications for the early company.
HoMingororth & Whitney Company .- The Hollings- worth & Whitney Company occupy a site in Water- town which, for fifty years, has been devoted to paper- making purposes. About 1:39 William May had a mill there, and for him worked Leonard Whitney, Sr., who subsequently bought the property, and associated with him his son, under the firm-name of L. Whitney & Son. Mr. Whitney, sr., retiring, sold out to Thurs- ton Priest, and the firm became Whitney & Priest, who, besides making paper, added to their business the manufacture of paper bags by machinery. In April, 1862, the firm changed. Mr. Priest, retiring, sold out to E. A. Hollingsworth, and the firm became Hollingsworth & Whitney. At this time the plant was small, the water-power very meagre, and business rapidly growing.
This led the firm to consider the making of improve- ments, and in 1867-68 the present building, 60x200, with boiler-house and steam-engine room, was built, to accommodate both branches of the business, and where the production of paper had before been thirty tons per month, it was increased to 120 tons, while the bag department had its facilities doubled. Since the new mill was built, improvements have been made, so that now there is turned out daily eight tons, or 208 tons monthly, and the capacity of the bag department is 2,000,000 daily. Mr. Whitney died July 5, 1881, and Mr. Hollingsworth on January 6, 1882. On the 1st of April, 1882, a corporation was formed under the laws of the Commonwealth, bearing the designation of Hollingsworth & Whitney Company, which now carries on the business.
The works of this company occupy the site of the "ancient grist-mill," the water-mill" of the earliest record, and of many another mill of later date, as, for instance, a chocolate mill which was afterwards mov- ed to Dorchester, and became the Baker Chocolate & Cocoa Mill, now known by its product over the world, an early saw-mill, and others of which there is no dis- tinct record.
The Watertown Mill .- The Grist Mill .- This was originally a grist-mill, the business being at first the grinding of grists for the farmers who came from near and from afar. It is at present conducted by Perkins & Co., has two runs of stone, with a capacity of grinding 600 bushels of corn a day of ten hours. The corn ground comes from the western prairies, the flour sold comes mostly from Minneapolis, the bay and oats from Maine and the Canadas.
The grist-mill was moved down the "mill creek " to the site it now occupies was afterward moved nearer the river to accommodate a cotton-factory which began in 1805, by occupying the stories above the grist-mill, then the whole of it, which finally gave way to the return of the corn-mill, when that prop- erty was absorbed by the foundry and stove works now belonging to the Walker Pratt Company.
The building of the original mill and dam we have already ascribed with some degree of certainty to Cradock and How. The time was as early as, or earlier than January, 1634, for on this date a grant of land was made to it by the General Court. This was purchased and for some years owned by Thomas Mayhew. The ownership is traced by Dr. Bond to 1710. We can take up the train again in 1789, when John Remington sold to David Jackson. On some future occasion we hope to present in a satisfactory manner this entire history, which is very complicat- ed because of change of owners of fractional por- tions, and change of work done at different periods. The grist-mill holds the first right to the use of water for power. In case of failure of water supply, its wheels must be satisfied first. With change of loca- tion on the ancient Mill Creek, probably the oldest mill creek in the country, this right has now been suspended or alienated. The first duty of the Charles River in Watertown is to grind corn, and no man now knows how or when it was first imposed. The Mill Creek is thought by some to be a natural water- course. No one can disprove it. Prof. Horsford thinks it was built by the Norsemen.
Newspapers .- The Enterprise .- This paper was es- tablished by Samuel S. Gleason, Nov. 5, 1879, under whose management it steadily increased its circula- tion, its size and its influence. The paper is devoted to local interests, is bright, enterprising, and open to all who try to advance the interests of the town. After seven years given to the interests of this paper, Mr. Gleason withdrew from the paper, giving it wholly into the charge of Fred. G. Barker, who had been its printer for nearly its whole existence. Mr.
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WATERTOWN.
Gleason has, for the last few years, given up his time to the real estate business, which he has greatly de- veloped in this place.
Mr. Barker prints several periodicals, employs nine persons on his miscellaneous work. Having taken up printing as a recreation, when a boy in school, he has constantly increased his facilities and his skill, until his office has acquired a reputation for excell- ent work.
Gas and Electric Light .- The Newton and Water- town Gas Light Company has one of the best gas and electric light plants in this State. It is situated on Water Street, Watertown. The company was organ- ized March 18, 1854, with a capital of $200,000. The officers of the company are: President, Joseph N. Bacon ; treasurer and clerk, Francis Murdock ; direc- tors, Joseph N. Bacon, George C. Lord, William Claflin, Francis Murdock, C. C. Walworth, Charles M. Seaver, John K. Stickney, H. L. Hovey, Abraham Avery ; general superintendent, Waldo A. Learned. The office of the company is located at No. 421 Cen- | riety of machine tools, for it is crowded with ma- tre Street, Newton, and both Watertown and Newton are well supplied with light.
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They now consume about 4000 tons of coal, in place of the 400 of the first year, have about sixty miles of pipe, produce about 44,000,000 feet of gas, and are rapidly extending their means of lighting by are and incandescent electric lights.
Express Business .- T. P. Emerson bought out the express business of F. E. White in 1867, employing at first four men and six horses. He now employs nine men and twenty-six horses.
J. H. Critchett & Sons, do a large express and teaming business.
There are also Allen's Railroad Express, Ken- ney's Express and Nally's Express. The heavy business of the town requires large freighting and teaming facilities, which are at hand.
Livery Stables .- Horses for driving can be had in almost any number, of Briggs E. Potter, who bought out G. B. Stockwell in 1885, and by purchasing and enlarging his buildings, has increased his number of horses, from eleven of his own with eight hoarders, to twenty-three of his own with thirty boarders. Gen- tlemen are finding that through him a kind of co- operative horse-keeping is both more economical and more convenient than having a stable on their own premises. Telephones make it as easy to order one's horse from Potter's stable, as from his own in his back yard, where its presence is sometimes not desir- able.
F. K. Hubbard a few years since bought out Mr. Kelley, and manages his business in a way to win the confidence of the public. An attractive line of car- riages tempt people to drive, and his prices are reasonable for the teams furnished. The interests of the community are conserved by this centralization of this industry to a single location.
Machine-Shops .- There are the machine-shops of the
Empire Laundry Machinery Company, machine shops for their own use and their own repairs in the Walker Pratt Manufacturing Company's works, and in the large paper-mills of the Hollingsworth & Whitney Paper Company, and also within the grounds of the .Etna Mills Corporation, where Mr. Mayall's inven- tive and ingenious mind finds scope in the frequent changes and adaptations required in that factory. So, of course there are machine-shops within the arsenal grounds. The public, however, have recourse to only one machine-shop for general work in this place. This was started in 1886 on Patten Street, near the railroad, by Matthew Pryor. His principal business is the manufacture of small hardware and small nov- elties, steam fittings, and general jobbing, door-stops, saw sharpeners for carpenters, parts of electric clocks and the like. General repairs of lawn-mowers, sewing- machines, bicycles, in fact. almost anything which an ingenious man or boy can make, will not be turn- ed away. This shop, although small, has quite a va- chinery which is propelled by a small steam-engine on the premises. Mr. Pryor has gradually increased his business as his ingenuity and good nature have come to be appreciated ; his shop is always a good in- dustrial school for boys wishing to learn, and, if your historian is able to judge. is worthy of much larger patronage, a larger shop, with more extensive business.
Ross' Carriage and Wagon Factory .- On Spring Street, near Main Street, is now located the carriage factory of John Ross, which is known for its thorough and substantial work. Heavy express wagons or the lightest pleasure vehicles have been made. Dr. Hosmer's carriage, fitted for protection in bad weather, was made here. So was Dr. Mead's. Mr. Ross does both the iron-work and also the wood- work and the painting and finishing at his shop. He employs four men. Mr. Ross bought out Mr. George Finneley in 1867. Mr. Ross made for the town the hook-and-ladder truck which has seen some service, and promises to do much more. In contrast with this may be mentioned a buggy which he built, that, when complete and ready for use, weighed only thirty-seven pounds.
Boots and Shoes .- Shoe Mmufacture .- No large manufactories have ever been carried on in town. Little but custom work and repairs have been at- tempted here. Among those engaged in this business should be mentioned Mr. A. D. Drew, who generally supplies foot-wear for any customer who has the means and the courage to once give him his measure. Although he expects more pay for his boots and shoes at the start, it has been found in the end by some of our shrewdest investors to cost less in the end to be kept whole-footed.
Mr. Drew began in 1849, on the corner of Pleasaut and Galen Streets. He was alone for one year, then moved into the upper part of a building that stood where the post-office now is, where he had three men
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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.
for three years. Then he ocenpied a building where Lunt & Co.'s dry-goods store now is. About 1856 he moved into the building on the corner of Galen and Mt. Auburn Streets, where he employed five men. He had also at the same time a small shop in Newton. In 1861 he moved across Galen Street to the opposite corner, where Mr. Sheridan was his apprentice. Dur- ing the war he moved up-stairs, and employed seven men. Here he did the largest business of his life. too large to be entirely profitable, although it includ- ed such jobs as, for instance, thirty-three pairs of cavalry boots at $30 per pair; and boots for nearly every man in Company K, just before the clove of the war. He, himself, enlisted in May, 1865, but did not have occasion to leave Camp White, which was pitehed on Main Street, just beyond the West School- house.
Mr. Drew served in the old Fire Department, ot which for some years he was chief, and where his name will ever be preserved.
Ile has done good work enough for the preserva- tion and safety of our homes, for temperance and good order, to say nothing of the stores of good boots and shoes which he has made, to merit an old age of honor and repose.
Painters .- Among the active business men of the past fifty years may be mentioned Henry Russell. painter. He began in Brighton, but became estab- lished in this town in 1847. He employed in his business of painting, glazing and papering houses. sometimes as many as thirty men. Many in all the surrounding towns were familiar with his work, which was done according to agreement, with en- ergy and faithfulness. He was chairman of the parish committee of the First Parish for many years. serving with equal energy and faithfulness till hi- death, in 1889.
John Page has for many years followed with credit the same business which his son George A. Page now follows, occupying the old Barrett building on Beacon Square.
CHAPTER XXXV. WATERTOWN-(Continued).
SOCIETIES, PHYSICIANS, &C.
AMONG the societies organized in town for work of various kinds, social and benevolent, may be named the following :
FREEMASONRY IN WATERTOWN.1-The first Ma- sonic body organized in Watertown was Meridian Lodge, chartered Dec. 11, 1797, having a jurisdiction embracing towns between Boston and Concord, and concerning the early history of which little is posi-
tively known. The late Leonard Whitney, sr., of this town, was a member, and related that in the troub- lons times of Masonry it was customary to vary the place of meetings from town to town, members. driv- ing to the appointed place, carrying guns with them to ward off possible danger. Mr. Whitney at that time resided near the Acton Powder-mill. IIe, with Asa Stone, Asa Pratt, Mr. Dana, and others who were early members of Pequossette Lodge, used to delight in talking over the experiences of the Anti-Masonic period. Meridian Lodge lost its original charter and lodge furnishings by fire, and after several removals became established permanently in Natick, where it has fine lodge-rooms and a large membership, being at the present time one of the leading and best-working lodges of the State.
For many years Watertown had no Masonic lodge prior to the coming of William Webster, as principal of the High School, from Lexington. He had recently taken the degrees in Pettee's Lodge (so-called because its meetings were held in Worshipful Brother Pettee's house), in West Cambridge, and with the assistance of old-time Masons obtained a charter for Pequossette Lodge. He left Watertown several years later, tanght school in Rye, New York, and died in that State four or five years ago. He was the first Master of Pegnos- sette Lodge, and the first one of its Past-Masters to die. The original officers and members of Pequos- sette Lodge were as follows: William Webster, W. M. ; Daniel H. Marshall, S. W. ; Joseph B. Keyes, J. W .; Henry Derby, Treas .; Warren J. Lindley, Sec. ; Henry C. Vose, Chaplain ; George Marsh, Marshal ; Isaac Waste, S. D. ; George K. Hooper, J. D .; Alfred Howes, S. S .; Adolph Lewando, J. S .; Asa Stone, Tyler. Members-Asa Pratt, Daniel Howard, Charles Wilkins, Sewall Hiscock, J. H. Clarke, Robert Mur- ray, David B. Horn, Samuel Richardson, Daniel Marshall, George Hill, William Nichols, Horaee Clark, William B. Fowle, Jr., Leonard Whitney and George A. Hieks.
The preliminary meeting was held in Constitution Hall, Dana Block, December 17, 1856. At the next meeting, January 13, 1857, the name was changed to Masonic Hall, and the Grand Lodge dispensation was received and accepted.
The first initiates were George W. Harrington, Luke Perkins and Miles Pratt, February 13, 1857. At the next meeting William W. Russell and John K. Stickney were the first admitted members. The latter is now an honorary member.
May 8, 1857, Robert L. Davis and James W. Magee were given the third degree. Mr. Davis has retained active membership and a lively interest in the lodge ever since, and has contributed more than any other individual member to the success of the lodge.
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