USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > History of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Volume II pt 1 > Part 41
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42
The carding machines were not made personally by Scholfield, but by carpenters and machinists, working under his direction from modeis and drawings prepared by him. He soon, in the same manner, began the manufacture of machines for sale : and in 1806- to the great satisfaction of other carders-he abandoned the carding of wool altogether, in order to devote himself exclusively to this business and to perfecting models for looms and for spinning jennies, the making of which he shortly after added to it. His immediate successors in the carding business were Alexander and Elisha Fry ; but the carding of wool with machines man- ufactured by him was entered into as a business by several persons in the county. For some years the greatest obstacle which he encountered was the necessity of himself. or by his workmen, preparing the comb- plates by hand : punching and filing the teeth one by one, and with very rude appliances. But in 1814 his friend. James Strandring, succeeded in smuggling ont from England a teeth-cutting machine, with which he established, at Pontoosue, a small manufactory of comb plates, to which he afterward added the making of spindles.
Strandring's machine was placed in the attic of a little shop near the river at Pontoosuc, and the only access to it was by a ladder through a trap door. None were permitted to enter this attic except Strandring. Scholfield, and a man named Wrigley.
In addition to preparing comb.plates. Mr. Strandring made various kinds of saws, and re eut old ones, which were brought from a wide range of country. He carried on his little shop till his death, some years later. and during the later years added to it the manufacture of spindles.
Scholfield's carding machines had a wide reputation, and were sold all over the country. The price of those made the first year is said to have been over $1,300 each. In 1906 he advertised double machines for $253 each, without the cards, or 8400 including them ; and picking ma- chines at $30 each. The prices were afterward still further redneed.
* A run was twenty knots, and a knot forty threads of a prescribed length.
335
TOWN OF PITTSFIELD.
His annual manufacture amounted probably to from twenty to thirty double machines, at fair prices.
By reason of the dishonesty of some of his customers, and of the financial embarrassments of the period, as well as competition that sprang up, Mr. Scholfield's financial success was not such as he deserved.
Though he probably commenced weaving soon after he came to Pitts- field there is no distinct mention of broadcloths until 1804. when he offered a few pieces of gray mixed to several merchants of the village. who were all afraid to purchase. The goods were, however, sold in a larger market, and a few weeks afterward Josiah Bissell, a leading store keeper. brought home from New York two pieces of cloth which he had purchased for the foreign article. Scholfield was sent for to give an opin- ion concerning them, and had the pleasant triumph of exhibiting to Mr. Bissell the private mark, which proved them to be the same goods which he had so lately rejected.
The improvement in American wool by the importation of merino sheep began about this time.
In 1809 the Legislature incorporatel Simon Larmed. Elkangh Wat- son, Joshna Danforth. James D. Colt, jr., Jared Ingersoll, and Oren Goodrich as " The Pittsfield Woolen and Cotton Factory, " but no mann. factory was established by this company.
In 1808 Mr. Scholfield repurchased from Mr. Ely the carding business which he had sold to him, and made changes and improvements in the " Pittsfield Factory." which made it more worthy of its name.
The spinning jennies and looms, which were both run by hand. were placed in a building newly erected for the purpose, on the east bank of the river just below the bridge. It was afterward known as . the old red mill." The carding machines were retained in the original mill, which stood on the same side of the river just above the bridge.
The fulling and finishing of the cloth, manufactured by Scholfield in this cluster of little factories, were done at the clothier's works on Elm street, carried on successively by Eli Maynard. Maynard & Allen, and Jonathan Allen. 2d. - the distance between which and the factories was a little over a mile.
While Scholfield was, as a matter of business, pushing his improve. ments in machinery, Elkanah Watson was, as a matter of pride and of patriotism, urging by example, instruction, and argument the improve- ment of Berkshire wools, and they were joined by other citizens of more or less prominence. In the papers Mr. Waison. Thomas Melville. Rev. Thomas Allen, his son Jonathan, Ezekiel Bacon, and David Campbell gave very valuable practical aid to the movement.
It was stated, in the Pittsfield Som. that in 1808 15.270 yards of woolen goods were dressed in the clothieries of the town, but that prob ably some portion of this aggregate was manufactured in adjoining towns. It was believed that Mr. Scholfield's carding machines and spin ning jeunies had contributed largely to this result, though the im.
336
HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE COUNTY.
provement in the quality of wool, by the introduction of merino sheep. had its influence.
In 1800 a correspondent stated in the Sun :
" We have not time to notice as they ought to be noticed, several other valuable branches of manufacture which have grown up among us, within two years past, particularly the valuable and extensive one of sail duck and catter bagging, now in operation in this town, at which it is understood more than twenty thousand yards of the former, and a large but unascertained quantity of the latter have been made the year past; affording a vast profit to the enterprising undertakers, consuming a great quantity of the raw material of flax, and this encouraging its growth and increase, and employing a great number of the pooret classes of people in its operations
" Many of the same remarks might be applied to the manufactory of muskets and small arms, which has been pretty extensively carried on here for the year past. and at which more than a thousand have been made, and sold by contract to the State of New York."
Of Arthur Scholfield it may here be said that the depression of man- ufactures that followed the war of 1812 so embarrassed him that he was compelled to relinquish his interest in the Pittsfield factory, and the year 1821 found him doing business on a small scale, at Goodrich's mill. He died in 1827, at the age of seventy, and was buried in the old first burial ground in the rear of the Baptist church. When that ground was seen- larized his remains were removed to the new Pittsfield Cemetery.
The improvement in the quality of wood, which was effected by the introduction of better sheep by Elkanah Watson, B. Root. S. D. Colt. and others, and the improved machinery introduced by Scholfield, did much to improve manufactures in Pittsfield ; but still most of the cloth was made on household looms, and in the so called factories all the wear- ing was carried on by hand.
The breaking out of the war of 1812 brought a greatly increased demand for cloths, and of course stimulated the manufacture of them here as elsewhere. In the latter part of 1812 Major Melville adver- tised: "Cash. Cash, and a generous price, for blue, brown, and mixed woolen cloths, and short stockings." The next year Mr. Watson was able to boast that the president of the United States, and the frigate President were clothed from the Pittsfield woolen and duck looms. President Madison wore, at his inauguration in 1813, a suit made from cloth produced here, and the frigate had a suit of linen duck sails from the duck factory of Root & Maynard, and her cordage was, in part at least, from the rope walk of Beth Moore.
This rope walk was built, about 1808, in the rear of Maynard & Poor's duck factory, which stood on the east side of Elm street, midway be. tween East street and the river. Mr. Moore carried on the manufacture of cordage and twine successfully during some years, but, by Fast of domestic troubles, he became intomperate, and. in 1814. committed suicide.
John B. Root was a merchant, but in the autumn of 150s he com-
337
TOWN OF PITTSFIELD.
menced the manufacture of sail duck from flax. In 1810 he was joined in the business by Deacon Eli Maynard, who had just sold his interest in the fulling mill at White's dam, on Water street, to his junior partner. Jonathan Allen. 2d ; and the sails of the frigate President were woven by Root & Maynard. Early in 1812 Oliver Robbins became a partner in the concern, which took the name of Root, Maynard & Co. In the fall of 1813. Mr. Root withdrew from the firm, and in 1815 Mr. Rabbins also retired. leaving Descon Maynard, who had from the first been the price. tical manufacturer, alone. He continued in the business a few years longer, adding to it a grocery store, but finally the grocery absorbed his entire attention, and the manufacture of sail duck in Pittsfield ended.
In 1812 Messis. John B. Root and Richard S. Chappell, who have been actively engaged in introducing improved grades of sheep, were incorpo- rated as the Housatounck Manufacturing Company. Their charter gave them power to hold real estate to the amount of $30,000, and personal property to the value of $50.000. for the purpose of making cloth of wool. cotton. flax, or tow. They had previously, m 1810, built .. The House- tonic Woolen Mill, " at a bend in the east branch of the Housatonic River, about a quarter of a mile south of the crossing of the railroad by Beaver street. The establishment which grew up here was described in an ad- vertisement of 1816 as " a large and commodious building improved as a woolen and cotton factory, four dwelling houses, a store, a large and con. venient building used for spinning, weaving, and finishing cloth, a full- ing mill, dye house, and four acres of land."
The machinery was spoken of in the same advertisement as fol- lows :
" In the woolen department, three double carding machines; three spinning- jennies, containing one hundred and forty spindles; one roping jack; one picker: four broad looms, three narrow looms, and complete sets of loom-tackle. In the cotton department, four throstle frames, containing two hundred and forty spindles. with the necessary preparing machinery for five hundred spindles.
" Also all the factory furniture, and implements necessary for manufacturing and finishing woolen cloth, and spinning cotton-yarn, and warp."
The cotton warp spun at this factory was sold at the shops, to be woven on hand looms, or sent to other mills for weaving into satinets. No cotton cloth was made here.
During the early years of its existence the Housatonic Mill was pros- perous, the war affording a constant and profitable market for its cloth. On the return of peace the excess of foreign goods thrown on the market embarrassed it, in common with other manufactories. The proprietors struggled bravely against adverse circumstances, but the discomage. ments were such that in March. 1816, the whole establishment was a hver tised for sale at public vendue. It was not sold, however, and the pro prietors resorted to various expedients to keep it in operation. Nathan Willis purchase Uthe Stock of Richard S. Gruppe, and More. R. Willis became sole owners. Jonathan N. Chappell and Joseph Wads-
33S
HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE COUNTY.
worth connected themselves with the business, and it appears to have be- come mainly a enstom wool carding and cloth dressing establishment.
It shared the vicissitudes of woolen mannfactures in this country after 1824 and 1828, but its bad fortunes seemed to predominate. In 1828 and 1829 it became. by a series of transactions. the property of William Weller and John Dickinson, for whom it was managed by General Root.
Curtis T. Fenn and Hamilton Faulkner ocenpied a portion of the mill for the manufacture of lasts, and on the east end of the dam stood a saw mill, in which John B. Root and James Barton placed a patent (Mul. ley) saw. In this mill was placed the first cirenlar saw in the county. and the first sawed shingles here were made by it. The beaming mill of Simeon Brown's tannery was also on the east end of the Housatonic dam.
From the first this water power was insufficient, and to increase the head would necessitate the flowing of valuable meadow. This led to a controversy, pending which the dam was carried away and was not re- built. The water power was subsequently consolidated with that of the Pittsfield cotton factory, below.
By the various operations here quite a village had, prior to 1831. grown up around this dam. Most of the dwellings in this village, and the factory itself. were afterward removed to Beaver street.
The strong partisan feeling which existed at the commencement of the present century has been spoken of. Not only were there democratic and federal churches, hotels, ball rooms, etc., but each party had its fac- tory. The Housatonic mill was democratic. but in 1814 the following feder- alists were incorporated as ". The Pittsfield Woolen and Cotton Factory :" Lemmel Pomeroy, Joseph Merrick, Ebenezer Center, Samuel D. Colt. David Campbell. jr., Thomas B. Strong. James Bnel, and Arthur Schol- field. The capital was limited to $130,000, of which $30,000 might be real estate. The company fixed the par value of the shares at $1,000 each, and the whole was at once taken as follows : Lemuel Pomeroy. thirty shares ; Arthur Scholfield, twenty : Ebenezer Center, thirteen : David Campbell. thirteen : Thomas Gold. five ; Samnel D. Colt, thirteen ; James Buel. four : James Wrigley, seven ; Joseph Merrick, thirteen : William C. Jarvis, one ; Thomas A. Gold, two : Isaac Scholfield, seven : Jason Clapp, one.
Messrs. Center. Colt, Pomeroy. Campbell. and Arthur Scholfield were chosen directors. and James Buel. clerk.
Five acres of land on the west side of the west branch of the Honsa- tonic River and a strip six rods in width on the east side were purchased from Samuel D. Colt for 82.120. This purchase included a fine water power and a dam that had recently been erected for a contemplated pow- der mill.
Under the superintendence of James D. Colt. a brick factory. So by 45 feet in size, and three stories in height, was at once erected. This was lengthened, in 1871. to 125 feet.
In the spring of 1815 the mill went into operation under what was
339
TOWN OF PITTSFIELD.
thought to be competent management. The weaving was done on hand looms, and most of the machinery was of the Scholfield manufacture An Englishman named Lowe was engaged as a dyer, fuller, and finisher. but he proved to be a rascal. Under the pretense of concealing the mys- teries of his art he kept the finishing room locked, and when the key was demanded he insolently refused to deliver it. The room was broken open. and large quantities of cloth were found to be ruined, wantonly and may liciously. as it appeared. It was thought this had been done at the insti gation of British manufacturers.
A competent manager, Mr. Thaddeus Clapp, was placed in charge of all departments of the mill, but the glut in the American market, caused by heavy consignments of English goods to be sold at auction and of liberal credit, seriously embarrassed this company. as wellas others, In July, 1817, an assessment of five per cent. on the capital stock was found necessary, and in September the works were leased for two years to lem- vel Pomeroy at thirty-seven dollars per month. In 1819 another lease for five years was made to Mr. Pomeroy, and in 1824 this was extended for three years. Mr. Pomeroy associated with himself in the business his distant relative. Josiah Pomeroy. Some improvements were made on the property, and from the remainder of the rents a dividend was declared of sixteen dollars and fifty-eight cents per share.
In 1827 Messis. Pomeroy had, by gradual purchases, absorbed all the shares in the corporation, and they abandoned the corporate form. anul conducted the business as partners till 1839. They shared largely iu the prosperity which followed the tariffs of 1824 and 1828. and continued under that of 1832.
Through purchases of adjacent lands, either by one partner of the other, they extended their real estate for nearly a mile in length. along both banks of the river, south of West street. Among these purchases were the Luce mill and water power, with one acre of land, purchased in 1830, by Josiah Pomeroy. for five thousand dollars, and the old Pittsfield factory with an acre of land, north of West street, purchased in 1830, by Lemuel Pomeroy, for eight hundred dollars.
In 1839 Lemuel Pomeroy purchased the interest of his partner in the concern, including the Luce mill and other real estate, and took into partnership his sons. Theodore, Robert, and Edward. under the firm name of Lemuel Pomeroy & Sons.
Prior to this Josiah Pomeroy had purchased the mill privilege on Shaker Brook, since occupied by the Osceola woolen mill, and estab lished a grist mill, which he continued till his death, in 1851, with success, the withdrawal of the Luce mill from that site having prepared the way for it.
Shortly after the purchase of the Luce mill it was converted into a satinet mill, for which it was well adapted, being a largebrick banbling
In 1852 a large wooden satinet mill was created. Her by 30 feet. and
340
HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE COUNTY.
three stories in height, and the old Ence mill was changed to a dwelling house.
After the death of the founder of the firm, in 1940, his sons, under the firm name of L. Pomeroy's Sous, continued to conduct the business on the principles and in conformity with the practice of their father, the eldest son, Theodore, being the managing partner. In 1878, Edward biny ing retired from the firm many years previously. Theodore purchased the interest of Robert and admitted his son. S. Harris, as a partner. Theodore Pomeroy died September 26th, 1881, leaving the property in trust to S. H. Pomeroy, William Trumbull, and Charles Atwater, until the younger son, Theodore L. should become of age. when the two sons were to share it equally
When in full operation, the mills run fourteen sets of machinery. employ about 275 hands, and produce about 6,000 yards of double width goods weekly. Both mills are furnished with steam power, aro heated with steam and lighted with gas.
The Pontoosue Woolen Manufacturing Company was formedin 182. incorporated in 1826, and formally organized in 1897. It consisted of Henry Shaw, president : David Campbell, jr., general agent : Thaddeus Clapp, superintendent ; and George W. Campbell. clerk and treasurer. All these were competent business men and excellent managers. They selected as a site for their factory a beautiful spot at the outlet of Shoot keekmoonkeek Lake, or Lanesboro Pond, which theneforward took the name of Pontoosue Lake. This site was a mile south of the Pitts field line.
In 1762 Joseph Keeler bought of Colonel William Williams 200 acres of land at the south end of the lake, and in 1748 built a dam neross the outlet at the foot of the lake, and erected a saw and grist mill on the sie of the present reservoir dam. A grist mill occupied the site as late is 1834. In 1825 this property was owned by Captain Hosea Meuill, and was sold by him to the Pontoosue Company.
Below the Keeler water privilege was another, upon which, about 60 rods south of the reservoir dam, had stood the comb, plate, and spindle factory of James Strandring. This was owned by Arthur Schofield, by whom it was sold, in 1816, to John Crane, who converted Strandring's little works into a sey the factory, which he carried on until the property was purchased, in 1825. by the Pontoosne Company.
The two privileges combined furnish a greater water power than the company has ever used, and which has been made unfailing by the res ervoir of 1866. The factory was placed midway between the two, on a site which is said to have been occupied by a saw mill in the early days of the town. It is 145 feet in ground dimensions, and four stories helt, and is built of brick. Work on it was commenced in 1525; but such was the scarcity of skilled mechanies, and so urent the diffienhy of paw curing the desired machiness promptly, that it was to rely pago tom operation until 1827.
24
PONTOOSUC WOOLEN MANUFACTURING CO., PITTSFIELD.
341
TOWN OF PITTSFIELD.
The building of the factory was superintended by David Campbell. but the machinery was selected by Mr. Clapp. The factory went into operation in the spring of 1827, and at once it produced a class of goods which was highly commended.
The Pontoosne factory has encountered its full proportion of the ob- stacles against which American manufactures have been compelled to contend in the past ; but its proprietors were shrewd business men, prompt to detect and reform erroneous practices, and they struggled through to ultimate triumph with as little embarrassment as any.
In 1835 George W. Campbell became general agent in place of his brother, David, who died that year.
In 1841 George W. Campbell sold his interest in the concern to his partners ; and his nephew, George, became clerk and treasures.
In 1811 Henry Shaw sold a portion of his stock to Socrates Squier. of Lanesboro, who then became president of the company. In 1846 he sold the remainder, which was divided among his associates,In 1801 Mr. Squier sold his interest to his associates, and Hon. E. H. Kellogg. who had married David Campbell's daughter, succeeded him as president. In May. 1862, Colonel Thaddeus Clapp transferred a portion of his sich to his son, Thaddeus, jr., who was made assistant superintendent, and in 1865 became general agent and superintendent. On the death of Mr. Kellogg in 1982, Mr. Clapp was appointed president of the company.
In 1865 Colonel Clapp died, leaving his share in the Pontoosne prop erty to his widow and children. In 1864 J. Dwight Francis, son of Mr. Almiron D. Francis, having purchased a portion of David Campbell's stock, was chosen clerk and treasurer : and in 1865 assistant superin- tendent.
During the existence of the Pontooste mill the goods manufactured in it have varied to suit the changeful woods of the markets. Like other early manufactories, it at first undertook to supply all grades and colors of the goods which it produced, but as time has gone on, the polley hus been adopted here, as elsewhere, of manufacturing special classes of goods, changing these to meet the demands of changing fashion.
From 1827 to 1834 plain broadcloths and cassimeres were produced. In the latter year it commenced manufacturing carriage cloth, the de. mand for which occupied it exclusively, except at occasional brief intor. vals, until 1860, when the manufacture of ladies' balmoral skirts was be gun. The company devoted all its machinery to this product, and filled several neighboring buildings with hand looms for the same purpose. In 1865 the production of carriage lap-blankets was begun, and in 1972 as many as 162 different patterns of these blankets had been produced This also led to the introduction of the sleeping cat blanket, now the leading product of the mills. They operate twelve sets of machinery, and when in full operation about 275 hands are employed.
Daniel Stearns descended from early families in Watertown. Mass. He was born in Killingly, Conn., in 1764. In his boy hood he learned the
342
HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE COUNTY.
art of cloth dressing and dyeing. After the close of his apprenticeship he engaged in the manufacture of woolens, in different localities, till the beginning of the present century, when he purchased the Valentine Rathbun fulling mill, and removed to Pittsfield.
In 1811 Mr. Stearns built. in the same vicinity, what was long known as the " New Woolen Factory ; " a wooden building thirty-one by forty feet on the ground, oue story high, besides a basement. In this mill he placed a spinning jenny of twenty five spindles, and a double carding machine, both of Scholfield's manufacture.
In the year 1825 he retired from business, leaving the control of the property to his sons, Jirah, Daniel, Henry, and Charles T., but retaining the title until his death, in March, 1811.
In 1826. the brothers formed a firm under the name of J. Stearns & Brothers, "for the manufacture of broadcloths, cassimeres, satinets, and flannels." In 1826 they built upona water privilege with a fall of twenty- two feet, some half a mile below the old mill, a brick factory, seventy feet by forty in area, four stories high, and an attic. In this they placed two sets of machinery, which were run upon broadeloth until 1819, when two more were added ; and the products changed to satinets and union cassimeres.
On the next fall below, the firm, in 1828, built a saw mill and finish. ing shop.
Charles T. and Jirah disposed of their respective interests, and in 1843 the firm became D. & H. Stearns.
In 1853 they purchased the water privilege below their brick mill, a fall of twenty-eight feet, and built on it a stone finishing mill. one hun- dred and twenty-five by forty feet, and a number of operatives' cottages. On the water privilege below they also built what is known as the mail. road mill, a stone structure one hundred feet long by forty two wide, and three stories high. In this they placed eight sets of machinery, which they used for making union eassimeres. In 1861 the brick mill was burned, and the Messrs. Stearns turned their whole attention to the stone mills until, in December, 1865, they sold them to J. Barker & Brothers.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.