USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Chelmsford > History of Chelmsford, Massachusetts > Part 69
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think they have found in the Chelmsford limestone the fossil of the earliest form of life, the eozoon canadense, while others vigorously oppose this view, and declare the supposed fossil to be nothing but a minute discoloration in the stone. Whatever it may be, it is clearly perceptible as a small green speck or stain imbedded in the white limestone."
Two early industries are mentioned by Mr. Perham:
In 1673 (Feb. 3d), the following action was taken by this Town: "the day above, by a major voatt was granted to farther the Iron-works that they shall have for 2d. a cord leave to cutt wood acording to former agreement." There is no further record in regard to iron-works at so early a date. It probably refers to works near the outlet of Forge pond, then in Groton.
The people in the east part of the Town were accommodated by a grist-mill upon the Concord river at what is now North Billerica. The following vote refers to the mill at that place: "7 of March, 1721-2. Voted that the Selectmen in the name of the Town Petition to the Hond General Court that Mr. Christopher Osgood's mill Dam may be speedily erected again." Osgood's grant from the Town of Billerica was in 1708.
In 1794 a map or plan of the Town was made from a survey by Frederick French. From this map it appears that there were at that time two sawmills and one corn-mill on the Merrimack river at Pawtucket falls; one sawmill and one set of iron-works on Concord river near its mouth; one sawmill on the canal near where it emptied into the Concord river; one clothier's mill; one saw- and grist-mill upon River Meadow brook: these were all within the limits of the present City of Lowell. A grist- mill and sawmill are shown upon Stony brook, at what is now North Chelmsford; a grist-mill on Beaver brook at the centre of the Town, and one on Great brook (then the Adams mill).
Hale's clothier's or fulling mill, built in 1790, stood just below where Gorham street crosses River Meadow brook. The other mills on this brook were above Gorham street. The iron-works mentioned were carried on by John Ames and John Fisher, and were situated on the Concord river at Massick falls, near Ames street, which was named for John Ames. His son, Nathan P. Ames, according to Mr. H. S. Perham, introduced many improve- ments in the works. Allen says: "hoes, and shovels are manu- factured, and various kinds of curious work done and irons for machinery cast." N. P. Ames possessed great mechanical skill, an enterprising spirit and an inventive talent of high order. In 1829 he removed to Chicopee.
There was a bridge over the Concord at the iron-works, and an old road, which lead from Tewksbury, may still be traced running to it from the junction of Rogers and High streets. The bridge and adjacent buildings were burned, probably about 1820.
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THE CENTRE VILLAGE.
As has been elsewhere noted, Chelmsford has always been in the main an agricultural town, with a few stores, blacksmith shops, saw- and grist-mills, and other industries, like Marshall's woodworking shop, commonly found in such communities. Of late years, there have come into being a number of greenhouses, and market gardening is a growing industry. The Chelmsford Directory gives the names of 131 farmers. The oldest settled part of the Town, Chelmsford Centre, is now fast becoming a place of residence for people who have their business or employ- ment in Lowell, and many attractive houses have been built. The distance is traversed by the steam cars in eight minutes, and by the trolley cars in twenty minutes to the B. & M. Station in Lowell. Express trains run between Lowell and Boston in thirty- eight minutes.
The opening up of new residential districts, such as the Homestead and the Westlands, in the Centre Village indicates the character of its development.
The history of manufacturing at the Centre Village is brief. In 1887, a brick two-story machine shop was erected by Mr. John Byfield, for the manufacture of knitting machinery. Busi- ness was commenced in January, 1888, under the name of the BYFIELD MANUFACTURING COMPANY. Mr. Byfield withdrew from the firm, and occupied the upper story for the manufacture of knit goods, under the name of the Beaver Manufacturing Com- pany.
This building was burned in 1893. In 1901, the CHELMS- FORD SPRING COMPANY rebuilt the structure and used it for manufacturing Ginger Ale and other such beverages. The build- ing was again burned in 1912, and replaced by a modern fireproof structure of reinforced concrete. C. G. Armstrong is now the sole proprietor, and has built up a growing and prosperous business.
Eben R. Marshall has a sawing and planing mill in the Centre Village.
About 1840, a Mr. Butterfield owned the blacksmith's shop at the Centre. In 1842, N. P. Dadmun and Eben H. Marshall owned it. It has since been operated by John Wosencroft, Wil- kins, David Polley, Henry Hanson, George M. Wright and F. W. Santamour.
In 1845, Mr. Marshall built a shop at the corner of South street and Warren avenue, which was enlarged by his son, Eben R. Marshall. It was burned in 1893, and the same year the present shop was built on the same lot, where all kinds of house finish are turned out.
F. J. Whittemore has a carriage manufactory and repair shop. Nearly forty years ago an attempt was made to manufacture glass on the Homestead, which proved not to be a success. Specimens of the work done there, such as paper weights of varied hues, are preserved as souvenirs.
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A business closely related to the farming interests has been the manufacture of cider vinegar. David Perham began to make a specialty of that in connection with his farming in 1840. The business constantly increased. In 1872, he sold to his son, Henry S. Perham, of the seventh generation from John Perham, who first settled upon this farm in 1664. From 3,000 to 5,000 barrels of cider are made annually from apples brought to the mill from this and adjoining towns. About 20,000 barrels of apples are now made into cider at this mill. Walter Perham succeeded his father, Henry S. Perham, who died in 1906. The late Israel Putnam was also largely engaged in this business. THE PERHAM FARM VINEGAR is made by the natural process, and has a high reputation.
THE ECLIPSE CHEMICAL MANUFACTURING COMPANY makes indelible inks and aniline dyes, with a business of $30,000 or more per year. R. B. Barbour is the proprietor.
Mention is made, on page 52, of a mill on Beaver brook.
There may still be seen at the bottom of the Paasche lot on the north side of the railroad track by the mill pond at the Centre Village a wheel pit, and an old sluice-way running low on the south side of the track. This, no doubt, belonged to the Parker mill at the upper dam.
The mill was removed to the lower dam within the memory of persons living twenty-five years ago. The entrance to the mill at the upper dam was through what is now Bridge street at a point just west of Forefathers' cemetery. In the late forties the mill was owned by Mr. Roundy. In 1857 Joseph Stearns sold to George S. Wood, and in 1864 the transaction was reversed. For about twenty years the CHELMSFORD MILL COMPANY, consisting of David Perham, Levi Howard, Benj. M. Fiske and E. K. Park- hurst, carried on the business.
David Perham sold the mill to Edwin E. Dutton in 1884. He operated it in partnership with his brother Lewis M., until 1899, when it was sold to H. C. Sweetser. The firm name was for some years, Sweetser and Day. George W. Day is now the owner. The grist-mill was burned and rebuilt in the early years of its ownership by Mr. Wood.
The Adams mills, on Great brook (see page 35), later known as Russell's mills, is still used to some extent as a sawmill. The present dwelling house on the property was built in 1816, and, with about 100 acres, is owned by H. P. Swift. On the same water course, just beyond the present Carlisle line, on the estate of J. C. Wetmore, were built by the Adamses about seventy-five years later than the former mills, some prosperous mills, almost every vestige of which has now disappeared, but about which were erected dwellings so numerous as to be called "the city." A number of cellar holes are still to be seen there. There was also, on an adjacent hill, a stone structure known as the "fort," where the people repaired on an alarm of an expected attack by the
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Indians. At the old mill site there is a fall of water of twenty feet or more, and the old sluice-way and remains of the water wheel, with the surrounding scenery, make it a romantic spot. Mr. Wetmore's deed includes the right to use the water for power. [For other early industries see pages 483 to 491.]
THE NORTH VILLAGE.
The early mills at North Chelmsford are described in Chapter I. Waldo's mill must have been erected earlier than 1695, for in a deed from Thomas Hinchman dated Dec. 2, 1692, of land lying upon Stony brook, one line runs "to Stony brook a little below the place where Mr. DI. Waldo's mill first stood," the "place called Suneanassitt." [Note in Mr. Perham's copy of Allen.]
Referring to an account of the grist-mill, quoted on page 52, Allen says further: Other improvements deserve notice. The run of stones designed principally for corn has a small fanning wheel, fixed near the mouth of the shoe, to which motion is com- municated by a band from the stone, and which impels a current of air against the grain, as it falls into the eye of the stone, and blows off chaff and other light substances. The bottom of each of the shoes of the other runs of stones is a tin sieve, through which fall sand, sorrel seed and other impurities in the grain which is to be ground. These improvements deserve the attention of all millers.
The Merrimack Manufacturing Company bought this mill to secure the right of flowage by the erection of the dam at Paw- tucket falls. It was sold by the Merrimack Manufacturing Company to the Locks and Canal Company, who leased it to different parties until 1839, when it was sold to Lincoln Drake. In 1842, Lincoln Drake sold to Charles Blood. In 1845, Charles Blood sold one-half to William Swett, who, in 1848, sold his half to Joel Paige. In 1861, Edward Lamson, J. E. Rogers and Warren C. Hamblet bought the mill. From 1695 to this time the privilege had been used for grinding grain and sawing lumber. Between the years 1863 and 1868, the sawmill was taken out, an additional story put on the sawmill building and the mill utilized for grinding and storing grain for a grain store in Lowell.
A spice- and drug-mill was also introduced, where drugs were ground for J. C. Ayer & Co., for the compounding of their medi- cines. Large quantities of gypsum were ground at one time during their occupancy of the mill. For a short period a portion of the room was occupied in the manufacture of worsted yarn by Sharp & Axtell. Later the manufacture of hosiery was carried on for a time.
In 1868 James C. Dodge bought the mill, and in 1871 sold one-half his interest to John G. Sherburne, using it largely for milling purposes in connection with a grain and flour store kept by them in Lowell.
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From 1872 to 1882 the premises were occupied by Gray, Palmer & Pendergast, for the manufacture of shoddy, who turned out some 250,000 pounds of shoddy a year, being very successful financially until the dissolution of the partnership in the latter year. After the removal of the shoddy business in 1882, the mill remained practically idle, the buildings going to decay and the dam rotting and being washed away, until 1887, when Mr. George C. Moore bought the privilege, and in 1888 tore down the old grist- mill part, and in 1889 removed the last of the dam, building a substantial wall on either side of the brook from the bridge to the original site of the dam, using them as abutments for a railroad bridge, and occupying the remaining building for storage purposes.
In the foregoing account of Early Mining Operations is recorded the development of the iron industry by William Adams and others, until the organization of the CHELMSFORD FOUNDRY COMPANY.
In 1888 a shop, eighty by forty-four feet, and two stories high, was erected in connection with their foundry for the finishing and fitting up of their cast and wrought iron work. An addition, sixty by thirty feet, one story high, was erected in 1890. They also occupied a shop in Boston and another in Cambridge for the same purpose. In their foundry and shops, in the several places, they employed about 150 hands. From 1825 many heavy castings were made for the mills erected in Lowell, Nashua and Manchester, especially in the line of heavy gears, until the burn- ing of their pattern-house in 1875.
The stone-ore, pig-iron, hard coal, sand and other materials used in a foundry were brought from Boston to North Chelmsford in canal-boats, by way of the Middlesex Canal and Merrimack River, till 1853, when the canal was given up. The boats were "poled" up from the head of the canal into the pond below the grist-mill dam, and the freights transferred to carts and conveyed to the places of their use. Castings were frequently sent to Boston by the same route.
Mr. E. D. Bearce and Mr. H. W. B. Wightman were prom- inent in the management of this industry.
The Chelmsford Foundry Company went out of existence in 1913. October 11, 1912 was the last day they poured.
In this account free use has been made of Mr. Perham's sketch in the History of Middlesex County.
SWAIN'S MACHINE-SHOP .- In 1867 Mr. Asa M. Swain, having purchased the site of an old saw-mill on the road leading from North Chelmsford to Dunstable, built a substantial dam across Blodgett's Brook (called in the early history of the town Deep Brook), and erected a shop, 80 x 43 feet, one story high, for the manufacture of a first-rate water-wheel, invented by himself, and known as Swain's turbine-wheel. This shop was run about ten years, affording work at one time for twenty men. It was given up about 1877, and came into the possession of Dr. Simpson,
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remaining unoccupied till 1889, when it was taken down and the lumber removed. This shop was known as the Wickasauke Works. Its ruined foundation still remains.
BALDWIN MILL .- A mill was erected for the manufacture of worsted yarn and carpets in 1841, and a company was afterwards organized as the Baldwin Manufacturing Company, which was very successfully operated for several years, until near the close of the war, when, with many similar companies, they failed.
The property came into the hands of Mr. G. H. Sheldon and remained idle for some time, until he sold it to Mr. George C. Moore, who uses it in connection with his business.
MOORE'S MILL .- In 1872, Mr. George C. Moore, then a young man, bought of G. T. Sheldon the old foundry on the northerly side of the passage-way leading from the Lowell road to the old turnpike, near the brook, with the water privilege, except certain rights previously sold and certain rights reserved by Mr. Sheldon. Machinery was put in and wool-scouring was at once commenced. In 1875 he erected a brick mill, 100x70 feet, three stories high. A part of the building was rented to Mr. Richard Rhodes for the manufacture of worsted yarn, and wool-scouring was carried on in other parts. Oct. 25, 1875, this new mill, just completed, together with the old foundry boarding-house, foundry carpenter's shop, ware-dressing shop, pattern-shop and counting-room was burned.
A temporary wooden building, 100x40 feet, one story high, was soon erected and wool-cleansing resumed. In 1877 a new brick mill, 220x70 feet, one story high, was erected, covering the temporary wooden building, so that wool-cleansing was not interrupted during the rebuilding.
In 1885 an additional brick building, 140x76 feet, two stories high, was erected at the easterly end of the one-story building.
In 1888 a second story of brick, 120x70 feet, was put on to the easterly end of the one-story building, and a brick building, 45x56 feet, two stories high, was added to the easterly end of the mill, for a machine-shop and a carpenter's shop. The lower story of the two-story mill, 260x76 feet, was used for sorting and drying wool, and carding and combing wool. The second story was used for spinning worsted yarn and for a counting-room.
In 1890 the old walls of the westerly end of the one-story building were torn away, and a new building, 100x70 feet, three stories high, erected, to increase the facilities for cleansing wool.
The worsted mill about 1890 was producing 16,000 lbs. of worsted yarn per week, mostly from camel's hair. It had facilities for cleansing 30,000 lbs. of wool a day. The pay-roll contained 170 names. On January 19, 1909, this building was partially burned, but it has been rebuilt.
Today, 1915, twenty-five million pounds of wool are scoured annually in the scouring-mill of Mr. George C. Moore, who owns all the water privilege from North Chelmsford to Graniteville,
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seven miles, including sixteen hundred acres. He owns half of Forge pond, which he raised three feet at a cost of $35,000. He also owns Nabnasset and other ponds. The power on this water way has been increased four times in thirty years. Mr. Moore raised a mile of the Stony Brook Railroad six feet and profited thereby four times the cost in the increased height of the water. Mr. Moore owns more than eighty tenements in the North Village.
THE NORTH CHELMSFORD MACHINE & SUPPLY COMPANY, for- merly the Silver & Gay Co., and at one time, known as Gay, Silver & Co., claims to be the oldest established industry in the Town of Chelmsford, and, as such, merits an extended notice.
Established in 1832, it has continued in operation ever since. The first authentic record of transfer is recorded in the South Middlesex registry at Cambridge, book 332, page 130 under date of May 22, 1834.
This deed sets forth in detail that Lincoln Drake, of Easton, "in consideration of the sum of $4,000.00 before the delivery hereof well and truly paid by Ira Gay of Dunstable in the county of Hillsborough in the state of New Hampshire, Gentleman, the receipt whereof I do hereby acknowledge, have given, granted bargained and sold, and by these presents do hereby give, grant bargain, sell, alien, enfeoff, convey and confirm unto the said Ira Gay his heirs and assigns forever, the several pieces of land, buildings, water power, and rights of way hereafter described, lying and being in the Town of Chelmsford in the County of Middlesex which were recently a part of the estate of Shepherd Leach, late of said Easton, Gentleman, deceased."
The deed then proceeds to describe in legal terms the Machine Shop, Air Furnace and other details about the property, and stipulates that with the real estate is included, "also a water power sufficient to carry 1,000 spindles such as are now used in the Hamilton Mills at Lowell for spinning cotton yarn number fourteen with the requisite machinery for converting cotton into cloth running at the same speed as those spindles and that machinery now run which water shall be taken from the canal conducting the water to Drake's Furnaces," etc., etc.
In 1838, a deed from Lincoln and Caroline Drake, signed, sealed and delivered in the presence of Daniel and Caroline Belcher as witnesses before Ebenezer Adams, Esq., conveyed to Ziba Gay of Nashua "three undivided fourth parts of several pieces of land together with water power and rights of way over the road between the Middlesex Turnpike and the road leading from Adams' Tavern to Lowell."
In 1841 Ziba Gay deeded to Harvey Silver "one undivided half of all the lands, buildings, water power, rights of way, etc., included in the previous deeds to said Ziba Gay."
Under date of Dec. 13, 1859, there is recorded a deed from Stephen Fairbanks to Harvey Silver of "one undivided fourth
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part" of a piece of land "upon which the machine shop, so called, stands." This deed contains the same provision previously noted in regard to power sufficient to drive 1,000 spindles, etc.
On December 26, 1859, "in consideration of $15,000 to me paid by Ziba Gay, Jr., of Chelmsford," Ziba Gay of Nashua deeded to the said Ziba Gay, Jr., "one undivided half of all and singular the several parcels of land, buildings, water power, rights, easements, privileges, goods, fixtures and chattels, known and described as the 'Machine shop and Air furnace.'" This deed contains a clause referring to "The right granted me in the said deed (of one Seth Williams) to use and occupy in common the Railroad side track for the purposes for which it was designed."
In 1892, Mary E. Cushing and Edward H. Silver deeded "one undivided half of all the machine shop property" to Ziba Gay. This deed refers to the property as the Machine Shop and Air Furnace, and also contains the provision that the amount of water used shall be sufficient to drive 1,000 spindles such as were used in the Hamilton Mills in 1838, together with the requisite machin- ery for converting cotton into cloth at the same speed as then run.
In 1898, the entire property was purchased by George C. Moore, who operated it under the name of "The North Chelmsford Machine Co." until February, 1905, when it was incorporated together with the North Chelmsford Supply Co., a manufacturing company organized in 1897 for the purpose of manufacturing leather belting, leather comb aprons, brushes and general mill supplies, also owned by George C. Moore, under the name of the North Chelmsford Machine & Supply Co.
The corporation was capitalized at $50,000.00, with George C. Moore, treasurer, H. Stanley Crysler, president, and Henry Woods, secretary.
April 27, 1901, the old building was partially destroyed by fire. The burned portion has since been replaced by a more modern building better suited to the needs of present day manu- facturing. The output of this corporation has a wide distribution. In almost every state in the union, where textile manufacturing is carried on to any extent, may be found machines made in this shop. Their machines are in use today in Venezuela, Scotland, Ireland and Canada, as well as in the United States.
The principal articles manufactured at present are automatic ball winders, yarn quillers, jack spooling machines, reels, wool scouring machinery, wool openers, leather belting, roll covering leather for worsted, jute and flax mills. Steel fallers for the same trade, worsted comb aprons and brushes and special machinery of any kind to drawing or pattern.
This shop was one of the first, if not the very first in America to manufacture worsted yarn machinery. Some of the spinning frames built here are still running, and from all outward appearances are good for many years more.
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The automatic ball winder for winding twine, yarn, silk, etc., was originated and perfected here, and by far the largest part of all the material outside of binder twine and tarred twines used in this country are being wound on Silver & Gay ballers.
They were the originators of, or at least among the very first to make, machinery for the manufacture of split pins, or cotter pins, and many samples of the work they did in this line are still to be seen at the shop. Among many other machines originated or perfected at this shop, may be mentioned the following: Bolt cutters, baling presses, bundling machines, doublers, drills, dynamometers for measuring power. One of these machines is used by the United States Government for measuring and determin- ing the amount of power transmitted in the various shops at Annapolis. Also hydraulic presses and pumps, gear cutters, Jacquard looms for the weaving of carpets, engine lathes, planers, pickers, openers and lappers, roll covering machines, saw mills, slabbers, yarn twisters, skein winders, wire winders and many other kinds of machinery are made here.
The present buildings consist of a three-story brick main building with three-story wooden wing, and one-story boiler house with forge shop attached, also a pattern shed and pickling house of wooden construction.
The business employs between fifty and sixty men, and has run with very little interruption and no serious trouble since its beginning in 1832.
THE SILESIA MILLS, belonging to the United States Worsted Company, is the largest establishment in Chelmsford, and has twenty-five acres of floor space. George C. Moore sold this plant to the Moore Spinning Company for $1,600,000 about the year 1902. They sold it in 1912, to the United States Worsted Company for $3,000,000.
THE WM. P. PROCTOR COMPANY was organized as a corporation under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1905, and purchased the site of its present plant on the north side of Middlesex Street, in North Chelmsford the same year.
It began building operations in the fall of 1906, but it was about two years before the plant was put into active operation, employing about twenty-four men. At the present time, 1915, about seventy-five hands are given employment by this corporation. It manufactures box shooks and house finish, and deals in all kinds of building material, wood and kindlings. It is also equipped for sawing logs.
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