History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 200

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1534

USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 200

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" It a was fine sight to behold these Teams & their drivers I once saw a string those teams pass through Dedham 6 or 8 in number fine well cared for brown and black horses, 4 or 6 in a team, but the drivers were even more black shiney & fat than the horses ; cuff was in his glory then flourshing his long wip and grinning at the Dedhamites in merry glee saying dare you you cannot displays sich a fine team of osses as dis in your poor plantations (nor could they)

" A Bale of Goods, seemingly India Cotton, much used then had fallen from one of the Wagons, and the drivers balled out in corous to the conductor (the only white man amongst them) who speedily replaced it by as many black paws as could get hold of it

"In my remarks on the other page, I meant to notice respect- ing the great success of the Dorchester Factory that the owners before the war was commenced had purchased a very large quantity of Cotton at the lowest figure, when as before stated it rose to 4 or 5 times its originall cost

" About the year 1802-3 John Blackbourn came over from England and soon after commeced building the Tyler Mill at Pawtucket R. I. Mr. Blackbourn was perhaps the most effeceent and skillful Machinest then in the Union he was likewice well versed in the construction of that kind of Machines call Thros- tle frames, a great improvement (on Arkwrights first inventions) both for cheapness and dispack of work Mr B. did not like Slater lock, bolt, and guard is establishment but the doars were freely opened to the bublick-this consern was highly prosper- ous, a few years after Mr Blackbourn went to Mendon in this state, and with assistance Built the largest Factory then in the country, this was also prosperous

" In the time of the Embargo and War following, Mills and

common warping barr it was sized in the chain. I wrung it . Machiner began to increce abundantly, young America had got

hold of the machinest and manufacorers aret, and he drove it with steam speed-the Rhode Islanders, with Slater & Black- bourn at their head, hunted up the millsites, and waterfalls, in that part of Massachusetts now called Webster and Slaterville, were a vast business is done at this time

"To return to my own matters when establesed first at Canton I ingeneral let people have a free look, into my Mill espeshaly the females the farmers wives and daughters would come to buy yarn and would of course want to see the Factory

" I would open the outer door leading into the entry; and after shutting the same; they especially the young ones would be sore afraid when . they heard the thundering clattering noise within I would open the inner door and they would peep in, then advance a little way and look round with great aston- ishment, one old Lady was looking at the large slivers of cotton drawings, advanceing out of the big drawing cans up through the rolers-as if by majick, would exclaim now do tell. lud amassy ! is that spinning. then another having advanced further having espeyed the Mule would scream do marm, come here and look at this great big high wheel, that has everso many spindles drawing out at once and nobody to them, and then another viteron Lady spinner would shout out what on harth are you going to do with all this yarn, you never will be able to sell it in this varst world

" Canton in 1801 .- When I first saw the Everton place which I afterward improved the Water course, was shooting through its natural bed, there was a Grist Mill standing on the north side and there had been a Forge for Iron worked there, but, it was all in ruins. the larg gearing and Waterweel shaft had

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CANTON.

been sawed nearly through, and mended with bars of Iron here was dessollation mannifest; the place had a bad name, and was said to be haunted. indeed if weather the misschief had been done by evil spirits or evil bodys in the flesh, they had made finishing work of it

" It was a delightful place for a Dam here the rocky banks approached near to gather, and a small rocky Island reared its brushy & Flower decorated, head right in the middle of the River (called the eastern branch of the neponsett) the old Grist Mill was a relict of antiquity, it had been used, for a building | to manufactor Gunpowder in; before or at the time of the rev- olutionary war. it had been moved probably on the Ice from the millprivilege above now known as the Revere copper, Co's works this old building was again removed about 50 years ago 10 or 12 roods, and has been used since as a stable for the storage of hay, and the lodging of Cattle and there it yet stands- with the Iasabella grape vine climing up to its southern gable up to its ver ridge pole. an emblem of youth and old age closely intwined in love together. as may be now seen from the great viaduct close by, at this day-There was not any dwelling house on the premises but one, and that containing two rooms below and a low chamber above at that time in this old shell, with some additions made to it I lived very happily several years with a large family

"The roads were very poor at that time large boulders and rocks imbelishing it on each side, and some times in the middle thereof But, the latter was sometime convenient for teams turning out you could drive on each side, and in other places the ruts would be so deep that it would be difficult to pass

" In regard to buildings they were low and cheaply built, and in winter have been very uncomfortable had it not been for the rousing fires they constantly keept, in cold weather, the cracks in the boards & holes under the doors, with the broaken glass in the windows gave them a quantum sufficet of pure air for all purposes

"Their Barns was not large, they had a good deal of land but not much fodder, and but few cattle to eat it. The best farmers however, would have a yoke of Oxen and a horse to do their work, the Orchard was the best attended to of all their lands ; and gardens if any the least as for flowers they did not need any the romping Johns wort and the great Ox daisey, white weed, embelished their fields with yellow White and golden Flowers delightful to see, then they had the Flax plant carefuly nurtered, with its exquitly beautiful blue flowers, and · what did they need more of the kind

"they generaly contrived to raise Corn and Rye for bread ; to fat the hogs and a little for the working cattle, they did not raise much English Hay, but carefully applyed all their man- nure for the dressing of the Corn & Flax, most of their fodder was obtained from the low-bog meaddows, this they had abund- antly, and when well got did very well for the young stock and cows that did not give milk

" Most of the best farmers had a small flock of Sheep, those with the Flax they depended on for their clothing; the Ladys, -I mean the women, the farmers Wife and daughters were the principle Manufacorers, they did not want many shoes in summer nor were Stockings very abundant. A fashionable Mantumaker of the modern time would have been in danger of starving before thos Women would have helped her

" Go with me to a farm-house ' summer' the old Grandfather a deacon of the congregational church just come in from the hay field, the mistris of the house ready to receive me saying after introductory complements ' she' will you go and sit down in the other room (best), my husband will be in soon, no I had rather sit here and see you make cheese did you never see cheese making, they do not make any chees whear I was brought up

(Yorkshire in England) She, then what do they do with theier milk in warm weather. Oh! they set it in a cool place in there stone built houses the buttery or Celler and skim it after stand- ing 3 meals the sweet skimed milk is used in the family or sold to the neighbours at half price, the cream after being collected and soured a little in the vessel it is churned into the best. Butter in the world the Butter milk is preserved and ate as a dainty to bread or thick hasty pudding, made of Oat meal-

" her, Dont they use Coffee and T'ea common as whe do. No, Coffee they scarcely use att all, and Tea only used sparing by the elderly women, heads of familys. In my two apprentiships, the first of near 2 years I never tasted either in my Masters house (so to say) in the second of 3 years I never drank any | but once; the good old man for a good man he was, and the name of Jonathan Wood shall be ever remembered with grati- tude. He had been out with me to a Benevolent quaker to see if he would not advance some money to pay legacys on real Estate I was soon to come heir to? We had succeded and I was in high spirits ; when whe got home, his good old Dame as he called her, were just sitting down with her sister to an Afternoons Tea drinking. now Jimy says he sit thee down with mee and our Women folks to a dish of Tea. I did sit down but I can never remember having being so ashamed be- fore or since in all my life.

" But how did you live in, the morning the breakfast table was set out with Trenchers (wooden plates) by the side of each a small pint earthen mug with a spoon was placed the viands were a large Panfull of sweet milk, then a plate of Pattee's of Butter home made, these were about the size of half a dollar a good deal thicker but did not weigh so much in number they were just equal to the nomber of the guests at table, which guests consisted of Mr. Wood a Journyman or two and four apprentices. A large earthen panful of Oatmeal haisty Pud- ding was placed on the centre of the table and a few sheets of hard, thin oat cakes placed on the clean but naked table. All being ready at it we went with a hungry will dipping out with our spoons filling them partly in the pudding tben dipping them in the milk pots, after this first cource of pudding we had recource to the milk pan with bread and butter to finish. I forget weather we spread the Butter with knives or our thumb; this I know it always tasted best to me done by the latter method, indeed it is difficult to do it with a knife that if you | press the Butter hard the bread is so light and honeycomb like that it will fly in many pieces.

"Our dinner consisted of boild hang beef and dried flitch bacon and broth was made of the liquor the meat was boild in by adding a little oat meal, the broth was invariable ate first then we had either dumplins or a pudding boiled in a bag, then we finished off with the Animal food & vegitables.

"Our evening meal was baked (flour) pudding, milk and bread adlibitum, we had always for lunction at 11 o'clow a small mess pot about a pint of good home brued Ale of Malt and hops, strong and delitious, at dinner we had small bear made of the same meterials the women folks never sot down with us men at meals.

"Sunday was strictly observed in these families on that glorious day of rest and recriation this mother in Irail and her husbands Mother would deck out in their best and march across the fields and lanes, bare leg and bare foot to meeting 2 miles with their stockings and shoes in their pockets or under their arms and when near the holy place under some sheltering tree would don them, and when the holy serviss was over would doff them again near by, there was nothing mean or stingy about this woman on the contrary she had a most liberal Soule, but shoes was an extra luxary and fine knit cotton stocking was a still greater one, when the father came in he invited me to take

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HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

some old orchard with him or a glass of toddy both I dechned as I never loved cider and new rum I detested both smell & taste of but begged a drink of her new come whey from her chees tub, she slyly regreted her husband had such a desire for either Rum or old orchard, oh you know whe cannot do our hot ummer work espeshaly in hay time without it replied he.

"But to return to my Everton place. I was looking over the coppys of old Deeds lately and I found one dated Jan. 28 1717 werein I found it recorded that Edmund Quince of Brantrey, in Suffolk County, Esqr. John White of Boston in the county aforesaid Gent" Standfast Foster, Thomas Tilestone, Sam1 Paule, Ebenezer Mawdesley, Ebenezer Jones, and Robert Royal, all of Dorchesster, had at the above time entered into partnership to buy & make a Dam at this place and containing two acres of land which they hereby bought of one Timothy Jones of said Dorchester for the sum of six Pounds, for the purpose setting up Iron works, and in due time a forge was put in Opperation the oar was collected in the visintity but most particularly from the pond called Massapogue.

" For two years after commeced business the Herring came up the River in great numbers in the spring wending their way through many dificutys to massapogue pond men were appointed by the adjoining Towns to see the fish had free right of way several of these worthys visited me and demanded me to hoyst my flood gates and lay the bottom of the mill dam bare except- ing the channel but says I the Fish have not began to run yet. is the season of their running. Oh says I Gentlmen it is a hard cace for me to stop my Factorey ; but says I, walk into the house and we will talk the matter over. when seated I brought out my old Cogniac, a bowl of loaf shugar and water, to which they helped themselves bountifully after wadeing in the river | not inspeting the fish for they were not there, but the water. They went off in great good humor and said I must send them word when the fish began to run about a week after they did begin to run, but I did not see them, though others did, I did not look very minutely well down they came upon us (the in- spectors I mean) dip net in hand, and there they went to work floundering in the river and took several dozens of the herring which after taking a chearer or two of my Brandy they carried home to their friends.

" About a week after this the fish came up abundantly. My self and work people were idle and wanted a fishing frollick so I said to one of my men Slimsey we will have some herring to- night. his laughing eye, took the hint, to shut down the flood this river and did not do, much good to any one excepting idle familys that would rather fish than work they came so late, but I will tell my story about fishing over leaf. About 10 o'clock Slim & I wended to the dam head & down with the flood gates. this shut the water back into the dam. there was a planked apron way a gently inclined plane up which the fish used to rush with great difficulty, at the bottom of this apron was a pond hole some 20 or 30 feet wide were the fish used to linger before as- sending the rappid in this hole were bushels of fish the retiring water having left them without means of escape, there was a small Indian canoe lying on the beach near by we rushed into the hole, and went at it with a will throwing them out with our hands three or four at once, and when tired of this way we would kick them out with our feet while exersizing in this de- lightful sport there came two young man along over the wooden Bridge near by with their Galls. sometimes Lovers walk out togather in the stilly night they were friends, the young men jumped down into the river and after a few more jumps came cothrsh, right into the fishery hole, were they began to labour with all their might and being fresh hands at the tiller the fish came out thicker and faster whilst the feemales on a mossy bank

near by cheered us with their songs, duetts, and soloes, in this balmy and moonlight evening whilst we in the ditch with our hurrahs and shouts joined in the chorus, but game began to grow scarce & and we thought we had enough, as the canoe was well ny full the word was given let us out and liquor and take care of the spoils. I went into the house and got the fixings and a basket to carry the fish home. tho young men were or had been employees of mine and I think the young women too so they carried mine & Slimpsys share home about 2 Barrels leaving about as many more for those that came at the eleventh hour.

" At that time there wear in Canton several Manufacturing establishments, Enoch Leonard's Forge, Gen' Elijah Crane's Grist-Mill, Leonard & Kinsley's mill-saw, edge-tool, and Forge works, the renowned Copper works of Coll. Paul Revere, the first established in this country of the kind, besides several grist-mills at the different works; these with my establishment of the manu- factoring of Cotton yarn and cloth were a great benifit to the publick and employing many hands, this made the mill-owners wish for the stopping of the Herrings, rather then the stopping of the above valuable manufactoring concerns. The owners, herefore, a few years after in conjunction with other mill- owners below, in Dorchester and Millton, petitioned the General Court to stop the herring from runing in the Neponcett river, which was granted, and publick opinion fully agreed with the law.

"Canton from that time to the present or to 1820, at least, might be termed with truth, the first in time and the first in quantity and quality of any in the State of its manufactored articles.

"I will here innumerate the different kinds of goods & articles made and manufactored in Canton within the first 15 years of the present century.

"Forge work, Enoch Leonard's crow-bars and shapes for blacksmith's work, Leonard & Kinsley's made mill-saws, crow- bars, and various kinds of axes and other heavy edge-tool work, anchor, flukes, &c., blister steel, and various kinds of iron cast- ings in demand at that time.

" At the Revere works were made copper sheathing, bolts, and spikes, and afterwards a furnice was erected for casting brass and refining copper. Here at (the Revere works) were cast large brass guns and bells for churches, and those bells were, perhaps, the first founded in the Union.

"The Cotton mill of which I had the control, produced gates, yes. It was a beautiful night in May (the fish came late up | yarns, bedticks, sheeting, shirting, checks, plads, and ginghams. I likewise made cotton pelisse wadding, for which I had large orders from New York, Boston, &c. This article was not made by any other person in this country at that time. About 1802-3 it was made by running the carded batts through rolers wet with size. I afterwards got a patent for my invention. I have not made any wading for more than 30 years, but the ad- vertizements in the milliner's shop windows still say or did 3 or 4 years ago : 'Beaumont's poliss wadding sold here.'

" Miss Ann Bent, who kept a lady's fancy goods store in what is now called Washington Street, in Boston, was my best cus- tomer. This lady was the first I showed it to; she highly praised it, and recommended it to her customers as the best for the purpose of any other. Before this the wadding had been imported, the cotton kind from England, and the silk kind from France.

" About this time (1807-8) I desolved partnership with Rich- ard Wheatley, with whome I had been connected in bussiness several years, whe devided the real estate, and I built a small factory on the north side of the river on my own account, set up wool carding and spinning machines. When the Merino , sheep began to be imported in great numbers (thanks to the

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great and good Napolian Bonapart, who scattered both the lazy Spaniards and there flocks, many of the latter found their way into this country.

" I then began to make all wool cloth yorkshire plains careys- and Sattinetts. for the last article I got great credit making my own cotton warps of sea Island Cotton and employing English workmen who beat them up well in the hand loom so that when afterwards finished you could not scarcely tell the back side from the face. I sold the finest of them for $3.50 > yard both before and during the 1812 war. I charged 25 Cents ? pound for carding (full blood merino and 17 Cents half blood) into roles

" I will bere mention some of my customers for whom I Man- ufactored the fine wool wholy or in part. Governer Robbins of Milton into cloth Capt Nat1 Tucker, of Milton into cloth. Ben- jamin Bussey of Boston, Esq partialy into Cloth .- Amary Esq of Roxbury into yarn and slubbing all these Gentlemen owned small flocks of the merinoes. Esqr Amarey I think of Milton I made some cloth for I likewise continued the manufactory of my wick yarn and Wadding

" Towards the begining of the 1812 war, and during the same there were large quantys of Muskets and Rifles were made sev- eral thousand stand for the United states and with high credit to the makers by Messrs Leonard & Kinsley, honorable Thomas French, and others

" Mr Enoch Leonard & his sons in partnership with William Dunbar Esqr made some very good horsmans Sords, & Sailors Cutlashes for Sam. There were two brothers. Bazins in Canton at the above time very ingenious and Inventive, who made stocking weaving Machines, likewise Machien for twisting the strands and laying cords & ropes-they likewise were the in- venters of them sweet Musickal Instruments, the Aeolian reeds either the small tubelike ones, held the hand and blown into with the mouth as well as the larger Instruments were the bel- lows is applied

" After I desolved partnership with Mr. Wheatly he ingaged a man to conduct his istablishment named David Wild he un- | to one Western road alone. The manufacture of derstood his business well a year or two later. Mr. Wild as- sisted in building a Cotton Factory, & Machinery in partner- ship with Gen1 Elijah Crane who owned a millprivilage in Canton this was the third of the kind in the town

"There was a young man, a house carpenter a very ingenious and industrious man, at the time Mr Wheatly & I began to build machinery whe hired him in his line of business as well to make the wood part of the Machines) Azel Ames by name he worked for us when in company, and afterwards for myself about in all 4 or 5 years. he had saved conciderable money, he had a younger brother work as an apprentice with him, we always boarded them and as they lost no time of conciquence he had a handsome sum to carry with him to Bridgewater his native town-soon after he went to marshfield, with his brother and built and established a Cotton Factory and they made it go well, this was the greatest effort. I ever knew, for a Mechan- ick in wood work only to bravely build turning Layths for wood & Iron Tools for fluting and fitting Iron & brass-also makeing Pattrens for Castings of Iron these mettles-and after- wards turning fileing & fitting them togather

"This Factory of Mr. Ames's was in full opperation years before the Waltham concern was thought of

"Even the stone mason, who worked for Mr. Wheatly and us contrived to set agoing a Cotton Factory in Sharon the ad- joining Town to Canton, that is with much assistance this was the third or fourth swarm so to say that had left our hive in Canton

" Thus I have given you in a straightforward way my ex- periences and knowledge of Cotton Manufactoring previous to the time of the Waltham Factory in 1813."

The Kinsley Iron and Machine Company .- These works were established by Leonard & Kinsley in 1787, and have been in constant operation since that time; the manufacture of steel by the German process was then commenced and continued until 1830 or later. From 1790 to 1797 from one hundred and fifty to two hundred tons of mill-saws were made an- nually. In those early days the works were very small. Early in the present century the manufacture of fire- arms was introduced, and a considerable quantity of muskets was furnished the government for the war of 1812. The steel produced at this time and for many years after was used for making sleigh-shoes, horse- shoe calks, plowshares, etc. About 1821 the firm of Leonard & Kinsley dissolved, and the business was continued by Mr. Adam Kinsley. In 1833-35 a foundry building was constructed for the manufacture of castings. A few years later (on the death of Mr. Kinsley in 1837) the business passed into the hands of two of his sons, Lyman and Alfred. Soon after, Lyman bought out Alfred Kinsley's interest in the business and conducted it himself until 1855. About 1838 the forge was burned, and a new one built. Under Mr. Kinsley's management the manufacture of car-axles and car-wheels was added to the now growing industry ; in 1845 the work was prosecuted day and night, and forty car-wheels were made daily ; in 1846 eighteen hundred car-wheels were furnished

wagon-axles-one of the branches of the business from its commencement-was largely increased. A rolling-mill was erected, in 1852-53, for the purpose of rolling car-axles and a beam-engine of one hundred and ninety-horse power, and an eighteen-inch train of rolls put in. In 1853 the idea of rolling car-axles was abandoned, and the manufacture of iron com- menced. In 1854 the Kinsley Iron and Machine Company was chartered and in 1855 was organized ; the capital stock is two hundred thousand dollars.

Mr. Lyman Kinsley was elected president and held that position until about 1859, when he retired from the business. Hon. Oliver Ames, of North Easton, was chosen as his successor, and held the position until his death, when he was succeeded by his son, Frederick L. Ames, the present president. Edward L. Eager, Esq., was chosen treasurer upon the organ- ization of the company, and has remained in that capacity to the present time. The present agent is Mr. Frank M. Ames.

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History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 200

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1534

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1534