History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 61

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1576

USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I > Part 61

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In 1810 Daniel Day built his first mill in Uxbridge; size, twenty by forty feet, two stories high, and located where now stands the mill of S. W. Scott. In the same year he put into the mill a billy, a jenny with thirty spindles and a hand-loom. In 1812 he added four looms, making five in all. Everything except the picking and carding was then donc by hand, and no looms were run by water-power, until a number of years after.

In the same year the first movement was made to- wards the manufacture of cotton goods in Uxbridge. This was seen in the building of the works of the "Uxbridge Cotton-Mills " in that year by Mr. Ben- jamin Clapp.

The next attempt at woolen manufacturing was made by the Rivulet Manufacturing Company, which was incorporated in 1816, although the company was formed, the buildings erected, and the business of manufacturing begun in 1814. This company used a billy and jennies, which were built in this town by John & George Carpenter, and the mill was super- intended by Jerry Wheelock, a practical mechanic, well acquainted with the construction and operation of machinery. The weaving was all done by hand- looms, and the goods were chiefly satinets, although some broadcloths and cassimeres were made.

Cotton manufacturing kept pace with woolens, and this same year, 1814, the Ironstone Mill was built on Forge Brook (now Ironstone Brook), in the south part of the town, by William Arnold and others.

After this time, for a few years, there were no mills erected in this town; but important improvements were made in the construction of machinery. The next mill built way the Capron Mill, thirty-three by sixty feet, and three stories high, in the year 1820, and went into operation in the winter of 1821-22. It was started with one set of cards, one billy of forty spindles, two jennies of one hundred and twenty spindles each, two cotton-spinning-frames of sixty- four spindles each, with the preparations, and a warper and dresser for making satinet warps, and twelve power satinet-looms,-the first satinet power- looms ever built, it has been said, and they were built on the premises by Luke Jillson, of Cumberland, R. I. In 1824 an addition was made of a set of cards, a billy of fifty spindles and a jenny of one hundred and twenty spindles, built by the Messrs. Carpenter; a jenny of one hundred and fifty spindles, built by Jerry Wheelock ; eight satinet-looms, two cotton-cards and two spinning-frames of sixty-four spindles each, built in Woonsocket.

In 1837 sixty feet were added to the length of the Capron Mill, and in 1855 forty feet more were added. At first it ran two sets of machinery ; now it runs

It is well known that Samnel Slater, abont 1790, was the first to manufacture cotton goods in this six. This factory has been a remarkably lucky one

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for its owners and lessees; has never been burned, and has made money for every one who has occupied it. In 1851 Moses Taft and J. W. Day, under the firm-name of Taft & Day, hired this mill and con- ducted the business for several years, when Wm. C. Capron, one of the owners of the mill, was ad- mitted to the firm, making it Taft, Day & Co. J. W. Day shortly afterwards withdrew, and Taft & Capron continued till about 1861, when R. & J. Taft bought them out and carried on the business until the close of the war, when their lease expired. They were succeeded by Henry and Charles C. Capron, under the name of H. & C. C. Capron. Mr. Charles C. Capron soon withdrew from the firm, and was suc- ceeded by William E. Hayward, when the firm became Capron & Hayward; they in turn being succeeded by the Capron Woolen Company, composed of Henry Capron, Charles C. Capron and Royal C. Taft, of Providence, R. I., who now run the mill.

In the autumn of 1824 the dams were built for the Luke Taft Mill,-now the Wacantuck, owned and operated by C. A. & S. M. Wheelock,-and the Uxbridge Woolen, now the Hecla; also to carry the water of the West River to the mill of Mr. Day,- now Scott's. The next year, 1825, witnessed the erection of the Luke Taft Mill, thirty-four by sixty feet, three stories high; the Uxbridge Woolen-Mill, thirty-six by eighty feet, three stories high; and an addition to the Day Mill, making it forty by forty-five feet, three stories high. New and improved machinery was put into these mills, and they were soon in opera- tion. Taft's and Day's Mills were started on satinets in the winter of 1825, and the Uxbridge Woolen- Mill on cassimeres, late in the fall of 1826.

In August, 1828, the Uxbridge Woolen-Mill, the largest of all the mills in town, was destroyed by fire, and within a week a woolen-mill was burned in Mil- ford, and another in East Douglas. As this was con- temporaneous with the remark of the British Minis- ter that "he would not allow America to make a hob-nail," and also at a time when the country had become much excited on the subject of duties for the protection of domestic industry, many persons ex- pressed the opinion that the English manufacturers had emissaries here who were to burn the woolen- mills, and in that way accomplish the object of defeating the effect of the protective tariff.

The Uxbridge Woolen-Mill was immediately rebuilt of brick, forty by eighty feet, three stories high. Since the erection of the former mill, John Goulding, of Dedham, had invented and obtained letters patent for improvement in carding and spinning wool, and his new machinery for that purpose was coming into general use, so that the new Uxbridge Woolen-Mill was supplied with it, to the great advantage of all concerned. The Uxbridge Woolen Manufacturing Company was a corporation, receiving its charter in the winter of 1826-27. Its corporate existence con-

tiuued until about the year 1848, when the property passed into the hands of Josiah Seagrave and M. D. F. Steere, who operated the mill for about ten years. In 1850 the mill was greatly enlarged, the machinery increased to twelve sets, with about fifty Crompton fancy looms. In 1852 the mill was again destroyed by fire. It was soon rebuilt, and filled with the most improved cassimere machinery then known. In 1857, Mr. Steere went to Amesbury to take charge of the Salisbury Mills, and Mr. Seagrave operated the mill alone. In February, 1859, the devouring flames again seized upon this unlucky property, and de- stroyed the finishing-mill and dye-house. This last loss was too much for the proprietor, who had so long been harassed and troubled with misfortune, and, though he rebuilt the destroyed buildings with the insurance money, he was unable to continue the business, and soon after died. The property then passed into the hands of the mortgagees, J. C. Howe & Co., of Boston, who soon sold it at auction to William D. Davis, of Providence, R. I., who took it just in time to receive the advantages the Civil War gave to manufacturers. About 1868, Mr. Davis sold the mill to Robert & Jacob Taft, who made exten- sive repairs, additions and improvements, operated it two or three years, then resold it to Mr. Davis, who again operated it for several years. In 1884 the Calumet Woolen Company, then owning the mill at New Village, bought of Mr. Davis the entire Uxbridge Woolen property, including mills, tenements, machin- ery, farm, etc., and have since expended upon it, in permanent improvements, additions and new ma- chinery, over eighty thousand dollars, making it by far the finest manufacturing property in the town, and the finest woolen-mill in Worcester County. It has all the modern improvements, is lighted with electri- city, has telephone connection with the other mills owned by the corporation, and has started out to re- deem itself from the reputation its former bad luck has given it, and under the charge of its present managers will certainly succeed.

The old Day Mill, the first mill built in the town, was burnt in 1844, and was rebuilt in the course of a year or two hy his son, Joseph Day. Afterwards it was operated by J. W. Day, son of Joseph Day, for four or five years, or until 1849 or '50, when Samuel W. Scott took a lease of it for a term of years, and manufactured satinets on contract. In 1859 Mr. Scott bought the mill and farm of Mr. Day, and has continued to operate it to the present time ; the past ten years in company with his brother, J. R. Scott, the firm now being J. R. Scott & Co., who lease the mill of S. W. Scott. The mill was burned to the ground in the summer of 1878, but was rebuilt in an enlarged and greatly improved manner, with first- class machinery in every respect for making satinets. The village is now appropriately named Elmdale, and its genial proprietor is entitled to great credit for the determinatiou and courage he has manifested in

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achieving victory over his troubles, and accomplish- ing his deserved success.

The mill built by Luke Taft, on the West River, in 1825, seems always to have been a lucky mill, with a single exception.

Luke Taft operated the mill alone, until his son Moses Taft was taken into the concern, about the year 1833. In 1840, J. Wheelock & Son-C. A. Wheelock-bought one-half of the Luke Taft Mill, taking into the business Silas M. Wheelock, making the firm J. Wheelock & Sons. The other half of the mill was run by Moses Taft, till he sold out, in 1846, to C. A. & S. M. Wheelock, Mr. Jerry Wheelock, the father, retiring from the business. The mill origi- nally built by Luke Taft was burned in the winter of 1837-38, but was immediately rebuilt upon a larger scale, and supplied with new and improved machinery. C. A. & S. M. Wheelock named their mill, which they greatly enlarged and improved, "the Wacantuck Mills," the name Wacantuck being the Indian name of the town. They manufactured satinets and plaids until 1852, when they also made cassimeres. Since 1855 they have made cassimeres exclusively, and have ever since continued to pro- duce an excellent quality of these all-wool goods, which find a ready sale in the market, and keep this mill constantly at work. Many of the help at this mill have grown gray in its service and, like the proprietors themselves, take great pride in the success of the mill and the beauty of its village. Several of the employés own their homes, and, as a rule, all the employés are well-paid, contented and happy, and have an unbounded respect for their neighborly em- ployers.

In 1852, Moses Taft laid the foundation for the mill formerly known as the Central Mills, now the Calumet. It was completed the next year, and leased to Israel M. Southwick and Richard Sayles, under the name of Southwick & Sayles, who con- tinued to operate the mill till 1859, when they sold out their lease to Bradford, Taft & Co., of Providence, R. I., Mr. Sayles continuing to superintend the mill and act as agent till January 1, 1864. Daniel W. Taft then took charge of the mill as superintendent, and continued in charge until he took the lease in his own name in 1869. Mr. Moses Taft sold the mill to R. & J. Taft in 1865, and these gentlemen made great additions and improvements thereto, and by building a new dam at Rice City, in the northerly part of the town, and flowing about one hundred acres of land, greatly increased the water-power, and made it more permanent. These enterprising gentle- men also put in an eighty horse-power steam-engine as extra power in dry weather, and thus became sure of constant operation of the mill in all seasons. At the conclusion of Mr. D. W. Taft's lease, in 1883, the Calumet Woolen Company was incorporated, with Isaac Fenno, of Boston, for president; S. M. Wheel- ock, of Uxbridge, treasurer; and Arthur Wheelock,

agent and general superintendent, and purchased of Messrs. R. & J. Taft, all the mill estate, inclusive, and of Mr. D. W. Taft certain machinery and fix- tures owned by him. This corporation immediately expended over twenty thousand dollars in new machinery and improvements, widened the canal, raised its banks and increased its capacity largely, and are to-day turning out handsome, high-grade cassimeres, the best ever manufactured in the town. As hereinbefore stated, this corporation also owns and operates the Hecla Mill, about one-half a mile easterly of the Calumet; the two mills being con- nected by telephone and under the charge of Arthur Wheelock, agent and general manager. The purchase and enlarging of these two mills by this corporation, at an expense of over two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, has given an impetus to the prosperity of the town which it has never known before. Employing more help, the population of the town has increased from three thousand and fifty in 1880 to three thou- sand five hundred in 1888. The weekly payments of the corporation amount to about twenty-five hundred dollars, and this amount is added to the trade accounts of all the retail dealers in town, making business in all branches correspondingly better. About one-third of the capital stock is owned by residents of the town, so that the town not only gets the benefit of the large tax upon the real estate, but also gets a large return from the State, in the shape of corporation taxes, re- turned to the towns in which the stockholders reside. The gratitude of the town is due to Hon. S. M. Wheelock, by whose efforts this corporation was established and located in this town.

In 1864 Richard Sayles and D. A. McBride bought of Dea. Chandler Taft the old Rivulet Mill and water- power, which had been idle for a number of years, made extensive repairs, and manufactured shoddy till 1866, when Mr. Sayles purchased Mr. McBride's interest, and soon after sold it to Israel M. Southwick, taking Mr. Southwick as his partner. The next fall Sayles & Southwick put in steam-power, enlarged the property, and fitted it up to receive new machinery, on an extensive scale, for the manufacture of shoddy. In November, 1866, Mr. Southwick sold out to Mr. Sayles, and Mr. Sayles soon after sold one-half inter- est in the property to Zadok A. Taft; and Messrs. Sayles & Taft put in the shoddy machinery and ran the mill till 1869, when they leased the mill to E. S. Bradford & Co., of Providence, R. I., for the manu- facture of knitting yarn, and it was run on this work until the mill was burned in October, 1872, a few weeks before the great Boston fire. It was rebuilt the next year in a much improved manner. At first cot- ton machinery was put in, but it soon gave place to woolen machinery, with which Mr. Sayles was better acquainted. Messrs. Sayles & Taft ran the mill until October 1, 1878, and then leased the mill and machinery to Sayles, Taft & Co., the company being Henry S. Morse; then in January, 1882, Taft left the

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manufacturing firm, and it became Richard Sayles & Co. These gentlemen operated the mill with great success until the death of Mr. Sayles, in 1887. The property is now owned by the three sons of Mr. Sayles, who carry on the manufacture of satinets under the same name as the old firm-Richard Sayles & Co.

About the year 1834 Alvin Cooke purchased a small building on the Emerson Brook, which was form- erly used for a cabinet shop. He enlarged it, and put in woolen cards, spinning machinery and looms, but no finishing machines. He operated the mill under contract for Effingham L. Capron, who was then operating the Capron Mill, making satinets. In 1837 Mr. Cooke was obliged to succumb to the financial pressure, and never again engaged in manufacturing. From 1837 to 1879 the mill has been practically idle and unoccupied. Since 1880 Mr. D. M. Lee has utilized it for the purpose of a shoddy-mill. Mr. Lee has greatly improved the property, built a new dam and reservoir on the stream, and is determined to make it a success.

In 1865 or '66, Mr. Zadok A. Taft bought the property on the Emerson Brook which was formerly known as the Leonard Taft Saw and Grist-Mills. These mills had not been used for many years and had fallen into decay. Mr. Taft erected a new mill, into which he at first put machinery for making cot- ton warps. Subsequently he removed this and sub- stituted satinet machinery. . Mr. Taft operated the mill for several years and then leased it, and it has been operated by several different firms for that pur- pose till the present time.

In 1832 the Ironstone Mill-built in 1814 asa cotton- mill-was burned. It was rebuilt by Jonathan F. South wick, fitted with woolen machinery, and operated by Fairbanks & Messinger for the manufacture of Kentucky jeans. In 1865 fire again visited this property and destroyed the factory. Subsequently a roof was put over the basement walls, which remained standing, making a one-story mill, which for several years was used by Joseph C. Keith & Co. for a shoddy mill. It afterwards passed into the hands of Abijah Esty, of Millville, and at his decease it ceased to be used for manufactur- ing purposes, and the mill and the brick tenements and store-houses which once denoted a prosperous vil- lage are fast becoming dilapidated ruins. About the year 1880 Mr. Charles C. Capron erected in the mill- yard of the Capron Mills a well appointed shoddy- mill, and in a few years his largely increasing busine-s occasioned the building of another mill near to the other, into which he put, in addition to shoddy cards and pickers, two sets of yarn machinery for making woolen yarn for carpets. This part of the business was subsequently given up, and the entire plant de- voted to the manufacture of shoddy. In addition to the water-power of the Mumford River, these mills and the Caprou Satinet-Mills are supplied with

adequate steam power, and under the management of the Messrs. Capron are, as usual, successful.

The old Shuttle Shop on Drabble Tail Brook was at one time devoted to manufacturing purposes, cot- ton yarn and shoddy being among its principal pro- ductions. The machinery was operated by Zadok A. Taft and B. Stetson, and afterwards by J. C. Keith.

One of the principal industries of Uxbridge from an early date was the manufacture of cotton goods. The first factory erected for that purpose was erected in 1810, by Forbes & Benjamin Clapp, at what is now known as Rogerson's Village, in North Uxbridge. They sold out in 1815 to Harvey & Mellen, and they soon after sold to Robert Rogerson. The mill was a small building, which was afterwards removed and converted into a factory tenement-house. There they manufactured cotton thread until about the year 1816, when the venture proved a failure. They had been stocked by Mr. Robert Rogerson, who was at that time a merchant in Boston, and upon the failure of Harvey & Mellen the property passed into his hands. Mr. Rogerson continued the business then until about the year 1825, when he removed the Clapp Mill and began the erection of his first stone factory. Near it, and in accordance with his original plan, he erected a second stone factory, and the two mills have since been united. He expended thus, in buildings and machinery, the sum of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. He laid out a village, which at that time had more of the quality of perfection than almost auy other manufacturing village in New England. It is laid out with great taste, and the stone work of the dams, canals, bridges and arches under the mill are marvels of good workmanship, which constant use of more than fifty years has not detracted from. These mills and this beautiful village will long stand, built as they are in lasting stone and brick, a fitting monu- ment to the genius and public spirit of Robert Roger- son. In the financial troubles of 1837, Mr. Rogerson was obliged to give np the property, and it passed into the possession of the mortgagees. A new corporation was formed, called the Uxbridge Cotton-Mills, and the mill is still called by that name, although the original incorporators have nearly all died or sold their interest in the property. In 1851 the Whitin Brothers, of Northbridge, were the principal owners and managers of the corporate stock and property, and under their excellent management, which has continued to the present time, the property has continued to improve, and is now a first-class cotton-mill in every respect. This is the only cotton-mill in town, and with the single exception of the mill at Ironstone, originally built for a cotton mill, is the only one ever erected here solely for cotton goods.

There have been several other manufacturing estab- lishments started, continued for a short time and theu giveu up; which, as they did not contribute materially to the prosperity of the town, will not be noticed at length. Among these were the Uxbridge

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Card Clothing Co., the Bay State Arms Co., and the Wilder Screw Machine Co., neither of which met with success, and none are now in existence.

One of the industries of the town, of which brief notice should be given, was the carriage manufactory of Theodore B. Whiting, in Mechanics' Square, on Drabble Tail Brook. About the year 1850, Mr. Whiting purchased the cluster of buildings formerly used for a tannery and cooper shop, etc., in rear of Union Building, and began the manufacture of car- riages and harness, and also did a general wheelwright and blacksmithing business. Many excellent car- riages were made by Mr. Whiting, and they were so well made that some of them are in nse to-day, after more than thirty years of service. The style, of course, is somewhat antiquated, but the carriages are good for the balance of the century. A thoroughly good and honest man himself, his reputation suffered no injury from his handiwork. It needed no war- ranty, and none was asked by those who knew the genial, upright, dignified gentleman who received their orders. At his lamented death, which occurred in 1866, the business was divided, the wheelwright, the blacksmith, the painter, and the harness-maker each striking out for himself; and as a result, the business of manufacturing carriages soon became a business of carriage repairing. Prentiss Whiting several years before had started a carriage factory at the Rivulet, but it did not prove a success, and a man named Gardner is said to have manufactured car- riages for awhile in the old shop now owned by Merrill Greene, on North Main Street.

BANKS .- The Blackstone Bank was incorporated Angust 27, 1825, with a capital of $100,000, divided into one thousand shares. It was originally, and until 1865, a period of forty years, a State bank, and was the only bank of discount and circulation in this part of the Blackstone Valley.

In 1865 it became a National Bank, under the banking-laws of the United States, and its name was changed to the Blackstone National Bank. Its cap- ital remained the same, and, under its excellent management, it has always had a surplus, so that its capital stock has seldom been obtainable in the mar- ket for less than $120 per share. It has had but four presidents since 1825, and only three cashiers-Jona- than Gregory being cashier from 1825 to 1836, E. W. Hayward from 1836 until his death, in 1875, a continu- ous service of nearly forty years. Moses Taft, Esq., has been president of the bank since 1865, and, although nearly eighty years of age, is hale and hearty and a shrewd and capable financier. The bank occupies a room in Robert Taft's block, under a very peculiar lease. The advantage of having a bank in Uxbridge was of snch moment to the then owners of the old brick store, which has since been remodeled into the modern business block, that, as an indncement for it to locate here, the room was fitted up, and a long lease given, in which the stipulated rent was "one

barley-corn per year," and this singular rent is all that the bank has been required to pay for the use of its banking-rooms to this date. Whether the rent has actually been handed over each year, and what the landlord does with it, are open questions, which no one seems able or willing to answer.

The Uxbridge Savings-Bank was incorporated June 3, 1870, and elected for its president Moses Taft, Esq., who still holds that position.

In the eigliteen years of its existence this bank has grown in the confidence of the people, and its de- posits now amount to over $335,000. As its manage- ment is rather conservative and its loans made at low rates of interest, its dividends are not, as a rule, quite up to those paid by city banks, but are generally sat- isfactory to depositors. A little more public spirit exhibited by the management, in the way of a bank- ing-house built and owned by the bank, would give it better facilities for doing business, and, as an investment, would pay full as well as loans on mort- gages at five per cent., and the general public would be highly gratified.

A good first-class business block on the site just south of the National Bank, arranged for stores, banking-rooms and offices, would supply a much- needed want, and would be occupied at good rent as soon as completed.

CHAPTER XXIX. UXBRIDGE -- (Continued.)

THE REVOLUTION .- In the year 1774, on the 6th day of July, the town, at a meeting called to consider the difficulties existing between the colonies and the mother country, passed a vote to appoint a committee of nine citizens and freeholders, "to correspond with committees that now or shall be chosen by any towns in this province for the purpose, on any matur that may respect the present difficulty, that now or may subsist between Great Britton and North-america."

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History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 61

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1889 Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1576

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1576