USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Springfield > King's handbook of Springfield, Massachusetts : a series of monographs, historical and descriptive > Part 29
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I The capital-stock was increased in 1884 to $150,000.
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of the cloth-faced paper, which is sold in large quantities to other manufac- turers of. collars and cuffs, and to many printing-houses everywhere, for tags and other purposes, where a durable, strong, and cheap flexible mate- rial is desired. Upwards of 100,000 collars and cuffs are made daily, in upwards of forty different styles; and these are sold in all parts of the United States, British, Central, and South America. Although most of the work is done by automatic machinery, employment is given constantly to more than fifty operatives. The president of the company is George W. Tapley, and the treasurer is Varnum N. Taylor. The Taylor and Tapley families will be found mentioned in any account of the development of Springfield enterprises ; for, during several years past, they have been identified with many of them. Elsewhere mention is made of Mr. Tapley as the owner of the oldest house now standing here, and of Mr. Taylor as the president of the Business Men's Association, and Mr. Tapley of the Milton Bradley Company. Both Mr. Taylor and Mr. Tapley have been mentioned as directors of several financial and other institutions. This is another of those many industries which have done so much to bring the city of Spring- field so prominently before the eyes of the business men of this country.
The Milton Bradley Company is the lineal successor of the lithograph- ing business established in 1860 by Milton Bradley, who, two years later, was joined by Clark W. Bryan and J. F. Tapley, and still later by Lewis Bradley, all under the firm name of Milton Bradley & Co., - a name that has become familiar to households throughout North and South America, Europe, and Australia. The business now comprises three extensive de- partments, each one of which would ordinarily constitute a noteworthy establishment. These are, (1) lithographic department, (2) game and foy department, and (3) educational department. In lithography the firm employ a corps of the best artists, and aim to do better work than is done anywhere else than in the largest cities. Work is done here for firms and corporations all over the country, and is everywhere admired by reason of the superior quality of designs and printing. In games and toys this firm surpass every other establishment in the United States in magnitude as well as variety and quality of work; the catalogue at present containing about 150 items. In educational supplies, the firm now manufacture kindergarten material, and primary-school aids and apparatus, and are also preparing a line of physical apparatus for graded schools and seminaries not caring to invest in the more elegant and costly apparatus now in the market. The wide-spread and enviable reputation of this concern has been well earned. No footsteps of other enterprises were followed, but all three departments were pioneers in their respective lines. When the firm began, they were the only lithograph- ers between Boston, Providence, Albany, and Hartford. When they began
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the game and toy business, they were the only house making a specialty of this work. When they began with kindergarten materials, they were not only the first to make the supplies, but also the first to print a guide to the method in the English language, -a fact which was duly credited to the firm in the award made by the Centennial Commission; and this same guide, entitled " Paradise of Childhood," is to-day the only complete guide. It will be a surprise, even to many Springfield people, to know that there is no similar establishment in the United States, -excepting perhaps one in New- York City, - where all the various operations are done by one firm, under one roof. There are many competitors now; some making one class of goods, and some another class, but not one who makes all the classes, and none solely manufacturing their own lines and handling nothing else. The firm make many things for jobbing-houses whose imprint is put upon the goods. In this line the Milton Bradley Company have been very successful in satisfying their customers, who demand the best style and the finest quality at reasonable figures. The first quarters were at No. 184 Main Street, over Tinkham & Co.'s store. In 1865 larger accommodations were found on Main Street, opposite Court Square, where the firm's games and miscellaneous goods were sold at retail, as well as a goodly assortment of stationery, pictures, and art supplies. In 1869 the property on the corner of Dwight Street and Harrison Avenue was bought, and a large four-story brick block was added to the small building then standing on the rear of the lot. In 1882 a removal was made to the extensive brick buildings on Willow Street, owned by George W. Tapley, and occupied in part by the Taylor & Tapley Manufacturing Company previously described. In 1884 the firm was incorporated as the Milton Bradley Company, with George W. Tapley as president, and Milton Bradley as treasurer and general manager. Lewis Bradley, now 74 years old, is at the head of one of the departments. No one can estimate the good influence that this concern has had, by means of its millions of toys and games which have been used to instruct and enter- tain children all over the world.
R. F. Hawkins's Iron Works is one of the most noteworthy of the local industries ; and, having been established in 1840, it is also one of the old- est. Owing to its specialties, there were many reasons for its prosperity in a railroad-centre like Springfield. In fact, its existence is due to the success of the railroads ; for, coincident with their introduction into this country, naturally arose builders of the roads and their appurtenances, and among the needs of 1839 was a good railroad-bridge. "Necessity is the mother of invention; " and William Howe, then a master-builder at Warren, Mass., appeared as an inventor of what has since been everywhere known as the Howe truss bridge, - a combination of wood and iron on a plan
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that has not yet been supplanted for its purpose, and on which nine-tenths of the railroad-bridges of this country have been constructed. Mr. Howe sold his patents to firms in various parts of the country ; and the Hawkins establishment is the successor of Stone & Harris as the owners of the patent in the New-England States, who commenced their business in 1840, and, with Azariah Boody and William Birnie, built some of the first bridges, engine-houses, masonry, etc., required by the early railroads. For a short time the firm was Harris & Hawkins ; and Mr. Hawkins, who became in 1867 the sole proprietor, entered the employ of the old firm in 1853, and
R F. Hawkins's Iron Works, on Liberty Street.
has always remained in the same concern, doing the same business as his predecessors. These works now manufacture not only the Howe truss bridge, but build all kinds of iron bridges and turn-tables, as well as operate a large iron-foundery and extensive boiler-works and machine-shops. These varieties of work, with the business extending throughout the New-England and New-York States, make up quite an important item in the manufactures of Springfield, and give employment to from 125 to 150 men at the shops, and at times to several hundred men in the field erecting bridges and build- ing-work. The establishment justly commands a high reputation for first- class and trustworthy work, which will, no doubt, long continue. For 20 years Mr. Hawkins has been assisted by William H. Burrall as civil engi-
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neer, and Charles H. Mulligan as superintendent. He aims to keep a large corps of tried and experienced mechanics ; and his success is attested by upwards of one thousand bridges, five hundred boilers, many pieces of building fronts, columns, bolts and forgings, engine-houses, bridge founda- tions and piers, switches, frogs, turn-tables, etc., scattered over the New- England and adjacent States. The plant of the works covers about two acres, upon which are erected seven spacious buildings, divided into the foundery, machine-shop, boiler-shop, bridge-shop, and carpenter-shop. The equipment embraces nearly all the latest improved machinery and tools known to the iron-working trade, operated by two steam-engines of 50-horse- power each ; and at the rear of the works are the Boston and Albany Rail- road tracks, affording the most complete facilities for loading cars direct from the workshops. It would not be possible to give in detail the impor- tant work done here; but a few of the noteworthy structures may readily be mentioned, such as the iron-work and roofs of the stations on the Boston and Albany at Springfield, and on the New-York Central Railroad at Buf- falo and Rochester. Mr. Hawkins, in 1867, extended the piers on the Connecticut River for the Boston and Albany Railroad, - a great engineer- ing feat. He also built all the bridges on the extension of the New-York and New-England Railroad from Waterbury to Fishkill, and completed others on the Delaware and Lackawanna Railroad in Northern New York, and also a series of bridges over Lake Champlain for the Lamoille Valley Railroad. No bridge built by this concern has ever gone down, although many have been subjected to most extraordinary strains resulting from the derailment of trains and other causes. The offices and buildings are on Liberty Street, and any one will always be interested in a visit to the R. F. Hawkins Iron Works.
The Springfield Steam-power Company was organized in September, 1881, for the purpose of supplying power to manufacturers. The capital stock of the company is $200,000. About the time of organization, the com- pany bought the old plant of the Wason Manufacturing Company, only a stone's-throw from the Union Railroad Depot. The extent of the purchase, for which they paid $400,000, is 160,000 square feet ; and it is bounded by Taylor, Dwight, and Lyman Streets. Six brick buildings, one of four and two others of five stories, each several hundred feet long, have already been erected, principally for manufacturing purposes. Others will be erected as rapidly as desirable tenants demand them. About half of the land purchased is at present unoccupied by buildings. In the spring of 1884, $25,000 will be expended in new buildings. While most of the occupants on Lyman Street are wholesale merchants, those on both sides of Taylor Street are manufacturers. The company also furnishes power for several concerns
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outside its own buildings. The engine is a double Harris-Corliss of 400- horse power. Steam is generated in three Pitkin and one Hawkins boilers. The directors of the company are : George C. Fisk (president), H. S. Hyde (treasurer), and Charles A. Nichols, with J. W. Hyde as assistant treasurer.
J. H. Cook & Co.'s Monumental Works have been firmly established as a thriving industry of this city. The firm began business in Hallowell, Me., in 1847, as workers of the celebrated "Hallowell" granite. Three years later they removed to Portland, Me., and added the working and wholesaling of marble. About the close of the war the senior partner disposed of his interests, and went to Boston, where for several years he devoted his atten- tion exclusively to granite building work. In the spring of 1872 he came to Springfield, where he has ever since resided. He bought the monumental works and business of H. K. Cooley, and has steadily improved it in both amount and quality, until now it ranks among the foremost in its line in the Connecticut Valley. The firm furnish the heaviest and finest monumental work that can be procured anywhere, which a few years ago could be ob- tained only in large cities. They are also celebrated for their artistic and original designs, and for fidelity in the execution of contracts. Among their expensive and unique works may be mentioned the family monuments of Oliver Holcomb of Windsor, Conn., surmounted by a granite statue of Hope 73 feet high, and costing $4,000 ; and of Lewis and Milton Bradley, Dr. Nathan Adams, and Chester VanHorn, in the Springfield Cemetery, that of Mr. VanHorn being surmounted by a huge globe of highly polished Quincy granite, 4 feet in diameter, and weighing over 4 tons, being the largest ball of polished granite known to exist ; also of Chaffee and Hyde, in the South Cemetery at Somers, Conn., and of Kibbie and Root in the Centre Cemetery at Somers, the two latter being beautiful statuary designs, the statues having been imported expressly for these monuments. They are also the builders of the new granite drinking-fountain recently presented to the city by D. B. Wesson, Esq. A few years ago they began to import Italian statuary, at first for their own use, but afterwards to supply a flour- ishing wholesale trade in lawn, parlor, and monumental statuary ; importing to order from the leading art-studios of Europe any thing that may be desired. They constantly carry a large and fine stock of statuary and monu- mental work, as well as a good assortment of native and foreign colored marbles, and are prepared at all times to make designs for special wants. They also furnish every description of interior marble fittings, such as tiling, wainscoting, etc. Recent tiling done by them may be seen at the Haynes- house rotunda, the Oak-grove Cemetery chapel, and J. H. Wesson's resi- dence on Federal Street. Although the senior member of the firm is still J. H. Cook, its founder, the active business management has for the past
J. C.LUTZ LITHOGRAPHER
JACOB C. LUTZ, LITHOGRAPHIC ESTABLISHMENT, West Worthington Street.
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eight years devolved upon William F. Cook, the junior member, who is recognized as a thorough-going and public-spirited business-man. The works are centrally located on the south side of State Street, at the corner of Willow, and will be found worthy of an inspection.
Jacob C. Lutz, Lithographer, occupies the two upper floors of the Ray & Taylor building on Worthington Street, ten thousand square feet of space being used for the works. The business was established by Mr. Lutz in Goodrich block in 1867, one small hand-press being used. From this beginning the business has steadily grown to its present dimensions, now being in the foremost ranks of similar establishments in New England. Mr. Lutz has, from the first, given his personal attention to his business, and a look through his establishment shows how near perfection he has carried his art. The work-rooms are well lighted, and excellently arranged throughout the works. Twenty skilled workmen are kept regularly em- ployed ; and four hand-presses for proving and transferring, with three Hoe steam lithographic presses, are used. The chief products are commercial, manufacturers', and colored chromo work; but all branches of the litho- graphic art are carried on. Especial care is given to color-work; the draw- ing, engraving, and printing all being done in the building, and under Mr. Lutz's supervision. Jacob C. Lutz was born in Germany in 1831, and learned his trade in that country. He came to New York in 1849, and to Springfield in 1862. He was, until 1867, in the lithographic establishment of Milton Bradley, leaving only to begin work for himself. In 1881 he was elected by the Republicans and Democrats as common-councilman from Ward 3, an office which he held with credit until the last municipal elec- tions, when he was chosen by the Republicans to represent them in the city government as alderman from Ward 3.
The Springfield Printing-Company is the lineal successor of all the local printing-offices and binderies of the early days, and is at the same time one of the most prominent industries of the present day. It is also one of the largest of its class in this country. Its beginning dates back to 1831, when G. & C. Merriam, the publishers of Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, made the first attempt (not including the newspaper-offices) to establish here an office exclusively for book and miscellaneous printing, disconnected from the publishing of a newspaper. The office was opened in State Street, and from that time in its progress of development it has undergone many changes of ownership and location. Its main impetus towards success was its purchase in 1853 by Samuel Bowles & Co., then composed of Samuel Bowles, Josiah G. Holland, and Clark W. Bryan. This firm, by their pre- eminent ability and unsurpassed enterprise, brought the original little print-
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ing-office into a great printing and binding establishment. The firm were also publishers of "The Springfield Republican." In 1873 a dissolution took place, which divided the establishment; "The Republican " remaining in the hands of the firm, which continued under the style of Samuel Bowles & Co .; the printing and binding departments being transferred to the firm which organized under the name of The Clark W. Bryan Company, which continued until 1880, when the name was changed to The Springfield Print- ing Company. Shortly after the re-organization in 1873, the building now occupied was put up expressly for its uses, by J. L. Worthy ; and with its present accommodations, facilities, and workmen, it is enabled to undertake and execute almost any work that is expected of large and first-class print- ing establishments, and to do all kinds of special or ordinary binding in cloth or leather or other materials. Under the same roof is a thorough electrotype and stereotype foundery, and within a few miles are scores of extensive paper-mills, so that this company has at its command all the advantages necessary to enter successfully into competition with similar establishments in any part of the United States ; and its wide-spread repu- tation shows that it has made known these advantages; and the enormous amount of work annually turned out bears evidence that a large number of firms in New York, Boston, and elsewhere have become its constant pat- rons. The substantial building now occupied, on the corner of Main and Worthington Streets, is well shown in the engraving on the opposite page; and from this picture its extensive equipment may be surmised. Without going into details as to the extent and variety of work executed here, it may be said that beautiful and elaborately illustrated catalogues are a specialty, and that one of the first really large illustrated catalogues printed in this country was made here in 1866. Various periodicals have also been printed here, which have been creditable specimens of typography; and of books there has been no end to the number and variety rolled off at this establish- ment. One house, in its several successions, as G. & F. Bill, Bill, Nichols, & Co., and Charles A. Nichols & Co., has had all of its books made here during the past twenty years; and the demands of this house alone have been at times a thousand books a day for every day during many successive weeks. "The Clark W. Bryan," or the " Springfield," or the "patent tear- off " calendars, as they are variously called, have also been a source of great revenue. They are the popular tear-off calendars used in enormous quan- tities for advertising purposes by insurance-companies, manufacturers, mer- chants, and other concerns. Single orders have amounted to $5,000, and some customers have sent in their orders every year ever since the calen- dars were introduced. The Springfield Directory and kindred works are also published by this company. In the bindery may be seen at all times stacks of the current periodicals being put through the processes of plain
BOOK
BINDING.
ELECTROTYPING
SPRINGFIELD PRINTING CO
BOOK &JOBPRINTING
NORTHYSI
BLOCK
OFFICE
BOOK PUBLISHING!
SPRINGFIELD PRINTING &O
391
MLERRACLEY. COCC
THE SPRINGFIELD PRINTING-COMPANY.
Main and Worthington Streets.
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and elaborate cloth and leather binding, and thousands of books being put into covers for various publishers. At one time, when the album business was in its glory, this concern was one of the most extensive manufacturers. As much as $300,000 worth was sold in a single year; and a single com- pany has bought as high as $90,000 worth of these albums in one year. Enough has now been said to show that the Springfield Printing-Company has age, experience, facilities, and reputation that have been acquired in building up this great industry, which has been an important factor in the growth of the city. The company has the following officers : Charles A. Nichols, president ; Avery J. Smith, treasurer ; George H. Noyes, foreman of the book and job printing office ; and Henry E. Ducker, superintendent.
G. & C. Merriam & Co. is the name on a modest little sign on State Street, that is pointed to with pride by every resident of Springfield. It is known to almost all intelligent families in America and Great Britain, and to the traders in almost all lands. It is the name of the firm that owns and publishes that marvellous volume, Webster's Unabridged Dictionary. The early history of the firm, and a description of that part of the business they first built up, is given below, under the caption of " The Old Corner Book- store of Whitney and Adams." But the part of the business which they seemed by nature and cultivation eminently well fitted for was the publish- ing of a class of books of infinite service to the whole world. They began by the publication of a series of law-books, one of which was "Chitty's Law Pleadings." They published more than 200,000 copies of the Bible, and many miscellaneous books. They own that little book familiar to every child at school, " Webster's Spelling-Book," of which about 75,000,000 copies have been sold already ; and about 1,000,000 copies are sold yearly, in spite of the many competitors now in the same field. After the death of Noah Webster, they purchased the right to publish his dictionary, a revised and enlarged edition of which they published in 1847, which proved to be a remarkable success. Two other editions were issued in 1856 and 1859, the latter containing illustrations. These editions, notwithstanding the immense amount of labor and expense involved in bringing them out, were considered minor affairs when compared with the great revision printed in 1864. The labor on this occupied more than 10 years, involving an aggre- gate of more than 30 years of literary labor, distributed among nearly 50 individuals. Dr. Mahn of Berlin, an eminent European scholar, spent 5 years upon the etymologies alone. The last edition of this valuable and notable book was brought out in 1879; and now Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, in the quantity of matter it contains, is believed to be the largest volume published, being sufficient to make 75 ordinary 12mo vol- umes. It has 1,928 large quarto pages, 118,000 words, and 3,000 illustra-
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tions ; and, in addition, an appendix of almost indispensable information, which, if made into books, would form a series of valuable reference vol- umes. By reason of the progressive policy of the firm in always improving the dictionary, so as to keep it up to date, it is no wonder it has had an enormous sale, exceeding that of any other printed in the English language. Since the death of Dr. Webster in 1843, the publishers have paid his family over a quarter of a million dollars as their share of the copyright money. The work has been a success abroad as well as in America, and is published in London from plates owned by the Springfield firm. This marked success, when analyzed, will be found to be the result of the high- est order of merit, combined with the most persistent and intelligent enter- prise. "Get the best " has been the motto of the Webster's Dictionary publishers, and they have heralded this in almost every conceivable manner in all parts of the civilized world. The style of the firm has had but one slight change since they began with Webster. Originally, in 1831, it was G. & C. Merriam; and, although Homer Merriam became a partner in 1856, it continued unchanged until 1882, when, by the admission of Orlando M. Baker and H. Curtis Rowley, it became G. & C. Merriam & Co. In its present hands, the enterprise bids fair to sustain fully the prosperous record of the past half-century.
The Old Corner Bookstore. - The famous " Old Corner Bookstore " of Whitney & Adams, at the corner of Main and State streets, has come to be historical. It is one of the longest-established and best-known busi- ness houses in Springfield. It has done a noble work. For many years it has been sending out an ever-increasing stream of pure, attractive, and instructive literature, until it has reached nearly every part of the land, and nearly every town and village. That the house has attained such great success in the dissemination of valuable literature, is a matter of hearty congratulation ; that they have attained that success by a strict adherence to an exalted ideal, is a matter of the highest public gratification. It is now 53 years since George and Charles Merriam came to this city, and estab- lished this business on State Street, in the building now occupied by Wil- cox & Co. Three or four years later, the building now occupied by the " Old Corner Bookstore " was erected, and G. & C. Merriam secured new quarters. They soon began the publication of law-books, and issued more than 200,000 Bibles ; but they gained their world-wide reputation in the publication of Webster's Dictionary. During the 53 years of its existence, a number of changes have taken place in the personnel of the firm; the last being 13 years ago, when James L. Whitney and W. F. Adams became proprietors. Mr. Whitney has, however, been connected with the house for about 30 years ; and Mr. Adams had previously been six years with the
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