USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Walpole > A history of Walpole, New Hampshire, Volume I > Part 57
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On his release from prison in New York, October 1898, Sheriff Horace A. Perry returned him to Concord to serve his term with accumulations. In 1903 he made a try to get released by trying to prove that he was Henry Edward Moebus but was unsuccessful.
SAVINGS BANK OF WALPOLE
Following the closing of the Savings Bank due to the burglary in No- vember 1864, there was no bank in town until 1875. On July 2, 1875 a charter for the Savings Bank of Walpole was granted to Henry A. Hitch- cock, John W. Hayward, Benjamin F. Aldrich (elected president), Thomas B. Buffum, Joshua B. Clark, Edwin K. Seabury and Josiah G. Bellows (elected secretary-treasurer).
Business commenced on October 1, 1875 in the office of Judge Josiah G. Bellows.
From today's viewpoint the early years of the bank's operation were rather meager. On January 1, 1877, after two years and three months of operation, the total deposits of the bank were $29,289.00. The surplus at that period was $33.32. Twelve years later on January 1, 1899, they had increased ten times to $222,902.00 with a surplus of $16,409.41.
Evidently the bank was operated in an efficient and capable manner in these early years, paying dividends each year of between 4 and 5 percent. It was the only bank in Cheshire County that passed through the panic of 1896 without going into receivership. It survived the depression of 1930-1932 and the bank holiday of 1932 in strong condition and no de- positor has ever lost a single dollar intrusted to its keeping. Its purpose has been first, to safeguard the funds of its depositors while giving them the highest dividends on their savings consistent with a prudent invest- ment policy; and secondly, to serve the community and area's economic life and foster its growth and development.
The deposits of the bank have shown a consistently healthy growth from that opening date of October 1, 1875 up to the present time. The growth rate has been increasing substantially in the past five years. The deposits on October 1, 1962, were $11,148,628.00 and the surplus was $1,358,205.00. The equity for each depositor's dollar is $1.14, making it one of the higher ranking banks in New Hampshire in that respect. The management expense per deposit dollar is one of the lowest in the state which speaks well for the operating efficiency of the Savings Bank of Wal-
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pole. Dividends are being paid at the annual rate of 4 percent com- pounded semi-annually.
The business of the bank was carried on from October 1, 1875 until 1892 at its present location in the law office of Judge Josiah G. Bellows. This building was purchased by the Savings Bank in 1892. As the services and the deposits of the bank grew, periodic additions and modernization of the building have been made. These additions and remodeling were made in 1927, 1947 and 1962. The latest addition, finished in 1962 to- gether with a complete interior remodeling and decorating, has resulted in a beautiful, modern, efficient and appropriate building that the com- munity can rightly take pride in.
The present officers of the bank are:
Oliver J. Hubbard -President
William I. Mayo
-Vice-President
Malcolm D. Williams -Treasurer
George R. Harris -Assistant Treasurer
The present trustees are:
B. Ralph Brainard, John W. Galloway, George R. Harris, Austin I. Hubbard, Oliver J. Hubbard, William I. Mayo, Harley W. Prentiss, Holmes H. Whitmore, Malcoln D. Williams.
MANUFACTURING
In 1773 John Marcy and Ebenezer Swan "from the Generous motive of the publick good, as well as their own perticular profit advantage" hav- ing "determined to erect in the town of Walpole . .. a mill for the pur- pose of making Linseed Oil" petitioned the General Court to "Grant them that no other person or persons whatever shall be allowed to Erect any Mill or Mills within the County of Cheshire ... for and during the Term of Twenty Years" since "experience teaches that when persons have under taken to prosecute any new scheme, which, in a few hands, might be advantageous to the publick and to the Managers, others (from hopes and Expectations of the great gains arising therefrom) undertake the same, to the Destruction of said business and to great Damage of those who First engaged therein ... as has been the case with regard to the Potash and Pearlash Trade." Town Papers New Hampshire, Ham- mond Vol. VIII p 597.
The petition was granted May 26, 1773, but there is no record to in- dicate that linseed oil was ever made in Walpole.
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For some time an extensive business was carried on in town in the manufacture of potash; in fact, the first manufacturing done in North Walpole, except for sawmills, was potash making. One of the largest works was located a few rods south of Tucker Bridge at so-called Potash Hill. In different parts of the town the location of the asheries is fre- quently discovered on moving the soil. One large establishment near the residence of Allen Dunshee (#217) was carried on by Joseph Bellows. Amasa Allen had a potash on his land near #231 on the River Road. Col. Benjamin Bellows had a potash at the south end of Main Street in 1774. In 1817 Dana and Bellows were ready to receive ashes at their new Pearl- ash Works near Walpole Village. Isaiah Eaton had a potash near the brook on his land on Eaton Hill. There was one on Roger Fenton's farm in the Valley and in 1827 one at Samuel Nichols' in Drewsville.
In clearing the land the trees had to be disposed of so they were piled and burned. The ashes were put into leaches. Water was poured over them, drawn off at the bottom, and boiled in iron kettles to form lye which was used in making soap. The public potash works were rude wooden structures, referred to as potashes.
In 1776 a committee proposed to manufacture firearms in Cheshire County, £300 lawful money to be expended in the project. The chairman was Benjamin Bellows Jr., treasurer Thomas Sparhawk. There is no record of what they did.
In the late 1790's John Livingston Jr. and Gurdon Huntington, and Amasa Allen, Samuel Grant and Joseph Barnard seem to have been in the gun-making business, how extensively is not clear.
On December 27, 1805, a charter was granted to the Walpole Mechanic Society (Samuel Grant, Nicanor Townsley, et al.) "for the purpose of promoting and aiding Manufacturers and the Mechanic Arts."
In 1828, on December 29th, a charter was granted to Fall Mountain Factory Company (Nathaniel Tucker, Wm. Hall, James J. Cutler, Henry Atkinson Green, Thos. Bellows, Richard D. Tucker, et al.) to manufac- ture cotton and woollen goods, machinery and other branches of business connected therewith on or near the easterly bank of Connecticut River in Walpole; real estate up to $150,000; stock null and void if manufacture not commenced within 5 years; not to interfere with construction of any canal by authority from the state. This seems to have become null and void.
On Jan. 7, 1853, the Walpole Carpet Company was chartered (Augus- tus Faulkner, George S. Smith, Frederick Vose, David Buffum, Aaron P. Howland) to manufacture carpets and fabrics of cotton and wool and
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such other branches of manufacture and trade as may be necessarily con- nected therewith, in the town of Walpole. Property not to exceed $100,- 000. There is no evidence of carpets being manufactured.
WOODWORKING
The first mill in town was located at the foot of Blanchard Falls as early as 1756, probably both saw and grist. For the story of the various water power mills see WATERWAYS. For the story of the carriage shops see Turnpike and North Main Streets in HOMESTEADS.
The last surviving water power sawmill in town was that at the mill- pond north of Walpole Village. In May 1940 the Walpole Ice and Lum- ber Company built a new mill on the bluff north of the old mill, in the section which had formerly been used entirely for a lumber yard. This replaced the old mill which had been in operation more than 100 years.
Henry Mellish, who lived in the Valley, invented a machine for turn- ing wooden pill boxes with a cover. This was patented and sold to the Bond brothers, William A. and Charles B., of Drewsville. They began the manufacture of pill boxes in 1846 at a mill on Cold River below the gorge, selling their entire output to David Janes (Jayne) & Sons of Phila- delphia. They are said to have manufactured 45,000 gross annually, as well as picture frames for advertising. They also did considerable job work and at times employed several workmen. They were followed in the business by William Bond's sons Edward S. and David J. who sold the property in 1901.
On the south side of Cold River there was the Sash and Blind Shop of Joseph Fisher, see in the Drewsville section of HOMESTEADS.
In North Walpole around 1885 Albert F. Nims and James H. Heald were manufacturing chairs. Heald's shop was probably north of Ash Street. Nims' may have been near the west end of Pine Street.
The following advertisement appeared in the Museum Dec. 7, 1827: "William Conant would inform his friends and the public that he has taken a large and commodious building opposite N. Holland's Coffee House in Walpole Village, where he will manufacture, on the shortest notice, of the best materials, and at reduced prices: SIDEBOARDS, SEC- RETARIES, BUREAUS, LOCKERS, SOFAS, CANDLESTANDS, WASHSTANDS, WORKSTANDS, BREAKFAST AND DINING AND TEA, TOILET, WORK AND CARD TABLES: HIGHPOST, FIELD, FRENCH, COT AND COMMON BEDSTEADS, &c, &c. His stock of work on hand will generally enable him to supply his friends and cus- tomers whenever they call. The latest and most approved style will be
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Howard 5 andres 1962
# 467
Old Coburn Mill
noticed and observed. Most kinds of Lumber and Produce will be re- ceived in payment. All favors will be duly acknowledged. Wanted, im- mediately, an apprentice to the above business, to whom good encourage- ment will be given."
Holland Burt was a cabinet maker later at the same stand.
GREEN COMPANY, NORTH WALPOLE
Lowell Green came to Bellows Falls in 1917, was in business at what came to be the Bragg Lumber Company. In 1918 he built the plant in an open field which he bought of Owens on the east side of Main Street, opening for business that summer. He continued in the business until his death in July of 1946. On Dec. 2, 1946, the J. H. Dunning Corpora- tion bought the business and continued. Originally the company manu- factured pine boxes but about 1949 began to diversify. It now makes a quarter million beverage cases a year. About ten years ago, when paper milk cartons were introduced, the company started manufacturing cases to hold 12, 16, or 20 quart cartons, and 9 half-gallons. These boxes are made of beech, birch, maple, ash, oak and they are sold to milk com- panies in this area and such companies as Bordens.
When Christian Rist came as superintendent, Eugene Cray finished the plant on the west side of Church Street where they manufacture instru-
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ment cases, tool cases, counter displays, and cutlery boxes, using African mahogany, birch, and walnut. Here are made many cases for American Optical Company.
The following are carpenters in Walpole at the present time: George Podwin (built the Peter Boudrieau house #117 on High St., Perley Smith's #602); John Prentiss (Samuel Lewis house #253, Forbes cottage #454, Harley Prentiss #614, Leighton Bridge #231); Floyd Peterson, worked with John Prentiss 1936-45 (has built Stewart W. Holmes #197, Martin Murray Jr. #198, Stanley Conley #357, James Smith #484, Norman Schofield #407, William Allen #103, Howard Wil- bur #356, Robert Sanford #429); Maurice Robbins (David Staples #199, his home place #268, Clifford Foster #269, Jira Jennings #127); Walter Campbell; Stuart & Latham; Wallace Albro; Burl Tilton; Paul Aumand; Paul and Russell Galloway. Herman Sargent is a mason.
SHOES
"As early as 1815, an enterprise was commenced in town which subse- quently was prosecuted to a considerable extent. It was the manufacture of sale shoes for the Southern market, and was commenced by Jonathan H. Chase, at the south part of the town, on the premises now owned by one of the Houghton brothers. (1880) Mr. Chase removed there, about 1815-16 from a portion of the town called "Lane's Mills," his first pur- chase in town; and commenced the tanning business; and, not finding a local sale for all his leather, he conceived the idea of manufacturing 'brogans,' thus using his surplus leather. At the outset the business was conducted in a small way, the work then being all sewed; by which it may be inferred that pegged shoes and boots did not obtain at that time. Mr. Chase's shoes were consigned to his brother-in-law, J. B. Kimball of Boston, . .. and sold on commission. It was not long before pegged work came into general use, when the business was prosecuted with energy, employing a large number of workmen in town and out. During that decade, Jared Miller was manufacturing boots and shoes for George Car- lisle, a Walpole man, who had established himself in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mr. Chase having purchased the old Johnson tavern and store, the latter as a place of business, he removed his family and effects to the village, in 1834, or about that time, and, in conjunction with his two sons, Charles E. and Aaron K., continued the business for several years. In the mean- time other shoe firms were in operation which gave the town the appear- ance of a miniature Lynn. Many of the shoemakers were young, unmar- ried men, who were a roistering improvident set of fellows, spending all
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their earnings and sometimes more, dressing in an extravagant style, wearing the highest priced Saxony broadcloths and other expensive ma- terial to match. Their wages were graded by their dexterity and applica- tion to business. The prices paid for bottoming 'brogans' ranged from twenty to twenty-seven cents per pair, and an expert workman could bottom from five to eight pairs per day. The business continued brisk till the financial crash of 1837, when it declined. The manufacture of boots and shoes, however, for the western market was carried on by Am- herst K. Maynard & Co., until within a recent period." (AH 99-100)
Jonathan Chase's tannery was on Houghton Brook, east side of Went- worth Road, and his shoe shop was on the west side.
Other tanners who have carried on the business in town were: John Cooper who had a tanyard before 1782 probably somewhere near the present (1962) Gerald Hill farm; David Stevens, Daniel Bisco, Leonard Bisco, Harvey Reed all at the same place on Mad Brook, east side of North Main Street, burned 1847; Joseph Thatcher on the brook on present Turner farm on North Road; John P. Maynard on brook east of Drewsville and his son Augustus Maynard (also wool pulling here) from 1839, torn down 1902. This same tannery of Maynard's had also been owned by Ira Burk, Jacob W. Kendall, Oren Rawson, Ira Emerson, Nathaniel Vilas, Henry Slade, Samuel Mellish, all before the Maynards.
Some of the other men who made shoes in town were Levi Ball, John G. Titus, Ransom Ball, Jarvis Hinds, Dean Ray, George M. Snow, Jacob Hall, Moses Wait, William C. Sherman, Edwin F. Putnam, Albert Wight, Thomas Shean, Hollis Streeter, John O'Connor, Edward Livingston, Charles Green, George Allen. In 1850 there were 31 shoemakers in town.
SHIRT FACTORY
"In 1850 Mr. Silas M. Bates moved from Watertown, Mass., to this town and commenced the manufacture of shirts. The business was carried on by Mr. Bates, in conjunction with his wife, in a safe, economical but small way, till his wife died, when other parties continued the business in the same small way, for several years. In 1864 a copartnership was formed by Silas M. Bates and Benj. F. Aldrich, under the style of Bates & Aldrich. Mr. Aldrich had previously been in the mercantile business in town, and had, by economy and industry, accumulated a handsome fortune for country life. The company purchased some buildings on Turnpike Street suitable for their business and commenced the manufacture of shirts in earnest. To facilitate their business they purchased a large steam engine, which not only furnished motive power sufficient for their own use, but
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for running a saw and grist mill, planing machine, shingle machine and some half dozen other machines for the cutting and fashioning of lumber for various purposes. The lumber business was carried on by Lyman Ellis & Co., to whom Bates & Aldrich furnished the power for a stipu- lated yearly rent. For a few years an immense quantity of lumber was cut up and disposed of, and a large number of hands employed.
"Bates & Aldrich employed some sixty females and half a dozen males in their factory, besides a large number of seamstresses living in and out of town. They paid their help liberally, the monthly pay roll was heavy, and a great share of the employes' earnings was spent in town. At length Mr. Ellis became financially embarrassed, and, in order to utilize the rented steam power, Bates & Aldrich had to assume his debts and form a copartnership with him.
"The business went on, apparently in a prosperous condition, till the June of 1876, when Mr. Aldrich, who knew the financial condition of the firm, suffered a small note to go to protest, which brought about a settle- ment with the firm in bankruptcy. The firm of Bates & Aldrich paid fifty per cent; Aldrich, thirty, and Bates, twenty, of their indebtedness. The last two mentioned embraced their individual indebtedness. Their lia- bilities were over $200,000. It was a severe blow not only to Bates and Aldrich, but to their employes and the general business of the town. The failure was mainly caused by the shrinkage of values, not only the manu- factured goods, but on the material from which the goods were made, of which the firm had bought heavily a short time before the failure oc- curred." (AH 126-7)
In 1874 the value of the annual manufacture of shirts and collars was $71,000. The firm also maintained a wholesale store in Boston in which they had suffered loss by fire in November 1874. In their day they were the largest manufacturers of shirts exclusively in the country.
In 1877 E. K. Seabury bought the building used for the steam mill. The smoke stack which had so freely distributed cinders to the neighbors was removed, and the steam whistle transferred to the new brewery on Cold River.
BREWERY
In the spring of 1877 Walker, Blake & Company erected on Cold River a lager beer brewery. The building was of brick, 60 ft. x 42 ft., five stories high, and cost $56,000. It was built after a model shown at the Centennial in Philadelphia and was first of its type in the country. The refrigerator contained 600 tons of ice and the beer capacity was 2000 bbls. Charles
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Keller, from Germany, was the brewer and E. E. Dewey of Bellows Falls the general agent. It was known as the Fall Mountain Brewery. In 1880 Aldrich wrote: "The business is in successful operation, employing eleven hands constantly, making about 15,000 barrels beer annually." The plant burned May 5, 1882, but was rebuilt. It burned again Sept. 7, 1905.
In 1893 the name was Mountain Spring Brewery Company. It went through various exchanges of ownership and by 1904 it was defunct. For a description of the process of manufacture see Bellows Falls Times June 27,1895.
It is said that one Easter Monday morning the Brewery was set afire, the beer allowed to run from the great vats into the river. Was this tem- perance activity?
PAINT MINE
In 1873 New York parties erected a building 100 ft. x 50 ft. in the fork of the roads from Bellows Falls to Drewsville and Surry respectively. Here there was supposed to be an outcropping of a vein of iron which had its beginning in Alstead. It was probably this same iron that contributed to the medicinal qualities of the Abenaqui Springs water. This company proposed to use the iron-rich clay to make paint. About one-fourth mile farther east on the Drewsville road was the boarding house for the help, known as "Peep O'Day." The hill between was referred to as Paint Mine Hill. Nothing came of this project and in 1876 the unsightly building served only as a bulletin board to advertise circuses and medicinal powders.
There were some diggings made to open a black lead mine on the hill back of what was formerly the George Jennison farm, he reserving rights to this mine when he sold the farm. The diggings went down some dis- tance but there were no buildings. It was worked for a time, but nothing came of it. To find this, follow the stonewall next south of the old Quin- ton place on the Hubbard Road.
COLD RIVER SAND AND GRAVEL CORPORATION
In 1927 Lucy A. Whitcomb bought the old Carpenter Tavern (#589) at the south end of Fall Mountain, now used for the headquarters of the sand and gravel business. Frank W. Whitcomb and his sons have exca- vated the side hill on the south side of Cold River and east of the stone arch bridge, and have sold the sand and gravel primarily for road con- struction. They have acquired other holdings in Walpole and have a ready-mix cement plant in Charlestown.
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FELDSPAR PLANT
In 1930 the Eureka Feldspar Company erected a plant at Cold River for grinding the feldspar brought in from the mines in Acworth and Al- stead. For the preceding three years the crude product had been brought to Cold River for shipment to Trenton, N. J. at the rate of 500 tons per month. Operations in the new plant were begun July 16, 1930, by the American Mineral Products Company. The initial investment was $60,000. In 1932 the company had gone into receiver's hands and was bought by Seaboard Mills Corporation of Baltimore.
In 1939 the Seaboard Mineral Products Company had been operating fairly steadily for several years. The Yuhas mine had then been operated 12 years. Mining was carried on at several locations such as Colony and other mines near Alstead.
The feldspar was sorted by hand to remove beryl, mica and excess quartz, then trucked eight miles to the plant. There the chunks were crushed to inch diameter, passed through a secondary crusher, then to the ball mills (large revolving drums) to be crushed between round peb- bles and flint bricks imported from France. This gave the fine powder used in the glaze for porcelain, bathroom enamel, tile, crockery. By- products were used for making scouring powder. In 1939 there were 7,000 tons produced, about half the top capacity. Supt. MacPherson had 35 employees.
On February 5, 1945, early in the morning, the plant burned with 150 tons of spar on hand. The valuation was then $90,000, owned by General Mineral Corporation and leased to Cold River Mineral Corporation of Boston.
The plant was rejuvenated and operated by various mineral compa- nies, the last being the Foote Mineral Corporation, but never at full ca- pacity. In 1961 the plant was dismantled and sold to the Greenheart Marine Equipment Company.
GREENHEART MARINE EQUIPMENT COMPANY
In 1961 C. Rodman Wing started the company, working in the barn connected with his residence (#4) on Westminster Street, then moved to the present location at Cold River (#592). The employees were increased from the two in 1961 to 15 in 1962, with prospects of a much larger staff in 1963.
Currently the prime product is a swimming float made from a com- bination of the old and the new. The wood in the float is Demarara
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Greenheart imported from South America and known to be highly re- sistant to the action of water, insects and decay. Pilings of this wood used in London docks are still sound after nearly two centuries. Dense and resistant as it is, the wood is too heavy to be used alone for a float. It is, therefore, used as a boxlike frame which is filled with polyurethane, one of the newer foam plastics, weighing about one-twentieth as much as water. The result is a long-lasting floatable unit.
Mr. Wing has also interested himself in the high insulation value of the foamed polyurethane. A house using insulated panels made by Green- heart is under construction on North Main Street for Arthur Schade, on land formerly owned by Leslie Hubbard. Due to the high degree of in- sulation the only source of heat deemed to be necessary is electricity.
GILBERT ASSOCIATES, INC.
During the 1930's Colgate Gilbert, who was then living in the smaller house on the rise of ground in back of #459, experimented with silver plating in the basement of his home. It is said that his first trials were made in a tank adapted from an automobile battery box. From that time until the Second World War Mr. Gilbert carried on a small business in silver plating objects for those in the surrounding territory. He also ex- perimented with chrome plating.
During the early part of the war there was need for plating facilities and Mr. Gilbert formed Gilbert Associates, Inc. This business occupied a small complex of buildings between his residence, mentioned above, and the main house on the Gilbert estate. Proximity to the machine tool industry along the Connecticut Valley and the variety of plating carried on made a good business. As many as thirty people were employed for long hours plating parts for machines essential to the war.
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