History of Cheshire and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire, Part 43

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis
Number of Pages: 1200

USA > New Hampshire > Sullivan County > History of Cheshire and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire > Part 43
USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > History of Cheshire and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire > Part 43

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

purchased by George Thacher, who continued the manufacture of pails till 1866, when he sold to Goodhue Tenney and Charles O. Whitney, who, in a short time, in connection with others, organ- ized as the Marlborough Manufacturing Com- pany. William Tenney commenced the pail and tub business in this town in 1853, at the lower mill of the Marlborough Manufacturing Company. He had previously had considerable experience in this branch of business, having prosecuted it with success in Swanzey, also in Winchen- don, Westminster and Ashburnham, Mass. In 1864, having acquired a competency, he retired from the business, and was succeeded by D. W. & W. M. Tenney, who enlarged the factory, and by putting in more machinery increased their facilities for manufacturing both tubs and pails. They also did considerable at the lum- ber business. At the time of the decline in wooden-ware, in 1870, the Messrs. Tenney sold the mill to the Manufacturing Company, who converted it into a woolen-mill. In 1868, J. & L. Knowlton commenced pail-making in con- nection with their clothes-pin business, at first putting in only one lathe. Afterwards, giving up the manufacture of pins, they from time to time added more pail machinery, until they now have facilities for making from one hun- dred to one hundred and fifty thousand pails annually. In 1870 they erected a saw-mill on the opposite side of the river, which is used mainly for getting out their stock.

BLANKET-MILLS .- The most important branch of industry, and that which has added most to the prosperity and growth of the town, is the manufacture of horse-blankets.

The Monadnock Blanket Company was in- corporated in 1868, at which time they purchased the Holman Mill, and commenced the manufacture of horse-blankets. They have a capital stock of thirty thousand dollars, em- ploy forty or fifty hands and produce from seventy-five to eighty thousand blankets yearly. The amount of their pay-roll is from thirteen to fifteen hundred dollars per month.

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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Charles O. Whitney and Warren H. Clark commenced business in 1873, and formed what is now known as the Cheshire Blanket Com- pany. Their place of business is the mill which was erected by Mr. Whitney in 1869, and used by him as a chair-shop until, in company with Mr. Clark, it was fitted up for the manufacture of blankets. These enterprising men have added to their business from time to time, until they now have an investment of not less than twenty thousand dollars, and facilities for pro- ducing fifty thousand blankets annually. They have fifty employés, and their pay-roll amounts to eleven hundred and fifty dollars per month.

Thus it will be seen that in this little village there are annually manufactured no less than one hundred and seventy-five thousand horse- blankets, giving employment to one hundred and fifty hands.

BREED POND COMPANY .- The facilities for manufacturing in the village have been greatly increased by the Breed Pond Company, which was incorporated in 1851. The object was to flow the Breed Pond, so called, in Nelson, in order to form a reservoir. This company consisted of Charles Holman, Stillman Buss, Nelson Howe, Whitcomb & Collester, James Townsend, F. R. Thurston, George Handy and Fay & Joslin. These enterprising gentlemen immediately went forward and constructed a dam at an expense of about four hundred and fifty dollars, making a pond which covers about six hundred acres.

In the fall of 1861, Stillman Buss and Jede- diah T. Collins constructed, attheir own expense, what is now called the "Little Reservoir," near the Marlborough and Harrisville line. This was intended to save what water would otherwise be wasted at night. This came into the possession of the Breed Pond Company in 1864. As manufacturing increased, it was found that these two ponds were not sufficient to supply the demand for water, and another reservoir was built at Bemisville, in the autumn of 1868, which flows about one hundred and fifty acres. The construction of these ponds improved to a great

degree the water power, and was the prime cause of the rapid growth of the village for the last ten years.

In the autumn of 1877 the water-power was still further improved by building the reservoir at Marlborough Glen. James Knowlton super- intended the building of the dam, which is one of the largest and best constructed in this section. The whole length of this dam is two hundred and fifty-five feet ; length of roll-way, ninety-four feet ; extreme height, thirty-five feet ; height of roll-way, thirty-two feet. The material used in building was some thirty- five hundred tons of granite and other stone, and fifty-seven thousand feet of lumber, with three thousand pounds of iron ; the whole costing about three thousand dollars. The gate being closed at night, this reservoir receives all the water which would otherwise run to waste, and, being opened in the morning, enables the water to reach the mills at an earlier hour than formerly.

The rapid descent of the stream at this point renders it one of the best water privileges in Cheshire County, and it is a surprise to many that this has remained so long unimproved ; but it is fondly hoped that the time is not far distant when some one will be enterprising enough to make the necessary improvements.

MACHINISTS .- Charles Buss commenced the machinist business in this town in 1847. The building he at first erected was but a small affair, and poorly adapted to the purpose. In the spring of 1852 his business had so in- creased that he was compelled to enlarge his shop ; but, before this was completed, it sud- denly took fire, and was entirely destroyed. Not disheartened, he immediately rebuilt, and enlarged his business, subsequently adding a foundry, thus enabling him to make his own castings, and turn off more work, and to better advantage than previously. But soon shop and foundry became too small for his rapidly-in- creasing business. A new foundry was set up ; and later he erected a neat and substantial

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brick building in front of the old shop, which he filled with machinery, and commenced doing business on a larger scale. Here he manufac- tured nearly all kinds of wood-working ma- chinery, which merited the highest commenda- tion, and more than once won for the proprietor the proudest distinctions from various ex hi- bitions. His rotary-bed planer, and Daniel's planing-machines, clothes-pin, tub and pail machinery, gauge and stretcher lathes, were all marvels of perfection, and always combined the latest improvements. These machines were shipped to all parts of the United States, and to several countries of the Old World. Not- withstanding his hard work and extensive trade, he was not altogether successful in busi- ness, and, when the " hard times " came on, he was unable to stem the current that set in against him, and, leaving his property in the hands of his creditors, he removed his machin- ery and tools to Grand Rapids, Mich., where he is now doing an extensive business.

Christopher Hodgkins commenced the ma- chinist business in this town in 1854, in the second story of Franklin R. Thurston's blacksmith-shop. After continuing here a short time he removed to Keene, where, in company with John Knowlton, he manufactured the circular vent water-wheel, which was one of his own inventions. In 1857 he returned to Marlborough, and soon commenced the manu- facture of sewing-machines. Mr. Hodgkins is a man of more than ordinary mechanical ingenuity, and was soon able to make many improvements in sewing-machines, taking out no less than five different patents. After a few years he gave up that business, and turned his attention to manufacturing various kinds of wood-working machinery, some of which he has greatly im- proved. Several years since, he obtained a patent on improvements on water-rams ; a large number of these he has built, and has them in suc- cessful operation. In the fall of 1878 he pur- chased the shops formerly owned by Charles Buss, where he is now doing a good business.

His last invention is that of a mowing-ma- chine.

KNOB SCREWS .- The patent knob screw is the invention of Mr. Charles H. Thurston, who is a natural mechanic. His tastes from a child have always run in this direction ; he could never see anything new in the mechanical line without trying to imitate it ; and his grand- father, Charles Holman, and his father, did everything in their power to encourage him, the former by furnishing him with lumber and the latter providing him with tools. The water- wheels and saw-mills which he and his constant companion, Asa C. Dort, constructed were not a few, as many can testify who knew them. When twelve years old, his father purchased for him a nice turning-lathe, allowing him to run it as he pleased, and on this he used to earn his own spending-money. He afterward learned the blacksmith's trade of his father in the " Old Stone Shop." For some time during the war he worked at the United States Armory at Springfield, Mass. From that place he re- turned to Marlborough, and, in company with Solon S. Wilkinson, engaged in the manufac- ture of boxes, trunk-cleats, etc., at the old Holman mill. It was while engaged in this business that he, in 1868, took out his first patent for a double gimlet pointed screw, with a slot in one end for a key, by which the slotted end could be firmly keyed in whatever article it was placed.

The business of Messrs. Thurston & Wil- kinson not proving what they desired, the mill was sold by them to the Monadnock Blanket Company, in 1868. Mr. Thurston remained with the Blanket Company for some time ; but not liking the business, nor the confinement, he left, with the intention of developing the screw business. But about this time he made the acquaintance of James H. Fowler, then the suc- cessful manager of the Weed Sewing-Machine Company's business in Boston, who hired him for three and one-half years as a traveling salesman. He therefore had no opportunity to

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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

do anything personally, more than to furnish plans for others with which to build a machine for making his patent screws ; but all attempts at constructing such a machine proved a failure, and every one who tried it said the screws could not be made that way. Mr. Thurston, feeling certain they could, obtained leave of absence for two weeks, and, with but one man to help him (Mr. C. W. Healy), soon had the satisfaction of seeing his machine turn out perfect screws, and in a way he had been re- peatedly told it could not be done. The ma- chine is self-acting, and only requires to have the cutters kept in order, and a forty-foot piece of wire placed in it from time to time, which it rapidly converts into perfect screws.

Mr. Fowler and Mr. Thurston became much attached to each other, and the former, seeing the screws, machines and other inventions growing out of the original patent, desired to take an interest in them, to which Mr. Thurs- ton finally consented. In the fall of 1873 they bought the building now occupied by Mr. Thurston, and commenced to manufacture the screws and also various articles in which they are inserted, such as hat and closet-pins, drawer and picture-knobs, door-stops, etc. They carried on the business until October 12, 1877, when Mr. Fowler suddenly died. Since that time, Mr. Thurston has continued it alone.

He is now engaged also in manufacturing the Companion Sewing-Machine, which is one of his own invention, and is not only one of the best, but is the simplest in the market.

SADDLE AND HARNESS-MAKERS .- David Wilkinson, Sr., was the carliest workman at this trade in town. He was a snecess at the bus- iness. At length his son, David, being brought up to it, took his father's place, and carried it on. He removed the shop from the north part of the town to the village, where he worked for many years, educating his three sons to the bus- iness. They all excelled in workmanship. Their harness and saddles became known far and near, The two sons now living are still

interested in the business, and deserve to be classed among the foremost. Walter H. Bruce is the harness-maker now, working in the Odd- Fellows' Block.

CARPENTERS AND BUILDERS .- Marlborough has always had its share of hewers of timber, framers and finishers of buildings. Perhaps Chas. Gilbert stood in the front rank in former days. At least he was an expert with the saw and plane. John Buss bore the name of a fin- ished carpenter ; Ziba Nason could turn out a large amount of work in a day, and it was not slighted. Silas Collin could construct most anything he was asked to make. George Hol- man was skilled in remodeling, moving build- ings or completing them. Among the active carpenters of to-day is Alphonso A. Adams. For years he has led the van as a contractor. He sustains a high reputation of turning off work rapidly and in good style. Albert D. Sawyer has tact and quickness in his work. Andrew J. Emerson is excellent in using the smoothing plane and putting on the finishing touches. Mowry A. Thompson is true to his word in all he promises, and intends to give as much as he receives. Curtis W. Capron does good work. Alvin K. Martin is bound to understand all about the work he is to do. There are others who are skilled as builders in wood. Because of such carpenters, we can account for the many good, substantial and inviting buildings in Marlborough.

BLACKSMITHS .- The first blacksmith in town was probably Jonathan Capron. His sons, Jonathan and Walter, learned the trade of their father, and followed it. Others who followed it were Levi Whitcomb, Captain Luther He- menway, Ezekiel Cudworth, George Stanley, Aaron Lembard, Ebenezer B. Wallingford, Jo- seph Cummings, Elijah Fitch, Williard Con- verse, Ambrose White. But the one who did the most business was Franklin R. Thurston. He built the stone shop now occupied by the Monadnock Blanket Company, which was well furnished for doing all kinds of blacksmithing.

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Mr. Thurston made his business pay, and be- came well off in the course of some twenty years. He was a good smith and is a reliable man. A few years since J. Clemens came to the village, and opened a shop, where he is doing successful business. McRoy & Jones have another shop in active operation.

SHOEMAKERS .- Jonah Davis, among the early shoemakers, deserves to be classed among the best. He owned and worked in what has long been known as the Little Red Shop, close by the Abner Boyden store. Early and late he used to drive the pegs and draw the wax- ends. He was one that used to attend strictly to his own business. He was well-informed and social ; still, no loiterer was allowed to hang about his shop. The young that came in were wont to receive the best of advice and encouraged to be faithful in school and dutiful at home.

Christopher Tilden, Charles McCollester, Gilbert Russell, Asahel Collins were devoted to this business for years. Charles Stay is the leading shoemaker now. In connection with his shop he has a store, in which he keeps a good assortment of various kinds of leather goods".

THE GRANITE QUARRY .- A little west of the centre of the town is a ledge of fine and beautiful granite, which, for building purposes, is unequaled by any in the State. This was worked quite extensively for several years by Asa Greenwood, who erected all the granite buildings in the village, except the library, which was built of granite by Jonathan Jones, taken from the same place. Mr. Jones purchased the quarry in 1850, and, in company with J. T. Collins, worked it more or less for eighteen years. Mr. A. G. Mann, of Worcester, Mass., the present owner, purchased it in May, 1868, and that year shipped to Worcester from three to four thousand tons, besides what was sent to other places. In 1873 he shipped to Worces- ter six thousand and five tons ; to Lowell, one hundred and thirty-five tons; to Boston, three hundred and sixty tons, besides small lots to other places. Add to the above figures the

amount of wall-stone from the quarry, and it would amount to nearly ten thousand tons dur- ing that year.

The most prominent buildings constructed of this granite are the Union Passenger Depot of Worcester, and the Plymouth Congregational Church of Worcester, which is one of the most substantial buildings in the city. The beauty of this granite is that it retains its color the best of any light-colored granite known, and is well adapted for either fine or rough work, and also peculiarly so for block paving and wide flagging or flat stones.

Mr. Mann has recently sold his quarry to Webb & Bacheller, who are doing more upon it than has been done before.

Another quarry has been opened within the last year, not far from the high railroad bridge, where paving-stones are being got out in large quantities.

STORES .- Marlborough has had its share of stores and trade. The supply has been equal to the demand. Formerly, in the north part of the town James Nason had a store ; within a mile of the old meeting-house, at different times, there were several. In one of these Joseph Sweetser commenced to trade as early as 1792. In the southern part of the town Samuel and Silas Fife carried on mercantile business for a time. But of all the early traders, Abner Boyden takes the lead. He was a superior man, to begin with, and went into business with the view of getting an honest living. He would deal as justly with children as with adults. By his life he made himself known as a reliable and useful man. He was regarded as one ac- curate in thought and sound in judgment. From a small beginning he advanced gradually to an extensive trade in dry-goods and groceries, and became a wealthy man for his time. At his death, in 1837, William and Elijah Boyden, his brothers, succeeded him in the then famous Boyden store. They did honor to their pro- fession, and were very popular as merchants. They were both called to accept various offices in

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the town, because of their capability, and of the faith the people had in them. In 1840 they built the stone store, where they continued in trade till 1852, when they sold out to G. D. Richardson, having been truly successful finan- cially, and especially in being universally re- spected as strictly honest and efficient business men.

At present D. O. Woodward and W. M. Nason are carrying on the trade in the same store. They have done, and are doing, a good business in the way of dry-goods.

George G. Davis has a well-filled grocery- store in the Town Hall building. Fred. Adams has recently opened another grocery-store where Clinton Collins formerly did a large business in the same line. B. F. Merriam is a dealer in stoves, tinware, furnaces, etc., manufactur- ing many of his goods and doing plumbing- work. Charles Stay has a shoe-store. Miss Ellen A. Knowlton deals in millinery and fancy goods. T. H. Mahon keeps a variety- store in the Odd- Fellows' Block.

FARMS AND FARMERS .- Agriculture in this town ranks, on an average, with that about the old Monadnock. Perhaps a third of the peo- ple are devoted to cultivating the soil. Many of these are good livers and some of them have become forehanded. It is true, the land is not wanting of stones, nor of a great diversity of surface ; nevertheless, it can mostly be appro- priated to cultivation and pasturage. It is sad that some farms which were among the best, should have become neglected, buildings rotted down or removed, and the fields allowed to grow up to brush and woods. As an excuse for this, it has been said the land is worn out, but science and modern developments are clearly showing this to be a mistake. Really, the resources of our land have scarcely begun to be developed to their fullest extent. The plea that our climate and soil cannot be used so as to make it pay is false. It is wrong to talk thus, especially to our young men, saying " You must go West, if you are to get a good living

by tilling the land." Now, there is something about our light, air, water and soil favorable to producing the best men and women. Just com- pare those who remain here and are industrious and faithful with those who emigrate to the West, and we are confident that in the end the former will be better off than the latter. This is the rule; of course there are exceptions. We ought to realize that there are physical blessings among these hills and valleys which are not to be found in Ohio, Illinois or Califor- nia. Then, when we add to these the mental and moral advantages, we should cling to our native State and town, resolved that we will make the most possible out of these natural bestowments. In this way our lands would be utilized to a greater extent than they are, and made to pro- duce two blades where but one grows now. The wasted fields would be redeemed, the hills and back farms would no longer be deserted, men would not be standing idle at the corners of the streets in our villages and cities because spindles and looms had been stopped from over- production. Let our lands be improved as they should be, and this would do much to ward off hard times and level up society, so that capi- tal and labor would be more evenly balanced. No other investments in this world are so sure as those made in improved lands, and the more owners of the soil, the better for the country. So, really, the highest hope for the prosperity of our town, as well as others, is based in no small degree upon the improvement of our farms. Therefore, let the stones be cleared from our mowings and built into walls, for they make enduring fences; let the muck be taken fron our swamps and scattered upon our fields; let some of our sand-hills be spread over the low- lands ; let the fertilizers be freely used with other manures and enrichments, and what pro- gress would be made in farming, and what harvests would be gleaned from our fields !

Foremost among our farms is that of George Thatcher. The mowings, pastures and wood- land are well proportioned. The soil is natur-

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ally rich and is under a good state of cultiva- tion. In favorable seasons he has taken there crops of grass from the same land. All the grains, roots and fruit common to this climate flourish on this soil.

Mr. Thatcher is a born farmer, though he has been successfully engaged in various kinds of business at different times. He is a native of Keene, born in 1815, but has long been an inhabitant of Marlborough and has come to be regarded as one of its old settlers. He is a man of good judgment and keen perception. Let him examine a farm, a wood-lot, a horse or an ox, and he can tell you all about it. It is safe for him to deal in lands or stock. No doubt at times he often wonders why others do not sce as he sees; but he sees because he cannot help it. By industry and economy he has be- come one of the wealthiest men in town. He has done much towards its improvements, and par- ticularly its highways. In fact, he is the in- ventor of one of the best road-scrapers now in use. He is a man that tends to his own busi- ness, and so plans that his work is all the while advancing. Besides his pet farm, he is the owner of much real estate. He is the land- king in Marlborough, and a good one. Under his ruling the town will be greatly benefited and advanced.

The Richardson farm is known as one of the best. Its acres are many and favorably situated. The cultivated portion occupies a handsome ridge sloping to the south. This is just suited to growing corn, grass and fruit. Then there is a fine intervale, or meadow, with good pasturage. Besides these, it has a large apple orchard in an excellent state, and an extensive sugar-lot.

This farm is now owned by Stilman Rich- ardson, who was born on it December 25, 1820. However, he left it after he became of age, and for a long while resided in Maine, but some years since he returned to the place of his birth, purchasing the old home, that he might im- prove it and spend the rest of his days upon it.

And what a change he has produced ! The old buildings of his father have been supplied with new ones throughout. The wasted fields have been vastly more than redeemed. While Mr. Thatcher's is situated in the extreme southern, Mr. Richardson's is in the northern part of the town. The latter has illustrated that our soil may be made to produce thirty and sixty-fold. The intervale on the Connecticut River and the prairies of the West do not do any better than this, on an average. Mr. Richardson is a lover of good stock, and has his farm well supplied with it. He makes farming pay.

Another attractive farm is that of Almon C. Mason. Though considerably elevated, still, it inclines for the most part to the south, and is warm land. It is a farm consisting of one hundred and sixty acres, well wooded, and the cultivated portions are free from stone, and smooth, so that the mower will run over the whole of it. Mr. Mason has been on it but a few years, and, though he came out of the store upon it, still, he is showing that it is natural for him to cultivate the soil, and that the true farmer can be as much of a man as the mer- chant. In short, who is so independent as the well-to-do farmer? Mr. Mason is a young man, born in Sullivan, N. H., February 27, 1849. He appears, really, to enjoy his calling. Why should he not ? It is one of the noblest among men.

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History of Cheshire and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire, Part 43

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis Number of Pages: 1200

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis
Number of Pages: 1200