USA > New Jersey > Mercer County > Trenton > History of the city of Trenton, New Jersey : embracing a period of nearly two hundred years, commencing in 1676, the first settlement of the town, and extending up to the present time, with official records of the population, extent of the town at different periods, its manufactories, church history, and fire department > Part 21
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"The following are the officers for the present year : James T. Sherman, president ; Alfred S. Livingston, secretary ; Samuel D. Ingham, C. C. Haven, A. S. Livingston, Timothy Abbott, Thomas J. Stryker, Barker Gummere and James T. Sherman, directors."
These books afterwards came into the possession of the Young Men's Christian Association.
The Constitutional Library Association was established in I853. It was composed of young men, most of whom were
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under age. They held their meetings in the third story of the City Hall.
In the winter of 1855 the "Trenton Lecture Association " was founded. Its officers were William W. L. Phillips, presi- dent ; William Howe, secretary ; and a board of directors.
The Young Men's Christian Association has been in success- ful operation for about fourteen years, being organized in 1856. It has a splendid library of several thousand volumes, and the various newspapers of the day are to be found in its rooms. Through the winter season the association has occasional lec- tures upon various subjects. The rooms have been in Warren street, over John B. Anderson's hat store, and over Charles B. Cogill's upholstering establishment, but are now located at Nos. 20 and 22 East State street, over Titus & Scudder's dry goods store. The present officers are Joseph T. Welling, presi- dent ; Rev. J. C. Brown, James H. Clark, Samuel Prior, H. V. B. Jacobus, and E. P. Knowles, vice presidents ; Dr. William Elmer, recording secretary ; James Buchanan, corresponding secretary ; J. C. Titus, treasurer ; W. C. Taylor, registrar ; and L. R. Cheesman, librarian.
The Trenton Business College was established at Temperance Hall in October, 1865, by Messrs. Bryant, Stratton & Whitney, as a branch of the Bryant & Stratton international chain of business colleges, then numbering forty-eight institutions, located in the principal cities in the United States and Canadas.
The college was in charge of J. S. Chamberlin as resident principal, with two assistant teachers, and Caldwell K. Hall as lecturer on commercial law. Mr. Chamberlin conducted the institution till April, 1866, when he was superseded by Mr. G. A. Gaskell, who continued in charge only two months, and was superseded by Mr. A. J. Rider. August Ist, 1866, Mr. J. A. Beecher purchased Mr. Whitney's interest in the concern, and took immediate charge of the institution. The aggregate attend- ance for the year succeeding the opening was fifty students, consisting mostly of young men from the city of Trenton. This aggregate was not materially changed in the year following.
In October, 1866, the college was removed from Temperance Hall to its present location, Wilkinson's building, Nos. 20 and
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22 East State street, and a department added for ladies. In the same month C. K. Hall, Esq., resigned his position as lecturer on commercial law, and was succeeded by Judge Alfred Reed.
October 15th, of the same year, a preparatory department was added, which increased the average attendance to nearly double what it had previously been.
The year 1869 was an important one in the history of the col- lege. It witnessed the withdrawal of Mr. Beecher, leaving the institution again in charge of Mr. Rider. The building occu- pied by the college underwent a thorough overhauling and re- modeling, to meet the demand of the times and the growing wants of the institution. Additional furniture and apparatus were added for imparting the most thoroughly practical course of instruction. The number of lecturers and teachers was in- creased to five, and the aggregate attendance of students in the gentlemen's department was two hundred and sixty-five, and in the ladies' department fifteen, making a total of two hundred and eighty.
In June, 1870, this college was admitted to the International Business College Association, then in convention at the city of Boston. (An organization which grew out of the Bryant & Stratton chain soon after the decease of Mr. Stratton).
In the reports of the convention this college stands in point of excellence, as to management and course of instruction, among the first colleges of the association.
November, 1870, Mr. William B. Allen was admitted as a joint proprietor, and the business is conducted under the firm name of Rider & Allen. The aggregate attendance for 1870 was three hundred students. The patronage, which was formerly local, has become so much extended as to embrace members from a majority of the states of the Union. The institution is ably managed, and its constantly increasing patronage indicates its growth in public favor and influence.
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CHAPTER XIV.
Manufactories-Stacy's Mill Erected in 1680-Steel Works of Stacy Potts in 1776-Fithian's Cotton Mill-Converted into a Paper Mill-Subsequent Owners of Paper Mill-Coxe's Mill, 1756-Steel Works Built in 1769-Betts and Parmly's Mail Factory, 1800-Hall and Anderson's Distillery, 1800-Bil- ling's Carding Machine in 1817-Mill of Lawrence Huron in 1814-Sartori's Calico Factory, 1817-Brister's Mills, and the various Manufactories on the Trenton Water Power, etc., etc.
A S before stated, the first mill built in Trenton was built on the Assanpink, in Greene street, in 1680, on the site where: the paper mill of Henry McCall now stands. It was erected by Mahlon Stacy as a flouring mill. At that time there were but two mills in the whole of West Jersey, one at Crosswicks and one in Trenton. This mill was built of hewn logs, and was but one and a half stories high, with gable facing the street. About ten years after, in 1690, Major William Trent purchased it, tore down the old mill, and rebuilt it of stone, two stories. high. This mill was afterwards converted into a cotton factory by Gideon H. Wells. It remained in the same condition in which it was erected by Mr. Trent until it was carried away by the flood of water in 1843.
Stacy Potts built the steel works in 1776, in Front street, back of White Hall, on Petty's run, and near where the frame build- ing used as a saw mill and owned by George S. Green and Ben- jamin Fish now stands.
In 1812, Josiah Fithian commenced the erection of a mill in Front street, and near the site of the steel works of Stacy Potts. He had completed the walls, put on the roof, and was about put-
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ting in the machinery for a cotton mill, when a heavy rain undermined the foundation, and the mill fell with a terrible crash-a mass of ruins. He rebuilt it, put in machinery and com- menced the manufacture of cotton cloth. He continued here, however, but a short time, when he sold out to General Garret D. Wall, who converted it into a paper mill, for which purpose it has ever since that time been used. About the year 1819, General Wall sold it to John Davisson, who continued the manufacture of paper in the mill until 1847, when he sold out to T. J. Ames, and in May, 1848, Ames sold the establishment to John G. Gummere. Gummere shortly after associated with him in the same business Henry M. Lewis. They manufactured to- gether for a number of years, when in 1855, Mr. Gummere with- drew from the concern, and Mr. Lewis carried the business on at the old place until his death, since which time Horatio G. Arm- strong has carried on the paper business.
Daniel W. Coxe built a stone paper mill on the north bank of the Assanpink, where it empties into the Delaware river. This mill was built about the year 1756. It was afterwards owned by George Henry and Isaac Barnes, and used as a manufactory of linseed oil, and also for grinding paints. The east end of it was afterwards converted into a saw mill, and owned by George Dill and Samuel Wright. The building was subsequently fenced in and was used as a pig-sty, when Hall and Ewing occupied the site where Furman & Kite's carpenter shop now stands, as a distillery. John Heaver also carried on this mill.
The steel works on the Assanpink, in the rear of the residence of G. Perdicaris, were built previous to the revolution, about the year 1769.
In 1800, Betts & Parmly, of New Haven, Connecticut, built a one story frame building, where the iron railing establishment of Joseph B. Yard now stands. This building was used as a nail factory. Gideon H. Wells afterwards came into possession of it, and used it as a store-house for the storing of cotton.
In 1800, Henry Hall, of Monmouth, and a Mr. Anderson, built a distillery in Lamberton.
Anderson leaving the concern, Hall afterwards associated with him in the business Dr. James Ewing, of Philadelphia. They
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carried on the distillery together for a short time. The water to supply the distillery was carried in a wooden pipe across the Asssanpink below the Greene street bridge, from a spring on the north side of the creek. The spring is now known as Rossell's spring, and is in the rear of No. 25 East Front street, the house occupied by John D. Cochran. The pig-sty before mentioned was at Coxe's old mill, south of the Phoenix paper mill. The building in which they carried on business was a stone building, and stood where Furman & Kite's carpenter shop now is.
In 1814, Gideon H. Wells built a large cotton mill, five story brick, sixty by forty feet. This building was burned in 1845.
The ground was afterwards purchased by William Hancock and William M. Stetler, who erected steam soap and candle works on the site, and it afterwards came into the possession of Levi Furman and Peter Kite, who converted it into a carpenter shop.
Asa H. Billings commenced the hand carding business in a frame building on the northwest corner of Broad and Factory streets, opposite John B. Burke's paper mill. Shortly after, as- sociating with him a Mr. Denniston, they commenced a weave shop in 1818, in the Eagle factory, on the north side of the creek, in a stone building. In 1821, the great flood which car- ried away the two bridges tore out the south end of the mill, which was afterwards repaired and carried on by Gideon H. Wells as a cotton mill. It was afterwards used by A. & J. Dunn as a sash and blind manufactory, and in 1843 it was burned to the ground.
In 1814, Lawrence Huron & Co. built the brick mill in Fac- tory street, now occupied by Samuel K. Wilson as a woolen fac- tory. It was called the "Trenton Manufacturing Company," and was afterwards carried on by John Hoy. He associated with him his son, James Hoy, and the business was carried on by J. Hoy & Son. It was afterwards carried on by John P. Ken- nedy & Co. On the 14th of June, 1851, the building was con- siderably damaged by fire. It was afterwards purchased by Samuel K. Wilson, who, after fitting it up, commenced the manu- facture of woolen fabrics. He afterwards enlarged it by adding
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about one-third more than its former size to its western end, and a short time after he built an addition in front, extending to the street.
The first calico factory erected in Trenton was in the year 1817. It was a frame building, built by John D. Sartori, in Federal street, on the the Delaware river. It was worked by hand.
On the same spot, in 1837, a company of gentlemen from Philadelphia, New York, and Baltimore built a large building for a calico print works, and for a number of years this same com- pany carried on the business of calico printing. This mill passed through several different hands, and was burned to the ground one Sunday morning, in the year 1850, while in the pos- session of J. Shepherd, of Philadelphia. The ruins of this building still remain, never having been rebuilt since the fire.
In 1824, Daniel W. Cox built the stone mill at the foot of Mill street, on the Delaware river. He built it for a flouring mill, for which purpose it has ever since that time been used. It has been damaged by fire three different times, in 1835, 1844, and 1847. This mill passed through several different hands ; David Brister owned it at one time, and at another it was owned by B. Titus, James Hunt, and Mr. Thomas. It was pur- chased by Robert D. Cary in 1846. At one time it was owned by John Sager. James M. Redmond purchased it for five thousand dollars, at the time he purchased the water power. On Monday morning, December 22d, 1851, David Brister (who again carried on the mill), was killed while assisting in cleaning the ice off the water-wheel. The wheel made one revolution, which literally crushed him to death. After the death of Mr. Brister it was carried on by Benjamin Fish, and afterwards by Jonathan S. Fish.
The Trenton Delaware Falls Company was incorporated by an act of the legislature passed on the 16th day of February, 1831, the charter being perpetual. The capital stock was fixed at sixty thousand dollars, with the privilege of extending it at any time to two hundred thousand dollars, and the shares at fifty dollars each. At the time the work was commenced, ninety thousand dollars had been subscribed. The estimated cost of
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constructing the work was one hundred thousand dollars. The engineers were Messrs Benjamin Wright, Charles Potts, and Ste- phen H. Long, and this company commenced the Trenton water power the same year, but did not complete it until 1834. These works, although they have proved of vast benefit to our city, were at the start unprofitable to the projectors. They have since that time passed through different hands, and such improve- ments have from time to time been made to the works that I believe the stock at the present time to be profitable to the com- pany, and the works highly conducive to the prosperity and growth of our city. It has been the means of building up a large and prosperous business in our city, much of which we could not have had but for the facilities afforded by it. On its banks are erected many mills, some of which are very extensive. It is now owned by Messrs. Cooper & Hewitt.
The first mill erected on the water power was the Warren street city mills, on the east bank of it, at the junction of War- ren street and the Assanpink creek, except the saw-mill built by Dr. John McKelway, now occupied by Hutchinson & Brother. This mill is forty feet front on Warren street, three and a half stories high, with three runs of French burr stones, and all the necessary machinery for a merchant mill. The mason work was done by the late Jasper S. Scott, and the millwright work by Seth Jones. The mill was built by our enterprising citizens, Samuel S. and Thomas J. Stryker.
On the following year the brick, grist, and merchant mill in the rear was built. It is thirty by forty feet, three stories high, with three runs of burrs, each mill being propelled by separate water-wheels, the former by a seventeen-foot breast-wheel, and the latter by a twelve-foot overshot, and is supplied by a per- petual water right, secured by the Messrs. Stryker from James M. Redmond, the principal owner of the water power stock.
The mills were run for the first time by the late David Brister. S. S. Cooley, of Ewing, next took charge of them, after which they were run by the owners, the Messrs. Stryker, until 1847, when they were let to the present proprietor, Daniel B. Cole- man, in connection with his father, the late James G. Cole- man, and so continued until the death of the latter in 1855,
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after which time they were continued by D. B. Coleman and his brother, Caleb Coleman, up to the present time.
The brick mill was occupied in 1839 by David Brister, then by D. B. Coleman, until 1847, then by the present occupant, William Lee-except the few years it was occupied by William and Joshua Coleman and S. S. Stryker.
The mill on Warren street was damaged by fire to a small ex- tent in 1842.
In 1835, William Grant, William G. Cook, and Charles Green built a saw-mill on the eastern bank of the water power, in Front street, south of Delaware street, and near the spot where Edmund Craft and Henry T. White's bow factory now stands. This building was burned in 1841. Benjamin Fish, George S. Green, and Charles Green built a saw mill on the western bank of the water power, a short distance south of the mill of Grant, Cook & Co., which was burned. The mill of Fish, Green & Co. was carried on by the same firm until the death of Charles Green in 1848, since which time it has been carried on by Ben- jamin Fish and George S. Green.
In 1830 John A. Hutchinson and Pinder Antrim commenced the turning and bending business in Hoy's old mill, now owned and occupied by Samuel K. Wilson.
A short time after they commenecd the above business they coupled with it the bow business. Their plan was to get out the stuff and take it across the creek to the shop of John Rossell, where it was bent in the form desired. In the year 1833, Antrim left the concern, and Mr. Hutchinson associated with him Xenophan J. Maynard, and they carried on the turning and bow business under the firm name of John A. Hutchinson & Co. The same year they removed to Coxe's old mill, in Bloomsbury, occu- pying the third story. They erected steps on the outside of the mill, over the raceway, and all their material had to be carried up these steps to their shop in the third story. Their stuff was still taken to the shop of the Messrs. Rossell for bending into bows.
In 1834, they removed to McKelway's saw-mill on the water power, in Peace street, occupying the upper story, just then fin- ished.
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In 1836, they changed the name of the firm to Maynard & Hutchinson. The same year the name of the firm was changed they removed to a building on the east side of the water power, and adjoining the saw-mill of Grant, Cook & Co. They re- mained here until the mill was burned, in 1840, when they removed to a building in Potts' tan yard. They remained in this building until 1844, when Maynard & Hutchinson pur- chased the saw-mill of Dr. John McKelway. They fitted this mill up, making a considerable addition thereto, and removed into it.
In 1851, on the 8th day of September, Mr. Maynard left the concern, and Mr. Hutchinson associated with him his two sons. The firm is now composed of William S. and Isaac S. Hutchin- son, and the business is carried on under the name and title of Hutchinson & Brother.
In 1834, Joseph Moore built the flour mill on the corner of Warren and Factory streets, and the oil mill adjoining, in Fac- tory street. Joseph Moore, Charles Moore, and Imlah Moore carried on the oil business until about 1844, when, Joseph Moore withdrawing from the concern, it was carried on by Imlah and Charles Moore, and is still conducted by the same firm.
The flour mill was leased by David Brister for ten years ; but in about two years after commencing operations in it, he re- linquished his lease, and on the Ist day of April, 1838, Imlah Moore associated with him Peter Crozer, and the mill was car- ried on by them under the firm name of Crozer & Moore until the Ist of October, 1854, when Mr. Crozer retiring from the firm, the mills have since that time been carried on by Imlah and Charles Moore under the name of I. & C. Moore. The mill was damaged by fire in the month of August, 1839.
In 1834, Dr. John McKelway built a saw-mill on the water power at the foot of Peace street. This mill was occupied by James Cook for several years. In 1839, it was damaged by fire. This is the mill now occupied by the Messrs. Hutchinson.
To the southeast of the saw-mill is the Phoenix paper mill, built by Bishop Davenport and Ralzaman Belknap in 1837. They, however, never commenced operations. On the 2d of
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June, 1837, they commenced the issue of tickets, and with these they paid for the erection of the mill ; but, when these tickets were presented for redemption, in consequence of the pressure in the money market, and the suspension of the banks to pay specie, they were compelled to relinquish their design of manu- facturing, and consequently the mill never was completed by them. In 1840, Jesper Harding, of Philadelphia, purchased the mill and commenced fitting it up; but before it was com- pleted it took fire, and was very much damaged. He, however, put it in complete repair; and commenced the manufacture of paper on a large scale.
When H. McCall had completed his large building on the Assanpink, in Greene street, Harding sold out his interest in the Phoenix mill, in 1850, to William Kay, James Dewar, and a Mr. Mein, three gentlemen from Newark ; they fitted up the mill for the manufacture of letter envelopes.
Kay, Dewar & Mein built an addition to the mill on the south side, and put in a large steam engine.
In the year 1852, the steam boiler exploded, in the night, killing one man and dangerously wounding another. Fortu- nately, the workmen, both men and women, had just left the mill for some purpose, or else many lives must necessarily have been lost. The proprietors of the mill were not to blame, how- ever, as the engine and boiler were new, and had been recom- mended to them as being all right.
This explosion tore the new part of the mill, covering the en- gine and boiler, all to atoms.
In the year 1855, Gaunt & Derrickson, of New-York, pur- chased the mill, and for some time carried on the paper business in it. It was again damaged by fire on Monday evening, No- vember 5th, 1855.
Dr. John McKelway built a large machine shop in the rear of the Phoenix mill, on Peace street. This machine shop was occu- pied by Henry H. Bottom and Josiah N. Bird, and afterward for several years by Josiah N. Bird and Edward D. Weld. They carried on for some time, and finally purchased the mill and axe factory of Jonas Simmons & Co., (now occupied by Charles Carr) who had already established the manufacture of axes in the
X
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HISTORY OF TRENTON.
above building. They did an extensive business, and in the year 1849, built the iron foundry adjoining their works. Their manufactory has been several times damaged by fire.
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In the year 1849, they commenced the manufacture of spikes, under the superintendence of Thomas R. Wilson, and in the year 1851, the latter gentleman erected his axe factory in South Trenton, on the Sandtown road.
The first building erected by him was a frame structure, which in the year above named was destroyed by fire. In re- building it he took the precaution to build it of brick, rendering it in a great measure a fire-proof structure. Bird & Weld, dis- continuing the manufacture of axes, engaged very extensively in the manufacture of India rubber belting, and also of boilers and other heavy machinery and castings of all kinds.
They were for a few years engaged in the manufacture of cooking stoves, but discontinued this, in order to enter more largely into that of machinery.
They called their works the Phoenix Iron Works.
In the year 1836, Daniel Lodor and Samuel Croft erected the button factory in Warren street, on the south bank of the Assan- pink, and commenced the manufacture of bone buttons, under the firm name of Croft & Lodor.
On the 3d day of May, 1837, the building was destroyed by fire, but it was rebuilt by the same firm, and was subse- quently damaged to a small extent by lightning.
On the 3d day of May, 1853, this factory was again injured by fire, damaging considerably the upper story, together with his stock, amounting in all to about one thousand dollars, on which there was no insurance, his policy having expired a short time before.
On the day the building burned, an agent was here for the purpose of effecting an insurance, but Mr. Lodor being out of the place, the insurance could not be effected, and the conse- quence was, the owners had to bear the loss.
In 1847, on the Ist day of January, John D. Byrne com- menced the manufacture of door furniture, latches, and bolts, and brass castings of various kinds, in a frame building, where the sash and blind factory of Edward W. Page now stands.
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He carried on about sixteen months, and then removed to New Orleans. He subsequently returned to Trenton, and car- ried on the brass founding business, at Millham, in a building which was burned during his occupancy of it.
In the month of May, 1849, Henry Ramp and Jared Hoyt commenced the business of iron founding in the same building first occupied by John D. Byrne. They carried on there until June, 1851, under the firm name of Hoyt & Ramp.
Immediately upon the vacation of the building by Hoyt & Ramp, Mr. Lodor erected a brick building for a foundry, and on the Ist of September, 1851, Charles Deane and John Valen- tine commenced the City Iron and Brass Foundry. They occu- pied the building some years for this business. Samuel Sim- mons, Daniel Bower, and William C. Vansant occupied part of the button factory.for the cutting of tobacco.
In September, 1854, Daniel Moffat, machinist and die sinker, opened a shop in Lodor's building, for the manufacture of moulds and dies, and experimental machinery of every descrip- tion.
In July, 1855, Samuel Kennedy commenced the manufacture of saws, trowels, and squares, in the same building.
In the same year, Joseph and James Dove commenced the stocking weaving business in the same building.
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