USA > New Jersey > Passaic County > Paterson > Paterson, New Jersey : its advantages for manufacturing and residence: its industries, prominent men, banks, schools, churches, etc. > Part 15
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26
MISCELLANEOUS.
HE railroad facilities of Paterson are unsurpass- ed. The principal railroad passing through the Ycity, and one which on account of the liberal- ity and energy of its management has absorbed and continues to retain most of the traffic, both freight and passenger, is the New York, Lake Erie & Western. It runs upwards of fifty trains a day each way with a corresponding number of freight trains. No difficulty has ever been experienced in the way of running switches to the various manufacturing establishments of importance and the company has ever lent a willing ear to requests for more depots or facilities of other kinds. It has ever been foremost in all improvements and has assisted materially in building up the city.
The New York, Susquehanna & Western railroad skirts the eastern boundary of the city and in order to obtain a fair share of the city's traffic has built a spur into the heart of the city. A similar course has been pur- sued by the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western railroad company whose main line skirts the western boundary of the city. It will consequently be seen that no matter how much Paterson extends itself the railroad facilities will be ample.
The rates of freight between Paterson and New York and other points are low and commutation rates to New York for passengers amount to about five dollars a month, allow- ing the holders of the tickets one ride each way for every day in the month. Family tickets which may be used by any member of the family or guest or person in any way attached to the family, are sold at $12.50 for twenty-five trips.
The sewer system of the city has been greatly extended within the past few years. In ISS2 the legislature passed a law permitting the construction of sewers by a new method ; sewers are built at the request of property owners along the line of the proposed sewers and the property is assessed for the benefits conferred. If the sewer is a large main sewer the city pays a portion of the expense, gener- ally about one-half; lateral sewers are generally construct- ed at the expense of the property owners benefitted. In this way sewers cost the property owners from $25 to $50 per lot and after that no further sewer taxes are levied. In this way every portion of the city has been provided with sewers. The latter discharge into the Passaic river which flows through the centre of the city ; it is a rapidly running stream with numerous rapids and few pools, so that the sewage is quickly and entirely removed.
The charter of the' city prohibits the Board of Aldermen from incurring any expense in any year exceeding a tax of two and a half per cent. on the total valuation of the prop-
erty in the city. The valuations made by the assessors are equal to about thirty per cent. of the market value of the property. Since the adoption of high license a few years ago a considerable portion of the city's expenses is paid by the tax on the liquor traffic. The State has no debt. its expenses being paid by taxes on railroads and similar cor- porations, and consequently there is no State tax. The last cent of the county's debt was paid several years ago and so the county tax amounts to just sufficient to make the necessary or desirable improvements. The manage- ment of the city and county affairs has always been con- servative.
The city has a large number of fine churches of every denomination, a few of which are shown on other pages.
All the prominent secret societies are represented in Paterson by several lodges or councils. There are large numbers of fraternity insurance organizations and a num- ber of athletic, boating and similar organizations.
The fire department of the city is one of the most effi- cient in the country. A few years ago it was almost alto- gether voluntary but recently this has been changed to a department on a paid basis. There are nine engine com- panies, three truck companies and a chemical engine com- panies, all equipped with horses and full corps of men. Rates of insurance consequently are very low.
Paterson has an efficient Board of Health and has been free from anything like epidemics of disease for many long years. This is principally due to the energetic manner in which the Board of Health takes hold of all cases of con- tagious diseases. Places where scarlet fever, diphtheria and similar diseases occur are at once quarantined and af- ter the disease has disappeared thoroughly fumigated by an officer appointed for that purpose. Cases of small pox, which have been exceedingly rare, are at once removed to the city pest house, outside of the city limits; this estab- lishment has not been used for many years. A sanitary officer also looks after all the meat and food offered for sale and the offering for sale of adulterated food or bad meat is severely punished.
Paterson's population, according to the official census, has increased as follows :-
1820
1,578
1860 19,585
1824
4,7×7
1×65
24,893
1827
5,236
1870. 33.581
1832.
9,085
1875 .38,824
1810
7,598
1880. 51,084
1850
11,341
1885. 63,273
1855
16,458
1890
78,105
· 121
INDUSTRIES.
122
123
THOMAS ROGERS.
124
THE ROGERS LOCOMOTIVE AND MACHINE WORKS IN 1830.
THE ROGERS LOCOMOTIVE AND MACHINE WORKS AT THE PRESENT DAY.
125
ROBERT S. HUGHES.
126
حـ
FIG. 1.
FIG. 2.
FIG. 3.
EESTFRITNÝ
CAT
C
FIC. 4
FIG. 5.
FIG. 6.
SOME OLD LOCOMOTIVES.
127
ROGERS
ROGERS LOCOMOTIVE & MACHINE WORKS PATERSON, NEW JERSEY - UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
PHOTO- ENG. CO.W.X
FIG. 1.
L
90
ROCEAS
ROGERS LOCOMOTIVE & MACHINE WORKS PATERSON,NEW JERSEY - UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
FIG. 2.
M
292
& N. R. R.
282
ROGERS LOCOMOTIVE & MACHINE WORKS PATERSON, NEW JERSEY - UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
FIG. 3.
LOCOMOTIVES BUILT BY THE ROGERS LOCOMOTIVE AND MACHINE WORKS.
128
PHOTO-ENG
1
FRONT VIEW OF THE PASSAIC ROLLING MILL COMPANY'S WORKS.
PHOTO ENG CO. N.Y
REAR VIEW OF THE PASSAIC ROLLING MILL COMPANY'S WORKS.
129
-
1
WASHINGTON BRIDGE, BUILT BY THE PASSAIC ROLLING MILL COMPANY.
130
0
FRIE DESPATCH 9998G
89983
THE PATERSON IRON WORKS.
131
PHOTOTENGOCONY
HAMMER IN THE PATERSON IRON WORKS.
132
FRANKLIN C. BECKWITH.
133
CHARLES D. BECKWITH.
134
THE ROYLE MACHINE WORKS
MACHINE
7/08
THE WATSON MACHINE WORKS.
-
-
-
135
136
WILLIAM G. WATSON.
137
JAMES WATSON.
138
119
67
PHOTO ENG. CO.NY
N. LANE, PATREMIN, N. J.
BOILER WORKS OF SAMUEL SMITH & SON.
139
SAMUEL SMITH.
140
CHASM BRIDGE, BUILT BY THE RIVERSIDE BRIDGE AND IRON WORKS.
141
EAST WOOD
JU
NAEF BROS. B.CO.
RAILROAD AVENUE MILL OF BENJAMIN EASTWOOD.
142
-
-
PHOTO-ENG LO.NYA
STRAIGHT STREET MILL OF BENJAMIN EASTWOOD.
143
BENJAMIN EASTWOOD.
THE KEARNEY & FOOT COMPANY'S FILE WORKS.
.
1
144
145
1
ROBERT ATHERTON.
146
OFFICE
MACHINE WORKS OF J. C. TODD.
JE1000
ПЕСНИИСТИ
JC.TODO
JUTE MILL OF J. C. TODD.
147
JOSEPH C. TODD.
148
PIONEER SILK CO.
PIONEER SILK COMPANY.
149°
DEXTER, LAMBERT & CO.
150
PHOTO ENUPUY
SILK MILLS OF DEXTER, LAMBERT & CO.
151
AN DO DNE aLOHd.
SILK MILL OF THE WILLIAM STRANGE MANUFACTURING COMPANY.
152
SILK MILL OF THE PATERSON RIBBON COMPANY.
PHOTO ENG LO MY ?!
-
SILK MILL OF DOHERTY & WADSWORTH.
·PHOTO ENG.CO. N.Y.
..
4.L+
153
154
7
HENRY DOHERTY.
155
1
JOSEPH WADSWORTH.
-
156
PHOTO EN
SILK MILL OF HAMIL & BOOTH IN WARD STREET.
157
H
SILK MILL OF HAMIL & BOOTH IN MARKET STREET.
158
SILK MILL OF GRIMSHAW BROTHERS.
-
PHOENIX
Silk Manuti Gu.
PHOTO ENG.B.O. N.Y.
EXHIBIT OF THE PHOENIX SILK MANUFACTURING COMPANY AT THE PARIS EXHIBITION OF 1878.
159
160
JOHN H. HOPPER.
161
SILK MILL OF HOPPER & SCOTT.
SILK MILL OF RAMSAY & GORE.
162
.
JOHN RAMSAY.
163
THOMAS E. GORE.
164
=
THE BARNERT SILK MILL.
165
PHOTO ENGICO. N.Y.
SILK DYE WORKS OF KNIPSCHER & MAASS.
166
----
SILK DYE WORKS OF AUGER & SIMON.
167
i
THOMAS BARBOUR.
168
GRAND STREET MILL OF THE BARBOUR FLAX SPINNING COMPANY.
1
SPRUCE STREET MILL OF THE BARBOUR FLAX SPINNING COMPANY.
.7/1
-
169
170
GRANITE MILL OF THE BARBOUR FLAX SPINNING COMPANY.
171
**** 144149
JUTE MILL OF THE DOLPHIN MANUFACTURING COMPANY,
172
JACOB WALDER.
173
FREDERICK HARDING.
174
WORKS OF JOHN R. DAGGERS.
€
& MILL SUPPLIES
I.A.HALL & CO.REEDS, HARNESS & MILL SUPPLIES
WORKS OF I. A. HALL.
175
JOHN R. DAGGERS.
176
I. A. HALL.
177
I. D. BLAUVELT.
178
CARRIAGE WORKS OF I. D. BLAUVELT.
STEAMMAR
MONUMENTS
AGRANT MW
MARBLE
HEADSTONES, MANTELS, FOITS, COPING &C.
MARBLE AND GRANITE WORKS OF WILLIAM L. BAMBER.
HINCHLIFFE, BREWERY
179
TABLISNEDINGS & REL
FANCY UNS
--
THE HINCHLIFFE BREWERY.
180
WILLIAM F. HINCHLIFFE, VICE-PRESIDENT.
JOHN HINCHLIFFE, PRESIDENT.
JAMES C. HINCHLIFFE, SEC'Y AND TREAS.
THE LATE JOHN HINCHLIFFE, FOUNDER.
CFBRAUN
EACER-TEER BREWERY
INCIFDC . BRAUN'S
LAGER BEER BREWERY:
181
. PADTO EHU. CO.N.Y.
THE CONSOLIDATED BREWING COMPANY .- BREWERY OF CHRISTIAN BRAUN.
182
THE CONSOLIDATED BREWING COMPANY .- BREWERY OF JAMES A. GRAHAM.
T
AGER BEER BREWERY.
183
JIRSER VIBHATUN
PATE
THE CONSOLIDATED BREWING COMPANY .- BREWERY OF SPRATTLER & MENNEL.
184
KATZ BROS. BURTON BREWERY.
7
CANADA MALT ALES & PORTER
2220
PHOTO ENG. CO.N.Y.
THE CONSOLIDATED BREWING COMPANY .- BREWERY OF KATZ BROTHERS.
,
Paterson's Industries.
O give a detailed account of the various in- dustries in Paterson would be equal to wri- ting an encyclopedia ; it would require a knowledge of nearly every branch of indus- try and the diligent research of the historian. This it is needless to say is not the object of this work. Mr. Fenner on preceding pages has pointed out that Paterson possesses advan- tages which have attracted hither many and important industries, all of which met with success. The purposes of this work will be amply answered by a de- scription of some of the leading manufacturing est blish- ments ; to describe them all would be mere repetition tire- some to the reader. Paterson has many and diversified in- dustries all of which contribute their share of proof that for manufacturing no place possesses advantages superior to Paterson. "The proof of the pudding is the eating there- of," is an old proverb and one which has stood the test of ages, thereby differing from many other proverbs. On the preceding pages of this volume the advantages of Pat- erson have been theoretically set forth with such proof as was incident thereto ; the next succeeding pages will show more in detail what Paterson has accomplished, how its manufacturers have prospered and how others may do likewise. No attempt will be made to cover the entire field of industry but enough will be shown to support the claims of Paterson as an exceptionally well favored place for manufacturing.
THE ROGERS LOCOMOTIVE AND MACHINE WORKS .- The history of the Rogers locomotive works is so closely identified with the history of locomotive building in this country that the two cannot be considered apart from each other. No man ever did more for an industry in any conn- try than did Mr. Thomas Rogers for the locomotive industry in the United States. His genius and energy laid the cor- nerstone for what is now one of the most important indus- tries in the country.
It was not until 1833 that railroads began to attract con- siderable attention. The first railroad built here was a line about three miles long from the Quincy granite quarries to the Neponset river, the object being the transportation of granite for the Bunker Ilill monument. This road was built in 1826 and was operated by horse power and station- ary engines. The Delaware & Hudson Cand company built the Carbondale railroad in 1827; this line was also
operated by horses and stationary engines and extended from Carbondale, Pa .. to Honesdale. It was the first rail- road on which a locomotive was used. This locomotive was the "Stourbridge Lion," (Fig. 1, page 126), built in Stourbridge, England, under the direction of Horatio Al- len, an engineer on the Carbondale road. It was tried in August, 1829. but found too heavy for the road. The se- cond locomotive used in this country was built in England, (Fig. 2, page 126). by Stephenson. It was called the "Rocket" and was built for the Carbondale road. Peter Cooper then built a locomotive, (Fig. 3, page 126), which was used on the Baltimore & Ohio railroad. This was in 1830. In the same year E. L. Miller built a locomotive, (Fig. 4. page 126). called the "Best Friend," for the South Carolina railroad company. In 1831 the "South Carolina," (Fig. 5, page 126), was built by the West Point Foundry Association. The first locomotive built by the Rogers works was the "Sandusky," ( Fig 6, page 126) for the New Jersey Railroad and Transportation Company. The evolution of the locomotive from the first one used in this country to the finished product of the Rogers works of to-day, is shown on pages 126 and 127.
Mr. Thomas Rogers was born on March 16, 1792, in . Groton, Conn. He died in New York on April 19, 1856. He was a lineal descendant of Thomas Rogers, one of the Pilgrim Fathers, who came to this country in the historic Mayflower. Early in his life he learned the trade of house carpenter but at the breaking out of the war of 1812 he enlisted. After serving through the war he worked at his trade as carpenter in Paterson. While thus employed he was engaged by Captain Ward, who had recently returned from a trip to England, to make the patterns for a number of power looms to be used in the manufacture of cotton duck. He appreciated the value of the power looms and bought from Captain Ward the patent for manufacturing them. In IS19 he went into partnership with John Clark, Jr., whose father had recently erected the Beaver mill, and engaged in the manufacture of power looms. In the fol- lowing year the firm moved into the little Beaver mill and Abraham Godwin, Jr , was admitted as a partner, the name of the firm being changed to Godwin, Rogers & Co. The firm spun cotton and built all kinds of machinery. In IS22 they leased Collett's mill, employing at that time about two hundred hands. In June, 1831. Mr. Rogers withdrew from the firm, taking with him $38,ooo as his share of the profits. He purchased a mill site on the up-
20
186
PATERSON, ILLUSTRATED.
per raceway and erected the Jefferson Works in what was at that time a part of the forest surrounding Paterson. Mr. Rogers intended to devote the lower part of the mill to building machinery and the upper to spinning cotton, but he soon found orders pouring in for machinery to such an extent that he abandoned the spinning of cotton and de- voted himself exclusively to the construction of machinery. In 1832 he went into partnership with Morris Ketchum and Jasper Grosvenor, of New York, under the firm name of Rogers, Ketchum & Grosvenor. The railroad from Jersey City to Paterson was approaching completion and the firm built the bridges along the line of that road. Horatio Allen was then chief engineer of the South Carolina railroad and he visited Mr. Rogers on an order for a number of axles and carwheels and had a conversation with him on the subject of building locomotives. The "McNeill," the first locomotive on the Paterson & Hudson River railroad, had been brought to Paterson. The firm had erected a two-story stone structure, about 50 by 75 feet, at the southeast cor- ner of Market and Spruce streets, for a millwright shop. In the fall of 1836 a two-story brick building, 4Ox 100 feet, was erected on the east side of Spruce street, nearly opposite the present office, for a locomotive shop. When the "McNeill" was brought to Paterson it lay for some weeks in pieces, just as it had been brought from England, and nobody was at hand to put it together. This gave Mr. Rogers an excellent opportunity to study its construction, which he was not slow to take advantage of. One Ilodge, a draughtsman of considerable skill, was employed to make drawings for an engine of the same model as the "McNeill" Hle worked at them for a long time but the engine made slow progress and Mr. Rogers finally discharged him. Then Mr. William Swinburne, who was the patternmaker for the works, proposed to make the drawings and the patterns for the engine. His offer was gladly accepted and he went confidently to work, preparing the drawings and patterns and superintending the construction. It was a daring experiment but after much trying and more than a year of hard work the new engine was completed to the satisfaction of all concerned. It was called the "Sandusky." It had one pair of driving wheels, situated forward of the furnace ; they were 4§ feet in diameter ; the cylinders were 11 inches in diameter, by 16 inches stroke ; the truck had four 30-inch wheels The lit- tle engine was about the size of those now run on the New York elevated railroads. It was in some respects an im- provement on its model, Mr. Rogers having introduced a novel feature, "counterbalancing," since adopted in most locomotive engines. For this he filed a specification in the Patent Office, dated July 12, 1837. He also cast the driving wheels with hollow spokes and rim and in other particulars anticipated the driving wheel now in general use on the railroads of this country He also set the four wheeled truck under the forward part of the engine. The "Sandusky" made a public trial trip on October 6, 1837, running from Paterson to Jersey City and thence to New
Brunswick and back, the trip being entirely satisfactory to all concerned. It was designed for the New Jersey (now Pennsylvania) railroad, but was sold to the Mad River & Lake Erie railroad company and shipped on October 14 ; the price was $6.750. There was no railroad west of Paterson, so the engine was taken to pieces, boxed up and sent by schooner and canal-boat to Ohio, in charge of Thomas Hogg, an employe of the Rogers works, who had been occupied on the engine from the first. He put it to- gether at the place of its destination and as soon as the track was laid-which was required by the legislature to be four feet ten inches gauge to conform to the gauge of the locomotive-he ran the new iron horse for a short time to show the railroad men how to do it The result was
that he was retained in the employ of the railroad com- pany, of which he was master mechanic for thirty years. The second engine produced at the Rogers works was the "Arresech," for the New Jersey railroad. It was shipped February 19. 1838. and was similar to the first. The "Clinton" was completed in April, 1838, for the Lockport & Niagara Falls railroad ; its cylinders were 10 by IS and its gauge was 4 feet S, inches. The "Experiment" was turned out in June for the South Carolina railroad. In October three were finished and in November only two. Thus it will be seen that whereas it took eighteen months to make the first engine, seven were completed in the next year An eight-wheel engine was turned out in I841, a ten-wheel engine in 1848 and the first "Mogul" was made at these works in 1863, since which date it has become popular with all the great railroads. It would take many pages to enumerate all the improvements in the construc- tion of locomotives which have been originated at these works. Mr. Rogers was himself a man of great quick- ness of perception and was always ready to act on the sug- gestions of others as well, and from the first had the best available talent, including the men who subsequently start- ed the locomotive business elsewhere in the city. For thirty years the establishment had the advantage of the tal- ents of William S. Hudson, who was acknowledged to be one of the foremost men in the United States, if not in the world, as a locomotive mechanic. The fame of the engines spread wide at an early day. In ISit a locomo- tive was sent to Cuba and that led the way to a constant succession of orders thence since that time, so that to-day most of the locomotives running in Cuba are from the Rogers works Orders soon poured in from all parts of the country and building after building was erected until there was a mass of structures of all shapes and sizes. They were mostly small, ancient and unattractive in aspect, with low ceilings, badly arranged and badly loca- ted with respect to convenience in getting work. It was evident at a glance that they had been put up and enlarged from time to time to meet the urgent demands of the moment and without any idea of the future magnitude the business was destined to attain. This had gone on until it became impossible to continue in that way. Then Mr. Jacob S. Rogers, who had succeeded his father in the
187
PATERSON, ILLUSTRATED.
management of the works and who displayed the same in- domitable energy and business tact, began the reconstruc- tion, steadily pursuing a settled and most far-seeing plan, looking to the indefinite expansion of the works and adapt- ing every department of the works to every other depart- ment, with a view to the utmost economy in time, labor and space These, however, were not the only considera- tions. The comfort and convenience of the workmen were regarded at the same time, and the new buildings had high ceilings, abundant light and air, and in winter were comfortably warmed. Moreover, some attention was paid to the architectural appearance of the new structures, which are therefore symmetrical and pleasing to the eye and an ornament to the vicinity. There is a massive simplicity about all of them, of course, which befits the character of the establishment, but there is nothing repellant about them, either inside or outside. Since 1870 the building of machinery, originally the sole business of the works, has been abandoned to make way for the production of loco- motives.
The evolution of the Rogers works in 1832 to their pres- ent dimensions is shown on page 124. The works at present are owned by the Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works, of which Mr. Jacob S. Rogers, the son of Thomas Rogers, is president, and Mr. Robert > Hughes, is secre- tary. The establishment employs about two thousand hands.
Illustrations of locomotives built during the present year by the Rogers Locomotive Works will be found on page 127 Figure i represents a passenger locomotive, having the following dimensions : Cylinders. 17x24; gauge, 4 feet, S3 inches ; driving wheels, 62 inches ; rigid wheel base, S feet, 6 inches ; total wheel base, 22 feet, 93 inches ; the engine weighs in working order 89,000 pounds, on drivers, 56,000 pounds. Figure 2 represents another pas- senger engine. having the following dimensions :- Cylin- ders, 20x24 ; gauge, 4, 8} ; driving wheels, 62; rigid wheel base, 13 ; total wheel base, 23, 9 ; the engine weighs in working order 131,000 ; on drivers 100,500. Figure 3 represents a large freight engine, having dimensions as follows :- Cylinders, 21x24 ; gauge, 4. 9 ; driving wheels, 4, 3 ; rigid wheel base, 15, S ; total wheel base, 23, 5 ; the engine weighs 131,000 in working order ; 112 000 on drivers.
ROBERT S. HUGHES was born in this city on the 24th of May, 1827, his father being Robert Hughes, one of the oldest residents of the city. At twenty years of age Mr. Hughes entered the employment of Rogers, Ketchum & Grosvenor as an assistant in the office and since that time he has been associated with the Messrs Rogers in their manufacturing enterprises. During that period the most important changes have been made in the building of loco- motives. When the Rogers Locomotive & Machine Com- pany was formed Mr. Hughes was given an interest in the enterprise. In 1866 he was elected secretary of the com- pany and ten years later he was elected treasurer. A re- cent writer very properly says of Mr. Hughes :-.. His life-
work has been confined to the performance of his duties in the office of the Rogers works, and he has held himself studiously aloof from all public affairs, although he has al- ways felt a warm interest in local events and been a willing contributor to the institutions of the city. He is courteous and kind in his intercourse with all and his modesty and reticence do not conceal from his friends his real worth as a man and a citizen. He possesses good business qualifi- cations and during the many years of his connection with the Rogers works has been uniformly faithful in the dis- charge of all duties and his services have been highly valued by the concern."
THE PASSAIC ROLLING MILL .- The Passaic Rolling Mill is one of the most important iron manufacturing es- tablishments in the country and it was part of the good fortune which has made Paterson so flourishing that in- duced the owners of this establishment to locate their in- dustry within its limits. The establishment is one of the main props of industrial Paterson, for no matter what the state of business may be generally there is always work to do at the Passaie Rolling Mill. It occupies a large terri- tory with numerous large buildings in the southern part of the city and forcibly impresses passengers on Erie trains with the importance of Paterson as a manufacturing centre.
The first indication of activity in this portion of the city was in 1863. when Mr. Sherman Jaqua had obtained for himself and a few others a charter from the legislature for the Paterson Iron Company. A frame shop, one hundred by two hundred feet, was built and the rolling of merchant bar iron from serap begun. In the following year the name of the company was changed to the Idaho Iron Company. The industry, however, did not flourish and in the course of a year or two the plant was sold to a com- pany in California and shipped thither. In 1867, after the shop had been closed for two years, Mr. Watts Cooke came to Paterson. whither his three brothers, John, James and William, had preceded him. Mr. Watts Cooke had been superintendent of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western railroad for a number of years, a position which had enabled him to study the rolling of iron in the large establishments along the line of that road. In March, 1 868, the four brothers bought the remaining property of the Idaho Iron Works and at once proceeded to put in new machinery. So energetic were the preparations that the new company rolled its first bar of iron on July 3, 1868, they having at that time two trains of rolls, eighteen- inch and nine-inch, and employing about a hundred hands. In the following year the company was chartered as the Passaic Rolling Mill Company ; it had a capital of $100,- 000, with a privilege of increasing it to $500,000. In 1873 Mr. William Cooke, who had been President, sold his interest to Mr W. O. Fayerweather and since then the management of the business has rested upon Mr. Watts Cooke as President and Mr. Fayerweather as Treasurer.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.