History of Cayuga County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 31

Author: Storke, Elliot G., 1811-1879. cn
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 762

USA > New York > Cayuga County > History of Cayuga County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 31

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The power is derived from the Outlet, in the seventh ward. The capacity of the manufactory is one hundred wringers and five miles of fencing per day ; force employed from forty to forty-five hands.

MESSRS. SHELDON & Co., are very extensively engaged in the manufacture of the anchor brand axle. This business was established by Barber, Sheldon & Co., in 1865, in the prison, at which time they employed one hundred convicts in the manufacture of axles and the Cayuga Chief reaper and mower. In 1866, this company, Burtis & Beardsley and Reynolds & Co., each of whom were manufacturing the Cayuga Chief, consoli- dated and ' formed a stock company under the name of the Cayuga Chief Mfg. Co., with a capi- tal of $500,000, and carried on business in D. M. Osborne & Co.'s shop No. 2, opposite the prison, where the castings and malleable iron used in the construction of the machines manufactured by the latter firm are now made. In 1869, Charles L. Sheldon, Franklin L. Sheldon (deceased,) and Henry Morgan, members of the firm of Barber, Sheldon & Co., purchased Eugene C. Barber's interest, and in 1875 the reaper and mower es- tablishment was merged into that of D. M. Os- borne & Co.

Messrs. Sheldon & Co. employ 240 convicts and 100 citizens, the latter of whom are mostly engaged in their rolling mill, forges and machine shop, located at Hackney Falls, now in the Seventh Ward of the city. The rolling mill is situated on the west side, and the machine shop and forges directly opposite, on the east side of the Outlet. The machine shop was formerly oc- cupied by the Auburn Tool Co., and owned by Geo. Casey, of whom it was bought in 1870, by the present firm, who added some sixty feet, re- paired it, and at the same time erected a large forge shop. They have just completed (1878) a second forge shop, 100 by 40 feet, to meet the re- quirements of their increasing business, which now probably exceeds that of any other three similar establishments in the world. They con- sume daily about twenty tons of iron and steel,

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the former of which is made in their own shops, and make 180,000 sets of axles per annum. Their works in the prison are propelled by power furnished by the prison dam, which has a fall of eight feet, and a 150 horse-power engine. In March, 1877, they put a 250 horse-power engine into their machine and forge shops, the heavy machinery, to which additions have recently been made, requiring more power than was furnished by the water from the Outlet, which has, at this point, a fall of twelve feet. The goods made by this firm have, from their excellence, gained for them a good reputation in the markets of this and other countries.

DUNN, SALMON & Co., of Syracuse, com- menced the manufacture of boots and shoes in the prison in 1865, in which year they succeeded McDougal, Fenton & Co. They have an invest- ed capital of $250,000. They contract for the labor of 200 convicts at fifty cents per day. They give employment to 250 persons, twenty-five to fifty of whom are resident citizens, and are mak- ing sixty-five cases of goods per day.

JOSIAH BARBER & SONS, manufacturers of woolen goods and carpeting, on Washington street and the Outlet. This is one of the oldest business establishments in the city. It was started in 1829, by Josiah Barber, who came in that year from Hudson, Columbia county, where he had carried on the woolen business some twenty years, having been preceded in the same business by his father. He commenced opera- tions in the prison, where he continued till 1857, being associated for several years with John Loudon. In 1846-'47 he erected the buildings he now occupies, on the site of the saw and card- ing-mills of Samuel Dill. The carpet-mill is 150 by 50 feet, five stories high, and the woolen-mill 238 by 54 feet, four stories high, both being built of brick, and standing one on either side of the Outlet. The woolen-mill contains ten sets of cards and forty-eight broad looms, and the car- pet-mill six sets of cards and twenty-six power carpet looms. The machinery is driven by wa- ter from the Outlet, which furnishes a power equivalent to 500 horses. In 1859, his sons Wm. C. and Geo. E. Barber, were admitted to partner- ship, and the business has since been conducted in the above name. The capital invested is $350,000. They employ 250 to 280 hands, about two-thirds of whom are females. Their

pay roll amounts to $8,000 per month. The product of their looms in 1877 was 340,000 pounds of woolen goods and 150,000 pounds of carpets ; 520,000 pounds of wool being consumed in the manufacture of the former, and 180,000 pounds in that of the latter.

HAYDEN & SMITH, manufacturers of and deal- ers in carriage and saddlery hardware. This business was established in 1830 by C. & P. Hay- den, and was probably the first manufactory of saddlery hardware of any importance in the United States. Previous to 1830, and indeed for several years thereafter, nearly all these goods were imported from England. In 1833, Cotton Hayden died and the business has since been conducted by Mr. P. Hayden, who resides in New York. He has been associated with different partners, the principal of whom have been Wm. A. Holmes, who became a book-keeper in the es- tablishment in 1836, and a partner in 1840, which relation he held till 1850 ; Geo. J. Letchworth, who became clerk in 1844, and succeeded Mr. Holmes in the partnership in 1850, and continued till 1873, when Byron C. Smith, the present resident and courteous manager, who entered the establishment as clerk in 1852, succeeded to the partnership. O. P. Letchworth, son of Geo. J. Letchworth, who was also a member of the firm, dissolved that connection in January, 1876, by selling his interest to the remaining partners, at which time the firm name was changed from Hayden, Letchworth & Smith to Hayden & Smith.

The firm have employed prison labor almost uninterruptedly since the business was com- menced, beginning with only six men. They now employ the labor of 125 convicts, for which they pay fifty cents each per day, besides that of twenty-five persons, in various capacities, outside the prison. The value of their manufactured goods is about $100,000 per annum. Their fac- tory is in the prison ; and their office and ware- rooms at No. 9 East Genesee street. They make a specialty of wood hames, of which they manu- facture annually about 100,000 pairs, comprising some two hundred varieties. They are shipped to all parts of the civilized world.

This firm are also the exclusive agents for the sale of the carriage hardware made by the E. D. Çlapp Mfg. Co. Their capital has been increased from time to time to meet the requirements of their

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increased business, till at present about $200,000 are invested.

In 1876 they increased their facilities and have since then done their own brass founding and nickel plating. Julius Robbin is foreman in the hame shop and N. S. Possons, in the foundry and buckle shop ; the former having an experience of eight years and the latter of ten. Mr. P. Hay- den, one of the founders of this establishment, has since established similar enterprises in New York city, Newark, N. J., Columbus and Cin- cinnati, Ohio, Detroit, Mich., St. Louis, Mo., Syracuse, N. Y., San Francisco and Sacramento, Cal., and Galveston, Texas, all of which, except the latter, are still in existence, and some of them doing a much larger business than the parent firm. The Galveston enterprise was started just before the war, and the stock, valued at about $40,000, confiscated by the Confederate govern- ment and worked up into confederate harness. Several who have been educated in this estab- lishment as clerks have started the business else- where. Among these are Messrs. Olmsted & Jones, who are now proprietors of the establish- ment in Syracuse.

SARTWELL, HOUGH & Co., manufacturers of and dealers in boots and shoes, at Nos. 2 and 4 E. Genesee street. This business was com- menced in 1866, by Elbridge G. Miles, D. M. Hough, H. J. Sartwell and Wadsworth Hollis- ter, under the name of Miles, Hough & Co., at No. 6 State street. In 1867 Mr. Hollister sold his interest to W. Crocker, when the firm became and has since remained Sartwell, Hough & Co., Mr. Miles having also severed his connection with it. In 1872, feeling the need of more room and power than their old quarters afforded, they removed to their present location. They use a capital of about $100,000, give steady employ- ment to about one hundred hands, about one- half of whom are females, manufacture a general line of ladies' wear, to the extent of $150,000 to $200,000 worth per annum, and do a jobbing business in all kinds of boots and shoes to the amount of $250,000 to $300,000 per annum.

FOXELL, JONES & Co., commenced the manu- facture of stove hollow ware in the prison, about the middle of October, 1877, Messrs. Foxell & Jones having previously carried on the business at Troy for ten years. The capital invested is about $50,000. They employ 160 convicts and

seventeen citizens, and are doing a business of about $100,000 per annum. The motive power is furnished by a sixty horse-power engine. They first contracted for 100 convicts, and subsequently for 165.

NYE & WAIT, carpet manufacturers, located on Factory street, between Wall and Clark streets. In 1852, Carhart & Nye leased Josiah Barber's factory and run it till 1858, in which year they dissolved, and L. W. Nye bought the building erected in 1816 by Elijah Miller and John H. Beach, who, in 1814, purchased of Samuel Dill ten acres, including the fall, on lot 46 of the mili- tary tract. This building was used as a cotton factory and was continued as such by Mr. Nye till 1868, in October of which year he leased it to Howlet & Bailey. April 1st, 1869, it caught fire and was partially burned. In 1870 it was rebuilt, the portion not burned, the walls of the north part, being retained and forming a part of the four story stone building used by this firm as a carpet factory, for which purpose it was then fitted up. It is 40 by 110 feet. In 1868 a second building, 48 by 85 feet, also of stone, was erected, the main floor of which is used for the manufac- ture of worsted for the carpets made by Messrs. Nye & Wait, the latter of whom (Wm. F. Wait) was admitted to partnership March Ist, 1871. Geo. N. Nye, son of L. W. Nye, became a partner October Ist, 1876, without any change in the firm name. They use a capital of $80,000, employ 100 hands, and make 177,000 yards of extra su- perfine ingrain carpets and over 65,000 pounds of worsted per annum. The motive power is furnished by water from the Outlet, with a fall of 26.9 feet.

GEORGE CORNING, SR., having contracted for 100 convicts for five years, at forty cents each per day, commenced the manufacture of shoes in the prison, January Ist, 1874. He also employs six citizens who act as foremen. He uses a capital of about $50,000, and is making about 300 pairs of shoes per day. Mr. Corning was formerly from St. Louis, where he carried on the same business.

DAVID WADSWORTH & SON, scythe manufac- turers, on the Outlet, near the west line of the city. This is one of the oldest of Auburn's manufacturing establishments. It was started in 1818, on the site subsequently occupied by the Dodge & Stevenson Manufacturing Company, by

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Joseph Wadsworth. In 1829, Mr. Wadsworth bought of Benjamin Sweet the tract of land he now occupies, upon which was an old carding mill. This he converted into a scythe factory and soon after removed his establishment to that locality. He continued till about 1845, when his son, Joseph Wadsworth, rented the property and carried on the works till 1849, in which year it was willed to David Wadsworth, who has since carried on the business, having been associated as partner with Nelson Fitch from 1867 till July, 1872, and with his son, David Wadsworth, Jr., since July Ist, 1876. The present buildings were erected from 1860-'67. These works give employ- ment to 65 men and annually turn out about 30,000 dozen scythes, hay, corn and straw knives, and grass hooks.

THE AUBURN TOOL COMPANY is the outgrowth of an enterprise started in the prison in 1823, by Truman J. McMaster and Hon: Nathaniel Gar- row, who then commenced the manufacture of carpenters' planes and plane irons, and carried on the business till about 1833, when Alonzo Mc- Master and Jacob Young bought the establish- ment and continued the business under the name of Young & McMaster till 1838, when the prop- erty was bought by the firm of Z. J. McMaster & Co., which was composed of Z. J. McMaster Paul D. Cornell and Aurelius Wheeler, who, in 1847, sold to George Casey, Adam Miller, Josiah Douglass and Nelson Kitchell, by whom the bus- iness was conducted till 1858, under the name of Casey, Kitchell & Co. In 1858, Mr. Casey bought the interest of his partners and admitted to partnership J. N. Starin, Nelson Fitch, Abijah Fitch, Noah P. Clark and Alonzo G. Beardsley, who carried on the business under the name of Casey, Clark & Co., till October 8th, 1864, when a stock company was formed and incorporated, with a capital of $75,000, which was subsequently in- creased to $100,000, and the business has since been carried on under the name of the Auburn Tool Company, the parties . last named being the incorporators and the first trustees. George Casey was elected President and has held that office to the present time. Nelson Fitch was elected Secretary and held that office till April 22d, 1868, when he was succeeded by N. P. Clark, who still holds the office. George Casey also acted as Treasurer till June 2d, 1867, when N. L. Casey, who has since held the office, was elected.

The works were removed from the prison August Ist, 1877, and now occupy a depression on the east bank of the Outlet, on Aurelius Avenue. This company employ thirty hands and make about 100,000 planes and plane irons per annum. The motive power is furnished by the Outlet, which has a fall at this point of 173 feet. George Casey came to Auburn from Dover, Dutchess County, in 1813, and, with the exception of Jasper Trow- bridge, has lived here longer than any other resi- dent.

THE AUBURN COLLAR COMPANY manufacture horse collars of various designs in the prison. The business was commenced in 1871, by Craw- ford Parks and Charles Pomeroy, under the title of the Durant Flag Collar Co., and continued by them till April 5th, 1872, when Byron C. Smith bought Mr. Pomeroy's interest, and C. C. Du- rant and S. B. Roby were admitted to partner- ship. In 1873 William H. Meaker bought Mr. Park's interest. Previous to the fire in the pris- on the company were engaged exclusively in the manufacture of the Durant flag collar, but after the fire, being unable to immediately procure flag with which to resume that business, and hav- ing a number of convicts on their hands to pro- vide work for, they began the manufacture of leather collars, and soon after changed their name to the Auburn Collar Co. The partnership was dissolved by limitation in April, 1877. S. B. Roby and Byron C. Smith withdrew previous to this time, the former's interest having been bought by James Gorsline in the spring of 1876, and the latter's by the company. The partnership was continued without further change till Nov. Ist, 1877, when Mrs. Chloe Wasson acquired an in- terest. July Ist, 1878, Jas. Gorsline retired from the firm and Mrs. Wasson also acquired his in- terest. The company employ a capital of about $20,000, and make about a hundred leather and fifty flag collars per day. They contract for fifty convicts, at fifty cents per day, but usually employ a number in excess of that.

THE AUBURN IRON WORKS were built in 1853, by Chas. Richardson, who ran them till 1868. They remained idle till February, 1870, when they were bought by Messrs. Tuttle, Reed and Dennison and put in operation. In March, 1878, Messrs. Tuttle & Reed, the present proprietors, bought Mr. Dennison's interest. The works were built for the manufacture of car axles and

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were used for that purpose till 1859, when they were changed to a manufactory of bar iron and horseshoes, which was continued till the close of 1868, horseshoes being the principal article of manufacture. Thirty men are now employed in the manufacture of merchant iron. The capacity of the works is 1500 tons per annum. Their product in 1877 was 1100 gross tons. The motive power is furnished by two engines, one of eighty horse-power and the other of twenty They are supplied with a fifty horse-power steam hammer.

BEARDSLEY, WHEELER & Co., manufacturers of the Dodge mower and reaper at 19 Water street. These works were formerly occupied by the Dodge & Stevenson Mfg. Co., who com- menced the manufacture of these machines in 1858, and continued till 1875, when they went into liquidation. They were bought at sheriff's sale by the above firm, who employ some twenty men about six months of the year, principally in the manufacture of parts to the machines now in use. During the prosperity of the Dodge & Stevenson Mfg. Co., these works gave employ- ment to 300 to 400 hands.

CARD CLOTHING ESTABLISHMENT. - In 1824 Isaac C. Bradford came to Auburn from Coop- erstown, N. Y., and commenced the manufacture of card clothing by hand, on Exchange street, nearly opposite the post-office. In 1829 he went East and bought three card-setting machines, and employed a workman here the same year to make others like them. About 1834 his brother became interested with him and they continued the business in company some two or three years. In 1840 the establishment was removed to a wooden building erected for the purpose, which occupied the site of the present three story brick building, which is 54 by 30 feet, was erected in 1853, and is situated near the "big dam." In 1841 Rufus Sargent, the present proprietor, bought an interest in the business and was asso- ciated with Horace Hotchkiss, under the name of Hotchkiss & Sargent. In 1842, Edmund Mortimer bought a halfof Hotchkiss' interest, and the name was changed to Hotchkiss, Sargent & Co. In 1843, John G. Hopkins bought Hotch- kiss' remaining interest, when the firm became Hopkins, Sargent & Co. In 1845, Hopkins sold his interest to the remaining partners, who car- ried on the business under the name of Sargent

& Mortimer, till February, 1855, when Mr. Sar- gent bought Mr. Mortimer's interest and has since conducted the business alone. Mr. Sar- gent uses a capital of about $20,000, and gives employment to nine hands, the work being done mostly by machinery. There are in use twenty- four card- setting machines, of different styles, adapted to all the kinds of cards in use. They are unique, complicated and ingeniously con- structed machines, and perform their work with rapidity and accuracy like intelligent automatons. The capacity of the establishment is about 24,000 square feet of cards per annum. The annual product is valued at about $35,000. The motive power is furnished by water drawn from the east race, with a fall of twenty-four fect. This is the only establishment of the kind in the State, and there is only one other outside of the New Eng- land States, at Philadelphia. There have been fifteen in the State within forty years, but all ex- cept this have succumbed.

ISAAC W. QUICK, manufacturer of the im- proved Hussey combined mower and reaper, on Mechanic street. This machine was the first one to successfully cut grain. It was invented by Ovid Hussey and patented by him in 1837, the same year in which Cyrus H. McCormick took out his patent for the Virginia Reaper. McCor- mick's machine proved a failure, owing to a de- fect in the cutters. The Hussey machine had from the first the same style of cutters at present in use on all machines. Its manufacture was first begun in Baltimore by Ovid Hussey, and was continued there by him till his death during the war. About 1840, Thomas R. Hussey, brother of Ovid, commenced its manufacture in Auburn, in the old oil-mill which stood on the ground now occupied by the establishment of D. M. Osborne & Co. He subsequently re- moved to the site of the Osborne House, where he was in partnership with Charles Eldred. After a short time he returned to his original. lo- cation, where he was burned out, when he re- moved to Mr. Quick's present location in 1864. November 22d, 1849, Isaac W. Quick and Geo. S. Hall, who were carrying on the grocery busi- ness under the name of Quick & Hall, bought a half interest with Hussey & Eldred. In 1850, Eldred sold his interest to the remaining part- ners. At the death of Hall, in 1854, Mr. Quick bought his interest ; and in 1868 he bought that

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of Mr. Hussey, since which time he has carried on the business alone. He uses a capital of about $15,000 ; gives employment to twelve to fifteen men ; and makes about 100 machines per annum.

ROBERT PEAT, furniture manufacturer, on Franklin street. In 1825, Robert Peat, father of the present proprietor, who came to Auburn with his father's family from Hull, England, in 1819, commenced the manufacture of furniture where his son's warerooms now are, on Market street, opposite the city hall, and continued there till his death in 1851, when his sons Robert and Edward Lawrence succeeded him, under the name of R. & E L. Peat. In 1861, Robert bought his brother's interest and has since con- ducted the business alone. In 1848, the facilities for manufacturing were increased by renting a place on the site of E. C. Selover's brick building on East Genesee street, where, in February, 1866, they were burned out. The present brick factory on Franklin street, which is 96 by 30 feet, with two stories and basement, was erected and occupied July 4th of that year. The office and warerooms occupy three adjoining buildings, with a frontage of 112 feet on Market street, and ex- tending back forty feet. One is of wood, two stories, and forty feet front ; the others are of brick, each three stories high. Mr. Peat em- ploys twenty to twenty-five hands, and annually turns out goods valued at $25,000. He also deals in furniture manufactured elsewhere. The machinery in the factory is propelled by a ten horse-power engine.

W. W. CRANE, founder and machinist at 27 and 29 Water street. This business was estab- lished in 1839, by John Gaylord, who erected the foundry that year and the machine shop soon after 1846, the latter being used by him for fit -. ting up plows, in the manufacture of which he was extensively engaged. Mr. Gaylord contin- ued the business till 1862, when he rented the property to Merrill, Wilder & Co., who first made use of the latter building as a machine shop. In 1875, W. W. Crane, W. C. Locke and Isaac Richardson rented the property, and carried on the business under the name of W. W. Crane & Co. till 1876, when Messrs. Locke and Richard- son retired from the firm, and Mr. Crane has since conducted the business alone. He has about $16,000 invested in the business, and em-

ploys some twenty-four men, about one-half of whom are engaged in the foundry. His monthly pay roll foots up to about $1,000. He makes steam engines, and Jones' Little Giant Water- Wheel, both to order, of the latter about twenty per annum, for Geo. H. Jones, the patentee. His principal business is jobbing and general mill work. For the last seven months the casts have averaged three to four tons per day.

L. M. WOODCOCK & Co., founders and ma- chinists, commenced business in October, 1876. They occupy the basement of L. W. Nye's car- pet factory for a machine shop, and a building 40 by 60 feet, also owned by L. W. Nye, and erect- ed by him in 1876, for an iron and brass foundry. The capital is $10,000, and is furnished by Nye & Wait, who are members of the firm. They give employment to thirty or forty men, and make a specialty of gear cutting, besides doing a general jobbing business.

THE STEVENS THRASHER WORKS were start- ed in the village of Genoa about 1838, by A. W. Stevens, a native of Genoa, where thirty to thirty- five men have been employed in the manufacture of thrashing machines, of which about fifty have been made per annum. These works were moved to Auburn, October Ist, 1878, into the buildings formerly occupied by the Dodge & Stevenson Mfg. Co., which have been leased for a term of five years. With the increased facilities here afforded, they give employment to fifty men and turn out about 100 machines per annum. It is an important acquisition to the manufacturing interests of Auburn.

J. H. WOODRUFF'S BUTTON FACTORY .- This, though a comparatively recent, is a very impor- tant and valuable accession to the manufacturing interests of the city. Mr. Woodruff, who is a native of Auburn, commenced the manufacture of composition and pearl buttons in New York city, in the summer of 1876. The following fall he transferred his works to Auburn, to the build- ing in the rear of the post-office, formerly occu- pied by the Auburn Paper Bag Company, em- ploying at first only ten hands. Such has been the rapid development of this business that, at the expiration of the second year, we find him not only giving steady employment to 200 per- sons, about one-half of whom are females, but reaching out for additional room and increased facilities ; the present condition of his business,

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History of Cayuga County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 31

Author: Storke, Elliot G., 1811-1879. cn Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason Number of Pages: 762

Author: Storke, Elliot G., 1811-1879. cn
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 762