History of Jefferson County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 40

Author: Durant, Samuel W; Peirce, H. B. (Henry B.)
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 862

USA > New York > Jefferson County > History of Jefferson County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 40

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In 1841, Cooper & Woodruff built on the north side of the river, opposite Beebee's island, a foundry and machine- shop, and manufactured factory machinery, mill-irons, and steam-engines, afterwards turning their attention to the building of railroad ears. These extensive works were burned July 22, 1853, oeeasioning a severe loss to the pro- prietors and the publie at large.

PRESENT MANUFACTURES.

The Watertown Spring Wagon Company's Manufactory is located in the Winslow Industrial Building on Factory square. The building, which is the largest and best ap- pointed in this section of the State, was ereeted in 1870 by Hon. N. Winslow, and was for several years oeeupied by the Davis Sewing-Machine Co. The building is 283 by 55 feet, four stories high, and built of briek. The blaek- smith-shop is located at the left of the main building. The company was organized in December, 1875, with a eapital of $75,000. The establishment now employs 100 men,

and expeets to turn out during the present year about 2500 spring wagons, which find a ready sale in all parts of the country. They are made of the most durable material, and their good reputation is based on their lightness and strength. The manufactory is situated near the shore of Black river, commanding a fine water-power,-over 200 horse. The industry is a eredit to the eity, and will be- eome one of its most successful institutions. The people of Watertown were called upon to decide in April, 1876, whether this company should leave the eity or remain in it. They showed their good sense and appreciation of a real benefit by promptly taking the amount of stock required to retain it, and the company is on a sound basis. Mayor Levi H. Brown is president ; A. Palmer Smith, viee-presi- dent ; and Jerome Bushnell, secretary and treasurer. The directors are Hon. A. C. Beach, Hon. N. Winslow, W. G. Williams, E. M. Gates, C. A. Clark, R. Marey, G. L. Davis, and the officers first named. R. C. Morse, superin- tendent.

The Davis Sewing-Machine Company's manufactory is very eligibly situated on Sewall's Island, near the finest water-power on the river. The company was organized in 1868, with a capital of $150,000, which has sinee been inereased to $500,000. It formerly oeeupied the building on Factory square now used by the Watertown Spring Wagon Company. In 1875 the company ereeted a build- ing of its own, which it now oeeupies. The main building is two stories with attie, and is 175 by 40 feet; the wing is of the same height, 40 by 30 feet ; the office is one story, 50 by 30 feet ; all the buildings being of brick. The eom- pany manufactured in 1875 $300,000 worth of machines, all of which found ready sale. The number of employees is 175. The assets of the company are about $1,000,000. No royalty is now paid on the machines. The company has branch offices in Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Mil- waukee, San Francisco, Erie, Pennsylvania, Ravenna, Ohio, and other points, and was thoroughly represented at the Centennial exhibition of 1876 with some of the finest machines in the world. The machines have an excellent reputation for simplicity and utility. The present offieers are as follows: Hon. Willard Ives, president; Hon. George A. Bagley, viee-president ; Levi A. Johnson, secretary and treasurer. Directors, C. D. Wright, H. W. Eddy, G. Lord, R. Van Namee, H. M. Stevens, A. H. Sawyer, J. F. Mof- fett, J. M. Carpenter, G. B. Massey, and G. H. Sherman.

The Watertown Steam-Engine Company originated in 1850 by Messrs. Hoard & Bradford, who were prior to that time in the employ of Z. Goulding & Co., among the pioneers in foundry machinists' business in Watertown, the former as book-keeper, the latter as manager. The nueleus around which the present extensive establishment developed was a small rented shop, where Messrs. Hoard & Bradford manufactured a few portable engines for general mechanical use, and of Mr. Bradford's invention. At first quite a prejudiee existed against these engines, and they were stig- matized as " death-warrants," and other derogatory epithets were applied to them, siguifieant of insecurity. To over- come this they put up one of the engines in the newspaper office of John A. Haddock, who had been indueed to pur- chase a Napier press. He had taught a little girl to feed

MRS. J. T. GOTHAM .

(GENDRON, PHOTOGRAPHER,) WATERTOWN, N. Y.

J. T. GOTHAM.

RESIDENCE of JENERY T. GOTHAM, STATE ST. WATERTOWN, N. Y.

WOOD PULP MILL.

TAGGARTSAND DAVIS

TAGGARTS & DAVIS' PAPER MILLS, MANUFACTUI WATEI

APER MILLS

N.Y.C

140

R.W.C.

FANILA PAPER, NEWS PAPER, & PAPER FLOUR SACKS .

NI. Y.

ST PATRICKS CHURCH, FATHER HOGAN, PASTOR. WATERTOWN, N. Y.

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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

the press, and Mr. Bradford had initiated a small boy into the mysteries of running the engine. It so happened that soon after the engine had been put up Horace Greeley eame to Watertown to lecture. While dressing himself on the morning following his arrival in town, he glaneed aeross the street and saw in flaming characters on an immense board, " JOIIN A. HADDOCK, STEAM - POWER PRESS." He straightway proceeded to the office. It being early in the morning, the only persons there were the juvenile engineer and the youthful feeder. The former just had his hand on the throttle as the great journalist opened the door. That he was surprised to see papers being struck off as fast as could be done with his ponderous machinery in New York, and that, too, by a boy and girl, is shown by his letter to the Tribune, of July 13, 1850 :

" The best thing I saw in Watertown was the turnout of two thou- sand people on a wild, stormy night to hear a dry talk on temperance. The next best was a new portable steam-engine, invented and manu- factured there by Messrs. Hoard & Bradford. The two-horse engine I examined was running a Napier power-press briskly, while burn- ing as much fuel as a common kitchen range. Certainly, a ton of pea coal would suffice to run it a fortnight, day and night. The time must be at hand when every thrifty farmer, with nearly every me- chanie, will have such an engine of his own, and chopping straw, turning grindstone, cutting wood, churning, threshing, etc., will have ceased to be a manual and become a mechanical operation.

" Printing (press-work) by hand must rapidly disappear before the approach of this engine, which will be running on wheels and driving a seythe before it, or drawing a plow behind it, within five years. We have hardly begun to use steam yet."

On the 1st of January, 1851, the firm moved into works that occupied the present site, and two years thereafter Mr. Bradford retired, leaving Mr. Hoard sole proprietor. The latter conducted the business successfully up to the eom- meneement of the war, when he procured a contract from the government for a large number of guns, and converted the engine-works into a gun-manufactory. In 1865 the present company was formed, under the title of " The Portable Steanı-Engine and Manufacturing Company," with a capital of $40,000. On the 11th of January, 1872, the title was changed as at present, and the capital inereased to $100,000. June 17, 1873, the capital was inereased to $200,000. The company turns out about four hun- dred engines annually. It employs one hundred men ; uses annually 1000 tons of east and wrought iron, a large portion of the east iron being of that produced in this vicinity. The sales reach nearly every State in the Union, the Canadian Provinees, Cuba, and South America. The present officers are Charles A. Sherman, president ; John . C. Knowlton, vice-president; S. F. Bagg, secretary ; Charles A. Sherman, Gilbert Bradford, Talcott H. Camp, Isaac P. Powers, John C. Knowlton, Richard E. Hunger- ford, and D. W. Baldwin, directors.

PAPER-MILLS.

Taggarts & Davis' Paper and Paper-Bag Manufactory is located at the present time in the Angell buildings, at the lower dam. The building was erected by sections, in 1843- 45, by Wm. H. Angell, at a cost of $100,000, it is said, and used for several years for milling and distilling purposes. Mr. B. B. Taggart & A. H. Hall commeneed the manufae- ture of paper bags on Beebee's island, in 1864, prodneing

about 2000 bags per day. In the spring of 1866, the firm of West, Paliner & Taggarts (W. W. and B. B. Taggart) bought the two lower sections of the Angell property, and put in machinery for making manilla paper, with a capacity of one and a half tons per day. In the fall of 1866, the other three seetions of the mill were burned out, and the firm, then West & Taggarts, in 1867, bought the walls of the building, and refitted them with four new engines, and a Fourdrinier paper-machine, and commeneed the manufae- ture of print, in addition to manilla paper. The firm changed again in 1870, West selling out his interest to O. R. Davis. The buildings, a view of which is shown else- where in this work, are of stone, except the wood-pulp mill, which is of wood. The main building is 200 by 75 feet, three stories, the west wing 75 by 40 feet, two stories, and the wood-pulp mill 30 by 50 feet, two stories. A frame store-house adjoins the works 120 by 30 feet. A railroad track 2000 feet long connects the establishment with the R., W. & O. R. R., running from Watertown to Cape Vin- eent, making the handling of supplies and products a com- paratively easy matter. The present equipment of the establishment is most complete. Thirteen turbine water- wheels furnish the motive power ; 5 of which are Leffel's, of 100 horse-power each, the other eight wheels ranging from 30 to 50 horse-power. In the paper-mill proper there are a rotary boiler for cleansing the rope 24 feet long and 7 feet diameter, weighing 30,000 pounds; ten stone drain- ers, 15 by 18 fect ; eight engines, two of them Jordan's ; one double eylinder, and one Fourdrinier paper-machine ; two wood-pulp machines,-Volter's patent, capacity one ton per day of dry pulp ; a steam-boiler, for drying purposes, 22 feet long, 5 feet diameter, with 100 tubes. The wood- pulp grinders are of 100 horse-power, the stones making 200 revolutions per minute. In the flour-saek manufae- tory two tubing machines are used, having a capacity of 75,000 saeks per day, but which are run but half the time. Three printing-presses are used to print the brand on the saek,-one Potter and two Babeock eylinders. The estab- lishment employs 20 girls who fold the bottoms of the saeks, and do it very expertly too. The whole number of em- ployees is 75. About three tons of news and two tons of manilla paper are turned out each day,-the former, at the present time, all going to the New York Tribune, which is about one-half of the daily consumption of white paper of that great journal. Twenty thousand flour-sacks are also turned out complete and ready for shipment in bales of 1000 cach. The white paper is shipped in rolls of about 1000 pounds weight, the sheet measuring 47 inches wide and five miles long, and contains 40 per cent. of wood and 60 per cent. of rags. An artesian well, 163 feet deep in the solid roek, supplies the engines with pure water, which is pumped therein by a Watertown pump, a No. 3 Barber. Iron-clad doors close every opening in the partition walls, which latter are of stone, two feet thick, and also eover every gangway and stairway in the building, and which doors, by a simple contrivance, regulated on the first floor, shut of themselves. Messrs. Taggarts & Davis buy their raw material from all parts of the country,-the rope coming principally from the west, and the rags from New York.

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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

A fire which broke out December 24, 1876, burned out the east section, starting in the machine-shop, which is run in connection with the mill, and stopped the work for two weeks only, the energy of the proprietors repairing all dam- ages in that time. The business of this establishment ag- gregates $300,000 per annum. They have an inexhaustible water supply, the same being estimated at 3000 horse-power at their dam, giving them a large surplus for any other enterprises they may choose to engage in. The Hall system of sprinklers for fire defense also connect directly with the city water-works, a hydrant of which stands a few feet from the building. The pipes are so arranged that the floor of any room can be flooded in a few minutes from the hydrant.

Knowlton Brothers' Paper-Mill, located on Mill street, at the first bridge leading to Beebee's island, occupies the site of the paper-mill first erected in 1808. The business was conducted for many years by Knowlton & Rice. The main building is 130 by 60 feet, three stories high, besides base- ment and attic. An artesian well, drilled one hundred feet in the rock in 1856, is still in use at this building, giving the purest water obtainable. The mill was formerly occu- pied in manufacturing writing-paper exclusively; it now confines itself to the production of book and colored papers. The quality of the paper made is nowhere surpassed. It is one of the oldest and soundest institutions of the kind in Watertown. A magnificent water-power equal to 200 horse drives the machinery ; fifty persons are employed, and three tons of fine paper are turned out daily. Messrs. George W., Jr., and John C. Knowlton are its present owners and efficient managers.

The Remington Paper Company occupies fine buildings on Sewall's island, about 100 feet square, built of brick. The business was established in 1865, with a capital of $84,400. Seventy persons are employed, 800 horse-power used, and in 1875 the business amounted to $220,000. The company manufactures news paper wholly, using (in 1875) 400,000 feet of spruce and poplar lumber. About 6 tons per day is the average product, shipped mostly to New York and San Francisco. The trustees are A. D. Remington, president ; George P. Folts, vice-president ; and F. Emerson, secretary. The business is one of the most extensive in Watertown.

The Watertown Paper Company's building is located on Sewall's island, at the upper dam. This company was in- corporated in 1864, with a capital of $20,000, gives em- ployment to twenty-five men, and uses 150 horse-power of water. The main building was burned in 1874, rebuilt of brick in 1875, and the company now turns out 900 tons of news paper per annum. The main portion of the mill is of brick, 52 by 108 feet, two stories and a basement. The wing is of wood, 25 by 50 feet, one story.

FLOURING-MILLS.

The Union Mills are located on Mill street, and occupy a portion of the site of the first mill erected in the city by Jonathan Cowan. The present building was erected in 1835 by C. P. Moulton, and is now conducted by H. W. Shead and I. A. Graves, the former of whom is the oldest miller on the river in point of years consecutively spent in the business. It is of stone, 65 by 75 feet, and four stories

high. The machinery is run by seven turbine water-wheels, representing about 120 horse-power. They manufacture about 250 barrels of flour per day, besides custom work. The mill is supplied with the La Croix machinery, and makes a specialty of first-class flour. Four men, besides the proprietors, are employed. These mills have been three times struck by lightning, and more or less severely injured ; several buildings in close proximity have been burned, com- pelling the most heroic efforts on the part of firemen to save the mills from destruction, and yet the " Union" stands in- tact, having survived all disasters by flood and fire.

The Jefferson Mills, A. C. Hanchet, proprietor, were erected, in 1855, by Moulton & Symonds. They operated the mill until 1862. In 1863 the present proprietor pur- chased the mill, and has since conducted the business. The structure is of brick, with stone basement, 43 by 75; the machinery is run by seven water-wheels,-three turbine and four Parker,-representing about 100 horse-power; capacity 200 barrels per day. They use Silver Creek and Fulton & Burdick machinery, and employ five hands.

Cataract Mills, built by C. P. Moulton in 1839; busi- ness now owned by E. Settle & Son; established in 1871; capital, $20,000. Fifty horse-power is used, and the busi- ness of 1876 amounted to $80,000. The capacity of the mill is over 15,000 barrels annually, besides custom work. It is situated at the north end of the suspension-bridge.

The Excelsior Mill, on River street, near Mill, was erected in 1845, by Moulton & Simonds. It is now owned and conducted by Allen H. Herrick. Capital, $25,000; em- ploys from 5 to 8 men ; manufactured $32,000 worth of flour and feed in 1876, and has a capacity for nearly three times that amount. It is run by six turbine water-wheels, representing 100 horse-power, and is located near one of the best and safest powers on the river.

Crescent Mills, built by Fuller, Isdell & Willard in 1870, at the Factory square dam, and is now owned by Wilson & Isdell. It contains four runs of stone, operated by 50 horse-power, and has a capacity of 50 barrels of flour and 80 bushels of coarse feed per day. Three men are employed beside the proprietors.

V. P. Kimball's Pearl-Barley Mill, near Factory square, was established in 1847; capital, $10,000; employs 4 hands ; uses 150 horse-power of water; produced $45,000 in 1876, with capacity for nearly three times that amount. The same gentleman uses $4000 capital in the manufacture of straw-board,-established in 1874; employs 5 men ; and produced $3500 worth in 1876.

City Mills, built in 1876 by Gustavus Cook, on the , site of the Fuller mill, at the lower dam, which mill was burned with the Eagle mill in 1871. D. N. Bosworth bought the mills in July, 1877, and the firm is now D. N. Bosworth & Co. The mills have three runs of stone, with about 75 horse-power, and a capacity of 25 barrels of flour, besides doing a large custom work. The mill is very com- pactly built and well equipped. Three men are employed besides the proprietor.

The Eagle Mills were built by Henry H. Coffeen very early in the history of manufactures of Watertown, at the lower dam, and were partially carried away by the flood in the Black river in 1869, occasioned by the breaking of he

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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

dam of the Erie canal reservoir at North lake. The mills were then owned by Convis & Flynn, who repaired them, when in 1871 they were destroyed by fire, together with the Fuller mill, which was also damaged somewhat by the flood, and which stood on the site of the City mills.

THE TANNERIES OF WATERTOWN.

The tanning business of Watertown and vicinity is of an old date, extending far back among the oldest trades in cx- istence here. The first tannery erected in Watertown on an extensive scale was built by Jason Fairbanks, in 1823, and since that date the interest has been an important one to Watertown, as well as to this section of the State. Mr. Fairbanks commenced the saddle and harness business in 1808, in company with C. McKnight, and Fairbanks con- tinued it forty-four years. In 1810 he added shocmaking and tanning to the business, and was for many years con- nected with carriage- manufacturing and merchandising. During this time he employed over five hundred appren- tices. Fairbanks' tan-yard was upon the site now occupied by S. Pool's residence, on State street. The second tannery built by this industrious and enterprising pioncer was located near Factory square, and continued to do a large business under various managements until destroyed by fire in 1874. Messrs. Holt & Beecher carried on the tanning business for many years on Beebee's island, near the smaller bridge. This tannery was twice destroyed by fire. In 1844 the ex- tensive tanncry, now occupied and conducted by Farwell, Hall & Co., located at the lower dam, was built by Messrs. Fisk & Bates. A good business has been carried on here since that year, and much profit has followed the enterprise.

Farwell, Hall & Co .- This business was established in 1837, by Messrs. Milton Clark and George Burr, and is located between Becbee's island and Factory square. It was devoted principally to the shecp-skin and morocco line. Farwell, Hall & Co., in their two tannerics, tan 3000 hides and 40,000 skins annually, rough and finished. Sales principally in northern New York, Vermont, and Boston. The old tannery has been in continuous operation for forty years. The firm now run both at their full capacity.

George Parker & Son .- The present tanning business of George Parker & Son was founded in 1854, and was run for nearly twenty years by B. F. Hotchkin & Son. The tannery is located in Fairbanks street, near Factory squarc. They tan 600 hides and 8000 skins annually, rough and finished, and sell principally in northern New York and Boston. The full capacity is 800 hides and 10,000 skins.

Gates & Gillett .- The tannery now operated by this firm was built in 1868, upon the north side of the river, on Scwall's island, near the upper dam, by Messrs. Millington & Burt, and the tanning of hides and skins was conducted here for many years. It is now devoted to wool-pulling and sheep-skin tanning. This tannery is of brick, and is con- sidered by the trade as a model of convenience.

BREWING AND MALTING.

Andrew Newell was the first brewer in Watertown, and operated here in the early days, and was suecceded by Peter Hass, who continued the business for many years. Peter Seibert is at present the brewer of the city, having begun

the business in 1867. His manufacture is for retailing only, and produces lager beer exclusively. P. Mundy's Malt-House was crected in 1875, and is located on Court street, near the bridge. It is built of brick, is 183 by 40 fect, three storics, and a double basement sunk into the rock. Its capacity is 40,000 bushels of malt per annum. Mr. Mundy employs eight men in his well-cquipped cstab- lishment, and ships his product mostly eastward to New York and Boston, and buys his barley of the farmers of Jefferson County.

MISCELLANEOUS MANUFACTORIES.

The Hitchcock Lamp Company was incorporated April 19, 1872, with a capital of $15,000, which has been in- creased to $30,000. The object of the company is to manufacture lamps for railroads, shipping, manufactorics, residences, etc., burning animal, fish, vegetable, and heavy oils. Sixteen men are now employed in perfecting special tools and elaborate machinery for conducting the work. The works are located on Factory street, near Mill, and arc run by water, 20 horse-power, and will give employment when in full operation to 75 men. Much of the machinery is of the finest and most perfect description. John M. Sigourney is president ; F. T. Storey, vice-president ; T. C. Chittenden, secretary ; J. A. Lawyer, treasurer ; Robert Hitchcock, superintendent.

Bagley & Sewall's extensive machine-shop and foundry is situated on Sewall's island, at the second dam, and occu- pies about 30,000 square feet of flooring, besides storc- houses, etc. The business was established by George Goulding, in 1823. The capital is about $75,000. Forty persons are employed and 80 horse-power used; six hundred tons of iron are utilized annually. The products consist of steam-engines, sewing-machines, castings, mill-gearing, Green's rotary pump, etc .; and a business of nearly $100,000 is annually donc. G. A. Bagley & E. Q. Sewall comprise the firm.

The Eames Vacuum Brake Company began work in July, 1875; capital, $500,000. Its works are located on Beebee's island. It is a power brake, the foree employed being the pressure of the atmosphere, applied by evacuating the air from a cylinder. It is automatie in its character, instantaneous in its work, and perfectly under the control of the engincer. It can be operated on any part of the train, and in case of accident instantly applics itself. It is regarded by railroad men as the simplest, most durable, and economieal brake in existence. The officers of the company arc : Fred. W. Eames, president ; Hon. F. W. HInbbard, vice-president ; Charles D. Bingham, secretary; S. T. Woolworth, treasurer. It is now in use on the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburgh railroad of New York; New York and Manhattan Beach railroad, New York; Long Island railroad, New York ; Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn railroad, Massachusetts ; Boston, Winthrop and Shirley Point railroad, Massachusetts; Evansville and Terre Haute railroad, Indiana; Cincinnati, Wabash and Michigan, Indiana ; Toledo and South Haven, Michigan ; Callao, Lima and Oroya railroad, Pern, South America ; Cardenas and Jncero railroad, Isle of Cuba.

H. H. Babcock & Sons' Pump Manufactory occupies

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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

extensive buildings on the west side of Factory Square. The business was established in 1847; eapital, $60,000; value of manufactured goods in 1876, $58,000, with capacity for double the amount of business. The works are run by water, 80 horse-power; 13 men are employed ; 600,000 feet of white pine lumber were used in 1876. The sales are mostly in the Eastern and Middle States. It is one of the most flourishing industries of Watertown. Con- ducted by Messrs. H. H., H. P., and G. H. Babcock.

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History of Jefferson County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 40

Author: Durant, Samuel W; Peirce, H. B. (Henry B.) Publication date: 1878 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co. Number of Pages: 862

Author: Durant, Samuel W; Peirce, H. B. (Henry B.)
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 862