USA > New York > Monroe County > Rochester > Settlement in the West : sketches of Rochester with incidental notices of western New-York > Part 37
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Same year, Warham Whitney erected his mills at the second falls, with five pairs of stones. These mills are built of stone, and front on Brown's race, with rear on the river. The present firm is W. Whitney & Co. (John Williams).
Same year, Silas O. Smith converted the old cotton factory on Brown's race, at the second or Middle Falls, into mills, with eight pairs of stones. Seventy feet front, 48 feet deep, three stories high-wood, with a brick front, partly shown in the view of Richardson's mills.
Same year, F. Babcock erected mills, with four pairs of stones, at the upper step of the Lower Falls ; now owned by Charles J. Hill. Built of wood and stone ; basement of stone, two stories, and superstructure of wood, three stories, besides attic.
In 1828, Hervey Ely erected his mills, with nine pairs of stones, at the first falls, adjoining the eastern end of the great canal aqueduct-the Erie Canal being on the north and east sides of the building, and the river in the rear. A bridge across the canal connects these mills with St. Paul's-street. The main stone building is 78 feet long and 50 wide, five stories high on the river, three stories on the canal, besides attic ; and the wooden building attached is 68 feet long, 40 feet wide, and four stories high. The old aqueduct connects with the east bank of the river on the north side of these mills-the new aqueduct will connect on the south side of them.
In 1831, Erasmus D. Smith erected at the first falls the mills, with
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five pairs of stones, now owned by Joseph Strong. They are between the aqueduct and the main bridge-front on Child's Canal-basin and rear on the river. These mills are 107 feet long, of which 37 feet is wood, and 50 feet wide, four stories high, beside attic and basement grinding- floor.
Same year, H. P. Smith erected the mills at the second falls with three pairs of stones, lately owned by Paterson and Avery, and now owned by Elias and Edwin Avery. They are 35 feet front, 60 feet wide, and the rear wall is 144 feet high. They front on Brown's race, with rear on the river.
In 1835, James K. Livingston erected the mills, with four pairs of stones, now owned by Richard Richardson, at the second falls-fronting on Brown's race, with rear on the river. Stone building, 47 feet front, 85 feet deep, four stories high, beside attic and basement.
Same year, Thomas Emerson and Jacob Graves erected at the first falls the mills, with six pairs of stones, now owned by Thomas Emerson. Built of stone, front somewhat crescent-shaped-100 feet long, 50 feet wide, six stories high from the river, besides attic and basement. Front on Water-street, rear on the river, a few rods north of the east end of the aqueduct.
In 1836, Henry B. Williams erected his mills at the second falls, with four pairs of stones. The firm is now H. B. Williams & Co. (E. S. Beach and John H. Beach). These mills front on Brown's race, with rear on the river. They are built of stone, four stories besides attic and grinding-floor-54 feet front, 59 feet rear, and 72 feet deep.
Same year, Mack and Paterson erected the mills at the second falls, with four pairs of stones ; front on Brown's race, and rear on the river. They are built of stone, 45 feet front, 108 feet long ; showing in front three stories and attic, but having below two floors for grinding, &c., the lowest floor being 42 feet above the foundation of the rear wall.
In addition to the foregoing there are severel establishments designed partly for flouring and partly for custom-work-such as the City Grist- mills of Henry L. Achilles, fronting on Brown's race, with rear on the river-the mill of Curtis, Leonard, & Co., corner of Main and Water streets, leased to C. V. D. Cook & Co. A custom-mill belonging to Jo- seph Strong, and leased by R. Bemish, was burnt with the Hydraulic Building, oilmill, &c., in 1837. The mill of Gardiner M'Cracken, east side of the Lower Falls, has been converted into a paper-mill, and leased to Messrs. Foley & Co.
Several gentlemen who reside in the city are interested in the flour- ing business in some neighbouring places ; such as James K. Living- ston, whose mills are at Irondequoit Falls, in Penfield, &c.
Technically, a mill is one waterwheel with its machinery. The term mills is used where two or more waterwheels are in the building."
The attics and basements are mentioned, because, in most of the manufacturing edifices of Rochester, machinery is employed in those parts, owing to the demand for hydraulic power increasing faster than suitable buildings are erected.
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OTHER BRANCHES OF BUSINESS.
Other branches of Business, and Names of Persons carrying them on.
(In addition to the trades and professions already named, under various heads.)
Carpet Factory .- The time is probably not far distant when the city of Rochester will become as celebrated for its carpeting as Kidderminster or Paisley. The success with which the business of carpet-weaving has been pursued here, notwithstanding the disastrous effects of the fire which destroyed the first factory in the Globe Build- ings, renders the matter peculiarly worthy of the attention of all who duly appreciate our local prosperity or the success of domestic manufactures. The carpet business was commenced in Rochester by Messrs. Newell and Stebbins in 1832, and continued by them, with excellent prospects of success, till their establishment was wholly destroyed by the great fire at the Globe Buildings early in 1834. The machinery having been all burnt, the business was interrupted till December, 1835, when a similar manufactory was established by Mr. Erasmus D. Smith and others. This es- tablishment was sold in 1837 to Messrs. William Kidd and Thomas J. Paterson, by whom the business (greatly extended) is now carried on. Two large establishments are employed in different branches of business connected with the carpet manufacture : one of these buildings is the brick factory (leased from Christopher H. Graham) at the Lower Falls, where the yarn is prepared from the wool ; the other building, in which the weaving and dying are carried on, is near Selye's fire-engine factory at the Middle Falls. The whole establishment contains 2 looms for Venetian carpeting, 8 looms for fine and 10 for superfine Scotch carpeting. With these 20 looms about 40 hands are steadily employed. The present consumption of wool is at the annual rate of about 90,000 lbs., worth about $25,000 ; which produces about 45,000 yards of fin- ished carpeting, worth about $50,000. Besides this, farmers in the vicinity and sur- rounding counties are supplied here to a considerable extent with carpets died and wove from their own yarn. The proprietors have been careful to select skilful Scotch weavers and dyers; and their efforts to have colours, quality, and patterns equal to the best ever shown in our markets, are eminently successful. They contemplate en- larging their present number of looms, with the view that three-ply or imperial carpets and rugs of superior quality may give greater variety to the productions of this inter- esting establishment.
The true friends of domestic manufactures will not require to be urged to bestow on this and all similar establishments that notice and patronage of which they are deserving. Yet there are hundreds, ay, thousands, in and about Rochester who are apparently unconscious or careless of the efforts made to establish this and other equally advantageous branches of business among us-hundreds and thousands, too, who profess great zeal for the prosperity of manufactures and the growth of the city ! The excellence of colour, figure, and material, which have been steadily aimed at, have established the character of the Rochester carpeting not merely in the surround- ing region, but in the New-York and Albany markets. Orders to a considerable extent are constantly filling for those cities ; and notwithstanding the temporary dis- couragements of the times, the steadiness of the demand furnishes convincing proof that the enterprising spirit which established and continued this manufacture was well-directed, as we trust it will be handsomely rewarded by the results which should ever follow industry and capital rightly employed.
Cloth Factories, Woollen-The principal woollen factory, lately owned by Edmund and Hervey Lyon, was burnt soon after it was purchased by a company that intended to prosecute the business very extensively. The ruined building has been bought by E. Lyon and Joseph Field, and will soon be rebuilt. It was a valuable establishment to the city. The woollen factories now in operation are that of Horatio N. Curtiss- that of Henry B. Coleman-that of Chester Cook and Silas Pierce-besides the cloth- dressing and wool-carding establishments of Calvin Lewis & Co.
Firearms .- The excellence of the Rochester rifles ia becoming so generally known as to enlarge greatly the demand for the article. The work turned out from the fac- tories of Joseph Medbery, Ephraim Gilbert, and J. & J. Miller, is certainly creditable to those manufacturers and to the mechanics of the city. The Messrs. Miller are pa- tentees of the seven-shot rifle and pistol, for which frequent orders are received, from the south particularly.
Fire-Engines-While Rochester can thus furnish the southerners with the means of keeping up a brisk fire against the Seminoles and Mexicans, engines and hy- draulions can be furnished from her workshops to protect half the towns in the land against the ravages of the "devouring element." Selye's Fire-Engine Factory is not only supplying many of the towns even unto the "Far West," but is actually making headway eastward against the competition of older establishments in the at-
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lantic cities. Several of the Rochester engines have been bought in the city of Schenectady, in Columbia county, &c. The corporation of Schenectady, having pre- viously tested the excellence of Selye's machines, formally resolved that they were " best adapted to the wants of the city, on account of the facility with which they throw water and the perfect ease with which they are kept in repair ; so that in every emergency, they (the Rochester engines) can be relied upon with entire confidence." (Vide Schenectady papers of February 10th, 1836.) A compliment, equally handsome and well deserved, to the ingenuity and enterprise of our townsman, LEWIS SELYE, who has established this and other branches of business through the force of hia own skill and perseverance, unaided by any stock companies or capitalists. This fire-engine factory has recently completed an order for ten of the best quality of engines for the United States Government-to be distributed among the fortifications on the Atlantic and westward. Those who reflect on the value of such manufac- tures to the city of Rochester will excuse the length of this notice. One such fac- tory as either of those above mentioned contributes more to the solid wealth of a place than would several wholesale steres-owing to the greatly increased value placed by labour on the raio material, and the consequent ability to sustain a large portion of industrious population without the use of so much capital.
Tanneries-The establishment of Jacob Graves is one of the largest and most per- fect in the state. All the buildings shown in the accompanying engraving are used for the business. Built of stone chiefly, the remainder of brick. The tannery of P. W. Jennings and Rutus Keeler adjoins that of Mr. Graves.
Morocco-dressers and Wool-merchants-Errickson & Parsons, Edward Roggen.
Paper-making .- Gilman and Sibley established a paper-mill in 1819, which passed into the hands of Everard Peck, and was burnt several years ago. The business was discontinued ; but a new start has been made in it by P. Foley & Co., who have leased and altered for the purpose the flouring-mill of Dr. M'Cracken, on the east side of the Lower Falls, in the second ward. From the copious supply of good water there obtained from springs, and from the goodness of the machinery, there is reason to believe that this will become a valuable branch of business. A paper warehouse is established in the city by Everard Peck and William Alling.
Piano Manufactory-Among the valuable branches of business recently intro- duced, the manufacture of pianos is deserving of particular notice. N. BINGHAM has the merit of having, by his skill and enterprise, brought this business to such perfection, that the Rochester pianos may bear comparison with the best that are made elsewhere. The increasing wealth and improving taste of the people of the sur- rounding country, as well as of the city, furnish encouraging evidence to the worthy manufacturer that the tone and construction of his instruments are becoming properly appreciated throughout this region. The pianos from this establishment are on the most approved plans, and sales have been made of some worth between four and five hundred dollars. The manufactory is on Monroe-street, near Alexander-street-and B. C. Brown is agent for the sale of instruments, at the corner of State and Buffalo streets.
Veneering-our native woods, &c .- The black walnut, curled and birdseye maple, &c., of which abundant supplies are found in clearing our rich soils, are rapidly ad- vancing in public estimation, in this country as well as in Europe. Their very com- monness in this country is probably the chief reason why they have not been more highly esteemed among us at an earlier period. Far-fetched and dear-bought articles are too frequently preferred by fashion to the better and cheaper commodities fur- nished now, or which can be furnished, by our native land and by our own neigh- bours. The increasing demand for the variety of American fancy woods, and the fact that the trees grow only in the rich soils usually first cleared and tilled, must soon enhance the price of those articles to rates resembling those of foreign growth. The establishment of A. Whipple & Co., for sawing and preparing veneers, is a striking evidence of intelligent enterprise on the part of the manufacturers and the capitalist who has aided the undertaking by his wealth-the manufacturers being not only self-taught in the business, but having constructed their excellent machinery wholly themselves, as well as personally disposed of some specimens of their work, and made contracts for regularly supplying London, Dublin, Edinburgh, Paris, and other foreign cities. The vencering-mill is a new and large stone building, between the flouring-mills of Hooker & Co. and those nf Charles J. Hill, at the Lower Falls, in the fifth ward.
Sawmills-Ball's sawmill and Griffith's sawmill, both run by John Biden, Jr. ; Julius Andrews, S. C. Jones and Brother, Russel Tomlinson, Bassett & Underhill, and M. Pound. There are now but seven sawmilla, three having been taken away to give place to the new aqueduct. There are other dealers in lumber besides those who run the sawmills, such as Almon Bronson, N. Osborn, &c.
GRAVES
TANNERYS
J.T. Young D
I.W.Dri
SPECIMENS OF ROCHESTER MANUFACTORIES.
The Tannery of Jacob Graves, one of the largest in the State-front on Water-street, rear on the river, a few rods north of the Main Bridge.
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CARPET FACTORY
KIDD& PATERSON.
DYE HOUSE.
It
SPECIMENS OF ROCHESTER MANUFACTORIES.
One branch of the Carpet Factory of William Kidd and Thomas J. Paterson-between Brown's Race and Mill-street, beside the Minin Falla the athome Loswal. in at an
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LEWIS SELYE& COFIRE ENGINE & HOSE FACTORY.
LEWIS SETTE POR FIRE ENGINEL ROSE FACTORY
MACHINE SHOP
LOWIS SELYE & OG
SPECIMENS OF ROCHESTER MANUFACTORIES.
h
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OTHER BRANCHES OF BUSINESS.
Dry Goods Stores-John C. Ackley; Amos B. Buckland; Edward Bardwell ; Ste- phen B. Bentley and Azel B. Brown; Hiram Blanchard ; George Bartholick ; J. G. Billings and J. P. Bixford ; Sylvester Brown and C. H. Mason ; John Caldwell ; Timo- thy Chapman ; Artemas Doane and James II. Wild ; Jolin Dunn ; James P. Dawson; Walter S. Griffith ; John Gifford; Simon P. W. Howe; George Harwood; James Jameson ; William Kidd & Co .; N. S. Kendrick ; Mitchell Loder and J. P. Brittin ; Ileman Loomis ; William M.Knight ; Jared Newell, Albert C. Newell, and William Il. Thomas ; Thos. J. Paterson, B. L. Souillard, and James Miller; Levi W. Sibley, Edwin Scrantom, and George A. Sibley ; Humphrey B. Sherman ; Ralph Snow ; Wm. IF. and Levi A. Ward ; Ingersoll and Church.
Ship Chandlery, Groceries, &c .- George A. Avery, E. D. Smith, and Henry Brew- ster ; Walter S. Griffith ; Elijah F. and Albert G. Smith; William P. Smith.
Groceries and Provisions-Edward S. Clark; Ilenry T. Hooker and Reuben A. Bunnell ; P. B. L. Smith and Company : Elias Weed; Joseph Farley and Samuel Hamilton ; James W. Sawyer ; Alfred Ilubbell ; Henry Campbell ; Preston Smith ; Joseph Halsey ; S. B. Dewey ; N. B. Merick ; David Dickey; William G. Russell ; Hildreth & Co .; S. F. Witherspoon ; A. Chapin ; E. A. Miller ; N. H. Blossom; Marcus Morse ; Elisha Flowers ; John B. Dewey ; Charles Smith ; Calvin S. Gale; Wm. H. Burtiss ; Joseph Cochrane; Cornelius M.Guire ; Giles Carter ; Samuel B. Coleman ; M. Galusha ; Lucius Bell ; Quincy Stoddard ; P. J. Macnamara; John N. Green ; E. N. Pettee ; C. Mitchell ; William O'Neil; James Rowe : Robert Sloan and Hugh Cameron ; J. Morton; Adam Linegar; Joseph Howard; Henry Staring ; Thomas Edwards; Edmund Moses ; Samuel Ball ; Joseph Alexander ; John I. Chap- pell ; John D. Wood; William J. Southerin ; Samuel I. Willett ; J. P. Munschauer and Company ; James M'Mullen ; Charles I. Wing ; Charles T. Squier and Frederic Stott; Thomas Betts ; Abel L. Jones ; E. F. Brown; Austin Stewart ; John Steele ; John Sheridan ; James M'Intosh ; Gordon Hayes ; George Carter ; Moody and Dalton ; David M.Kay ; David Godden ; Sylvanus Butler ; Robert Christie ; Ira Bowen ; Milton Rose ; Nelson Townsend ; Thomas Greggs.
Hardware-dealers-Josiah Sheldon and U. B. Sheldon ; E. Watts ; C. Hendrix ; D. R. Barton, II. Bancker, and Carlton Avery ; Bush and Viele ; B. and J. Wedd.
Tailors and Dealers in Clothing-George Byingion ; P. Kearney ; Christopher H. Graham; H. B. Sherman ; Alfred M. Williams; Peter Y. Burke; John Burns ; Thomas Jennings ; Garret A. Madden ; Benjamin T. Robinson ; Benjamin Bayliss, Samuel Bayliss; John Perhannes; James Buchan , George A. Wilkins; Charles Thompson; Matthew Burns; William Soden; P. Doyle; J. Dolman ; J. A. Tall- madge ; Henry Harrison ; Charles P. Dwyer ; J. G. Cozzens, &c.
Leather-dealers-Jacob Graves ; Jacob and George Gould; Oren Sage and Edwin Pancoast ; P. W. Jennings and Rufus Keeler.
China, Glass, Crockery, &c .- Joseph Weekes and Company ; Charles W. Dundas. Besides these two stores, which sell by wholesale as well as retail, there are about twenty stores selling crockery and glassware among other goods.
Builders-carpenters or masons-Nehemiah Oshorn ; Jason Bassett; Benjamin Adsit ; Charles G. Cumings ; Richard Gorsline ; Joseph Wood ; Henry Fox ; Elias .J. Mershon ; Matthew Moore; Robert A. Hall ; Philip Allen; J. T. Lockwood; John Taylor ; Carlos Dutton ; Robert Wilson; Martin R. Briggs ; Josiah Wilcox.
Bakeries-There are twelve : kept by Harmon Taylor ; Jacob Howe; Thomas F. and Christopher Passage ; John S. Caldwell; Elias Ball and John Serpell ; R. & T. Stringham ; Francis Shreve; William Connell ; William Shahen; A. Griswold; P. M'Caffray ; Augustus Hebbens.
Printing-offices-Luther Tucker; Shepard, Strong, and Dawson; David Hoyt ; William Alling ; C. S. Underwood.
Hatters-John Haywood; Darius Perrin and A. C. Wheeler; Willis Kempshall ; Freeman Divoll ; C. Mollen ; Hiram Mason ; Charles Hubbell ; Ebenezer Knapp.
Jewellers-Erastus Cook ; Jonathan Packard and J. Kedzie; Wmn. P. and Henry Staunton ; D. W. Chapman; Lawrence Baron ; Cornelius Burr; Edward Walker.
Drug-stores-William Pitkin; John and Jabez D. Hawks; John M Winslow; John Sinyles and Charles Bird ; George H. Sprigg ; Samuel Weeks and John Hadley.
Bookstores-David Iloyt ; William Alling ; Clarendon Morse ; Nichols and Wilson ; Henry Stanwood & Co.
Exchange- brokers-E. Ely ; J. T. Tallman ; II. Morison ; G. W. Pratt ; J. H. Watts. Chandlers-Moses Dyer and Co. ; Samuel Moulson; Orlin Chapin ; Jacob Ander- son ; F. M'Geehan. The first two deal largely in tallow.
Millinery-shops-Miss Charlock; Mrs. Lucas; Mrs. M. U. Post; Miss Cooper ; Mrs. Sanford ; Miss S. A. Ferguson ; Mrs. Wilson ; Miss Olmstead; Miss Chase ; Miss Kidd.
Painters, sign and ornamental-Russell Green ; J. I. Rohbins; A. II. Jones ; J. A. Sprague ; A. Reed ; W. II. Myers ; Evans & Arnold ; Munger & Ritchie : J. Selkrig.
Seed-stores-William Reynolds and Michael B. Bateham ; Kedie and Houghton. Bookbinderies-Three : Samuel Drake ; David Hoyt ; William Alling.
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SKETCHES OF ROCHESTER, ETC.
Edge-tools-The proficiency to which the Rochester manufacturers have attained is evidenced by the rapidly-increasing demand for the various edge-tools required by carpenters, coopers, and other mechanics. The exertions of Stager, Selye, Barton, Guild, &c., are worthy of much approbation connected with this branch of business, as they are rendering us independent of Sheffield and Birmingham in these matters. It is a duty which every citizen owes to his own interest, as well as to his neighbours and the city generally, to encourage the efforts of enterprising mechanics and manu- facturers. Those branches of business which place the greatest amount of value upon the raw material (such as the conversion of iron into articles worth from tenfold to fiftyfold the cost of the metal) are particularly worthy of attention in cities like this. We trust that the advantage of the city, as well as the inerits of enterprising artisans, will induce every well-wisher of domestic manufactures to render all the assistance in his power towards sustaining the efforts of those whose well-directed skill and industry have already so well established the reputation of ROCHESTER EDGE-TOOLS. There is this advantage, too, that tools here made are all warranted to the purchaser. The last fire at the southwest end of the River Bridge on Buffalo- street unluckily destroyed the establishments of Barton and Guild and Henry W. Stager. But, with characteristic enterprise, those persons have already recommenced manufacturing ; and the countenance of their fellow-citizens should be liberally bestowed on the establishments rising thus phoenix-like from the ashes.
Iron Furnaces-Thomas Kempshall and John F. Bush, Lewis Kenyon, Andrew J. Langworthy, Lewis Selye. Connected with Mr. Langworthy's establishment, there is a malleable iron foundry going into operation. 'The casting of mill-irons and other machinery required about a manufacturing city like Rochester must make the furnace business always an important one.
Copper, Tin, and Sheet-iron Factories-Ebenezer Watts; A. Achilles ; A. B. Church ; Darius Cole ; John M. Clark ; Joseph Lockwood and Henry Sparks; Calvin Whaples and Albert Morse ; Cornelius Austin ; A. Morse ; E. Y. Kneeland & Co. ; Leonard Hitchcock.
Boat-building-There are six boatyards now, which may better be designated ship- yards when the enlarged canal shall require the construction of larger vessels than are now built. The reasons assigned by the Encyclopedia Americana, quoted in the article on the canal trade, sufficiently explain the extent to which the boat-building has been carried on and must continue to be carried on at Rochester Our boatyards supply not only a large proportion of vessels for the Erie Canal, but many for other canals in this and other states. The boatyards are conducted by Seth C. Jones, by Walter Barhydt, by J. P. Milliner and David R. Barton, by Lars Larson, by Jeremiah Ilildreth & Co., and by W. W. Howell and Brother.
Cooperage-The extent of the flour manufacture furnishes employment for a large number of men in making barrels. About half a million being required annually, the outlay of the Rochester mills for barrels alone is usually between $150,000 and $200,000 each year. When to this item is added the cost of barrels required for pork, beer, beef, and other commodities, it must be considered within bounds to estimate the annual payment for cooperage in Rochester at an average of the last-mentioned sum- an amount greater than the whole value of the articles manufactured annually in some considerable villages. Such expenditures are the more important, as they go to pay for raw material, as well as labour furnished wholly in this neighbourhood-and thus add much to the wealth of the community, while sustaining a considerable num- ber of industrious mechanics and labourers. The conperage business has been carried on by Ephraim Moore, M. Hall, P. Bucklay, Laban Bunker, William Lacey, and others in the vicinity.
Cabinetmakers-William Brewster and Harvey T. Fenn ; Frederic Starr ; Cowles and Leavenworth; Daniel Graves and Charles Robinson ; Bill Colby ; David Allen ; J. Bell ; J. Woodman ; Wakeman Burr; A. Kilbourn; Smith, Van Allen, & Hinckley.
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