USA > Rhode Island > Biographical history of the manufacturers and business men of Rhode Island, at the opening of the twentieth century > Part 15
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Caleb A. Caswell.
carriage manufacturing business, and his pro- ductions are of the highest grade that are made in this part of the country.
I4I
AND BUSINESS MEN OF RHODE ISLAND.
Mechanical Fabric Company .- Manufacturers of rubber thread, card cloths, air mattresses and cushions, and other rubber specialties. Business established by A. L. Kelley in May, 1890, and incorporated the same year. Capital- ized for $150,000. Works located on Sprague street, Elmwood, Providence. Employ about 100 hands. Officers: Arthur L. Kelley, Presi- dent; Edward B. Kelley, Secretary and Treas- urer. The plant is one of the best in the city;
ship street, Providence. Mr. Norton is a native of Swansey, Mass., where he was born October 7, 1857.
C. P. Darling & Co. - Manufacturers of wooden packing boxes, box shooks, etc. Busi- ness established in 1884 by C. P. Darling. Works located at 415 Charles street, Provi- dence. The entire plant was destroyed by fire in 1895, but new works were built the same year and the business continued, Mr. Darling's
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Plant of The Mechanical Fabric Company, Sprague Street, Elmwood, Providence.
the entire property occupying nearly a square. The goods manufactured by this company are considered as fine as any made in the country.
Frye Bros. - Manufacturers of rolled gold plate, buttons, pins, chains, charms, etc., and optical goods. Business established June I, 1901. Works located at 38 Friendship street, Providence. Employ 10 hands.
William Norton. - Manufacturer of gold plated novelties in jewelry ; also a variety of pearl goods. Business established by William Norton in 1896. Works located at 38 Friend-
son, Edwin S. Darling, being at that time ad- mitted as a member of the firm. The works cover an area of 40,000 square feet, and are con- nected with the railroad by a switch, thereby making it convenient for shipping their goods. C. P. Darling was a native of Douglas, Mass. The Rhode Island textile mills are supplied largely by this house with their packing cases.
George H. Cahoone & Co .- Manufacturers of ladies', misses' and children's solid gold rings, seamless filled rings, scarf pins and brooches. Works located in the Manufacturers Building, 7 Beverly street, Providence.
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142
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF THE MANUFACTURERS
Hamilton Web Co .- Manufacturers of narrow fabrics. Boot and gaiter webs, tapes, bindings, and non-elastic webs in cotton, worsted and silk, also name webs. Business established in 1866 by Vaughn & Greene in the present loca- tion. Incorporated in 1885. Capitalized for $150,000. Officers: James A. Greene, President and Treasurer; Joseph W. Greene, Secretary and Superintendent. The mill property is lo- cated in Hamilton, R. I., near Wickford, in the town of North Kingstown, on one of the most beautiful sites for a manufacturing business to be found in the State, overlooking Narragansett Bay and surrounded by broad intervales, near the mouth of the Annaquatucket River, utilizing its waters just before they empty into the Bay to the extent of about 100 horse power. In addition to this there is a modern steam plant of about 200 horse power, including one Greene and one Har- ris-Corliss engine, which furnish suffi- cient power for the entire works. The wooden mill which was begun when the business was estab- lished, has been en- larged from time to time, its style of architecture being that of the typical New England cotton factory of the past, but the new factory, which is devoted wholly to weaving, is a modern brick structure, 230 feet in length by 121 feet in width, and was built about 1882. The mills are protected by a sprink- ler system, and are equipped with the most modern machinery that is made for the manu- facture of cotton, worsted and silk webbing. The dwellings where the 175 employes live with their families, are well built and situated on well kept streets, near the works, making the village of Hamilton one of the most attractive manufacturing hamlets in the South County. The company own another small mill which is
located a little farther up the stream and is known as the Annaquatucket factory. The plant contains 109 looms, 60 jacquards and 5,000 spindles. The yarn is all spun, colored and polished in their own factories, and the fin- ished product is sold direct. This company were the first to manufacture webbing in the State of Rhode Island, and enjoys the distinc- tion of being the pioneer industry of its kind in the United States in connection with one other factory that was established in Connecticut at about the same time. James A. Greene, the President of the company, was born in Centre- ville, R. I., January 3, 1833, and is a de- scendant of the orig- inal John Greene, "surgeon," who came over in connection with Roger Williams and settled in Rhode Island. His father, Joseph Warren Greene, was also a native of Centreville, and a manufacturer. When Mr. Greene entered into partner- ship with Mr. Vaughn, he immediately began to increase the vol- ume of business, en- larging the factory to meet the demand, and to his energy and business tact the present successful
James A. Greene.
establishment may justly be credited. Joseph Warren Greene, who was born in Brook- lyn, N. Y., in 1863, entered the employ of the company in 1885, being elected Secretary and Superintendent in 1892. James Cullen Greene, a younger son, who was born in Brooklyn, New York, entered the employ of the com- pany in 1887, and now has charge of the office work and is paymaster of the corpor- ation. Mr. Greene, senior, prior to entering into the business of web making had been engaged in the jewelry business with his father, Joseph Greene, under the firm name of Joseph W. Greene & Smith, 170 Broadway, New York.
His son,
143
AND BUSINESS MEN OF RHODE ISLAND.
Hamilton Web Co.'s Annaquatucket Mill.
Mills of the Hamilton Web Co., Hamilton, R. I.
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HALKYARD MFG. CO.
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Halkyard Mfg. Co. Building, Cor. Dorrance and Friendship Streets, Providence.
145
AND BUSINESS MEN OF RHODE ISLAND.
Halkyard Manufacturing Co .- Manufacturers of lacing hooks for shoes and other purposes, and a line of rivets for belts, shoes, harness trim- mings, etc. The business was established in 1879 by William Halkyard and incorporated October 24, 1888. Capitalized for $150,000 with William Halkyard, President and General Man- ager ; Henry A. Church, Treasurer, and George M. Church, Secretary, the two last named being members of the well known jewelry manufac- turing firm of H. A. & G. M. Church. The works are located at the corner of Dorrance and Friendship streets where they employ 50 hands. This is one of the pioneer manufactur- ing concerns of its kind in this country and their goods are sold all over the United States and in foreign countries. There is hardly a shoe manufacturer in the country that does not use these shoe lacing hooks, and the indus- try is one of the very important ones of the state. William Halk- yard, the President, was born in Leeds, England, June 20, 1845. Came to Amer- ica in 1849. After completing his edu- cation in the public schools of Providence, he entered Thomas J. Hill's machine shop, located on Eddy street, now the Providence Machine Co., to learn the trade of a machinist, serving three years, after which he was engaged by the Providence Tool Co. to make gun tools. Later he was employed by William A. Harris when he first began the manufacture of steam engines on Eddy street. Mr. Halkyard, with the assistance of another machinist, built the first Harris-Corliss engine, which has proven so popular among the manu- facturers of the country. Later he proceeded to invent various machines for the manufacture of patent lacing hooks, etc., that the company make a specialty of. One machine was made
William Halkyard.
for producing the lacing hooks all completed and ready for the enameler, another for the purpose of inserting hooks in shoes automatic- ally, and still another for making metal beads. Machines were also invented by Mr. Halkyard for the manufacture of rivets and for covering electric wire with lead.
The factory building that was purchased by the company is seven stories in height, and is one of the oldest buildings in the city devoted to the manufacturing jewelry business. The Halkyard Manufacturing Co. occupy four floors, and the remainder is devoted to the manufactur- ing jewelry business or kindred trades. The office of the com- pany is located at 148 Dorrance street. The cut shown upon the opposite page repre- sents a structure sub- stantially built, well adapted to manufac- turing purposes, and for the times when it was constructed it was considered one of the best buildings of the city. This, with the Bowen Building on Page street, shared about equal honors as great centres of the jewelry manufactur- ers prior to the build- ing of the more mod- ern structurers like the Manufacturers' Building and others in the city of Providence.
Greenwood & Chase. - Manufacturers of a general line of ladies' jewelry in rolled gold plate and electro-plated goods. Business estab- lished April 15, 1901, by Thomas F. Green- wood, who is a native of Attleboro, Mass., where he was born June 13, 1865. Howard P. Chase became a member of the firm soon after its establishment, who is a native of Providence. Goods are sold extensively in this country, and to some extent in Europe. The works are located at 9 Calender street, Providence, R. I. They now employ about 50 hands.
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146
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF THE MANUFACTURERS
Carpenter & Wood .- One of the most impor- tant industries that has been pushed to the front during the past few years is the manufacture of
A. I. Carpenter.
enamel, which is used largely by jewelers and others who have occasion for decorative art. One of the principal firms engaged in the man- ufacture of enamels in Providence is that of Carpenter & Wood, who are located in the so- called Penholder Building, now the Halkyard Mfg. Co. Building, at 38 Friendship street. The firm is composed of A. I. Carpenter and E. B. Wood. Mr. Carpenter was born in the town of Cranston in 1858, and received a com- mon school education. While yet a young man, he came to Providence and learned the art of enamel making, and has since been engaged in the business in one capacity or another. The present business was started by him in 1879. In 1887 he entered into a partnership with Mr. Wood and the firm has since continued under the firm name of Carpenter & Wood. Mr. Wood, the other member of the firm, was born in Providence in 1838, and received a common school education in this city. His first work was at the machinists' trade, which he learned at the shop formerly owned by Thomas J. Hill, now deceased. Mr. Wood has had a varied ex- perience, having been a sailor during three years of his life time, and has traveled exten-
sively. He served three years in the Civil War and has been foreman in a jewelry factory during quite a period of his life. In fact he was engaged in that capacity when the firm of Car- penter & Wood was first started. Both of the members of the firm are entirely practical, and have brought out many new ideas in enamels that have proven not only profitable to them- selves, but also to customers who had use for that commodity. In fact, it may well be said that the firm has done as much as anybody, and probably more, to bring about the popu- larity of enamel with jewelers for decorative purposes in their business where many thous- ands of dollars worth are used by manufactur- ing jewelers every year. Carpenter & Wood make everything that can be thought of in enamel and may well be said to be a self-made and progressive firm. The great popularity of enamel goods of all kinds which have been created largely by this firm, has aided materially in increasing the volume of manufactured goods in the line of jewelry, and the prospect for the future promises a still greater business. The efforts that the members of this company have put forth in this particular branch of trade has
E. B. Wood.
again given Rhode Island the right to claim the leadership in a branch of another industry, as she has in many other instances.
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AND BUSINESS MEN OF RHODE ISLAND.
C. Warren Tuttle .- Manufacturer of imitation precious stones of all kinds, glass eyes, claws, noses and taxidermist supplies and millinery or- naments, including jet work, beads, etc. Works located at 21 Eddy street, Providence. Busi- ness established in 1867 by Charles D. Tuttle in the city of Pawtucket, R. 1., (for a short time being located in Attleboro, Mass.,) who was the inventor of this line of work in the United States. Prior to introducing this line of glass goods he was a gold plater in Providence, doing an extensive business in that line. Upon the death of Charles D. Tuttle in 1883, November 14, his son succeeded him in the business, and after remaining in Pawtucket until 1892 he moved his plant to Providence, 21 Eddy street, where he has carried on business ever since. Here he has increased his busi- ness largely, his place being equipped with all of the modern ma- chinery and appliances for the producing of his various glass specialties. In addi- tion to the number of goods made already mentioned, he also makes a line of glass dress buttons in vari- ous colors, and mill supplies including creal steps, which are used generally throughout the textile mills of the country. C. Warren Tuttle was born in Provi- dence, May 20, 1856, and began business with his father when he began the manufacture of glass specialties, which have taken the place of costly stone ornaments in jewelry throughout the country, their imitation stones being so near in color and form to the real article it re- quires a very close examination to discover whether they are imitation or the genuine stone. He makes them in imitation of diamonds, down to the more ordinary turquoise. Every con- ceivable shade of color are produced in these stones, and the facets are made to appear as
perfect as if they were cut in the most expen- sive Brazilian diamond. These goods are used mostly by the manufacturing jewelers, and con- sequently his output is used largely here in Providence and the Attleboros, although they are sold in all parts of the country. This class of goods was formerly made in Europe, but since the introduction of the business in this country by Mr. Tuttle, senior, the foreign pro- duct has found comparatively little room here, because the goods made by Mr. Tuttle are equal if not superior to the imported imitation stone and the price being equally low, the home mar- ket is supplied by the American manufac- turer. It is quite cred- itable to the State of Rhode Island to have the privilege of saying that a manufacturer within her borders was the first to introduce this very important in- dustry, which enables the jewelry manufac- turer to produce highly finished and stylish jewelry in imitation of the most costly brooches, pins, rings, etc., so that the masses can be accommodated with inexpensive decor- ations, fully as attrac- tive as if real gems were incased therein. Rhode Island has long since had the reputa- tion for creating many new things in the various lines of manufactures, from the steam engine down to the minute ornament in jew- elry. Mr. Tuttle has displayed a tact for introducing his goods throughout the country that is somewhat unusal, and which has proven one of the prime factors that have pushed his business to the front and made it one of the very successful manufacturing concerns of the city of Providence. His plant is conveniently situated in the Billings Block, near the railroad station in the business centre of the city, and it is one of the most progressive industries of the State.
C. Warren Tuttle.
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF THE MANUFACTURERS
J. A. Charnley Co. - Manufacturers of jew- elers' findings in the line of figured wire of all kinds, flat stock, galleries, etc. Business estab-
James A. Charnley.
lished in 1872 by James A. Charnley, who was a native of Tiverton, R. I., where he was born October 2, 1831, and who died January 8, 1899. Mr. Charnley developed an extensive business, and produced many original designs in the vari- ous kinds of stock that he manufactured, besides many of the automatic machines that were used in their manufacture. He served an appren- ticeship as an engraver of rolls for calico print- ing with the firm of Andrews & Knight of Providence, and was employed at the Cranston Print works and other similar concerns at vari- ous times, prior to establishing business on his own account. Upon his death, his son, Charles F. Charnley, became the manager of the con- cern, and under his management the business has steadily increased, keeping pace with the trade in bringing out everything new in the way of designs and patterns. He learned the trade of a printer or compositor and was employed on the Providence Journal and Bulletin for a num- ber of years. About 1885 he left the printing business and engaged with his father in the making of jewelers' findings, where he has re- mained ever since, learning every detail of the business, which he has kept up to the high
standard that was set by his father. He was born in Pawtucket, June 21, 1854, when that city was partly in Massachusetts. His son, Joseph A. Charnley, who was born in Provi- dence, October 13, 1880, is an able assistant in the management of the business. The works are located at 161 Dorrance street, Providence.
Saxondale Worsted Mill .- Manufacturers of fancy worsteds for men's wear. Business established in 1898 by Inman & Tracy, and September 1, 1900, the business was reorganized and Robert Wilcox, M. D., of Pascoag, be- came a partner in the business, and was ap- pointed Treasurer of the concern. He was born in Pascoag, R. I., in November, 1854, where he has practiced medicine for more than twenty- two years. Mill located in Pascoag, R. I. Employ about 100 hands. The property was formerly known as the James O. Inman Mill, which was carried on successfully by him for many years.
National Elastic Webbing Co .- Manufacturers of elastic webbing. Works located at 85 Sprague street, Providence. Consolidated with the American Tubing & Webbing Co. of Providence,
Charles F. Charnley.
I901. The webbing company of Newport,. R. I., also consolidated with the same company" the same year.
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AND BUSINESS MEN OF RHODE ISLAND.
Frederic W. Morse .- Manufacturer of every variety of high grade pieced tin ware. Factory and warerooms at 94 Dyer street, Providence.
Frederic W. Morse.
One of the best equipped tin manufacturing plants in the State. The business was estab- lished in 1869 under the company name of Hill, Morse & Knight, and probably the first to be started in Rhode Island. Mr. Morse, the pres- ent owner, who purchased the plant and busi- ness in 1894, was born in Boston, Mass., April 23, 1854, and for twenty-six years was in the same line of business with his father, Mark F. Morse, whose shop was located at 94 Dorrance street. Having learned the trade of a tin smith in his youth, and having followed the business ever since that time, he possesses a knowledge of the various lines that is unsurpassed by any manufacturer of tin goods in New England.
American Spinning Co. - Manufacturers of woolen yarns for woolen mills. Formerly the Galvin Yarn Co., which began business in 1895. Works located at 4 Addison Place. John E. Donley, proprietor. New factory erected about 1898, which has a floor space of some 15,000 square feet.
K. W. Whittemore. - Manufacturer of the " Champion" blackboard material for school houses. Business established in 1881. Ken- dall W. Whittemore, the proprietor, was born in
Warehouse Point, Enfield, Conn., December 29, 1833. He learned the trade of a brick layer, plasterer and ornamental stucco worker in the city of Worcester, which business he fol- lowed for some thirty-five years. In 1861 he went to work for the United States Government in the Armory at Springfield, his work there being the boring and straightening of gun barrels. After eleven months he engaged with the Colt's Armory in the same line of business, in the city of Hartford, Conn. Here he remained until the close of the war. Mr. Whittemore came to Provi- dence in 1880, and that year he invented the Potter & Fenner soapstone blackboard material, and in 1881 he invented the Champion black- board material, and began its manufacture. This blackboard material has been put into school houses in all parts of the United States, and it has proven more durable than slate, with equally good surface, and much less liable to be scratched. Many of the school houses of Provi- dence are equipped with blackboards made from this "Champion " material. Works located at 69 Sprague street, Providence. This material is put on to rough plastering, making a surface that will wear for years. This invention has
Kendall W. Whittemore.
proven one of the most valuable for use in edu- cational work that has been brought out in this country.
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF THE MANUFACTURERS
WESTERLY, R. I.
Prior to 1800 there was very little manufac- turing done in Rhode Island in the line of tex- tiles, but the early settlers made use of the vari- ous water privileges for grinding grist and for sawing logs from the then more adjacent for- ests. The first use that was made of the Paw- catuck River, so far as any record shows, with- in the town of Westerly, R. I., was at a point about one mile above Potter Hill, where a dam had been built across the river and Peter Cran-
Joseph Knowles, where he carried on custom carding and cloth dressing. At what is now Stillmanville in 1772 a saw mill was constructed on the Connecticut end of the dam owned by Samuel Brand, Jr., a grist mill having been built prior to that time on the Rhode Island end of the same dam. The dam below Pawca- tuck Bridge is known to have been in existence about 1750, and the mill on the Rhode Island side of the river was known as Brown's Mill. Here in 1809 Stephen Wilcox owned a grist
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Harbor and Pawcatuck River, Westerly, R. I.
dall had erected a grist mill. This was some time prior to 1667. The settlers both near and far came to Crandall's mill to have their corn ground, and he did a thriving business for those early days. Some years afterward this mill was removed to Potter Hill, where as early as 1730 a saw mill had been built on the west side of the river. At Shattuck's Weir Bridge, now Niantic, a dam was built prior to 1758, and a grist mill started. Some years afterwards, a small factory was erected on this site, by Col.
mill, and he leased to William Stillman certain water privileges for any other purpose than grinding grain. December 9, 1813, he sold to Enoch Bartlett and Samuel F. Denison of Bos- ton, and Jedediah W. Knight of Westerly, a tract of land with water privilege. These owners of the water privilege established in 1814, the Pawcatuck Manufacturing Co., and built the stone mill where at first they made woolen goods, and afterwards manufactured cotton fabrics. The property was sold after a
AND BUSINESS MEN OF RHODE ISLAND.
151
few years, and continued as a textile plant, but with little success. The property was finally sold to Stafford, Simmons & Blodgett. This new firm purchased other privileges up the river, at Stillmanville and White Rock, and be- came incorporated under the name of the White Rock Manufacturing Co., now the property of B. B. & R. Knight. In August, 1827, they be- gan the construction of a canal from Stillman- ville to Westerly, which was completed in May, 1828, at an expense of about $10,000. A few years later other manufacturing industries were begun, which developed into large establish- ments and made the town quite noted as a tex- tile manufacturing centre. The Westerly
the town is that which has been developed by its quarries, Westerly granite being considered the finest for many purposes that can be found in the world, and the fine productions in the line of sculpture have made the town famous.
C. B. Cottrell & Sons Co .- Manufacturers of printing presses, including rotary web printing presses for high class work, two revolution[ stop cylinder, lithograph and drum cylinder presses. Business established in 1855. Incorporated in 1892. Capitalized for $800,000. Employ about 500 hands. Works located in Westerly, R. I., on the west bank of the Pawcatuck River. Busi- ness offices, No. 41 Park Row, New York, and No. 279 Dearborn street, Chicago, Ill. There
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Dixon House Square and High Street, Westerly, R. I.
Woolen Co. plant is now one of the most im- portant in the town, and the Crefeld Mills and Solway Mills produce some of the finest fabrics that are made in the state, and the mills are well constructed for textile manufacturing. The other manufacturing plants within the limits of the town are the Westerly Silk Mill, the Campbell Mills Co. at Potter Hill, the Ash- away Woolen Co. at Ashaway, and the Bethel Mills Co. at Ashaway, the Wm. Clark Co.'s Thread Works, now the property of the Ameri- can Thread Co. combination, and the C. B. Cot- trell & Sons Co. plant where the famous Cot- trell printing presses are made. Outside of manufacturing, the most important industry of
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