USA > Rhode Island > Providence County > History of Providence County, Rhode Island > Part 17
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The handsome village of upwards of two thousand inhabitants which has grown up around the works in the delightful Moshassuck valley is known as Saylesville, that being the name given to the post office when it was established.
In 1863 Mr. Sayles admitted to partnership his brother, Frederic C., a sketch of whose life is elsewhere given in this volume, and the Moshassuck Bleachery of to-day stands as a monument to their com- bined industry and business energy. Ten years later, in 1873, to meet the recognized religious needs of the community, the brothers erected on the high grounds overlooking the bleachery a beautiful memorial chapel of Westerly granite, to the memory of their deceased children, whose names are inscribed on marble tablets upon the in- terior walls on either side of the pulpit. The edifice is of the gothic style of architecture, has stained glass windows, is tastefully finished and furnished, seats 200 persons, and has a fine organ. The vestry is well arranged for the use of the Sunday school, which, until the com- pletion of the chapel, had held its sessions in the district school house from the time of its organization. In 1877 William F. erected a hand- some stone tower on the corner of the chapel as a memorial to his es- timable son, William Clark Sayles, who died the previous year while a student in Brown University. The entire cost of the edifice is about $30,000. A few years later the Messrs. Sayles erected a large hall for the use of those in their employ, in the basement of which is a library and reading-room, and a room for the meetings of the fire- men's association connected with the bleachery, and also for social purposes.
The Moshassuck Bleachery, with its numerous substantial build- ings, the neat appearance of the tenement houses around it, the ele- vated grounds on either side of the winding stream which gives the valley its name, the pleasant homes of the permanent residents, the
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chapel, the school house, the public hall, the absence of the drinking saloon and its concomitants, the peaceable and orderly character of the people, give to Saylesville its enviable reputation as the model manufacturing village of Rhode Island.
In 1877 the Messrs. Sayles built the Moshassuck Valley railroad, which extends from their bleachery to Woodlawn, where connection is made with the New York, Providence & Boston and the Old Colony roads. The senior member of the firm is president of the road, and the junior member is treasurer. Passenger and freight trains make several trips daily over the road. As many as 200 tons of goods are shipped from the bleachery over this road in a single day.
About midway between the Moshassuck Bleachery and Woodlawn is the village of Lorraine, also the creation of the Messrs. Sayles. Here are the extensive Lorraine Mills, where, by means of skillful labor and the most improved machinery, the finest ladies' dress goods made in this country and known as French cashmeres are produced, rivalling those of the best makers in France. At Lorraine the Messrs. Sayles have also erected a neat chapel for the benefit of their large number of operatives.
On commencement day of Brown University, 1878, a letter from the subject of this sketch was read by President Ezekiel G. Robinson to the assembled graduates, in which the writer announced his pur- pose to offer to the university the sum of $50,000 for the erection of a building as a memorial to his son, William Clark Sayles (born October 12th, 1855), who died deeply lamented by a wide circle of loving friends, February 13th, 1876, he stating that he had selected commencement for making the announcement, because on that day his son would have been graduated had it pleased Heaven to spare his life. Subsequently the sum was increased to $100,000, and the large, elegant stone edifice known as "Sayles Memorial Hall" was dedicated with appropriate and impressive ceremonies on the 4th of June, 1881. On the front of the building is inscribed Filio Pater Posvit, it being a father's memorial of one of the worthiest of sons, a son in whom centered high and cherished hopes, and who gave fairest promise of their fulfillment. This structure is one of the most touch- ing expressions of parental love known in the history of the country.
Mr. Sayles' acknowledged ability as a financier, as well as his in- tegrity, sagacity and accuracy, has led to his appointment to various positions of responsibility and trust in moneyed circles, and caused his counsel to be often sought in financial matters where good judg- ment was necessary to be promptly exercised. He is president of the Slater National Bank of Pawtucket, and a director in the Third National Bank of Providence. Besides his extensive interests at Mo- shassuck and Lorraine, he is a large stockholder in various corpora- tions in which he has capital invested. He is president of the Slater Cotton Company in Pawtucket, of which he was the originator;
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a director in the Ponemah Mills, the largest cotton manufacturing company in Connecticut and one of the largest in New England, and also a stockholder or director in mills in Massachusetts.
Although always loyal to the principles of the republican party, and one of its staunchest supporters, only once has he been prevailed upon by his fellow-citizens to enter political life, believing that he could best serve the public by promoting and expanding those industries which furnish employment to such large numbers of people, thereby enabling the wage-earners to become thrifty citizens and to provide comfortable homes for themselves and those depend- ent upon them. Twice he was chosen state senator in the general assembly from Pawtucket, where his manly course and fidelity to his duties won for him not only the esteem and respect of his political associates, but of his opponents. For a number of years he has been president of the Pawtucket Free Public Library. In 1879 he was elected a member of the board of trustees of Brown University, which position he still holds. For a time he held the position of lieutenant- colonel on the staff of the Pawtucket Light Guard, and during the war for the suppression of the rebellion he was a constant and liberal contributor to all patriotic objects.
He early evinced a taste for literature and art, and notwithstand- ing his busy life he has always found some time for its cultivation. His travels in his own country and in foreign lands have been quite extensive, and in his elegant mansion on East avenue, overlooking Pawtucket and Providence, may be found the productions of the best thinkers and writers, and the most famous painters and sculptors.
Active and public-spirited as a citizen, upright and honorable in all his dealings with his fellow-men, he has won and retained the respect and confidence of the community in which he has always re- sided. From the beginning of his business career he has believed in the principle of hard, persistent work and honesty of purpose as the only sure ground of success. Acting upon this belief he has suc- ceeded by his own unaided exertions in raising himself from the position of a clerk in a commercial house to the possessor of an ample fortune. Endowed with a sympathetic nature, and bestowing sub- stantial aid where deserved, he strives always to make the applicant depend upon himself rather than on others. While from his door none are turned empty away, his charities are of the practical kind, and calculated to confer permanent aid, as well as to relieve present necessity. His convictions of right and duty are decided and firm and uncompromisingly maintained, and though a positive man, he views the faults of others with charity, his creed being,
" That mercy I to others show, That mercy show to me."
He married October 30th, 1849, Mary Wilkinson Fessenden, daughter of the late Hon. Benjamin Fessenden, of Valley Falls, R. I.
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She died September 20th, 1886. Of six children three are now living: Mary (Mrs. Roscoe S. Washburn), Martha F. and Frank A.
The immediate church relations of the family are with the Central Congregational church in Providence, of which Mr. Sayles is a generous supporter; but, possessing a broad and catholic spirit, his benefactions to religious organizations are not restricted by denomi- national lines.
FREDERIC CLARK SAYLES is a native of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and has always resided there. He was born July 17th, 1835. His father was Clark Sayles, and his mother Mary (Olney) Sayles. His ancestors on both sides are easily traced back to the founder of Rhode Island, John Sayles having married a daughter of Roger Williams. He also traces his ancestry back to Governor Joseph Jenks, son of the founder of Pawtucket in 1655. In youth he was favored with unusual home advantages, and was notably am- bitious in his studies. Beginning with 1840, he spent several winters in. Savannah, Georgia, where his father was engaged in the whole- sale lumber business. While there he attended its best schools, and as a classmate he had Charles H. Olmsted, who subsequently, in the war of the rebellion, became famous as colonel of the confederate forces in Forts Pulaski and Wagner, and he remembers with a feeling of commendable pride that it was the Yankee boy from "Little Rhody " who bore off the premium of the school for good scholarship. After passing through the schools of Pawtucket he pursued his studies in the University Grammar School in Providence, and at the Provi- dence Conference Seminary in East Greenwich, where he graduated with honor in June, 1853.
In July of that year he entered the employ of his brother, William F., in the Moshassuck Bleachery at Saylesville, which has since be- come the largest and best equipped establishment of its kind in the world. His work at first consisted of sweeping the rooms, invoicing the goods, and performing any other service which was required of him, his compensation being five shillings a day. With a firm determina- tion to achieve success in business, so far as knowledge and faithful- ness might secure it, he made a thorough study of all the mechanism and operations of the establishment, diligently engaging in every department of the work and acquainting himself with all of its de- tails. For ten years he thus rigidly and persistently applied himself to a thorough understanding of the business, and on January 1st, 1863, he was admitted to partnership with his brother. Since that time the Moshassuck Bleachery has been conducted under the firm name of W. F. & F. C. Sayles. Unparalleled success has attended their united efforts, and their taste, intelligence, thrift and enterpris- ing spirit are everywhere seen in the beautiful village which has grown up around their works, and which numbers more than two thousand inhabitants. It is an unusually orderly community from
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the fact that the sale of intoxicating liquors of any description is not tolerated by the Messrs. Sayles. The Moshassuck valley, with its handsome village and its railroad, bears testimony to their rare saga- city, industry, perseverance and executive ability. On an eminence a short distance north of the bleachery and overlooking the charming valley of the Moshassuck and the forest-clad hills which skirt it on either side, the Messrs. Sayles have erected an elegant stone chapel in the gothic style of architecture with windows of stained glass, which is capable of seating at least two hundred people. It is called "Memorial Chapel," and was erected in memory of their deceased children. Here public worship is regularly held, and a flourishing Sunday school is kept.
It was not until the year 1886 that the subject of this sketch, although often solicited, could be induced to enter public life, his large and constantly increasing business demanding all of his time and attention. That year Pawtucket became a city, and in response to the persistent solicitations of its citizens, irrespective of party lines, he became a candidate for political honors and was chosen its first mayor. It was truly a case in which the office sought the man, and not the man the office. He brought to the discharge of his new duties the same energy and determination which had characterized him in his private business, and for two years the young and enter- prising city had an administration of its public affairs which was in the highest degree creditable to its chief executive officer, and of great advantage to itself. While himself an unflinching republican, his administration was in no sense partisan, and he secured the respect and esteem of all classes of his fellow-citizens. Especially was this true of the smaller taxpayers, upon whom the burdens of government rest most heavily. In his first inaugural address he said, in address- ing the city council : "We are entrusted with the care of the public property and finances. Upon us devolves the responsibility of saying to every owner of property in our city, bring hither your tithes in proportion to your ability and lay them at the feet of justice, to aid in bearing your part of the public burden. We have seen what propor- tion of the whole number of our taxpayers the burdens rest with greatest hardship, therefore it behooves us to exercise the largest wisdom and discretion in protecting them from undue oppression."
At the end of his second term he declined to be a candidate for reëlection, his public duties making too serious encroachments upon his private business. During his administration several important public improvements were made, and some projected which have since been completed, while others, notably that of the city's furnish- ing its own electric lights, will undoubtedly result in favorable action in the near future.
Mr. Sayles has made a number of trips to Europe, sometimes for health, and at other times for health and pleasure combined. Among
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BRYN MAWR. RESIDENCE OF HON. F. C. SAYLES. PAWTUCKET, R. 1.
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the countries which he has visited are England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Austria, Prussia, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Russia. He is fond of travel, and his elegant residence on East avenue, in the suburbs of Paw- tucket, contains many acquisitions from the studios of famous foreign artists. He also finds much pleasure among his horses and cattle, "Bryn Mawr" having some of the finest blooded stock in the country.
Besides his interest in the Moshassuck Bleachery and in the Moshassuck Valley railroad, of which he is the treasurer, Mr. Sayles is connected with various enterprises of a public nature. At one time he was major of the Pawtucket Light Guard, an organization which sent a large number of men into the field during the war of the re- bellion. He is a director in the Slater National Bank of Pawtucket and in the Merchants National Bank of Providence. He is also a member of the board of trustees of the Franklin Savings Bank of Pawtucket, and is identified with other corporations and institutions in Pawtucket and Providence. He was not only the first signer of the call for a Business Men's Association in Pawtucket, but was its first president, holding the position four years in succession.
In addition to the Moshassuck Bleachery, his brother and himself are the owners of the Lorraine Mills, also situated in the Moshassuck valley. These mills, with the best of skill and machinery known to modern times, have the reputation of producing the finest ladies' dress goods, known as French cashmeres, that have ever been manu- factured in this country, challenging comparison with the best French makers.
Mr. Sayles married, October 16th, 1861, Deborah Cook Wilcox, daughter of Robert and Deborah (Cook) Wilcox, of Pawtucket. Thomas Wilcox, Mrs. Sayles' grandfather, served in the revolution, and was one of the daring party of 41, led by Colonel William Barton, who captured General Richard Prescott on the island of Rhode Island, July 10th, 1778. Mr. Sayles has had five children: Carrie Minerva (Mrs. Frederick William Holls), Frederic Clark, Benjamin Paris (deceased), Robert Wilcox and Deborah Wilcox. Mr. Sayles and his wife are members of the Central Congregational church in Providence, and prominentiy identified with its interests.
ALBERT R. SHERMAN, son of Simon P. and Hannah G. Sherman, was born in Providence, January 23d, 1838. There he spent his boy- hood days and received a good education. When about 18 years of age he went to California, where he remained for several years. Returning to Providence he was employed by the A. W. Sprague Manufacturing Company in 1860, as master mechanic, and held that position for 17 years. During August, 1860, Mr. Sherman was mar- ried to Alma W. Tibbitts, daughter of William C., of Warwick. Their union was blessed by two children: Charles E., born September 30th,
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1861, and Albert. The first child died quite young, the other is still living. Mrs. Sherman, died November 17th, 1888. In Pawtucket Mr. Sherman has been connected with the Fales & Jenks Machine Com- pany, United States Cotton Company, and Hope Thread Company. He is one of the prominent men of the city and is an inventor of no little fame. Since 1889 he has been chosen senator, and at present occupies that office.
GIDEON LAWTON SPENCER .- A history of Pawtucket would be in- complete without a sketch of the gentleman whose name appears above. Mr. Spencer was born in East Greenwich, R. I., September 23d, 1803, and is the youngest son in a family of six children of Law- ton and Martha Spencer. His mother was a daughter of Jonathan Niles, who was for many years high sheriff of Kent county. His father removed with his family to what is now Pawtucket in 1810. He only attended the common schools three weeks, and at the age of ten, his father being overseer in the Slater Mill, he commenced work in that mill, receiving one dollar and a quarter a week. This he followed until he was over 17 years of age, when he apprenticed himself to John Wood, of Pawtucket, to learn the tailoring trade. On arriving at manhood he commenced the merchant tailoring business himself, and was the second one in Rhode Island to open a custom tailor establishment. He followed this business till 1845, and he gained such a reputation among the Quakers of New England that he made garments for them all over that territory. During the crash of 1829-30 in Pawtucket he made his first purchase of real estate, and after relinquishing his business, he engaged largely in the purchase and sale of real estate and has owned at one time as high as 150 to 200 acres in the vicinity of Providence and Pawtucket. He owns to- day the old Slater Mill where he first worked as a child, besides other valuable property in Pawtucket, and is one of the largest tax-payers in the city. He was one of the state commissioners on the erection of the bridge crossing the Blackstone river, and has been since the organization of the Providence & Worcester railroad one of its stockholders, also director, and is the only one living of the original board. Mr. Spencer is director in the Pawtucket Institution for Sav- ings and was president of the North Providence Bank. He was a member of the constitutional convention in 1841. When the Paw- tucket Free Library was a stock concern he donated to them the rent of the hall they occupied, they agreeing to make a free library of it. He married Susan, daughter of Job Carpenter, of Providence, and of his family of eight children five are living, viz .: Job Lawton, a manu- facturer in Pawtucket; Amelia, wife of Erastus Sampson, of Boston; Annie, Clara wife of Frederic Burlingame of Pawtucket, and Frank Gideon, assistant superintendent of the Providence & Worcester railroad.
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HENRY ASHTON WARBURTON, manufacturer of cotton thread, was born in the town of Hyde, Cheshire county, near Manchester, Eng- land, November 2d, 1837. His father, Peter Warburton, was a Quaker, and was one of the best managers of cotton spinning-so considered -in his day. His wife was Sarah Warburton. They raised a family of nine sons and three daughters. The sons were thoroughly drilled in all the details of cotton manufacturing, and put to work early in life in the mills. At eight years of age Henry Ashton was put to work as a back boy, working on cotton mules. One half of the day he spent at work and the other half at school. When ten years of age his work in school ceased. When fourteen years of age his father set sail with his family for America. He died in Lawrence, Mass., in 1879. His wife died in England,in 1851. The ship that brought Mr. Warburton to America left England May 1st, 1852, and arrived at Boston on the 13th of June following. Mr. Warburton's first work in America was as a piecer on hand mules at Portsmouth, New Hampshire. During the time spent there he availed himself of the advantages of the evening schools, but in the year 1853 he went to Lawrence, Mass., thus cutting short again the opportunities of securing an education. At Lawrence he began the work of running a pair of mules on his own account. After remaining there seven years he returned to Portsmouth again. In 1862 he was married and at once removed to Ballard Vale, Mass., where he was employed cutting files by machin- ery. In 1863 he removed to Portsmouth again and became assistant overseer of cotton spinning for his brother. who was overseer in the mill. He had not remained there long before he was transferred to the thread department, which was the beginning of his successful work in that line. He remained there about two years, then went to New Market, then Exeter, and in 1867 became assistant overseer for the Hadley Thread Company at Holyoke, Mass., and remained there but a few months, when he became overseer for the Warren Thread Company at Worcester, where he remained seven years. At this time the proprietor of a distillery at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, induced him to go there and take charge of his interests. He wanted a man, he said, who could keep sober while running the business, and pre- · vailed on him to go. He finally accepted the position, was in charge of the distillery three years and three months, tested every barrel of liquor in the establishment for that time by taste and smell, but never swallowed a mouthful of the beverage while there employed. In 1877 he became overseer for William Warren, thread manufacturer, of New York city, of the thread winding department, and remained there till 1880, when he accepted a position as overseer and later as superintend- ent for Stafford & Co., of Pawtucket. January 1st, 1886, in company with James C. Roth, he purchased the spool thread interest of Stafford & Co. and started the New England Thread Company. This was the beginning of the present successful enterprise of this firm, managed
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wholly by Mr. Warburton because of his great experience in the cot- ton thread industry. Mr. Roth was in charge of the books. February 14th, 1889, Mr. Roth died, and on the 24th of May following Mr. War- burton purchased all interests belonging to his widow, and is now the sole owner of the business. He employs a force at the present time of 80 hands, and does a business of $100,000 or more yearly, in the manufacture of cotton thread put up on spools, bobbins, paper tubes and cones, and various other forms.
Mr. Warburton is a man of excellent abilities and of indomitable energy, and takes a great pride in turning out goods of a quality that cannot be surpassed by any other concern in the country. He began here under somewhat unfavorable circumstances and against the ad- vice of his best friends, but his better judgment prevailed, and in con- sequence it is now with difficulty his two large agencies of New York city are supplied with his products of manufacture. His goods are also called for by parties from different parts of the whole country outside of his two established agencies. During the five years just past he has quadrupled his business, and it is still increasing.
On September 8th, 1862, he was married to Miss Jane E. Critchley, daughter of William and Mary Critchley, of Portsmouth, New Hamp- shire. They have three children: Franklin E., Florence E. and Harry A. Franklin E. was born in Portsmouth, N. H., August 19th, 1863. His education was obtained in the public schools of that place. When about 14 years of age he went to New York, where he spent three years. In 1880 he came to Pawtucket and was employed by his father as overseer of his mills. At present he holds the position of superin- tendent. Since his arrival in Pawtucket Mr. F. E. Warburton has also been overseer for the Hope Thread Company. Florence E. is the wife of Frank H. Grover, who is Mr. Warburton's shipping clerk, and Harry A. is in school.
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