USA > Rhode Island > Providence County > History of Providence County, Rhode Island > Part 36
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HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.
Reuel P. Smith was elected to that position April 4th, 1855, which he held until the present cashier, Frank E. Farnum, was appointed July 1st, 1878. In 1889 the directors were Arlon Mowry, George S. Read, D. D. Farnum, F. E. Farnum, George R. Smith and William C. Mowry.
The Citizens' National Bank was established in June, 1851, as the Citizens' Bank, with a capital of $57,000. Thomas Steere was the president, Olney Arnold, the cashier, and the place of business was in the Eli Pond Block. In 1865 the bank was reorganized under the national banking laws and the capital increased to $100,000. Later, the banking office was removed to the Fletcher Block, where it re- mained until the fall of 1885, when a more pleasant place of business was secured in the new Archambault Block, where are now the offices. Thomas Steere was succeeded as president by John Ellis, but, since 1860, Oscar J. Bathbun has been president. There have been four cashiers: Olney Arnold, Jolın S. Brown, O. J. Rathbun, and, since 1860, W. H. Aldrich. In 1889 the directors were: O. J. Rathbun, James P. Ray, Edgar K. Ray, John F. Mansfield, John A. Bennett, William H. Aldrich, Cyrus Arnold, Oscar J. Morse and Milton Cook. The capital stock remained $100,000 and the accumulated surplus was $20,000.
The First National Bank was originally organized as the Railroad Bank, for which a charter was granted in May, 1851, the capital stock being $50,000. When reorganized, in 1865, with the present name, the capital was fixed at $107,000. The first place of business was in the Union Block, the bank moving from there to its present offices in the Cook Block in the fall of 1867. Edward Harris, as the first presi- dent of the bank, continued until his death, in 1872, when his place was filled by Joseph E. Cole, who has since been the president. Wil- liam Metcalf, the first cashier, relinquished that position in 1853, when he was succeeded by the present cashier, Reuben G. Randall. In 1889 the bank notes of circulation were $96,300 and the accumulated sur- plus was $46,000. The board of directors was composed of Gilbert Darling, Leroy L. Chilson, John Currier, Aaron B. Warfield, Joseph E. Cole, David Bass, R. G. Randall, Darius D. Farnum and James E. Cook.
The Producers' National Bank, formerly the Producers' Bank, was organized under a state charter in May, 1852, with a capital stock of $50,000, and a place of business was established on Monument Square. In January, 1879, the bank was moved to the Edwards Block, and in January, 1888, to its present fine offices in the Foss Memorial Build- ing. In August, 1865, the bank was nationalized with a capital stock of $160,000, which was subsequently increased to $200,000. Libbeus Gaskill was the first president and served until October, 1864, when he was succeeded by Charles Nourse. After the death of the latter, in March, 1886, Charles E. Thomas was elected president and still
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serves. The first cashier, Elijah B. Newell, continued until January, 1864, when Theodore M. Cook was appointed, and he was succeeded by the present cashier, Samuel P. Cook, in August, 1885. In 1889 the bank's national notes outstanding were $174,700, and the accumulated surplus was $75,000. The affairs of the bank were controlled by direc- tors: George C. Wilder, Charles E. Thomson, Jervis Cooke, James M. Cook, R. O. Cooke, Walter E. Parker, S. P. Cook, J. B. Farnum and S. B. Aldrich.
The savings banks of the city are very important elements in its business affairs and have the patronage of thousands of its inhabit- ants. In 1885 the total amount on deposit in these institutions was $5,351,463.04, and the number of depositors was 10,862. This number was 69.1 of the entire population, as reported at that time. The oldest of these banks is the Woonsocket Institution for Savings, which was incorporated in July, 1845, and had for its officers: John Osborne, presi- dent; Aaron Rathbun, secretary, and William Metcalf, treasurer. The institution was authorized by its charter to receive deposits to the amount of $100,000. In 1851 the charter was amended to make the amount $300,000, and again, in 1856, to make it $750,000. Subsequent legislation has still further increased the amount. The confidence of the public in the bank was early attested. In 1850 the deposits were $70,000; 1855, 250,000; 1860, $450,000; 1865, $750,000; 1870, $2,000,000; 1889, $4,295,926.76. At the latter period there were 8,952 depositors, and there had been paid out in dividends since organization, $3,645,- 359. The lowest rate of dividends has been 5 per cent. John Osborne remained president until May 18th, 1857, when Doctor Ezekiel Fowler succeeded him. George Law and Willis Cook were also presidents, the latter from 1873 until 1882. The president in 1889 was Lyman A. Cook. Charles E. Ballou was the secretary, and for many years the Hon. Latimer W. Ballou has been treasurer. His ripe experience and rare business tact have contributed much to the great success of the bank. Its place of business is with the Woonsocket National Bank. In 1889 its board of investment was composed of Lyman A. Cook, Dexter Clark, James M. Cook, Francello G. Jillson, John W. Ellis and Ira B. Cook.
The Citizens' Savings Bank was the second organization of the kind at Woonsocket. It was established in July, 1853, with Ariel Ballou president, and John F. Brown treasurer. The place of business was with the Citizens' Bank. In 1873 this department was discon- tinued.
The Peoples' Savings Bank began business in September, 1857, in the rooms of the Railroad Bank, in the Union Block. John Osborne was the president; Edward Harris, vice-president; R. G. Randall, secretary and treasurer. On the death of John Osborne, in 1862, Edward Harris became president, continuing until his death in November, 1872. Bradbury C. Hill succeeded and since July 12th,
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HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.
1886, Joseph E. Cole has been the president. In all this period R. G. Randall has discharged the duties of treasurer. Darius D. Farnum was the vice-president, and the board of investment consisted of Joseph E. Cole, O. J. Rathbun, Darius D. Farnum, David Bass and George M. Welles. The deposits in 1889 amounted to more than one million of dollars, and there were about 1,600 depositors.
The Producers' Savings Bank was organized June 22d, 1868, and Nathaniel Elliott was the first president; William O. Mason succeeded him and, since April 20th, 1885, Reuben O. Cooke has been the presi- dent. Theodore M. Cook as treasurer was succeeded by S. P. Cook, August 10th, 1885. The place of business has been with the Pro- ducers' Bank, and the affairs of the bank have been well managed. In 1889 there were 1,070 depositors, who had $615,000 to the credit of their accounts; $340,848.67 had been paid out as dividends. The board of investment embraced George C. Wilder, William O. Mason, Charles E. Thomas, A. D. Vose, James M. Cook, H. Newton Brown and Edwin B. Miller.
The Mechanics' Savings Bank was chartered in 1873, but did not begin business until 1875. An office has been maintained with the National Globe Bank. R. J. Elwell was the first president and R. P. Smith treasurer. Arlon Mowry and F. E. Farnum held those positions in 1889. The board of investment was composed of Arlon Mowry, E. M. Mason, George S. Read, Andrew Donahoe, Erastus Richardson, A. B. Warfield and George R. Smith. The deposits amounted to $330,- 000, and there were about 800 depositors.
The Woonsocket Gas Company was organized February 17th, 1852, under a charter granted at the May session of the general assembly, in 1851. The original capital was $25,000, which was soon afterward increased to $80,000. George S. Wardwell was the first president and held that office until 1857, when he was succeeded by Henry C. Kim- ball, who has since been president. Samuel S. Foss was the secretary; John B. Walker, treasurer, and Gardiner Warren the first superinten- dent. The latter and Emory Warren built the works. The successive superintendents after him were Waldo Earle, Silas P. Walker, Benja- min G. Raymond, C. F. Smith and the present, Zeuner M. Jenks. Since 1857 R. G. Randall has been the treasurer of the company. The capital of the company has been increased to $250,000, and, in 1889, its affairs were directed by Henry C. Kimball, O. J. Rathbun, John W. Ellis, Henry F. Lippitt, George M. Welles, Joseph E. Cole, James P. Ray, Frank Harris and Gilbert Darling.
The works of the company are well appointed for the production of gas of a fine quality, which is stored in four gasometers: one at the works; one at Harris Privilege; another at Fairmount; and the fourth at Blackstone. There are about 30 miles of mains, large and small, and the maximum radiation is nearly three miles. On the 29th of October, 1866, gas was first used in street lighting in Woonsocket, 17
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HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.
posts with lamps having been erected, on Main street, for that pur- pose. It was so satisfactory that the town council appropriated $1,500 for street lighting in 1867. The product of gas has been increased yearly, and was 33,336,000 cubic feet in 1889, supplied to 600 consumers. Arrangements have also been made by the company to supply electric lighting, and for this purpose a plant was erected at the works in the season of 1889.
The Woonsocket Electric Machine and Power Company was incor- porated in 1883 with a capital of $100,000, and began operations in the spring of that year, in C. W. Talcott's shop, on Main street. Fifteen arc lights were first burned. The venture being received with favor, larger quarters were secured in the American Block, where two dynamos were operated on 40 lights. Of these 12 were paid by the town council for public lighting, in 1885. The following year a new plant, with larger capacity, was established on Bernon street, in which were six dynamos. Another move was made in the spring of 1887, when the present plant was established in one of the mills of the old Woonsocket Company, in Bernon. It is thus provided with facilities for having one of the most complete establishments of the kind in the state. There is a privilege of 300 horse power which can be sup- plemented by steam power from three engines.
In 1889 there were five dynamos for incandescent lights and six dynamos for arc lights, with two alternating dynamos in reserve. The system employed was the Thompson-Houston and there was a capacity for lighting 3,000 incandescent, 140 commercial arc and 110 full arc lamps. In July, that year, the company supplied light for 2,000 incandescent and 200 arc lights, 70 of which were used in street lighting. There were also 20 electric motors in use, varying from one- eighth to 15 horse power. The system as employed at Woonsocket is eminently successful, and is under the direction of Frank S. Pond, superintendent and electrician. In March, 1889, the capital of the company was increased to $200,000. Doctor A. W. Buckland was the president and Levi C. Lincoln the secretary and treasurer of the company.
The company owning and operating the street railway, was incor- porated in May, 1886, with a capital of $100,000. But the first cars were not run until August, 1887, when a line was completed from Monument Square to Globe village. The trackage was subsequently extended, and in 1889 it was six miles in length. The limits of operation were from School street, in the eastern part of Social, to the western part of Globe; from the upper part of Bernon, via Park avenue and Hamlet avenue, to the Mill Privilege, via North Main; and from the latter street, at Monument Square, to the village of Blackstone, via Harris avenue. A well-ordered central station was maintained in the depot of the Providence & Worcester railroad on Main street. There were four summer and six winter cars, drawn by horses, but the use of
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electricity as the motive power will be employed at an early day. In October and November, 1887, a part of the line was satisfactorily operated by a Thompson-Houston double trolley overhead, but was abandoned on the refusal of the necessary franchises.
The business of this company shows a paying increase. In the four months ending September 1st, 1888, there were 125,735 passengers carried, at a profit over operating expenses of $1,767.47. In May, 1888, the number of passengers carried was 21,017, and in the same month, a year later, the number was 29,917. In 1889 the officers of the com- pany were the following board of directors: Horace A. Jenckes, presi- dent; F. L. O'Reilly, vice-president; Willard Kent, secretary and treas- urer; J. P. Ray, E. K. Ray, O. J. Rathbun, L. B. Pease, L. L. Chilson and F. G. Jillson.
MANUFACTURING INTERESTS.
Woonsocket is essentially a manufacturing city and owes its exist- ence and much of its prosperity to the improvement of the water power in this locality. The natural falls of the Blackstone induced the selection of that spot as a mill seat, in the infancy of the settle- ments, and its manifest advantages prompted further improvements as the country developed, until all the power of the stream here has been utilized. The total fall of the river, from the brow of the upper dam to the Bernon wheel apron, is given by Erastus Richardson as 31 feet and yielding 2,000 horse power. This has been carefully and economically divided among the different mill owners, whose sites are valuable in proportion to the quantity allotted them by their several purchases. Although this power is wonderfully helpful, it has been found insufficient to meet the demands made on it by modern machin- ery, and in every instance steam has been supplied as an adjunct. In 1810, when began the era of development for the manufacture of cotton fabrics, all this power was the property of James Arnold.
The smaller stream, northeast from the "falls," and flowing into the Blackstone, has long borne the name of the Mill river. Its total fall in Woonsocket is 60 feet, giving about 450 horse power. At the period named it was the property of Joseph Arnold. Here are two mill seats, and the lower, which has a fall of 20 feet, was first improved for the Social Mill.
Peter's river, almost paralleling the latter stream, half a mile fur- ther eastward, gives 110 horse power in its fall of 52 feet. It has two sites, which were owned, in 1810, by Stephen Wilcox.
Small powers were also afforded, before the country was so much cleared up, by the little stream in the southeastern part of the town, locally called the Iron Mine brook. At the upper power was, in the early part of the century, a corn mill owned by Uriah Jillson, which ground as much as 1,600 bushels of corn per year. Burgess Chase was the last owner of the mill, which has been removed and a bridge built
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across the stream where was the mill pit. Next below, on this brook,. David Bartlett had a trip hammer, operated by water power, about 1820, where Seth Bartlett later had his shop. He was an excellent workman and made many scythes, edge tools and fine forgings. This site has also been abandoned. Still lower, Stephen Bartlett had a small water power wood lathe and made rakes and farm tools. At this place is now the wheelwright shop of Benjamin S. Burlingame. A power lower down the brook operated an upright saw mill for Seth Cook and also turned a lathe. After these were given up a shop for making row boats was carried on by a member of the Cass family, but this, too, has been abandoned. The next power operated machinery for John Cass, more than 50 years ago, to manufacture rakes, scythe snaths, etc. At times he employed half a dozen men. In a more lim- ited way these shops are still occupied by Jervis J. Cass. On the same brook, near the Blackstone, the Cook family had a small warp mill,. which has long since been given up, and the mill dam is used as an ice pond.
Cherry brook, a small stream emptying into the Blackstone, on the Smithfield side, above the falls, has not for many years been utilized for manufacturing purposes and was never much used.
The water power of the Blackstone, at the "falls," was the first improved to operate a mill. In 1666, or thereabouts, the owner of the land, Richard Arnold, put up a small saw mill, a short distance below the present upper dam, which was rebuilt a number of times, in the hundred or more years it was there operated by the Arnold family. In 1708 Richard Arnold willed a part of this property to his son, John, who made the next improvement a few years later, putting up a corn mill, in which wool was also carded. It was below the saw mill and nearer the Smithfield shore, having two wheels, one above the other, in the stream, to furnish the power. It served its dual purpose many years and was swept away by the flood in 1807. The following year James Arnold began a series of improvements of putting up six build- ings, before 1818, of which the first was a grist mill. The upper part of this was also used for carding purposes until its destruction by fire, March 25th, 1829. Subsequently the present old grist mill of Albert Mowry & Co. was erected on its site.
The " Winsokett Iron Mill," or the " old forge " or "bloomery," as it has been variously called, was the third improvement at the " falls." It was erected before 1720 by a number of Quakers, among them being the Hopkins, Laphams, Aldriches, Jenckes and Scotts, who were associated with members of the Arnold family. But little is known of the nature of this establishment, yet from its names it appears that they both made and forged iron for use at this place. The ore was obtained chiefly in Glocester, although it is not improbable that some may have been procured at " Mine hill," in Cumberland. During the revolution it was profitably operated, but later could not compete with
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HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.
furnaces more favorably located. It appears to have been discontinued in the last century. The "Forge " was near the other mills, and the tenements for the workmen were on the lot where are now the rubber works. One of these small buildings was later removed to what became the corner of Main and Arnold streets, where it was known as the "Cruff house," and for many years was the oldest residence in this part of the town. Others of the "Forge " buildings, were swept away in 1807. In the later years of the " Forge," or after it was aban- doned, a scythe factory was put up as the fourth industry in the place. When this work was suspended the building was converted into a blacksmith shop, and as such it was used a long time.
A short time before the war of 1812 a remarkable interest in cot- ton manufacturing had been developed in southern New England by the success of those who had made ventures in that direction. In northern Rhode Island the mills of Samuel Slater gave sufficient evi- dence of the profits in the business, and led many to long to become manufacturers. They were afflicted, as Erastus Richardson has so aptly expressed it, "with the cotton mania," and looking only upon the possible returns which the business might afford them, hastily embarked in these new enterprises. Naturally their zeal, inexperi- ence and overproduction brought on many failures; and sore disap- pointments, if not actual hardships, often followed these ventures. Yet this was the very seed which, though so ruthlessly scattered, has under more skillful cultivation yielded such bountiful harvests and brought plenty where before was scarcely aught else than poverty.
At Woonsocket the Social Company was the first that was brought into existence by this new promise of wealth; and its ability to live was all the stimulus that was needed to bring other enterprises into life, whose history finds place in the following pages.
James Arnold, the owner of the lands and water privileges at the falls, at this period of development, while not inclined to be a manu- facturer himself, fostered these enterprises by giving them room in the buildings he had erected, their readiness for occupancy often sug- gesting the enterprise itself; and after he had once made disposition of his property, the work of improving it was pushed forward with great activity.
These sales were as follows: 1. May 12th, 1814, to Samuel G. Ar- nold and Daniel Lyman, half the privileges of the water power, and nearly all the real estate from the present Bernon street down the river to the Clinton Mills, almost 26 acres. 2. April 25th, 1821, to Daniel A. Daniels, all the real estate east and south of the above, ex- tending to the river. 3. October 8th, 1821, the building and site which became the Lyman Mill. 4. June 1st, 1827, the " Globe es- tate," 5. October 20th, 1827, the " Bernon estate." 6. The " old Saw Mill Lot."
The second building which James Arnold had put up, in 1810, was
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a shop 30 by 38 feet, and had many occupants, but was made note- worthy from the fact that in it, in 1819, Welcome Farnum began his career as a woolen manufacturer, which, at Waterford, Mass., made him a millionaire. He was soon joined by his brother, Darius D., and in 1822 had larger quarters in the basement of Dexter Ballou's mill on the "saw mill lot." Here each of the brothers sat at the loom, weaving satinets of such superior quality that a very ready sale for them was found, so that when they left, at the end of five years, they had cleared $16,000. Others of the pioneer manufacturers were less fortunate, and being depressed by the stagnation of 1829, were not able to sufficiently recover to realize the fortunes which their pluck and enterprise would have brought them under more favorable conditions. Among these Woonsocket sufferers were Samuel B. Har- ris, Thomas A. Paine, Thomas Arnold, Marvel Shove, Hosea Ballou, Daniel A. Daniels and Jonathan Russell, all of whom have passed off the stage of action.
The " hard times " were followed by a period of comparative pros- perity. In 1840 there were twenty mills, having 48,750 spindles, in which 1,163 persons were employed. In 1855 the mills and their prod- ucts were as follows: Ballou, George C. & Son, print goods; Bartlett, John, sheeting; Clinton Manufacturing Company, sheetings; Cook's Cotton Manufacturing Company, sheetings; Globe Mills, print goods; Groton Company, sheetings; Hamlet Manufacturing Company, sheet- ings; Harris, Edward, fancy cassimeres; Harrison Mill, sheetings; Jenckes, William A. & George, print goods; Lyman, J. W., print goods; Paine, Daniel N., satinets; Social Manufacturing Company, sheetings; Woonsocket Company, print goods.
In 1865 there were nineteen cotton mills, of which but seven were in operation at the beginning of the year, and the mill owners were distressed by labor troubles. Up to this time there were compara- tively few foreigners employed in the mills. In 1840, of the nearly 4,000 inhabitants, but 305 were foreigners. In 1866 the decay of the natives began, and the influx of foreigners rapidly increased, an especial element being found in the French Canadians, who were now added to the population in large numbers. In 1889, of an estimated population of 20,000 there were 8,000 of French nativity, nearly all of whom derived support from the factories and mills of the city.
In 1885, of the cotton mill operatives there were: natives, 388 males, 573 females; Irish, 102 males, 148 females; British, 76 males, 39 females; Canadians, 467 males, 642 females. Woolen and worsted mill operatives: natives, males, 151, females, 224; Irish, males, 58, females, 70; British, males, 47, females, 14; Canadians, males, 173, females, 127. Rubber workers: natives, 346; Irish, 276; British, 16; Canadians, 6. Machinists: American, 106; Irish, 15; British, 7; Cana- dian, 23; German, 5.
The J. P. & J. G. Ray Mills .- This firm owns and operates two of
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HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.
the oldest cotton mills in the city-the Lyman and the Bartlett Mills' The first of these is a large frame building, which is the oldest struc- ture in these parts used for factory purposes. It was erected in 1814 by James Arnold and was the fourth of his series of buildings con- structed to attract the attention of manufacturers to this point. It was occupied in the fall of 1817 by Dexter Ballou, who removed to it the machinery he had in use at a place now called Ashton, and much of which he had personally constructed. There were five cards and 252 spindles. But he soon procured a mule of 180 spindles, which Lap- ham Jeffreys operated, and another a short time after, which was run by Joseph Carroll. The cotton picking was done in the cellar of this building by a man named Everett until 1820, when the Ballous pro- cured a picking machine: In the same year looms were purchased, Patty Ballou operating two of them for $3 per week. About the same time a cloth-dressing machine was purchased, which was operated by a man named Southwick. William Jenckes was overseer [of carding, at five shillings per day, and James Coe kept the store and the factory accounts at the same salary. About this time Dexter Ballou occupied the first and second stories, and Samuel Shove and Gilbert Brewster the upper stories. The latter was a wool spinner and here used a self- operating mule which was his own invention, and was the first article of its kind so employed.
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