USA > Rhode Island > Kent County > Warwick > The history of Warwick, Rhode Island, from its settlement in 1642 to the present time; including accounts of the early settlement and development of its several villages; sketches of the origin and progress of the different churches of the town, &c., &c > Part 20
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By this time we might suppose the village had fairly earned its name, and the bird of Egypt would be satis- fied without exacting any further evidence of its loyalty, but it proved exorbitant in its demands and on March 5, 1873, required a further sacrifice of several buildings in
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the business part of the village. The fire broke out in a large three story building owned by John Conly, which was entirely consumed, also a building on the east of this, owned by Joseph Lawton and A. W. Colvin, and on the west a house and store of Philip Duffy, and a barn belonging to S. E. Card. Thence, crossing to the north side of the street it burnt the dwelling house of S. E. Card, and a large building used for stores, Masons' hall, Phenix National Bank, dentist's offices, and other business purposes, also owned by S. E. Card, together with a large brick block, belonging to Wm. B. Spencer, and occupied by Nathan A. Capron for a bakery, E. T. Lanphear, printing office, N. E. and S. J. Hoxie, dry goods store, and J. P. Arnold, furniture ware rooms. Mr. Spencer, having had his buildings burned three times, declined to rebuild again, and sold the land on which they stood with the ovens, which were not de- stroyed, to Mr. N. A. Capron, who erected the brick building that now occupies it. Most of the buildings have since been replaced, and this portion of the village never looked more thrifty than at present.
The building erected by Mr. James J. Smith, called Music Hall, containing the finest hall in the county, the new brick building occupied by Mr. Joseph Lawton as a clothing house, the extensive dry goods and grocery store of the Messrs. Hoxie, the block containing the post office, and the large building across the river, occupied by Mr. James P. Arnold, in the furniture business, bear testi- mony to this statement.
Of the enterprise of its inhabitants we need not speak further, though we are strongly tempted to mention one individual to whom the place is perhaps more indebted, than to any other single person for its attractive appear- ance, both as regards the beauty of its private dwellings ' and those used for different purposes.
The Phenix Village Bank was incorporated in 1856. Capital $50,000. Wm. B. Spencer was elected Presi- dent, and H. D. Brown, Cashier. On August 1st, 1865, it was changed to Phenix National Bank. The Phenix
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Savings Bank, chartered in 1858, had, on December 2, 1872, $285,636 36 credited to 670 depositors.
In 1847 Wm. B. Spencer, Esq., completed the dwell- ing house on the north part of the land he purchased of Mr. Levalley, and resided in it until June, 1868. This dwelling house, which is one of the finest in the vicinity, he sold to Nathan A. Capron, Esq., who now occupies it. Mr. Capron has carried on the bakery business here many years, succeeding James Hackett in the business. About the year 1847, one oven of moderate dimensions was all that, his business demanded. In 1850 Mr. Spencer erected a new house, with two larger ovens, which he rented to Mr. Capron for eighteen years, and in 1868 he erected three large ovens near the centre of the village, and leased them to the same individual. On the 23d of April, 1858, he purchased of Cyrus Harris thirty-five acres of land just over the line in the town of Coventry, which was formerly a part of the Levalley estate, and devoted about twelve acres of it as a burial place, known as the Greenwood Cemetery, upon which he expended two years of labor and about $10,000. In 1869-70 he erected the spacious and beautiful dwelling in which he now resides, a view of which is given in the engraving.
LIPPITT VILLAGE.
The early possessors of the land, previous to the erec- tion of the mills, with the educational and religious items pertaining to this village have already been given in connection with the account of Phenix. Besides this the history of the village is nearly identical with that of the manufacturing company organized here in 1809. On November 9th, of that year a co-partnership was en- tered into between Christopher Lippitt, of Cranston, Charles Lippitt, of Providence, a brother of Christopher, Benjamin Aborn, George Jackson, Amasa and William H. Mason, of Providence, to continue for the term of ten years from the first day of January, 1810. The
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company assumed the name of the " Lippitt Manufactur- ing Company." The capital stock was to consist of $40,000, divided into thirty-two shares, of which the Lippitt brothers held eight shares each and the others four shares each. They agreed that until the "whole amount advanced or accumulated by profits amounted to the sum of $40,000 no dividend should be made with- out the unanimous consent of the company."
Two days after the organization of the company, Nov. 11, 1809, as per deed of that date, they made their first purchase of land on which to commence preliminary operations. The land was purchased of Nehemiah At- wood, and was bounded in part as follows : " Beginning at the eastermost corner of my saw-mill and grist-mill house, and from thence running north forty-one degrees east, eight rods and nineteen links to the high-way, westerly on an open log-way for the use of said saw-mill, thence south sixty-four degrees east, three rods and eleven links on said high-way, thence north fifty-five de- grees east, two rods on said highway, thence south, thirty-nine degrees east, two rods on said highway, thence north sixty-five degrees east " etc. together with the privilege of drawing water from the said Atwood's pond above the saw-mill and grist-mill in such quanti- ties as will be sufficient to carry two thousand spindles by water frames, and also sufficient for the use of a forge or trip hammer works." The consideration was the sum of $1600.
On the 24th of November, two weeks after their pur- chase of the real estate, the company entered into an agreement with Hines & White for the necessary ma- chinery which was to be delivered by Sept. 30, 1810, and for which they agreed to pay the sum of $10,601.
Before the accomplishment of the work the firm of Hines & White dissolved, and a new contract was made with White alone with some new specifications. While the machinery was being built the company set them- selves vigorously at work to get the mill ready for its re- ception. The busy work of preparation is not a matter
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of record, and only here and there do we find a hint of the various propositions, and suggestions that must have been made before the matter was finally settled and the workmen set about the erection of the mill. On the 2d of April, 1810, Col. Christopher Lippitt, one of the firm, was chosen agent of the company for one year, at a salary of forty-two dollars per month, with instructions to engage "in building a mill or mills, building dwelling- houses, erecting machinery " etc. From this item on the records of the company, still preserved, and from the fact that the machinery was to be delivered on the Sep- tember following, we infer that the work of building was prosecuted vigorously, though it does not appear that the mill was completed until the following year. Subse- quent negotiations with those who were building the ma- chinery, provided that the company should not be obliged to receive the machinery at the time that was originally agreed upon. The tradition is, that the mill was ready for raising in the following summer, at about the time the Roger Williams mill was ready, and by extra exer- tions on the part of those having it in charge, they suc- ceeded in getting it up before the other. George Burlin- game erected the mill. One account designates the Fourth of July as the exact day, when the people in large numbers gathered and assisted in the work, and succeeded not only in raising it, but also in boarding it before the sun went down, but this we deem somewhat conjectural. It was at first designed as a two-story building, but a third story was added as an after-thought, and when power-looms came into use the upper story was used for a weave-room until a better place was provided.
Various changes took place among the stockholders as the years rolled on : new members were admitted and old ones dropped out. The first addition was made when Nehemiah Atwood took a share of stock which he held but a short time and then re-conveyed it to the company. On Feb. 11, 1811, Roger Alexander, who was a practical mechanic, and whose knowledge of the business
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was regarded as a desirable acquisition, was induced to take a share of the stock. On March 30, 1812, Stephen Atwood, son of Nehemiah, sold to the company "one undivided half-part of a certain lot of land, water privilege, with a grist-mill and saw-mill thereon stand- ing, situate in said Warwick and is connected with said grantees water privilege," together with "all the build- ings thereon standing, as also the present and ancient rights and privileges that Anthony A. Rice has to pass across said premises ; and that Caleb Atwood has to take water out of the trench for his tan vats ; and any privilege Nehemiah Atwood may have granted the said grantees heretofore." The consideration was $850. Caleb Atwood's tan-yard was situated on the site of the present Lippitt office. This office building was used as a store for many years. There was a foot bridge across the river, the right to pass over which, belonged to Anthony A. Rice. · Oh March 30, 1812, Joanna Atwood, widow of Nehe- miah, in consideration of the sum of $300, gave to the company a Quit Claim deed of all her right " in and to a certain tract of land, water privilege, grist-mill and saw-mill thereon standing," etc. On December 8, 1812, Christopher Lippitt sold three shares of his stock to Thomas Brown, of Providence, for $5,100. Mr. Brown was a merchant, unacquainted with manufacturing, but a sound substantial man. He was the father of the present Col. Wm. H. Brown, of the Providence Light Infantry. Roger Alexander went out of the company, Dec. 12, 1812, selling his share of stock for $1535, and Benjamin Aborn sold out to George Jackson, Jan. 5, 1817, his share for $1700. Thomas Eddy was agent of the concern for the year 1813, and so well satisfied were the company with his labors that they presented him with a gratuity of $100 at the close of the year.
The war of 1812 had so depressed the cotton business that in 1813, every cotton mill in Rhode Island was obliged to suspend operations, with the exception of the Lippitt mills and the one run by Dexter Thurber, of Providence. Dexter Thurber's mill was not large, but
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his goods had acquired such a reputation that he was able to continue operations, while his less fortunate fel- low manufacturers were obliged to shut down their gates. The Lippitt company at the time had a contract with the Vermont State Prison, where a large amount of the yarn was woven by hand-looms. As an evidence of the excellent quality of the yarns furnished the weavers, it is said that one of the weavers in the prison, in a single day wove on his hand-loom fifty-six yards. But when he had finished he was so exhausted that he had to be taken out of his loom. The company, how- ever felt the depression of the times and were obliged to stop a portion of its machinery, and reduce the wages of the operatives fifty per ct. They however voted to keep " the water-frames and throstle frames in operation." The water-frames made the warps, and the throstle frames the filling.
On January 21, 1821, the company re-organized and a co-partnership consisting of the same owners as the old company was formed, to continue for twenty years. The company declared its fourth dividend of $6000, or $200 per share, on June 25, 1821. The number of shares had been reduced from thirty-two to thirty. On Jan. 4, 1822, the company engaged Aborn & Jackson and Simon Henry Greene as their agents.
In 1825, in consequence of the death of Col. Christo- pher Lippitt, who died the year previous, his two shares in the stock of the company descended by will to his sons Christopher and William .* Further additions to the real estate of the company were made in 1824, by purchase from Caleb Atwood and another from Samuel Budlong and Rufus Wakefield, of the tract called the new privilege. The profits of the company had been gradual, and up to Sept. 26, 1826, they had declared dividends to the amount of $60,000.
On August 18, 1827, the water privileges were sur-
* For an account of Col. Christopher Lippitt and the Lippitt family, see pages 111-114.
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veyed and leveled by Benoni Lockwood " to ascertain the power of water or amount of head and fall each privilege contained." The old privilege was found to have a fall of 19 feet 9 in. and the new one 12 feet 1 in. "The water in the river at the wading place, would aver- age when the above survey was made, from 12 to 15 inches deep." The wading place was about one hun- dred feet north of where the railroad crosses the river. On December 5, 1826, an agreement was entered into between the company and Messrs. Christopher Rhodes, Wm. Rhodes and William Sprague with regard to the height that the latter gentlemen had a right to raise their dam at Natick. The point was settled by a mu- tual agreement "that a hole should be drilled, and an iron plug or pin be inserted in a rock on the south bank of said Pawtuxet river, being in one of the first highest clusters of rocks above the bridge, next to the river on the up stream part of the rocks, within a few feet of two small walnut trees, and about 30 rods above said Natick dam, at a place where a grist mill formerly stood." The Natick companies had attempted to increase their water- power by raising their dam some eighteen inches, before the Lippitt company was supposed to have secured their right to prevent it. A law-suit was commenced, but by an ingenious manouvre on the part of the Natick proprietors, the matter was taken out of the courts and settled by this mutual agreement.
James Essex, a popular, energetic man, was the superintendent of the mills several years before his death in 1826. The official designation of those in im- mediate charge of the works had previously been that of agent. Several of the sons of Mr. Essex are engaged in imporiant positions in connection with cotton manu- facturing, one of them being in the employ of Hon. Simon Henry Greene, at the Clyde Works. The next superintendent after Mr. Essex, was Edmund C. Gould, who had previously been employed in the mill as a mule spinner. Mr. Gould left and went to Scituate, and his place was taken by Leonard Loveland. In 1830 Mr. Loveland was engaged in the mills at Crompton.
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LIPPITT.
In 1833, John F. Phillips was made the agent of the company for three years. Feb. 5, of the same year, George Jackson, one of the company, having deceased, four of his shares were conveyed to Charles Lippitt, for the sum of $12,000. 'His one remaining share was sold Feb. 25, 1833, to Wm. Lippitt for $3,000. In 1838, Daniel Wheelock was appointed superintendent. On May 18, 1841, business having been depressed for some time previously, the company made their dividend of $6,000, in bleach goods, at seven cents per yard for 32 inch, and seven and a half cents for 34 inch, instead of cash, as previously. In 1842, James Caswell was the superintendent and Samuel R. Hopkins had special charge of the accounts and the store. On Dec. 10, 1843, Wm. H. Mason conveyed to Charles Lippitt, four and one half shares for the sum of $8,775, and Thomas Brown, on Nov. 24, 1843, conveyed to the same, two shares for $4,000. On the decease of Charles Lippitt, his 19¿ shares were divided among his six children as follows : To Warren Lippitt, Charles Lippitt, Julia A., wife of Joseph Sweet, Sarah W. and Penelope Lippitt, and Cornelia A. Andrews, widow. The division was made Dec. 15, 1845.
On January 30, 1850, a meeting of the company was appointed, to elect an agent in the place of Warren Lippitt, deceased, who had been the agent for the thir- teen years previous. Warren Lippitt was the father of the present Gov. Henry Lippitt. There were present at the meeting Charles F. Tillinghast, Esq., who represented 62 shares ; Wm. Lippitt, who represented 6 shares ; Levi C. Eaton, 4 1-2 shares; George Larned, 6 1-2 shares ; Joseph Sweet, 3 1-4 shares ; Henry Lippitt, 3 1-4 shares. No election was made at this meeting, but subsequently Christopher Lippitt was chosen the agent. On Jan. 1st, 1851, the whole number of shares was reduced to twen- ty-four and divided among the stock holders in propor- tion to the stock each then held. On Dec. 15, 1852, the company was re-organized under the same name which it had held from the beginning, with the capital stock of $40,000 divided into 400 shares of $100 each.
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Since then various changes have taken place in the company. The property passed into the hands of Harris & Lippitt and John Lippitt; then a company was or- ganized under a charter granted by the General Assem- bly, with a capital stock of $40,000 and 400 shares, with J. Lippitt as President and C. Lippitt as Treasurer, and called as previously, the Lippitt Mf'g Co. It was after- wards sold out to a new firm called the "Lippitt Com- pany," and composed of Stephen Harris, Henry Howard, Christopher and John Lippitt, and thus exists at present. Mr. Jeffrey Davis is treasurer and Mr. Albert Knight superintendent. There are two mills with a capacity of 10,000 spindles .*
On the 15th of April, 1828, the company leased a certain lot of land, and water privilege connected there- with, lying in Warwick, "to Greene & Pike for the period of five years, from the 1st of June, 1829, they paying an annual rent therefor, of $300 .- There were no buildings on the premises leased, but the Lippitt Company agreed to erect a building 80 feet by 40 feet, two stories high, with a basement, and such dwelling houses and other buildings as would be necessary to ac- comodate the help, and enable Greene & Pike to carry on the bleaching business. The latter company were to pay an annual rent of 10 per cent. on the amount so ex- pended. On the 22nd of the following January, it was ascertained that the amount expended for the erection of the buildings, amounted to the sum of $6,110 85-100. The property of which the foregoing was a lease, is a part of the Lippitt estate, called " the new privilege," which, together with the remainder of "the new privilege," was sold to Greene & Pike, as per deeds of Sept. 27, 1831. Simon H. Greene, afterwards added to the estate, by purchases of William Wakefield and Joseph Wakefield, in 1851, and of Stephen Harris, in the same year ; so that his whole estate contained about 48 acres of land.
* NOTE. My acknowledgements are due to John Lippitt, Esq., for permission to examine the early record books of the company contain- ing the principal items in this account.
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CLYDE WORKS.
CLYDE WORKS.
" The estate purchased by Greene & Pike of the Lip- pitt Mf'g Co., in 1831, has on it the lower-most water- power of the north branch of the Pawtuxet river, and was only accessible at the time of purchase by a drift way through the Lippitt village, from the public high- way. And the Greene Manufacturing Co.'s estate on the south branch of the river, was the lower-most on that stream, and similarly situated, as to being isolated from a public highway. Doct. Stephen Harris having the control of the latter estate, joined with Greene & Pike and others in having a public highway lawfully laid out, and in building it to the acceptance of the town, from the Lippitt village to Greeneville village (now Riverpoint). The road was laid out Nov. 14, 1831.
In 1832 or 33, Greene & Pike added to their works business buildings and tenements to enable them to do an increased business, and to add variety to the finish of white cotton cloth, they erected a large building and put in four sections of beetles. They also put in a single color printing machine, and built a small dye- house, to make blue and white prints. In 1839, their bleachery and dry-sheds were burnt attended with a heavy loss. In 1842, the dye-house was enlarged, and the production of blue prints increased to a small extent. This year Mr. Pike died. The surviving partner settled up the business of the late firm, continuing the business at the same time under a lease. In 1845, he purchased the interest in the estate vested in the heirs of his de- ceased partner. In 1846, he built a large stone dye house, to increase the production of blue prints, and added another printing machine. In 1848, he built another stone dye house. In 1853, the beetle house building and the small dye house before named was burnt, and his son John was seriously injured by a fall- ing chimney, from which he suffered much through life.
New buildings were erected, of stone, in the place of those destroyed. Other buildings were erected from *20
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time to time, and the necessary machinery put in, so that in 1870, the works were fitted to do madder and other styles of prints to the extent of seven printing machines.
On the 1st of May, 1870, the bleachery and white finishing department of the business was burnt. The bleachery, so far as bleaching for printing was necessary, was forthwith rebuilt, but the white finishing was de- layed until 1873. Other additions have since been made at different times, as called for, quite extensively in 1875, to improve the quality of the work and to cheapen its cost."
The Pawtuxet valley railroad, recently completed, crossing the grounds and yard of the works, adds greatly to the facilities of doing business, so that few similar establishments in our whole country possess equal advan- tages, having also a good water power, to assist, and an abundant supply of the purest of water for the various processes of bleaching and printing.
Hon. Simon Henry Greene, from whom the author has received the items respecting this village, as well as many pertaining to the other villages adjacent, is the senior member of the firm, and is now in the 77th year of his age, but still possesses remarkable vigor both of body and mind for one of his years. Associated with him in business are four of his five sons, viz., Edward A, Henry L., Christopher R. and William R. Greene, all hav- ing long experience in the business. Their business is the making of prints, popularly known as "Washington Prints," and in bleaching and finishing white cotton cloths.
Francis Clinton Greene, youngest son of Hon. Simon Henry Greene, and great-grandson of Col. Christopher Greene, of revolutionary fame, was born in Warwick, . June 23, 1842. He enlisted as a private in the 2d R. I. Regiment, being then in the 19th year of his age. On the promotion of 1st Lieut. Beriah Brown to the cap- taincy of his company, young Greene was elected a cor- poral. Captain Brown afterwards appointed him to be his clerk. In the famous battle of Bull Run, July 21st,
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1861, he was wounded by a musket ball in the left leg, a little above the ankle, both bones of the leg being fractured. After lying for several hours under a hay- stack, where he had been placed by friendly hands, his wound was dressed by Dr. Rivers, surgeon of the 1st R. I. Reg., and he was removed to a log house near by. With others, he fell into the hands of the enemy and was carried to Richmond and held a prisoner for six months. He was released January 17th, 1862, and being permanently disabled, was honorably discharged. "He returned to his home, hoping by care and repose to regain his health, but exposure and suffering had shat- tered his constitution and planted the seed of fatal dis-
ease in his system. With an eager desire to be engaged in active employment, he went to St. Louis, where one of his brothers still resides, and entered upon business pursuits. But it was soon manifest that his strength was inadequate for the work. Pulmonary disease mani- fested itself and compelled him again to seek the rest and the tender care of his father's house." There he re- mained until he died, on the 27th of December, 1865. He was a young man of much promise, upright in prin ciple, affectionately attached to his friends, and univer- sally beloved by all who shared his acquaintance.
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