The Romance of Norwalk

Seymoure, H. A. Novelty Co.; Sheehan, J. T., cigars; Singer Sewing Machine Co., stitching and repairs; South Norwalk Electric Light Works, light and power; South Norwalk Hat Co.; South Norwalk Oyster Farms Co., oys¬ ter opening; Standard Laundry, wet wash; Standard Oil Co., tank and auto repairs; Standard Safety Razor Corp.; Star Laundry, laundry; Star Union Overall Co., overalls and children’s play suits; Stetson Textile Corp.; Strand restaurant, candy and ice cream; Streb Fur Cutting Co.; Success Welding Co., welding and cutting; Superior Casting Co., iron and brass castings. Tallmadge Bros. Inc., oyster opening; Thomas Chocolate Shop, candy; Tilly Auto and Carriage Works, carriage and auto repairs; Trowbridge, C. S. Co., paper boxes and wood cases; Vanderbilt, R. T. Co., Inc., laboratory; Veco Co., electrical fittings; Waldron, A. and Son, house finish; Wallace, John J., stairs; Walsh, John, blacksmithing; Wear Ever Slipper Co.; Wheeler Brothers, machine work, hatters’ tools; White, Nelson M., plumbing and metal work. Other local firms which submitted information regarding their businesses in response to inquiries were the following: Foster and Stewart Co., manufacturers of awnings and couch hammock fabrics, founded in 1911. C. W. Foster is the present head of the firm and 30 are employed in the Norwalk business. McMahon and Cremins, Inc., 14 to 20 Orchard st., manufacturers of curtains and converters of drapery fabrics, was founded in 1907. Thomas J. McMahon of New York is the present head of the firm. APPENDICES 477 The Norwalk Pattern and Model Co. was founded May I, 1923. J. Herbert Mottram is the present head and the company employs seven. The Superior Castings Corp. was founded in January, 1926. Charles Aussenhofer is head of the company in which 26 are employed. The Isaac Church Expansion Bolt Co. was founded in 1887. Leroy Montgomery is the present head. The Pequot Wire Cloth Co. was founded in June, 1928. C. J. Royle is the present head and 22 are employed there. The Fitzgerald Co. was founded in 1920. Walter J. Fitzgerald is head of the firm in which ten are employed. The C. S. Trowbridge Co. was founded about 1850 and incorporated in 1907 . F. C. Quintard is the present head of the firm in which 30 are employed. The Norwalk Duntile Mfg. Co., Inc., was founded in September, 1925. The present head of the firm in which four are employed is W. P. Petrie. The Crystal Ice Co. was founded in 1924. Edgar Murphy is president and ten are employed there. The Barker Factory, Inc., Pine Island, marine conver¬ sion equipment for Ford engines, has an interesting history. The business was established in 1899 in its present location by Charles L. Barker now of Hollywood, Calif., and George F. Betts of Norwalk who did business as the Nor¬ walk Launch Works. The manufacturer of Barker two cycle marine engines designed by Mr. Barker, who bought out his partner, was commenced in 1901, and the boat build¬ ing business was given up. In 1923 the company became the Barker Factory Inc., manufacture of the two cycle engines was continued, and a repair yard for boats operated. In 1924 the company introduced a standardized set of marine conversion equipment for Ford Model T engines, which was successful from the beginning. Sales distribution of this equipment has carried the name of the manufacturer and of Norwalk, to every state as well as to Alaska and the Island possessions of the United States, and in addition to more than 80 foreign ports in all parts of the world. The officers of the corporation are : F. L. Tuttle, Esq., of ROMANCE OF NORWALK 478 Yonkers, N. Y., president; Georgia T. Tuttle, of Norwalk, vice president, and Thomas T. Tuttle of Norwalk, secretary and treasurer. OTHER NORWALK ISLANDS Pine Island, a prominent west coast elevation in the Nor¬ walk river, now part of the mainland, was once considered an excellent bathing site. Campfield or Canfield Island, now part of the Shorehaven filled-in property, was once owned by Mathew Canfield, early Norwalk settler. In 1672, it was in part the property of Ephraim Lockwood. Lockwood, just before he died, deeded it to his son James, the great grandfather of the Chancellor James Kent. The year 1896 found the island part of Langdon Marina and connected by a bridge to Half Mile Island, once the scene of a thriving pottery trade, of which mention was made earlier in the history. Today finds Campfield, Half Mile and also Stephen’s Island, all swallowed up in the Shore- haven coastal development. On Stephen’s Island, for some time lived the parent, a silver craftsman, of the late Alfred Jackson of Norwalk and his brother, LeGrand, Wall st. jeweler. Other islands are: Crow Island, said to have taken its name from the large number of birds on the crow order which frequented the place, the island, which has practically disappeared, now being owned by Arthur E. Wickes; Dog Hammock owned by Edmond C. Browne, Richmond Hill, Long Island; Race Rocks; Grassy Hammock, where the Tolchester was stranded in 1896; Long Beach, favorite spot of Norwalk Indians and where Arthur Tolies, captain of the “Charis Second,” Charles H. Harris’ yacht, once found numerous arrow heads; The Plains, off Temperance Island, good only at low tide and owned by Agnes F. Smith of New York; Sheep Rock; Daskam Island now part of Harbor View; Tempest Island; Hoyt’s Island, about 3 acres in size and owned by Albert Rathbone of 80 Broad APPENDICES 479 way; Sandy Hammock, 3 acres, owned by Mary J. Com¬ stock and H. L. Comstock; Cedar Hammock, scene of death of two young duck hunters, Alan Moran and Melville Scudder, who were frozen to death, the island now being owned by Mrs. Joseph Officer of Wethersfield; Bell Island, now part of the mainland, the island having taken its name from Captain John Bell, rich man, and owner of most of the island at one time. Stuart Island, once farmed by Robert Stuart; West White Rock or White Rock, and East White Rock; Little Tavern, and Sention or St. John’s Beach, old clamming ground, are other small islands. There are several islands in the vicinity of Norwalk harbor, often thought to belong to Norwalk but which actually belong to Darien or to Westport: Seymour Rock and Kitts Island are in Saugatuck harbor; Duck Island, in Westport waters, is owned by F. H. Minard; Sprite Island, Westport, was owned in 1771 by Rev. William Tennent of Norwalk whose father was universally known for his wonderful “trances.” Rev. Tennent sold the island in 1772 when he was dismissed from his Congregational parish and it is now owned by Helen DeKay of Westport. Cockenoe Island, Westport, at one time said to have been the scene of a bootleg distillery, and at another time, to have been the hiding place of a bold pirate’s treasure, is now owned by D. B. Sanford and William B. W. Smith of Westport. Butler Island, Darien, old Indian rendezvous where the Indians used to grind their corn in a hole ten inches across, and 18 inches deep gouged in a rock, is now part of the mainland. Contentment Island, once a thriving farm property, is now owned by Mr. and Mrs. John Sher¬ man Hoyt of “Keewaydin” Contentment Island, Darien. Fish Island, also in Darien, belongs to John Sherman Hoyt. Goose Island, scene 20 years ago of the burial of a badly decomposed body which had been washed up on shore, by David W. Raymond, local undertaker, is on the Nor- walk-Westport boundary line. Humor in tragedy is re¬ vealed in the remark of old timers who maintain that 100 ROMANCE OF NORWALK 480 years from now some one will dig lip the bones of the corpse and proclaim a new Indian find. The island belongs to the Smithsonian Institute and has been used for experimental purposes. MARCH OF NORWALKERS IN CIVIL WAR In the “Fighting Seventeenth” which saw hard service in the Civil War, nearly 200 Norwalkers fought. The line of march is pictured above: Norwalk to Bridgeport, then to Baltimore, Mary¬ land by train; over to Fort Marshall — Brooklyn and New York troops here, lax discipline, 17th refused proper shelter, soldiers dis¬ satisfied ; then to Washington, D. C., then to Tenallytown en¬ camping at Fort Kearney where trenches were dug; to Georgetown and then to Gainesville, Virginia with Gen. Franz Sigel; here under Gen. McLean were many Ohio men whom the Norwalkers liked; Prince Salm-Salm’s beautiful wife reviewed the troops here; then to Thoroughfare Gap in the Bull Run mountains; then to Hope- well Gap, just gap in the hills, and Antioch church; then to Chan¬ tilly and bitter cold ; then to Falmouth and over to Stafford Court House where the Norwalkers gave dinner for Ohio boys; then to Belle Plain and over to Brooks’ Station; westward to Hartwood Church ; to Barrett’s Ford on the Rappahannock, to Germania Ford on the Rapidan, where pontoons were laid; back to battleground of Chancellorsville ; across Rappahannock, north to battlefield of Gettysburg, Pa.; down to Hagerstown, Maryland; down to Antie- tam, many of soldiers without shoes; down to Alexandria; troops now embarked for Fortress Monroe, Virg. ; took boat for Folly Island, South Carolina; soldiers spent most of time dodging shells here; heard first guns fired on Fort Sumter; then to Jacksonville, Florida; then to St. Augustine; then to Volusia, where Captain Kellogg of Norwalk frightened away enemy by ruse of wagon tracks mistaken for artillery; to Welaka and Sanders where company of 17 was wiped out in action; up to Jacksonville; down to St. Au¬ gustine, men running short of water on way down and Col. Noble offering $100 for pint; over to Picolata where scorching sands burned the men’s feet; up to Baldwin, back to St. Augustine; up St. John’s River to Dunn’s Lake where raid was made on enemy cotton store ; back to St. Augustine where at Fort Marion, 17th took charge of prisoners; up to Jacksonville to provost duty; over to Hilton Head, South Carolina, where 17th was mustered out, July 16, 1865. APPENDICES 481 NORWALK OYSTER GROUNDS