Norwalk After Two Hundred & Fifty Years

Sheep, all sorts, 437; value, $437; wool produced, 1,388 lbs.; value, $416.40. Horses, 228; value, $10,563; neat cattle, 1,050; value, $14,122; swine, 1,023; value. $7,499. Sperm Oil consumed, 125 galls. ; value, $125. Anthracite Coal consumed. 100 tons; value, $500. Indian Corn, 9,632 bu., value, $5,779.20; wheat, 813 bu., value, $813; rve, 3,894 bu., value, $2,920.50; oats, 13,125 bu., value, $5,250; potatoes, 10,784 bu., value, $5,392; other esculents, 5,212 bu., value, $1,563.60. Hay, 1,777 tons, value, $22,292; fruit, 14,772 bu., value, $2,528. 359 Butter 64,972 bu., value, $10,395; cheese, 1,175 ft>3-> value, $70.50; honey, 485 lbs., value, $48.50. Poultry, value, $3,098; eggs, $7,000; charcoal man- ufactured, 1,300 bu., value, $130. In 1819 John C. Pease and John M. Niles arranged and had published a Gazetteer of the states of Rhode Island and Connecticut, which contained the following reference to Norwalk: "This town possesses considerable advantages for navigation, and the interests thereof are continually increasing. There are 16 vessels of every description belonging to the town, of which there are six regular packets that constantly ply between this place and New York. One of them is employed exclusively in the conveyance of passengers. The remaining ten vessels consists of sloops and schooners, and are employed in the coasting trade to New York and elsewhere. In addition to the pursuits of agriculture, naviga- tion and commerce, some attention has been bestowed on manufactures. There are 1 woolen factory, 2 cotton factories, one upon an extensive scale, 1 slitting and rolling mill, 5 grain mills, two of which are merchants' or flouring mills, 3 fulling mills and cloth dressing es- tablishments, 4 carding machines and 2 tanneries. "There are, in the village, nearly 100 houses, a number of trading houses, dry goods and grocery stores, 1 bookstore, several private offices, a post office, a newspaper and printing establishment. 2 churches, and several mechanics' shops. There are in Norwalk 13 primary schools and 1 academy,, 16 mercantile stores, 7 public inns, 3 physicians, 3 clergymen and 2 attorneys." It will readily be seen that the contrast of former times to the present era of large manufacturing estab- lishments is very great. Still, there is evidence that even in our earlier days the spirit of progress possessed the people to a marked degree. The fear entertained by some that the monster, monopoly, is a nineteenth century production, may be dispelled by a careful con- sideration of the request made by one Samuel Delu- cena, who evidently was a moving spirit in our town, nearly one hundred and fifty years ago. The promoters of huge combinations of capital which some predict will be ruinous to our nation, have a great deal to learn from our ancient friend. The following petition appears in a volume on Connecticut Industries covering the pe- 360 riod 1 764- 1 789 on file at the State Capitol Library in Hartford : "To the Honored General Assembly of his Majes- ty's English Colony of Conn, in N. E. in America to be holden in Hartford on the Second Thursday of In- stant May. The Memorial of Samuel De Lucena, now Resident in Norwalk, in the Co. of F'd, humbly shew- eth that your Memorialise was Born and Brought up a Merchant in the City of N. Y. in Amer., but finding of late years that it is hard making returns to Europe from whence he had his English Goods, and thereupon your Honors memorialise hath now Learned the Skill of making Pot Ash and for that Purpose hath by the Approbation and Consent of the Good People of Nor- walk Actually Disbursed and Layd out near two Hun- dred Pounds Lawful Money in Building and preparing to carry on that Business in making Pot Ash, which Buildings are erected at the South End of the Town ot Norwalk which affair if Carried with Success your Honours Memorialist hopes may prove of Good Ad- vantage both to himself and the Government in Gen- eral in Case he can have the Approbation and Assis- tance of the Hon'd Assembly in the case whereupon your Honours Memorialist humbly praise that this As- sembly will pass an Act forbidding any other person or Persons setting up any work or Carrying on the Busi- ness of making Potash in the Colony of Connecticut within the district of twenty miles of the place where his work is now erected or in some other way pass some other Act that may be for his Incouragement as this Assembly in their great wisdom shall think proper for his Benefit that he may proceed without Interruption for some certain term of years as he is the first under- taken to carry on that Business in this County and your Memorialist as in duty bound shall ever Pray. "Dated at Norwalk, the 6th day of Mav, Anno Domi. 1765. SAMUEL DELUCENA." We have striven to procure a list of those engaged in industrial pursuits in Norwalk, together with such other information as will serve a historical purpose. AIR AND GAS COMPRESSORS. The Norwalk Iron Works Company, manufacturers of Air and Gas Compressors, is the largest manufac- turing enterprise of the Norwalks. The foundries and machine shops are situated on the Norwalk River with 361 ample wharf facilities and front on Water street a dis- tance of 800 feet. The most important buildings are of recent con- struction, being made with especial reference to the business and are equipped with electric cranes, modern machine tools, and every up-to-date shop appliance. Three hundred and seventy-five men find employ- ment here and from the IJ. S. Census reports it is found that the pay roll is over one-seventh the entire wages paid in the town. For many years Sundays and legal holidays have been the only days of cessation from work. The products of this factory are compressors for air and gases. The machines are from the designs and patents of Ebenezer Hill, the present manager of the company. Prominent in the mechanical affairs of the com- pany have been John A. Slater, superintendent, and Henry H. Jennings, draughtsman, both deceased, and Henry P. Morgan, now chief draughtsman. Stephen St. John for over 35 years and Oliver E. Weed for 31 years in the employ of the compnv and its predecessor as foremen are well known to all veteran mechanics of the town. The officers of the company (1902) are: E. Beard, president ; E. Hill, general manager and treasurer ; E. Hill, Jr., superintendent; H. H. Mossman, foundry agent. The directors are E. Beard, John H. Ferris, W. F. Bishop, E. Hill and E. Hill, Jr. For many years previous to their deaths, Geo. G. Bishop and Henry I. Hoyt were directors in the com- pany. The Norwalk Iron Works Co. is the successor of the Norwalk Iron Works Corporation, organized Oct. 5th, 1866. This corporation was organized for the pur- pose of acquiring and bringing to Norwalk the shafting and machine business of Bullard & Parsons of Hart- ford, but before that was consummated the business of George Dwight, Jr., of Springfield, Mass., was bought and the company engaged in the manufacture of steam pumps. Prominent in the early affairs of this company were Henry I. Hoyt, Geo. G. Bishop, Ebenezer Hill, (de- ceased 1875, father of the manager of the present com- pany), H. H. Elwell. Dudley P. Ely, A. E. Beard, George Dwight, Jr., and O. T. Earle. D. P. Ely was first president and was succeeded by Ebenezer Hill and 862 Henry I. Hoyt. The secretary was George Dwight, Jr., followed from 1868 to 1871 by E. J. Hill (our pres- ent Congressman). O. T. Earle was superintendent, followed by J. B. Waring and Fred. C. Rowland. At times a large business was transacted in steam pumps and engines, many being sent all over the coun- try, particularly to the South. In 1874 the property and affairs were sold to the present ov/ners and soon there- after a radical change was made in the line of manu- facture. The first compound air compressor patent was taken out by Mr. E. Hill in 1876. This has been fol- lowed by many others referring to improvements in principles and in details. STRAW HATS. In 1873 John P. Beatty and Dexter Dennis formed a partnership for the purpose of pressing and trimming foreign straw hats ; also palm leaf hats, which at that time were braided in large quantities in New England. The business was carried on in a building occupying the present site of the Martin Bates factory on Spring street, South Norwalk. This partnership continued until 1879, when the business was taken by Mr. Dennis and carried on for two years in the Norwalk Iron Works building. On Mr. Dennis' death in 1881, a partner- ship was formed by Lloyd E. Dennis and Abiathar Blanchard under the firm name of Dennis & Blanchard, which has continued to the present time. In 1885 the firm began the manufacture of hats from imported Chinese straw braids in addition to their foreign hat business. The braid hat work has increased until the principal attention is now given to that department. In 1893 the business was moved from the Norwalk Iron Works to the present location in the buildings at 132 Water street. A bleachery was erected in 1898 for the purpose of bleaching straw braid. The whole estab- lishment now gives employment to seventy-five hands during the busy season, work usually beginning in August and lasting until the first of June. Arthur C. Wheeler, manufacturer of straw hats, 13 Butler street, Norwalk. This establishment for many years has carried on a prosperous business. The goods manufactured include all varieties of men's and women's straw hats. The workmanship has been of such a char- acter that Mr. Wheeler's name in connection with the straw hat business is favorably known throughout the 363 country. The factory was established in 1857 bv John P. Beatty & Bro. In September, 1888, Mr. Wheeler took possession where he now does a thriving busi- ness. The factories cover one and one-half acres of ground. During the busy season in the neighborhood of two hundred operatives are employed. CORSETS.