Esteemed Men of Plainfield Connecticut History
It has already been stated that the town of Plainfield is largely
dependent upon its manufacturing enterprises for the degree of prosperity
which it enjoys. There are in the town several localities of more or less
importance which have been built up by this industry. These are Moosup,
Central Village, Wauregan, Kennedy City, Almyville, Gladdingville and
Packerville, which last is on the Canterbury line.
The water power at the Union Mills was used for many years for a carding
machine. The original mill was built about 1505, and was very small;
afterward enlarged twice, owned at first by a joint stock company composed
of Jonathan Goff, John Dean, Elias Dean, John Dunlap, Jonathan Whaley,
Doctor Baldwin, David Anthony, of Providence, and others. The stone mill
was built subsequently. Mr. Andrew Young, from Rhode Island, became
superintendent in 1815, and continued fourteen years
After the failure of Mr. Almy the mill stood still for two years, when it
was bought by D. L. Aldrich of Hope Valley, and S. G. Gray, for $33,000,
by whom it was run till the lamented death of dir. Gray, September 27th,
1855, when Mr. Aldrich became sole owner. The stone mill was put in
operation in 1879, with 140 looms and 7,000 spindles, on 56 x 60 print
cloths. At that time Mr. Aldrich was agent; Mr. Gray, superintendent; G.
E. Tillinghast, bookkeeper; P. S. Phillips, overseer of weaving; W. J.
Potter, overseer of carding and spinning; and John Gibson, overseer of
mule spinning. In 1880 an addition was built on the back side of the stone
mill 40 x 60, two stories, used as a lapper and slasher room. In the fall
of 1881 another addition was built, to be used as a boiler and engine
room. In the summer of 1882 an addition of 108 feet was built on the west
end of the mill, of the same height and width as the mill, to accommodate
the machinist, and for other purposes. In 1883 the old mill was torn down,
and nearly on the same spot Mr. Aldrich laid the foundation for an
addition of 100 feet in length, built the next summer, three stories high.
Another story was added to the main mill as far as the tower. The mill has
a capacity for 350 looms. It has 10,000 spindles, and employs upwards of
100 hands. D. L. Aldrich is sole owner and agent; G. E. Tillinghast,
superintendent; W. J. Nichols, bookkeeper; P. S. Phillips, overseer of
weaving; Frank Boudroe, overseer of carding; J. Gibson, overseer of mule
spinning; H. A. Bell, overseer of spinning; Henry Daggett, in charge of
slashing; G. Wilbur, boss machinist.
The energy and resources brought to bear on this enterprise by the owner,
give assurance of the largest success. Several houses in good style of
architecture he has already added to the village of Moosup.
In the northwestern part of the town is the manufacturing village of
Wauregan, having a Congregational church within its limits proper, and a
Roman Catholic church on the opposite bank of the Quinebaug, in the town
of Brooklyn. The village is under the control of a company in whose
manufactory the people are employed. There are in the village one store
and a large hall for concerts, lectures and the like. The village has a
library of one thousand volumes from which any one can draw books by the
payment of ten cents a week.
About the year 1850 Mr. A. D. Lockwood bought the privilege, and in 1853 a
company was formed, which obtained a charter from the state legislature
under the name of the Wauregan Mills. In 1853 and 1854 a building 250 feet
in length and 45 feet wide, three stories high, was erected. In 1858 and
1559 the length of this was doubled. In 1867 and 1868 another building 500
feet in length and four stories high was built on the opposite side of the
trench, and the two parallel buildings were connected in the middle by a
building 250 feet long, extending across from one to the other. This makes
a total length in the three parts of about 1,250 feet. It is built of
rough stone, which was quarried in the vicinity, the outside being
plastered. Both water and steam power are used. Water from the Quinebaug
is carried through five turbine wheels, giving what by estimation is equal
to one thousand horse-power. A steam engine of four hundred horse-power is
also ready for use when occasion requires. The factory is lighted with
gas, which is made on the premises from coal oil.
There have been no changes in ownership, except as sons of the original
proprietors have taken the places of their fathers. The stock is owned
mostly in Providence, R. I. Mr. A. D. Lockwood was agent at the
commencement, but soon disposed of his interest. Mr. J. S. Atwood, who had
been superintendent from the start, was then made agent, and retained the
position until his death, February 20th, 1.885. The works have now in
successful operation 56,000 spindles and 1,400 looms, making different
kinds of plain and fancy cotton cloths. The pay roll of the company
contains more than eight hundred names. The annual product is between
eight and nine million yards. Seven hundred cords of wood and fifteen
hundred tons of coal are annually consumed. The farm owned by the company
contains twelve hundred acres of as fine land as can be found in the
state.
On the Moosup river, in the upper borders of Moosup village, is the
locality known as Almyville, a factory village. In ancient times a carding
machine occupied this water power for many years. The old mill, known as
the woolen mill, was built by William Almy, of Providence, about sixty
years ago. It was started and operated by Darius Lawton, making fine
broadcloths, being about the first made in New England. At the end of ten
years Mr. Lawton left, and Sampson Almy succeeded to his place and
continued the business about ten years longer, when the change was made to
cotton, and a variety of cotton goods was manufactured.
There was another mill built in 1856, and run as a woolen mill till it was
burned in 1875. The present owners, Aldrich & Milner, bought in 1879, and
have built a large mill on the site of the burned woolen mill. They have
now running eight sets of cards in the new mill, and four sets in the old
woolen mill; and are now running 14 sets of machinery, with 84 broad
looms, employing about 230 hands, with a pay roll amounting to nearly
$8,000 a month.
A new mill at the upper dam has been built, where are now running two sets
of improved cards, with mules for spinning, and a Garnet machine for
opening ends. Several new houses have. been recently added to this
beautiful village. Mr. Julius S. Bowes is the efficient superintendent of
the Almyville mills.
Another section of the village of Moosup is locally known as Gladdingville,
or Kiswaukee. A mill was built at this place by Joseph S. Gladding in
1817, for the manufacture of cotton cloth. Since then it has been owned by
James B. Ames, by Hale & Miller, and by David Harris. It is now owned by
Floyd Cranska, and is occupied in the manufacture of a very excellent
article of thread. The mill is supplied with four thousand spindles, and
some thirty to forty hands are employed.
Allen Harris, one of the pioneers of manufacturing in Central Village, was
born in Smithfield, R. I., May 16th, 1790, and came with his parents to
Plainfield in 1800. He, with Arnold Fenner, built the upper brick mill
about the year 1828. For a while the village was known as Harrisville.
Previous to that time Fenner & Richards had built the old wooden mill
still standing in the upper part of the village, though not used as a mill
for many years. That mill was afterward owned by Fenner & Borden. The
lower brick mill was built about the year 1845. Borden died and Bowen
became a partner, the firm being then known as the Central Manufacturing
Company, of which mention has been made in a previous paragraph. After the
death of both owners, the business was carried on by the heirs of Fenner &
Bowen till the property was sold to the Leavens Brothers. J. Leavens'
Sons, of Norwich, bought the property in July, 1881, and gave it the name
by which. it is now known, viz., the Kirk Mills. They immediately
commenced making such changes as were necessary to manufacture the same
kind of goods which they had formerly made. For that purpose the upper
mill was arranged for fancy goods. This also necessitated many changes in
the lower mill. The mills now contain 11,000 spindles and 234 looms. They
are making fancy goods, wide prints and light plain goods, and employ some
one hundred hands or more. The superintendent is Mr. H. Truesdell.
A locality in the suburbs of Central Village is known as Kennedy City. In
ancient times here was only a grist mill. After the property was bought by
John and Robert Kennedy, a saw mill was added, and a fulling mill. After
some years John Kennedy sold out to Arnold Fenner, who built a cotton mill
about fifty-five years ago. Previous to this time, some five years, the
fulling mill on the north side was made into a flannel mill. About thirty
years since machinery for making wicking and twine was put in, and work in
this line has gone on till the present time. The works are now operated by
Thomas Sheldon.
The ancient grist mill, located near here, on the Canterbury road, was
built by Jared Cook about the year 1768. It was sold to William Cutler in
1775. He in turn sold it to John and Robert Kennedy in 1794; and it was
again sold to Henry Cutler in 1856. It is still owned by him. About thirty
horse-power of water is employed, and the mill grinds 250 bushels a week
of corn, wheat and feed. The dam is supposed to have been built by one
Pope some years earlier than the date given above, and a saw mill built on
the opposite side of the river.
The Robinson & Fowler Foundry Company had its origin, as far as active
work is concerned, in Canterbury twenty-five or more years ago, and was
removed to Plainfield junction in 1868. It is located near the railroad
depot, and employs from thirty to forty hands. The works are largely
engaged in making castings for the " Webster " and the Richmond "
furnaces. The present officers of the company are: J. Hutchins, president;
Roswell Ensworth, secretary; W. Tillinghast, treasurer, and S. P.
Robinson, agent. They also manufacture farmers' boilers, cook stoves,
parlor stoves and office stoves, hollow-ware, cellar windows, cultivators,
plows, horse hoes, cauldron kettles and machinery castings.
One of the most destructive freshets ever known in this town occurred on
the night of February 13th, 1.886. The Moosup river burst its banks,
carrying away bridges and flooding buildings. An eye witness describes it
thus:
" The Moosup River, usually so quiet and peaceful, had yielded to the
elements and soon was beyond control, sweeping with a mad, irresistible
force everything before it. At the vicinity of the `Central bridge,' so
called, the roads were completely ruined, while of the bridge nothing
remains. All the houses on the flat were vacated, and on Sunday the scene
was a terrible reality to the many visitors. The trench of the Central
Manufacturing Company was completely torn out, stopping further operations
at the mill, and throwing many out of employment until repaired. A few
rods further down the stream is an old bridge, just above the railroad
bridge, erected on apparently loosely built abutments, which took the
first shock of the ice and debris from above, and, strange to say, the old
bridge stood there, with the road washed away on both sides, a pigmy
mocking at the strength of a giant. A few feet further down was the
railroad bridge on strongly built abutments, which presented an entirely
different aspect. The force of the stream was such that the south abutment
was half gone, the bank under the track torn away, while the rails on the
bridge were twisted toward the east quite a distance. The north abutment
at first glance would seem but little damaged, but on close inspection,
the now falling river showed that it had been undermined, so that
considerable work will have to be done there.
" Below the railroad bridge was situated a building owned by J. P.
Kingsley of Plainfield, and occupied by French's grist mill, Torrey
Brothers' carriage shop, where they also made stable forks and wagon
jacks, and in the basement by Fitch Cary and Torrey Brothers in making ox
bows and yokes. Below the building the bank completely Bullied; broken
machinery, lumber stock and debris from above were mingled in wild
confusion, the whole shop being a complete wreck. The water rose higher
and higher until it reached the floor above, sweeping through the sides of
the building and carrying away at least a third of the side towards the
stream. The Torrey Brothers fortunately saved most of their tools on this
floor, and of 500 bushels of corn grist put into the grist mill, 350
bushels were saved. Half the dam here is swept away, the high water still
hiding traces of further destruction. On the roadway to the shops above
mentioned was situated a barn and sheds, which the freshet, in its
destructive career, swept away with half the road. The fields as far as
the eye could see were strewn with broken timbers and wreck of every
description.
" At Kennedy City, a short distance down the river, are situated small
mills owned by Henry Cutler and Mr. Tourtellotte. Cutler's mill is
occupied by Mr. Sheldon, but beyond the flooding of the lower part of the
building the loss is slight. The flume was destroyed, and also the trench
to the grist mill, making a loss of $500 at least. Tourtellotte's mill was
run by George Tripp. The flood came with such force that a new bulkhead
was torn away, destroying the flume and saw mill. Mr. Tourtellofte's loss
cannot be less than $1,000. The mill caught fire from old waste belonging
to Mr. Tripp. His loss is nearly $100.
" Moosup is in a bad shape on account of the freshet. The bridges are most
all gone, and the roads in that section, many of them, are useless. The
first bridge to go was the one about three miles above the village, then
followed the David Hall bridge (abutments and all), the -Morgan bridge at
Almyville near the Blodgett House, the Kishwaukie bridge by Floyd
Cranska's. The Carey bridge, it is thought, can be saved, though Sunday it
was under water. A tenement house owned by Aldrich & Gray was carried off
with the flood, giving the occupants barely time to get out, they losing
all their furniture. Large numbers were at work on all the dams, but it
seemed at one time as if all their efforts would be in vain. The ice
started Friday night and came with such a force that it moved the cap
stone at Aldrich & Milner's. The roadway of this firm was washed in two
places. Floyd Cranska's race-way is damaged, and the dam at one time was
in danger of going."
The four main bridges of the town were swept away. To replace them the
town--hired $20,000 and built substantial iron bridges. The damage to
corporate property of the town amounted to about $25,000.
Plainfield junction for many years was nothing but a railroad crossing,
but now carries on foundry works and steam saw mills, and is building up
into a village.
Old Plainfield Village has perhaps the finest avenue of trees in Windham
county, and many handsome residences. Plainfield, like many similar towns,
suffers from a multiplicity of interests, its villages being practically
independent organizations. The senior village, however, occupies a nominal
head-ship, and has still been able to retain the administration of the
probate court. Its charge was held for twenty-three years by Hon. David
Gallup, who removed his residence to Plainfield at an early age. and
became very active in town and public affairs.
James B. Kilborn Post, No. 77, Department of Connecticut, G. A. R., was
organized March 4th, 1886. Its charter members were John Allen, George A.
Rouse, Stephen Aldrich, Henry F. Walker, Willis D. ,Rouse, Horace S. Swan,
Henry C. Torrey, George Torrey, Daniel Champlin, Nathaniel P. Thompson,
William H. Johnson, Henry F. Newton, Charles H. Rogers, Charles B.
Wheatley, Joseph D. Lewis, George R. Bliven, James P. Pellett, Minor
Spicer, John W. Fisk, William Dean, Elijah Green, James Whelan, Austin
Fitzgerald, Jeremiah H. Pierce, Michael Fitzpatrick, Isaac Whitaker,
William Gill, James McCaffrey, Robert Scholes, James F. Knight, Charles C.
Card and John Rankin. Its meetings have always been held in Central
Village. It has a nice hall in Barbour's building. Its first officers
were: Post commander, George R. Bliven; S. V. C., Daniel Champlin; J. V.
C., Charles B. Wheatley; O. M., N. P. Thompson; surgeon, Charles H.
Rogers; chaplain, Henry C. Torrey; officer of the day, Horace S. Swan;
officer of the guard, John Rankin; adjutant, Henry F. Walker. The post
commander for the years 1887 and 1888 was Charles B. Wheatley.
On May 6th, 1887, the post was presented with a most elegant silk double
flag, with stars and stripes on one side and post flag on the reverse, a
present from Hon. Joseph Hutchins, Mr. Edwin Milner, Mr. J. Arthur Atwood
and Comrade Charles B. Wheatley. The flag is probably second to none owned
by any post in the state. The post has now 82 members. The officers
elected for the year 1889 are: Commander, George Torrey; S. V. C., James
P. Pellett; J. V. C., William I. Hyde; surgeon, Charles H. Rogers;
chaplain, Henry C. Torrey; O. M., George R. Bliven; O. D., William Dean;
O. G., Stephen Aldrich.
Moosup Lodge, No. 113, F. & A. M., was chartered June 4th, 1872, Its
location, as its name implies, is in the village of Moosup, where it
regularly meets. The first W. M. of the Lodge was George H. Lovegrove. The
present incumbent of that office is Charles N. Allen. Other officers are:
Charles Bragg, S. W.; Orrin W. Bates, J. W.; George R. Bliven, treasurer;
William H. Sargent, secretary; Reverend John McVey, chaplain. The Lodge
has always met at Moosup. It owns no property except its regalia.
Protection Lodge, No. 19, I. 0. 0. F., was organized in Moosup in August,
1888, with 26 charter members. The first officers were: C. B. Wheatley, N.
G.; Thomas Hurst, V. G.; F. T. Johnson, secretary; W. C. Bates, treasurer;
John Westcott, permanent secretary. The Lodge at present numbers
thirty-seven members. The present officers are: Thomas Hurst, N. G.; Henry
N. Wood, Jr., V. G.; F. T. Johnson, secretary; Charles A. Wood, treasurer.
Quinebaug Lodge, No. 22, A. O. U. W., of the town of Plainfield, was
organized July 9th, 1883. Its charter members were Charles B. Wheatley,
Amos Kendall, George W. Shepard, Albert F. Shepardson, Oscar F. Farland,
William L. Green, George P. Dorrance, Thomas E. Main, George E.
Tillinghast, George R. Fowler, Henry R. Brown, Charles W. Lillibridge,
Sessions L. Adams, Edward H. Lillibridge, and James F. Pellett. The first
officers were: Amos Kendall, P. M. W.; Charles B. Wheatley, M. W.; George
R. Fowler. foreman; C. W. Lillibridge, overseer; George E. Tillinghast,
recorder; George P. Dorrance, financier; S. L. Adams, receiver; O. W.
Farland, guide; A. F. Shepardson, I. W.; W. L. Green, O. W. The successive
master workmen from that time to the present have been: Charles B.
Wheatley, 1884: George E. Tillinghast, 1885; A. H. Gulliver, 1886; James
P. Pellett, 1887; Charles B. Wheatley, 1888; Thomas Hurst, 1889. The
present officers are: George R. Bliven, foreman; Joseph Dawson, overseer;
Henry R. Brown, recorder; Frank B. Wilson, financier; S. L. Adams,
receiver; Henry N. Wood, Jr., guide; George Shepard, I. W.; George R.
Fowler, O. W. The Lodge now has forty-seven members.
Two hundred and fifty-two men enlisted from Plainfield in Connecticut
regiments, during the late war for the suppression of the rebellion.
Among the esteemed men of a former generation may well be mentioned the
following: Deacon Caleb Bennett, who was elected deacon of the Baptist
church in 1817, and held that office here 40 years, and on removing to New
Britain he was again chosen to fill the same station, in which he remained
till he died, November 13th, 1882, aged about 81 years. Andrew Young came
from Rhode Island about 70 years ago, and was superintendent of the Union
Mill 13 years. He reared two children, one of them, Sophia, is the wife of
Mr. Charles A. Tillinghast, of Moosup; the other, now deceased, was the
wife of Mr. Jason Potter, now of Sterling. Jonathan Goff was justice of
the peace for a considerable time; he once represented the town in the
legislature, and was clerk of the Baptist church fifty years. John Dunlap
was judge of probate, justice of the peace and postmaster. Samuel D.
Millett was one of the highly esteemed citizens of the town; was
representative, justice of the peace, and filled many other offices of
trust. In the Methodist church he was very useful, filling the important
offices of trustee and steward many years, and always ready to help in
every good work. He died December 2d, 1884. Stephen Hall, Esq., commenced
a private school for classical studies and the higher branches of English,
in 1847, which he continued for about fifteen years. Among the hundreds of
scholars trained by him, now scattered from Maine to California, may be
mentioned Hon. Daniel Spalding, of the interior department; Alfred
Fairbanks, a millionaire of California; Mr. Tillinghast, a prominent
lawyer of Providence; and Reverend Jeremiah Aldrich, now of the state of
Massachusetts.
Back to: Plainfield, Windham
County, Connecticut History Source: History of Windham County, Connecticut,
Bayles, Richard M.; New York: W.W. Preston, 1889 Back to: Windham County, Connecticut
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