Plainfield Connecticut Manufacturing History
During the early years of the present century, manufacturing interests
began to develop in Plainfield, and through their influence the town has
maintained its position and growth with a healthy degree of progress.
About the year 1807 several manufacturing companies embarked in the
enterprise of establishing cotton spinning upon the streams of this town.
The American Cotton Manufacturing Company was composed of Thomas Rhodes of
Providence, Peter B. Remington of Warwick, Messrs. Holden & Lawton of
Rehoboth, and Obed Brown, Dyer Ames and others of Sterling. This company
secured a privilege near Ransom Perkins' fulling mill on Quandunk River."
The Plainfield Union Manufacturing Company was organized for the purpose
of carrying on the manufacture of cotton, and bought valuable privileges
and land on the Moosup. This company was composed of Rufus Waterman, S. G.
Arnold, Joseph S. Martin, David and Joseph Anthony, of Providence; Peter
Cushman, of North Providence; David King, of Newport; and Anthony
Bradford, Henry Dow, John Dunlap, Walter Palmer, Christopher Deane,
Jonathan Gallup, Joseph Parkhurst, Edward Hill, John Lester, Jeremiah
Kinsman, James Gordon, Jr., Nathaniel Medbury, James Goff, John Freeman,
Elias Deane and Edward Clark, of Plainfield; and Calvin Hibbard and Lemuel
Dorrance, of Sterling. Joseph K. Angell, with Nathan Burgess, Humphrey
Almy and other non-residents, arranged to occupy the privilege long owned
by Nathan Angell, under the name of the Moosup Manufacturing Company. The
Plainfield Union Company was ready for work in 1809, and the others within
a year or two from that time. The Andrus Factory Company. composed of Abel
and Benjamin Andrus, Thomas and Andrew Gibbs, Levi Robinson and Joseph
Hutchins, of Plainfield; Charles Townsend, of Norwich; Titus Adams, John
Baldwin and Joseph Farnham, of Canterbury, began operations in 1811. They
bought land in Plainfield and Canterbury, on the brook south of the grist
mill, and put up a small mill, thus beginning the settlement which has
since been known as Packerville. Adjoining residents in both towns were
much interested in this manufacturing experiment, and freely gave their
aid in clearing up land and digging the cellar. Woolen factories were also
set in motion in the town by Darius Lawton, of Newport, and Joseph Eaton.
Carding machines and fulling mills were run by John Kennedy and others.
Mr. John Lester and Doctor Fuller engaged largely in wool raising. The
period of depression in the manufacturing industry which followed the war
of 1812 occasioned much embarrassment in Plainfield. Several companies
were obliged to suspend operations, and many changes took place. The
Moosup Company lost its factory by fire, and the company was dissolved.
The Central Manufacturing Company in 1827 passed into the hands of Richard
and Arnold Fenner, of Cumberland, and Holden Borden, of Smithfield.
Buildings, machinery, privileges of land and water, occupied in woolen
manufacture by Joseph Eaton, Darius Lawton and company, in 1826 fell into
the hands of a Rhode Island Quaker, William Almy. A large new factory
building was erected the following year, improved machinery introduced.
tenement houses built, adjoining land purchased and brought under
cultivation, and soon one of the largest woolen manufactories in
Connecticut was under full headway. Another smaller factory, eastward on
the Moosup, was built and run by Joseph S. Gladding. The Union Factory,
owned mostly in Plainfield, was also flourishing, Henry A. Rogers acting
as its agent in Providence. Four little manufacturing villages, known as
Almyville, Unionville, Centreville and Packerville, were thus growing up
in the town. All were managed by good men, ready to promote order and
improvement. The first was made the charge of Sampson Almy, nephew of its
chief proprietor. A small settlement also grew up around Kennedy's mill,
near the mouth of the Moosup.
Public improvements in the way of traveling facilities were imperative and
the demand was promptly met by the early settlers of the town. In 1705 the
town directed a committee to lay out leading ways into the General Field
and a way to Canterbury. A road was also marked out from the mill which
had been built on Mill brook to the north part of the town. A highway six
rods wide was laid out from the Preston line to the north bounds of the
town, with two crossings at Moosup's river. A highway was laid out from
this road, through the General 'Field, between John Spalding's and Thomas
Pierce's and "so over the brook on the west side of Moosup's hill to
Moosup's river and so down the river." The people felt the need of more
convenient highways and bridges over the Quinebaug, fording places being
at first used, but this practice was dangerous and sometimes impossible
when the river ran high. The town was too young and unsettled to cope with
the task of bridge building, but a bridge was built, probably by private
contributions, in 1709. By direction of the assembly this town was
required to lay out a road through its territory to meet the road which
Rhode Island had ordered to be laid out from Providence to this town. The
enactment -was made in October, 1712. The assembly directed the selectmen
of Plainfield to continue the road eastward beyond the town bounds to the
point where it was to meet the road from Rhode Island. This part of the
road through territory as yet unoccupied by any town was to be paid for by
the government. In crossing this town the road ran through the lands of
Joshua Whitney, Benjamin Spalding, Nathaniel Jewell, Daniel Lawrence, John
Hall and John Smith, all of whom gave the right of way free of charge. The
road was laid out four rods wide, and in some parts of Egunk hill this was
increased to eight rods for the convenience of loaded carts. The road was
completed and opened for use in 1714, the colony paying the cost of a
bridge over the Moosup which lay on the road just beyond the east bounds
of the town. The bridge which had been built over the Quinebaug was
carried away by a freshet after it had been there but a few years.
Following this, Samuel Shepard, who lived on the public road near a
convenient place for crossing, provided a ferry boat large enough to carry
a horse and a man over. In order to compensate him for the outlay he had
made, the assembly in May, 1772, allowed him "to keep said ferry for the
space of five years next coming; and the fees thereof are stated to be
fourpence for horse and man." No other public ferry was allowed between
the towns, and Shepard was to keep suitable boats for the purpose and
attend to its service.
The following petition tells so much of its own story, and also gives so
much of incidental information concerning the river and the enterprise of
bridging it, that we insert it entire
" To the general assembly sitting in Hartford. May 9, 1728. The petition
of the subscribers showeth to your Honors, the many attempts that have
been made by many of the inhabitants of the towns of Plainfield and
Canterbury for the making a good and sufficient cart-bridge over the river
Quinebaug, between said towns; it being so extraordinarily difficult and
hazardous, for near half the year almost every year, and many travelers
have escaped of their lives to admiration. The same river can't be
paralleled in this Colony. It descends near fifty or sixty miles, out of
the wilderness, and many other rivers entering into it, cause it to be
extremely furious and hazardous. And also the road through said towns,
over said river, being as great as almost any road in the Government, for
travelers. And now your petitioners, with the encouragement of divers
persons (;_C98 Es.) have assumed to build a good cart-bridge, twenty-seven
feet high from the bottom of said river-which is four feet higher than any
flood known these thirty years-and sixteen and a half rods long; have
carefully kept account of the cost, beside trouble which is great (cost
amounting to /424), and ask for a grant of ungranted lands."
The assembly ordered, That said bridge be kept a toll-bridge for ten
years, receiving for each man, horse and load, fourpence: single man,
twopence; each horse and all neat cattle, twopence per head; sheep and
swine, two shillings per score; always provided, that those who have
contributed toward said bridge be free till reimbursed what they have
paid." Two years later, on account of the great expense incurred in
building this bridge, it was further resolved, That no person shall keep
any boat or ferry on said Quinebaug river for the transportation of
travelers within one mile of said bridge, on the penalty of the law."
A bridge over Moosup river, by Kingsbury's mill, was built by Samuel.
Spalding in 1729. In 1737 a committee was appointed to act in conjunction
with Canterbury in rebuilding the broken down bridge between the two
towns. Canterbury preferring to build a new one rather than repair the
damaged one, Plainfield ordered a new road laid out to reach the new site,
which was nearly opposite to Captain Butts' place. William Deane was
granted permission to make a dam across Moosup river about 1716, for the
purpose of setting up mills near his house. A bridge over this stream on
the road to Deane's house and mill was built by the town in 1740.
In 1767 the bridge over the Quinebaug was again swept away by a freshet.
Widow Williams saved twenty of the planks, by heroic efforts, and the town
voted her a reward for the action. The bridge was at once rebuilt and men
appointed to have the care of it and cut away ice when it formed upon the
abutments. This bridge being situated on a great thoroughfare of
intercolonial travel, was at that time a very important one. Special
orders relative to the-renewal and maintenance of this road were from time
to time made by the governments of Connecticut and Rhode Island. A road
laid out from this highway to Butts' bridge accommodated -Norwich travel.
In 1784 the town voted to join with Brooklyn in building a bridge over the
Quinebaug at Parkhurst's fordway. The work was delayed several years, but
was accomplished in 1790. In 1788 the town joined Canterbury in rebuilding
Nevins' bridge, "with three stone pillars in the river and suitable timber
and planks for the upper works."
Turnpike companies began to come into existence about the close of the
last century. In 1795 the "New London and Windham County Society for
establishing a turnpike road from Nor-wich to Rhode Island line, direct
through Norwich, Lisbon, Preston, Plainfield and Sterling," was
incorporated. A toll-gate was allowed in Sterling, and another "within
half a mile of Plainfield meeting house." The old traveled country road
from Plainfield meeting house westward to Hartford was turned over to the
Windham Turnpike Company in 1799, and liberty granted to erect a toll-gate
near the dividing line between Plainfield and Canterbury. General James
Gordon was a member of several turnpike companies and served as turnpike
commissioner of the state.
Highway districts were remodelled in 1808. The record locates them as-No.
1, Southwest; No. 2, Middle District, with three bridges, including bridge
over west turnpike by tan vats; No. 3, North meeting house, begins at the
Great Gate; No. 4, Green Hollow, extending north to Killingly line on the
road to Elder Cole's meeting house; No. 5, Shepard Hill; No. 6, Moosup,
extends north by Hartshorn's mills; No. 7, Black Hill, includes Nevins'
and Cutler's bridges; No. 8, Pond Hill, extending to Sterling line; No. 8,
Snake Meadow, north to Killingly line; No. 10, Mill Road; No. 11, Goshen;
No. 12, Walnut Hill; No. 13, Kinne Road; No. 14, Howe Hill; No. 15, Dow
Road; No. 16, Spring Hill; Nos. 17 and 18, East and West Flat Rock. Roads
were laid out near Union Factory, and from the Andrus Factory over Butts'
bridge, but a road was refused from the latter factory to Plainfield
village on the ground that there was no house on the way and never would
be. In 1818 a committee was appointed to join with Canterbury in a
conference about building a bridge between the two towns, the selectmen
meanwhile being authorized to establish a means of crossing by a boat.
They were also called upon to join with Brooklyn in providing for bridge
repairs between the two towns. Bridges over Moosup river were also
replaced.
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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