New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-05-15
HOMES IN THE COUNTRY
DANBURY, CONN.

go nar,o Those persons who delight IN contrasting
Eew-Engaud stingiuess with Southern hosIall'y
not forget 10 make a note OF this fankeeioslc" ~
uarlty The original name of tins place was f@"q",'4"
me fret settlements made IL inc summit % 80
INIT owing TO tbe many hardshps which the ihn"o''"s
had TO endure little progress was made to""iu -,
pepts until the year following Lana was Pu'v"'ooo1
NJ the Indians and the town surveyed curing roo'u
1893 It is said that the first building ever eree'ou
In his country as hatshop was built in Danpury' ana
he rst hat made in the United states was manufactures
IN b,s town AT the beginning OF the present century
ere were % hat factories in operation beside numerous
mills for making cloth and grinding gram As tno
bjstorv of hating this country closely cohheceu
h the history Of Daubury 1t will not be out OF pace "
sye few facts touching branch OF business Which l
ooe 80 much toward protecting the intellectual 'htono
Of man. ,,--,,,,o
Nearly century aco Zadoc Benedict worked in .lte
,ed shop near where the depot now stands, ana "l'h
tho assistance Of two apprentices and one journeynah
~ managed 10 turn of Is hats per week This was a'o'
tho first hating done IN tine village Seven years ater
tee firm Of Burr White employed 30 workmen "'o
,ade Is dozen a week. This was considered aohs pu'i
grand scale and many thought that the Market
would soon be guttcd The hats made az tns peru"
were heavy and rough though they leaaly soi' iu run
5 10 $40 each The manufacturer bOuSht MS eA"s oJ
t,o hnrlle and ENGAGED women to remove what hair
and fur remained after the bowmen had oo"eu mem
everything was done by hand. Among the many ln'er'
sting sketches given by Mr. W. H. Francis in his history
= hating I'm Daubury, Is the following advertisement
hich appeared in old Danbury paper
re BY O. BURR CoOue hundred weight Of good hat
M ana several psrs Of white Eassh rabbits whose increase is amaR
m the skim. for FIR in great demand their flesh Of the
delicate hind conclude the whole Of their eEeeeuc Their
g requires but Vegetables such as weeds grass potatoes
qrs. &C. &c Tbeg need no drink
rea usual twenty peuce run for coarse Wooen yarn
B'urI, May l3, 1881.
Robns's Century Sermon delivered at Daubury, Jan
uryl ls] are these remarks In the manufacture OF
hats this town CDanbury) much exceeds any other one
m fbc United states More than 10000 hats, mostly Of
fGr are made annually for expectation"
In 1862 the first hat store at the South in connection
With manufacturing at Ddubury, was estioshe oy wv
AND wen known men, * > NiGma9, Lnel l3u
store az Charleston : C., ana ah1tneI IN
In 1909 there were hat shops IN the Danbury TOWNSHIP
employing from three 10 five men each Many farmers
ceatly that the principal part OF the trade became cor
fined TO few large e5taolshments adg lb de
which hats We're packed and sent 10 market oeseaSs
mention Two hats were rolled up together N psper,
pcgcs were then put into lcathern sack ana sent 70
iuIr;Ct by stages SlOops. About the year 1872 a
Messrs Tweedy & Benedct's establi hment. In boyng
hats by the saNony and other fine woods could not
n. worked, consequently the home ana all the coarse
materials used in making the very few wool nat
uired. In 1878 machine was invented 20 40 away
/, hand bowling This was considered great improve
nj Inc eV vorlmen Went back to catgut and pms"
bree wears after this Mr. Grant Of Providence, Rhode
and took ont patent for forming wool hatbOdles by
nsans Of the revolving and vibrating cone Improve
eps continued TO be made from time to time when
greatly facilitated the manufacture OF hats About tne
ycsrls30 the silk hat invented by Chnaman under
lie following circumstances W. Boa, Of one of the
professors at the Academy Of Caen, while residing III
Canton applied to Chinese halter for hat similar TO
me European he was accustomed to wear The man
went TO work. aud in a few days produced hat OF the
,ourcd shape Of beaver but OF some material very
t and glossy NJ. Botta his return to France pre-
rived this curious specimen Of Chinese workmanship,
,r,sbipv have II roplired. iDlrusted a
tier who was much struck with its mode Of
bricatou, which was altogether new 20 him. He eX-
iuined tie article with the greatest attention, and ia
Snort time the wearing Of silk hats was introduced The
batter patented his discovery and made large fortune
but kept silent about lis debt TO the Chinese workman
who seeking Substitute for the which he could
moi procure devised plan Of replacing by the light
tissue OF silk IN 1885 Mr. Alvin Hurd learned the art of
making silk hats from two EuClshmen in the city OF
Eew-YOrk and Immediately commenced manufacturing
them in DanJury This branch Of the trade increased so
fast that became the most popular one OF the day. ana
m the years intervening between 1910 and 1850 it was car
ed on almost exclusively Of all others After 1850 gadu-
ally decreased and nothing is done IN DanDuIy at TINS
branch for the manufacture Of soft hats has taken us
Mace IL 1916 machine brought out for forming
fur hat bodies which worked era in the history OF
hating Like al other inventions it met with much op
position at first few years afterward Nathan Bene
dict went from NcwYOrk 10 Danbury with one OF these
fur.hatformng machines, which created considerable
excitement among the mechanics, ana they spoke Dit'
Into was done the first year, but after awhile the old
prejudice died out and the machine became very popular
tgbt of thc,e machines are used in the establishment Of
Mssrs TWeedy White Co alone, now Prior TO the year
1850 principal part of the business had Desn conducted
on the credit system The Workman instead OF receiving
cash for work. obtained an order on some one OF
the merchants m the place which payable IN goods
The cash system introduced about this time ana u
was found TO work wonders and to-day IL Is looked 0ack
on as Am important event only In the history OF hat
ting hut In the history OF Danbury Two years after
ward paper packngcases came INTO use ana tHeS nav
4Kor
NcXes for soft hats. volume might DC Written on lhe
Tions improvements that have boon introduced during
e past % years. In 1858 machine was patented iot
telling or sizing hats " 4 fS rRifeS ~ M a. yirS 70
lis inyepea that our woolen nat manufacturers have
been ae to supply the increasing demand for the inner
AWs were manufactured in Danbury yielding the SUN Of
Sl,2l7OOO. During the panic OF '57 many persons
supposed 70 be beyond the reach Of bankruptcy Were
totally ruined. Public improvements came 10 stand st
suffered little comparatively During the year 1882 the
amount OF sales was S1475OOO number OF hats sold,
there $4,000 orders constantly received from al
parts OF the Union and Canada. ~,
W. H. Francis writing in 1860 says: "Within the limits
and tie Whistles at early dawn cal ont over 1000
oc md Iaborers Within fine boroHg6 there are
than 400 dwellings besides 60 stores, nine churches,
.hree large boarding schools, three ward or public
schools and large number Of private schools Form
crly had merely branch Of the fafneld county
Bank with 10000 capital and only $4,000 OF this paid
~ But as hating and business Of every kind became
extensive the mOueyed interests aud wants OF the
community demanded something larger, and we have
two banks with an average capital OF more than
$4,000, together with savings bank made up ot the
earnings Of laborng and women. The lumber trade
which used 20 be very small involves large Capi-
tai. We have two lumber yards the yearly sales OF
which amount TO 2,OOJOoO feet Contracts have been
Lade for putting up 50 buildings during the present
year"
AS a place OF residence Danbury presents many adj
VantagCs which contribute not little toward attracting
people from other sections Here finds every cOnYe-
lence possible To be obtained IN the country There il an
endless variety Of scenery and those who have once paid
Visit 70 this delightful region 10 again.
The town IS pleasantly situated in valley which ex-
tends north and south for distance OF several miles.
Long slopes TURF shaded here and there with
Oakes or eyergecns, stretch up toward the east and
The orchards numerous and present loaded
with applebUssOms, fragrant they beautiful.