Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1872-01-26
The Industry of Burlington
No. ".
THE PIONEER sHoPs.
HistlrY Of the Enierpris!

1t is not too much to say that the foundation
Of thu. manufactures Of Burlington, and of it
prosperity resulting therefrom, was laid in The
foundation Of the Pioneer Mechanics shops
As its name indicates. there were when il
wss established, no manufacturing establishment,
Of much account, in Burlington. There had
been.i years previous glass factory here ; but
the business ceased to be profitable and was
abandoned in 1913. In 1850, the pottery on
Pearl street, and mill for making cotton wIrps,
at winoo.ki, on the Burlington side, we're We
believe, the only manufactures here, which IN
dertook to supply more than the home demand
for their products Moreover the i'll success OF
the Burlington wooden mill, in which, though
since then it has been one OF the most profitable
mills in the country, its projectors and their sue
cessors sank nearly $500 600 and the disss-
tiers by FIRE which destroyed the block factory
the Eatinet factory, and other mills at the Falls,
had made our capitalists timid about inyest-
meuts in mechanical enterprises Yet the con-
vietion was strong in the minds Of many of our
public spirited citizens that there we're rare sd-
vsnt.ces for Dsnufsctures, at this spot, and
thst the future of Burlington depended largely
on the Improvement Of our natural facilities,
and in the development of manufacturing in
dustries.
On the Slst Of May, 1852 an association was
formed, under the name of the Pioneer Meohsn-
les Shop Company, fer the purpose Of erecting
large shop, to be supplied with steam power,
the rooms and power to be let to mechanics and
manufacturers Land under the hill on Lake
street. at the foot Of Pearl street., was given for
the purpose by Henry P. Hckok, Mrs. E. W.
Buell., H. B. Stacy aud N. B. Hsswell, and CAPT
tai stock to the amount of 600 in the cor-
pany wss subscribed BY our citizens The first
directors Of the company were Henry P. Hickob,
Frcd'k Smith, T R. Fletcher, Z. ". Peck and
Morlo Noyes The company erected large
brick building, 400 feet long by 50 wide and
four stories high, divided into four compart-
ments, With lines Of Skating running through
each story. driven by two powerful engines,
placed in a separate engine house. The outlsy
absorbing good deal more than the cspitsl,
the additional funds we're furnished By II P.
Hickok, who wss secured by mortgage Of the
property The entire south half Of the build
ing was rented BY C. Kilburn & Co., in the msa-
ufac;ure Of chairs and chair stock, and the re-
msinder Of the shop Ess occupied by various
parties who made, wagon skies, sash and doors,
machinery, lasts, Sc. These mechanics did not
pay rent enough to make the property prodts-
bic as an investment but they brought in
sensible influx Of population and gsye new life
to business. On the p Of April, 1858, Fast
day, the shops took ere il the chair factory.
TIE wind Ess blowing high from the South, and
it Was with heavy hearts thst our citizens hur-
RED TO the brew Of the hill, 10 see the hottest
and most disastrous fire, in the history Of cur
town. The building, filed with tbsyings aud
dry wood, burned with tremendous fury, and
nothing was saved The loss TO owners snd &C.
cupants was about $3.50, 600 The buildings hsd
before this become the property Of Mr.. Hickok
BY foreclosure Of the mortgage, who with Mrs.
Buell., who vas associated with him, lost some
$40, 900 by the disaster Klburn s. Co, were
the hesviest louers. s&J. H Gates, who had
Just established themselves in The shops in max
ing furniture. having been burned out pre-
viously at Brattie6oro, were burned out again,
and other thriving iniu,tries were destroyed.
1t WAS hard blow but our citizens rallied. 4
public meeting wss called, 90 consider sn odsr
made BY Lawrence B4rnes, to rebuild the shops
provided assistance could he rendered him to the
amount Of 5000, TO help 10 covering the nsoss-
ssry outlay.
Ii vas spirited meeting, which thoI5 pres
eni at the time will not soon forget, and before
it ended the needed sum was pledged. Thus
sided, Mr. Bsrues purchased the land and ruins
for $4,000, snd proceeded At once TO erect
three shops. Of brick. each 100 by so et,with
spaces Of fifty feet between them, supplied With
stesn power as before. These are the present
shops
[Mr. Barnes. u msy be noted here, alter
wards repaid to the puolic the IS 900 thus given
to him, in g subscription Of tina; amount TO the
funds Of the University. sni bss in other says
returned full measure for all the encouragement
given him 5your citizens at critical times in his
own history sud that of Burlington
The chops were soon f.lsi sgsin with me-
ehsnics, and we're the centre Of much souvs
business till, on the l6;h OF jan, $50, fright
fuI explosion occurred. Two OF the three boilers
burst, with terrific force, blowing the engine
house to pieces, SCATTERING the tsn chimney 50
thst it had to be taken down, demaisaing she
engine. su3 saddles. o. al, causing the instant
deSth Of seven persons, men sad boys employed
il and sbau. the shops. AMI vounding two 9TH
crs This calamity involved loss Of nearly
$4,000, IS estimated at the time. The shops
we're idle fs6 months, during which tia engine
house AID chimney were rebuilt, new and
powerful engine put IT. and then started sgain
In 1865 Mr. Barnes sold the entire property
to Dr. B. 5. Niohols-then comparatively new
Conner in Burlington bat whom cur community
has isarnei to esteem as one Of its most enter
pri,ipg, worthy and yslusble citizens-for S5),-
000 Dr. Nichols has managed the property
with energy and excellent judgment He has
called in enterprising mechanics; he has him
self established some new lines Of business; be
has slied building sfter building. as additions.
space wss demanded TIL the area Of flooring in
the various shops has been more than doubled.
Il is rsry busy spot. Inst, under the hill
the centre Of thriving and multifsr,ous indus
uies. which re purpose to describe in detail
Tuz PRESENT PIONEER sHoPs
The land occupied by the present shops is lot
Of seven scres, bounded on the North BY Pear
Street, Eas, By Water Street. South by Bank
Street. and Yves; by Lake Street The buildings
are e'eisa in number, not inoludiag lumber
sheds. store houses, pattern house. shaving shed
and other outbuildings Two Of the brick shops
have b sen united by building 20 feet square,
eTecte, between them building Of the same
size hs been sdded on the North end. ard one
on thr south end, Of 35190 feet. giving total
length TO the msin shops, Of 525 feet. The
other buildings are the engine house and boiler
room with two-story dry house attached =
brick foundry Of i2Ox4O feet, part Of two
stories and psrtiy Of one-story ; brick two
story machine shop Of 9Ox5O feet a two-story
blscks NTH shop OF SO feet square; door fac
tory Of 80150 feet, and the brush factory, here
tofore described by us, Of 90z40 feet and three
stories high. The power for Sl theae is fnrn-
/ ished by Coriss engine Of 284 horss power.
/ Steam is supplied by FIVE four-feet boilers, %
feet ", heated by burning shsvings. The
main irving wheel is eighteen feet in diameter,
and weighs eleven tons. A thirty-two inch belt, l3i
! feet in ength, conveys the power to the Skating
IN the lops The engine pumps its own water
from the Lake. For protection agsinst fire,