The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1904-04-27
Continued from last weekly
AN EVENING WITH HISTORY OF
STAFFORD.
The Manufactures.
By MISS G.. 9. BRoKwITH.

ThG M an DUf8CtOr10Ss
BY MISS G.. 9. BROKWITH.
/ beg indulgence for presuming up
on the patience of my audience to the
extent of submitting the following
paper with it's limitations and, in
some instances, possible inaccuracies.
Reftting the large subject to the small
facilities for acquiring authentic in
formation regarding it, is responsible
for its incomplete statistics.
Traditions, and the proverbial
memory of the ''oldest Inhabitants
have, fortunately, succeeded in pre-
serving for posterity record of the
true Yankee inventive genius of many
pioneer workers in the industrial
ranks of the early settlers of our town.
The first industry in the town of
Stafford in the line of manufacturing
was established at the Hollow (then
known as Furnace Hollow as early
as 1776. A large iron foundry was
erected in the rear of the lot where
the Universalist parsonage now stands
and was known as the Phelps furnace,
producing fine castings, tools and
much that was valuable in the way of
machinery, also supply cannon and
shot to the colonial army. Later
this furnace was owned by Giddings
and Jasper Hyde.
In 1876 Nathaniel Hyde built at
Staffordville the second important
foundry in town. 1t was located near
the present site of the Hope mill.
In 1926 Jasper Hyde and others
built at Hydeville what was known
as the Lafayette furnace, which had
the distinction of producing the first
stoves manufactured in the state. 1t
was located where the Hydeville dam
now stands and was torn down about
the year 1888. These three foundries
were in operation at the same time
and continued for several years. In
1912 the last blast was fired by the
Hyde furnace at Staffordville. The
iron ore beds were in Stafford Street,
opposite the CLARK Grant store, and
ore was also found in large quantities
in Hydeville and in numerous other
localities around town and in the sur
rounding towns.
During the time of the iron indus
try there were also in Stafford two
cotton factories, two carding machines
and number of establishments de-
voted to the manufacture of straw
braids and bonnets. But the principal
source of fame and profit to the town
from 1775 until 1910 was the manu-
facture of iron.
With the decay of this industry the
woolen movement began, and as near
as can be ascertained the first venture
in this line in town was made by Eli
Horton in Stafford Hollow. Mr.. Hor-
ton erected machine shop just east
of the present location of the River
side mill, and made woolen machi-
merry. About 1887 he enlarged his
shop and transformed it into mill
and put his machinery into use for
the manufacture of satinets.
Also in the year 1887 the mill at
Foxville was built by Farley Con-
verse, who operated the same in com
pany with Nelson Kingsbury. A few
years after it was built part of the
building was burned, but was soon re-
built. An addition to the structure
was built in 1916. The Charles Fox
company was organized in 1851 and
purchased and enlarged the property,
where they manufactured fine quail
ity of cassimeres and fancy worsteds
until Mr.. Fox's death, which occurred
in 1891, since which time the mill
has remained idle.
In the year 1888 the Mineral
Springs Manufacturing company was
organized, consisting of Farley and
Solva Converse, Moses Harvey, Harry
Baker, Elijah Fairman, Horation
Spelman, Eli Howe, Isaac McNary and
others. The land was purchased of
Preston and Louis Parkess. Eli Howe
had the contract for building the
mill and Isaac McNary built the water
wheel. The structure was adorned
with large cupola artistically deco
rated in green, hence it was called
the green mill. A short time after
this company was organized, the mill
passed into the hands of the two Con-
verse brothers, and was succeeded
later on by Julius Converse, son of
Capt. Solva Converse. Three years
after the mill was built it was de-
stroyed by fire and was rebuilt. This
has always been a successful plant,
and is still in operation under the
control of Frederic Faulkner.
Thus the woolen industry was firm
ly and successfully established in
Stafford.
History claims that we are indebt-
ed to Mr. Henry Waters of Stafford
Vile for the invention of machinery
for making pins with heads, and stick
ing them upon paper. About the
year 1910 he erected machine shop
where the Amadon shop in Stafford
Vile now stands, made his machine
and manufactured his pins for short
time, when he sold his machine and
right to parties in Ansonia, Conn, to
which place he also went to work at
the same business for the new COM
pany.
In the year 1888 William Fields,
Jasper Hyde, Elijah Fairman and
others commenced woolen manufactur-
ing at Hydeville and continued until
1916, when Moses B. Harvey and
Elijah Fairman bought controlling
interest in the, business. A few years
later the mill was destroyed by fire,
but was rebuilt and was run by Har-
vey and Fairman until 1868, when