Norwich bulletin., 1915-06-19
Story of Rapid Growth.

The succeeding period of Wtndnam's history is a story of rapid growth out of all proportion to her geographical area. Highways were laid out; mil itia organized: a pubic pound pro vided; @ burying ground marked off at each settlement. The close of the French and Indian war, marked re- neWal of an activity which had fallen off during the struggle. Local mer- chants opened a commercial exchange with the West Indies. Great fiocks Df sheep erazed on the hills. Hemp, flax, and tobacco, were raised; wheat ard other grains were raised for the eX- port trade. "The Windham," ElisEa Abbes little craft, carried on 2 trade in the coast waters; Benjamin Dyer had the largest drug store in Eastern Connecticut; Colonel Dyer had built q dam over the ShetuCket at South Windham and another at the Frog pond and operated grist and saw mills there. A convict at the county jail had discovered how to make tacks cut of old iron.
 Jedediah EIderkin Pioneer Manufac-
 turer.
 The exactions of the English put q stop to this, however, and stared t. e town on it's manufacturing career. Jed ediah EIderkin, the pioneer in this line, planted a mulberry orchard, in South Windham, and made a coarse silk which was used for handkerchiefs.
 Meanwhile Windham grew to be the foremost inland town east of the Con necticut river. The greatesct contrib utory circumstance to this prosperity was the erection of Windham county and its choice as a shire town A court of probate had been established i:l Scotland in October, 1719. The first court was held in Windham, June 26, 1726, and 46 cases tried. Jabez Hun tington was the first sheriff. Until tEe building of the county courthouse iH 1729 the jail was in a back room of Richard Abbe's mansion by order of the town officials
 First Execution.
 On December IS, 1745. the first exc cution in the county occurred. when poor sinned-against Betty Shaw, con- victed of infantiCide. was hung on Gal lows hill. Roger Wolcott was judge at the trial, and news of the execution travelled far and wide.
 North Windham Paper Mill.
 In 181O the second manufacturing concern was established when q paper mill was built at North Windham by the firm of Taintor, Abbe and Badger, all natives of Windham, and after a series of viciSSitudeS was run by Eos ter and Post, but soon abandoned by them. Meanwhile a FOudrinier ma chine was sent to Windham from Eng land by one Pickering. This man. un- der the firm name of Pickering and Foster, took possession of the old pa per mill, which was used by him un- til 1929. It tP. went into the hands of Grant ar[ Daniels, who operated it for two years. In 1881 Justin Swift bought the property, and converted it into cotton mill, rebuilding it af+ CT fire, and leasing it to Merrick broth ! CTS, who made thread there. In 1872 D. H. Hall & Son bought the prop | erty and used it for the manufacture l of cotton yarns, producing product | worth fifty thousand dollars yearIy, until the mill was a second time des- 1 trOyed by fire in the winter of 1913-
 Other Early Factories.
 l Sc I more or less successful l manufactories were started during this period one for making felts one for making cabinets, which was run by Amos Allen for about 35 years and a | fulling mill on the site of the Dreser | Smith & Winchester Co.'S plant, where much of the cloth for the army was made in the war of 1912.
 In 1880 the first foudriniers made in any quantity in this country were produced in this same building, and 1 here the first dryers made in this 1 country were constructed, superseding the old hand drying method Here also | was perfected the contrivance for cut ting a continuous sheet of paper into sheets of uniform size.
 Smith Winchester Go.
 Paper mills all over the state were | built by Phelps & Stafford, and SUD- ] piled with their own machinery. Dur. | ing the panic of 1884, the firm wa' | forced to sell out their interest. Int | purchasers, Charles Smith and liar | vey Winchester, brothers-i1l-law O. l George Spafford, in the year 1888, or ganized the new well known Smith g | Winchester company. On the deatl
 of his father, Guilford Smith, the1
 only thirteen years of age, assumed the responsibility of the business anG
 proved himself equal to the task Tn
 works have been enlarged severa
 times and two large reservoirs built
 The company has always been prom
 inently identified with the life and in
 terests of South Windham, and hav
 from time to time shown their pub | lie spirit by benefactions, the lates 1 of which is the erection during tn
 past year of a home for the Soul
 Windham Fire brigade.
 Machine For Making Wood Type.
 To a native of South .Windhann,
 also due the cheapening and increaS
 ed demend for wood type. Edwin Al
 len invented a machine which di
 away with the old fashioned metho
 of hand work, and-which has neve . been improved upon. In 1852. the, bus mess " hfchsl he founded wases sofd4=t