New Britain herald., 1916-01-27

to the Thomson Block. Between # block and what is now known as
 Park Hotel, were three moro hot # two being used on their lower il M as stores and the third being the KY dence of George Hart, who owned 8 operated the omnibus line from M Britain to Berlin station, as at N time there was no railroad to Be @ The building now known as the ! E. ley Block or Park Hotel was # known as the Humphrey House. M had high porch in front and either side basement stores.
 house deserved tho reputation tha had of being one of the good cd try hotels Of the state. Its Id
 hall was the most popular place # parties and travelling shows.
 hotel was conducted by Dr. R. R
 who had previously conducted R# Hotel on Exchange Corner, Hartf K A short lane marked the present # of Church street. On the cornei the line stood the present Gel church, built in 1857. Back oM was a row of horse sheds, across
 lane from which was the residd of pr. B. N. Comings, the house ing removed from the site of
 Centre church. Beyond that il dence to the east and in the reaI* l the Main street buildings was swampy pasture. From the coIH of the lane to the railroad wer l number of wooden buildings all cd 1 pied as stores with the exception the house of J. R. King, the willy 1 blacksmith. Facing the park on the north stH the Baptist church, another squdI lowered, high-stooped wooden buA ing, with unpainted horse-sheds 1 the rear. Next the church on l west stood the New Britain Natio3 l Bank which was built in 1860. w 1 of the bank building was large fl story house and next to it a sn| l one-story building used as the pd office. Where the Episcopal chuI ! now stands was smaller build with a high steeple which held 1 heaviest bell in town. This bell \ used as the public fire alarm. q tral Park was then known as
 green being little wider and a | Llt iollSSI lIldll IL iS dl pEGEGliN.
 boasted a fountain throwing a jet|
 water one hundred and fifty 1
 high. It was claimed for it thai
 threw water higher than any ot|
 fountain in the state and it was
 pride of New Britain and was
 ways exhibited when distinguish
 strangers visited the town.
 On the south side of the railr|
 crossing on Main street was sn|
 store-the only hat store in to|
 built over the stream that came i'd
 the lock shop pond. This stream !
 directed by artificial banks along
 south side of the track to the N
 Britain Knitting Go, on Elm str| a triangular pond being formed on south side of the present Chu|
 street, covering most of the vac| lot lying south of the Stanley Ruld Level company's west building
 Martin of the railroad track wer| | number of houses of a more mod| l type than those south of 1t. On 1 east side of Main street were d 1 houses and a large wooden buiid| used as a store. The Strickland HoI | now Hotel Bronson, at the corner|
 Main and East Main had also q stores in it.
 At the head of East Main on west side of Main street was the l stone store, probably the oldest cd mercial building in the town. On l west side of Main were also fd houses. one of which was the home l Elihu Burritt. .. Commercial street was lane Tel l ing down to the Gas works wh| stood where the H. R. Walker pr| erty now stands. Beyond to the q was a swampy pasture with brd meandering through it that cros| East Main street where the poy| house of Landers, Fra-y 6 Clark n| is located.
 West Main street had at this ti| only three residences, between Cod street and the railroad at Black Rc| bridge. There were two or thl small farmhouses on Vino strd Park place, Lexington, Curtlss, L| erty, Lincoln and South Burritt streI had not been opened. South of WI nut Hill park no streets were open| until after the war. There were SLTGeLS SdSL OI OJtdI1S9 0Sd SSN NSN-N " the exception of Park. Franklin a1 Chestnut which ran from Elm
 Stanley street the land was all far| land.
 The factories at this time were t1 Russell & Erwin Co.,; the banders ar Smith Mfg. Co.,; the New Britain Kni| ting Co.,; the Stanley Works; Norl and Stanley; North and Judd; F. & Corbin; tho Bank Lock Co.,; the Sal geant Co.,; the Hunason & Beckl1 Co.; Norton, Judd & Co.,; Horace Bu| Ter & Sons and three skirt factori| owned by I. N. Lee & Co.,, Julius Pal ker and William Bingham and q jewelry factory of Churchill, Stanl| & Go. There were also several sna5| Ter factories that were later absorb| by larger concerns or discontinued.
 The Russel & Erwin Go. occupiI tho samo location as at present. Ind plant consisted of two brick buildin| the iron foundry and a row of woodd buildings on the east side of WasI inston street. The Stanley Works vi
 ! A.