New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1919-02-05
(JNICATED.
lTORY EXPANSION.
ean Takes Mental Trip Back
To Days of NOre.

#IK1e factories were located so near the
EbusinesS or mercantile district ana L
/ had to agree with him. 1t will be seen
by referring to the city map that near
ly all of them are located within one
mile from the CENTER and many of
them close to Main and adjoining
street Where business must neces-
sarily spread to, when Main street is
crowded for room, namely r. 4 F.,
L. +. & c., S r. & l.. and F. & F. c.,
it will be noticed also that when the
older factories were established that
r., e E. was the only one that had
railroad frontage, until the branch to
Berlin was constructed. The old Hart
ford Providence & Fiskill r. R was
the only means of rail transportation
that New Britain had.
1T has been said that when SURVEYS
were made for the present n. Y. n Fl,
& II. r. r.. the engineers stated We
will skip New Britain and include
Newington. as it has q water power
(Piper BROOKE and will amount TO
something, but New Britain will never
be manufacturing center. The
construction of the Branch to Berlin
few years later, showed the error
of their Judgment OF late wears
however, with the building of this
road. and the extension of sidines on
the old road, nearly every factory has
railroad facilities-many Of them hav
ing tracks running into their yards.
the Stanley Works having their own
engineers and crew to handle their
immense traffic
''Whon the factories began to ex-
pand, the purchase Of adjoining pro-
pertN was an expensive problem. In
1876, II. & f. started the foundation
of the plant where the Corbin Screw
corporation now is located; they had
to purchase eleven houses on the
block bounded by Myrtle. High. La
fayette and Grove street Later on,
r. & y. bought land corner of Myrtle
and Washington street.
when the Corbin Cabinet Lock Co.
was organized, land on Park, Orchard.
and Maple street had to be purchased
and homes Of the Corbins. the Stanleys,
I Peck, Tuck and IIinsdale were. re-
moved. Later when r. & E. and P.
& F. Corbin were merged into the
American Hardware Corporation. and
the plant branched out. the square
bounded by Myrtle, High, Lafayette
and Washington streets was purchased
and included a church, school, convent
and several dwellings,. Shortly after
ward the present large plant was
erected. When North & Judd Mfg
co. were burned in 1887. it was sug-
gested at the time to purchase the
plant known as the Steel Works.
which had railroad frontage, but
Phoenix. like. it sprung from its own
ashes, and the growth and necessary
purchase Of additional land must be
/ enorm Gus, They bought land on
Stanley street both sides, East Main,
! both sides. from Stanley nearly to
! Elm. and a large part of Elm street.
1 Traut & Hine. from small start,
: have built up in the air as high a.
sta bility would allow, and have spread
out on Smalley and Elm streets. Many
who remem her the Cutlery before
the fire in 1874, and its present magni-
3 tude do not wonder why it was neces-
{ sary to purchase the entire square
, bounded by Center. Commercial Elm
j and East Main streets We all rem en-
Der when tho New Britain Machine
. Co. started in a small wooden build
ing, corner of Chestnut and BieeIow
streets, hardly large enough for the
i help and board of directors Now see
the large new brick buildings. seven
stories high, employing 800 peonle
! The purchase of land on Elm street.
the erection Of the government build
. ing on Chestnut street and the rev
plant site in the scout bern part
! of the city, where the purchase of
additional land will he unnecessarv
| The Stanley Rule & Level Co. have
| used every availa Bile foot of land
! have raised many of their BUILDINGS
! have purchased land on Church and
| both sides of Elm street. in addition
: to another plant in the southern part
f
the Skinner Chuck Co., engaged in
! the manufa cture Of the same line Of
; goods, are located on the same street
! in practically the same plot of land
and are spreading out east and west
! soon to meet each other in their de-
! velopment. The American Hosiery
I Co, who make the best Knit Goods
! in the country, started with one mill
| and now have four. and will soon have
| TO purchase additional property in
the further development of their plant
The intention of this article is to
! show that the founders of New britain
! industry did not realize thaA kdwh hen
! they chose the sites for their business,
it would grow to the dim ension it has
In those days, it was the rule to locate
| where the people were living, now,
it is the rule to have the people go
| to where the factories are locating
AS witness, the Stanley Works, Hart
& Hutchinson, and the New Britain
| Machine Co. The former was the first
factory to change from its original
site, and taking Horace Greely's adj
| vice it Went West and is still going
! 1T is marvellous how this concern has
| spread since the day it occupied the
| triangle on High. Lake street and
| railroad. as we'll as plants in Niles.
| oh1o, EriGgeWater, Mass. and Canada.
| Among the later progressive plants
are, Hart & Cooley and the Fafnir
| Bearing Co., and they have been COM