New Britain herald., 1919-06-25

off fro West Mzln Street. It-was not a payiag venture and was soon discon- tinued. During 1S14-15 Hermes Garter, who
 lived on the road from South Wash
 ington street to Red Stone hill, oper- ated a tannery
 In the early thirties, John H. Cooke built blacksmith's shop on the Ne" Britain road and in company with John D. Hamlin worked at his trade of making wrought iron nails and oth- CT articles of iron. MT Hamlin soon built a shop north of the railroad just beyond Watkins swimming pool. where he began the manufacture of edged tools including tho famous Hamlin axe. This shop was burned, it's site abandoned and a new shop and dam built south of the tracks just east of IIamlins pond.
 Wagon making was commenced here by Elias Hills prior to 1880. His , shop stood on East street near Broad. l The first to engage in this business in all its branches was Hiram Hills, the l son of Elias. His shop, now the Rus l sell building on East Main street was 1 opened in 1885. Henry D. Stanley ] and Ebenezer w. Webster soon be- 1 came associated with him in the firm
 
 1 Lewis S. Gladding, who came to 1 Plainville in 1843 associated himself l with Mr. Webster in the firm of Web 1 ster So Gladding. In 1868 MT. Glad 1 ding formed a partnership with Hor- 1 ace Johnson under the name of L. $. i Gladding Sc Co., and occupied a new 1 factory then built on Whiting street. From this beginning came the 1 Plainville Carriage company, the Con- 1 dell Mastin & Butler Go. and Horace ! Johnsons shops The carriage bust- 1 ness came to an end in Plainville with l the burning of the Johnson factory in 1 1895.
 In 1884 Hiram Hills founded the 1 business now conducted by his grand 1 son, Edwin H. Hills. His first shop i stood off North Washington street on l the shore of Plainville pond and just ] south of his house on Camp street. In order to secure a suitable water pow ! CT MT. Hills built a low dam across l the Peuuabuck river where that , stream enters the pond and dug a 1 ditch to bring the water to his wheel ! His first work was saving shingles 1 shaping wood for the wood locks then 1 made by the Stanleys in New Britain l and saving hame wood for Ira Stan ley of New Britain. A saw mill for 1 heavy work was soon added.
 The Plainville Water Power com pany. incorporated in 1853, purchas-
 ed the Root property on PlainVille pond and built the large dam now in i use, practically on the site of De1n- ] ming's mill dam of 17S5. The plan
 was to furnish water power to such ! manufactories as it was hoped might be induced to locate in Plainville. In ! l successful A majority of the stock
 came eventually into possession of MT.
 Hills. who thereupon removed to the I north side of the new dam. Here the 1 saw mill was continued, a griSt mill
 put in operation, window sash, doors
 and blinds made and the quarry, now filled with water was worked. These ! combined industries were successful, l especially so the manufacture of wood names during the Civil war. In 1 order to meet the demand for this in
 dispensable part of the army equip ment, MT Hills extended his business
 to the south side of the river in lS62
 and at that time occupied the shops
 so long a landmark of the town.
 Many important developments re"
 suited from this small beginning, in-
 teresting to trace to their present
 status If time permitted.
 Another prominent figure in man.
 ufacturing in our early days was Lu- cas H. Carter, who in 1889 started the
 brass foundry now owned by Edward T. Carter.
 While the town of Bristol became a l center of the clock industry in Con-
 necticut at an early date, Plainville
 has never taken an active part in this
 line of work except that Hills & Goodrich during the forties made Q ] line of clocks and a few of our towns ] men undertook the manufacture ot such parts as faces and pointers. ! Tn 1887 John c. Royce began ma1z- ing polished and painted clock faces } in a shop just east from Henry Trum- bulls house The polishing was al ) first done by hand but being man ot inventive mind, MT. Royce set up a } wagon wheel. covered it's rim with rags and while one man turned the 7 wheel others held the work against the rags until the desired polish re- 1 suited.
 l About 1S45 this Building was moved } to the lot west of the Royce house l and a hot air engine installed prob = ably the first of it's kind in this vicinity.
 In this section of the town and
 during the thirties, Ezekiel Porter made COW bells In 184O Morris ! Clark began the nlanufac cture of clock keys in a building north of the depot In 1855 he organized the firm o1 Clark, Covles & Co, known after 1857 as Clark & Cowles.
 Shortly after 1850 George A. Smith D located at Blossoms corner and began making fifth wheels for the wagon
 trade.
 q Knitting Factory Incorporates. f The knitting factory was incorpor' otaS as rba pIaiT7vil1a ManufaCtwT4