Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1921-12-23
MTDDLEBURY ONCE.
HOUSED NUMEROUS
BUSY FACTORIES
w. S. Mcmillan R e c a lis
Town Before 1860, A S
Manufacturing and B u S i
ness Center Between Rut-
land And Burlington

Recollections of early industrial ac
tivity and a description of some Of
the important manufactures of the
village as they were 60 or 20 years ago
are told in an interesting way in a
letter to The Register written by w
S. Mcmillan, of 200 Rutgers ST., Roch-
ester, N. Y.
Mr.. Mcmillan formerly lived here
and recently visited his old home town
after an absence of 60 years. He was
surprised to find that, though the vii
lage had been improved with good
streets and attractive buildings, there
was not as much manufacturing as
there was years ago. In those earlier
days, Mr.. Mcmillan says there were
many busy factories humming with in
dustry and turning out a diversified
line of products. Mr. Mcmillan feels
that Middlebury should be attractive
TO those seeking manufacturing sites
today and in his letter expresses the
belief that by reasonable concessions
and effort manufacturers could be in
duCed to- come here, when they had
once learned of the superior advantages
of the town. Mr.. Mcmillan writes:
''On a recent visit to your village
after an absence of nearly 60 years, l
was greatly disappointed to find that
the large and flourishing manufactur-
ing industry, using the power furnished
by the so foot fall of the Greek in the
very heart of the village, had practical
ly disappeared These various factor
les gave work and support to a large
number of families who added to the
growth and prosperity of the village,
and adjacent towns of the county.
"As a boy and young man, was
familiar with the manufacturing and
power produced by the water of Of
ter Creek at the falls, and the dam
across the river below the falls, 60 to
20 years ago At that time thefe was
in active operation, on the west side,
two wooden factories, one grst mill
two sawmills one pail and tub factory,
one planning, box and wood moulding
plant, one dye house used in connec-
ton with, and as part of, the wooden
factories On the east side, there was
one grist mill and large textile mill
cotton cloth.
"And now, what do l find? On the
west side, one grst and feed mill &C.
cupying one of the former wooden fac
tory buildings, and the marble plant
on the east side, and the last, | am
told, is not very valuable asset to
the village population, as it employs
but few men, and is uncertain in its
operation.
"The cotton mill was a busy and
noisy place, operated first by Mr.
Marshall of Troy, N, Y, and later by
Mr.. Pitts, who was, l believe, from
Pittsfeld. Mass. The grist mill on the
east side was run by Nathan Wood, in
connection with his store in front of
the mill. Mr.. Woods residence was
the brick building now the Town hall
on the corner of South Pleasant St
The pail and tub factory was run by
Mr.. Hand, and also had the lower saw
mill in connection with it. They both
had power from a. dam across the river
at this point The planning, box and
moulding mill was operated by John
Simmons, with power from the high
falls. The dyelng and securing house
used water from the upper falls for
washing the wool for the wooden fac
tories, before and after the wool was
colored.
"The upper sawmill was used first,
in my recollection, by Russell Nalette,
and later by Captain Rich before he
went out as Captain OF Company Z,
18th Regiment, Vermont Volunteers.
They had huge piles of logs drawn dur
ing the winter and stacked up high
around the park to be skidded to the
mill when wanted They also RATED
many logs down the river A boom
was extended from the upper side OF
the bridge up to the bend in the river,
to catch the logs as they came down
and carry them to the west side, where
they hoated down through a flume to
an apron in front Of the mill, where
windlass would haul them up for saw
ing.
The grist mill on the west side was
under the largest of the wooden factor
les, and when l knew it, was operated