New Britain herald., 1924-10-17
PLAINV|LLE PLANT
 HAS ANNIVERSARY
Trumbul Electric Mig. Co. Was
 25 Years Old Thursday
(special to the lIeraldl

Plainville, Oct, 17,-Thursday was the 25th anniversary of the Trum- bull Electric Mfg, Co., of this town which was founded in 1889 and was started in the old chuck shop in 1899, The office saIosmen and foremen presented tho officers of the concern with a mahogany hnmldOr and smoking set for the directors room and an elaborate floral display The employees of the factory pre- scented them with a beautiful silver loving cup and d bouquet of roses, while the wives Of the three found- CTS of the company, John and Henry Trumbull and Frank T. Wheeler, gave handsome basket of Chrysan- themums for the occasion.
 The history of the founding of the plant and it's subsequent growth 10 its present size and station in the electrical world, is more like a tale of fiction than the story of a cold and efficient business. At the out get, the founders met with difficult ties which were hard 10 surmount. Tn the late nineties, a chuck shop was started in Plainyille occupying a small wooden building. It had raised about stS,O00 capital from trusting citizens, but its life was not for long for after a few short months, the enterprise went to smash and all investments were lost.
 Into this building on October IS, 1899, John and Henry Trumbull moved to be joined month later by Frank T. Wheeler. At the time, there were many predictions of a fate similar to that which had be- fallen the chuck shop but the plant progressed. The company was capitalized for $2.OOO and Frank T. Wheeler was its first president, with Henry Trumbull sec- retary and John Trumbull, treas urer.
 For power, the concern had a "one-lung" Baxter engine which went when 1t went and often didn't go at all. The machinery was second hand, patched up, remodelled and made over to suit the purposes Of the concern. Even the sign over the front door which read "Trum- bull Electric Co.," was home made and painted by Frank T. Wheeler. Besides the three owners, a force of help consisting of two or three young men was employed at the plant.
 The first products manufactured there were Quarter turn" rosettes which were designed and patented by the Trumbull brothers. Diff culties were encountered in pro- curing material and more difficulties were found in trying to sell the articles.
 The three pioneers then formed an organization. John Trumbull was designated to promote, propa- gate and to sell; Henry TrumbulI was to run the factory and Frank T Wheeler did the designing, develop. ing of material, tool and die work and operating of the mechanical side of the business.
 On November 8, 1899, the capital stock was increased to $5,025. which was guarded jealously by the chief investors personal representative who remained at the factory in the form of cashier and auditor at g salary of $75 per month. This be. came more or less an expensive proposition and was soon done away with by repurchasing the stock thu let out.
 The three owners did most of tn, special work about the factory afte, the regular working hours. The, started the Baxter" in the morning took turns at cleaning out tn, boilers, made theier own repairs kept the fires going over the week ends and were their own plumbers steam filters and electricians. The, hauled their own porcelain for th products in wheel barrow and ra] their own errands on a bicycle, tn property of the combine.
 The early days of the concer, were days of hardships in whicl John TrumbuIl, the salesman, spen days and nights in trying to intro duce the concerns goods about tn country. The history of the pIant however, discloses the fact that