New Britain herald., 1929-08-09

the foundry business from Samuel
 Booth, whose home stood at the
 present site of the South Congrega- tional church and whose shop was at
 the east end of Walnut street. He
 manufactured cast iron blows sad irons, bellows pipes and drawer
 locks. One after another his sisters and brothers came to New Britain, attracted by the growing industries.
 P, B. Bradford became superinten-
 dent of Peck &2 Walters, then one of New Britain's largest factories, and later of Sargent & Co.,, their sue cessors. Mrs. Neumann's father suc- ceeded him in charge of the foun- dry.
 1 Their factory was for a time what i later was known as the old White ! Lead" shop on the west side of Elm street, about opposite Franklin street but later they moved to the factories formerly occupied by North X Stan ley before their union with Russ T & Erwin on the east side of Elm street between Elm and Park streets. The site is now used by r. & F. Corbin's for the storage of coal.
 Got Power From Canal
 This shop while originally oper- atcd in part by horsepower had also the benefit of limited horse power. the result of one of the earliest pieces of engineering in town. The water which had operated a large water wheel for Russell x Erwin at the lock shop pond originally flowed east from the pond to a point near the railroad station where it united with @ brook flowing north from the swamp behind the present Central Junior High school. Seth North, pioneer New Britain manufacturer, to whom the city owes much of it's present day success. built a canal for the North & Stanley factory lead ing the water from the first stream along the line of the railroad arcade to the corner of Elm and Church streets where there was small pend. thence south through a canal along the west side of Elm street. crossing under the road on the east side into the factory where it oper- ated a large overshot water wheel. After the water had gone over the wheel it was led back to the west side of the street underneath the above culvert, into the second stream which flowed north from the swamp, through the center of the present Ianders. Frary & Clark property and then out to where Hartford ave- nue now lays. Near the end of this street was dam and ford. furnishing water power for a saw mill and later for saddlers' hard ware factory owned by the O. B. North X Company. This firm later moved 10 New Haven at tho sue rcstion of Mr. Sargent and is still there.
 Wanted View of Sunrise
 Under the able management of J. B. Sargent, his business expanded rapidly and he then attempted to buy the small corner lot between Elm and Park streets. so that he could build out 10 the corner. Tho family who lived on the opposite { corner, between Elm and Main | street objected 10 having their view ! of the sunrise thus cut off and, al the last minute, succeeding in pre- l venting the sale of the land. AL 1 though other adjoining land had i been brought along the north side of l Park street and building materials ] secured, MT. Sargent abandoned his | plans to expand here.
 MT. Sargent immediately bought ! an amusement park on the water front in New Haven. built new fac | tories there; and moved his New l Britain interests there. The firm is i