I thank you for
your attendance and participation (April 29, 20117), and the East Hampton Library, the
Chatham Historical Society and the East Hampton 250th Anniversary
Committee for hosting a series of lectures and presentations about
various topics illuminating our town's rich history during this
milestone year. And thanks to Debbie Day who was most persuasive
asking me if I could talk about aspects of East Hampton's early
industrial history from its founding to the industrial revolution in
the mid-1800s.
In my own mind
there has been a question or puzzle gnawing at me for a long time.
Through reading and research to prepare for this gathering and for
many of the articles I've written, I thought I would attempt to
answer this burning question WHY? We all know Chatham / East Hampton
became the bell capitol of the world, but WHY? WHY here of all
places?
My quest and my own
interest in East Hampton's history began as a 5th grade student of
Mr. Moore at our own Memorial School. Assigned to write a report,
one of those school chores we probably all detested at one time or
another, I was stymied for a topic to research. Talking about my
dilemma with my grandmother, Rose Markham, it was she who suggested
looking at Carl Price's book Yankee Township, especially the
chapter on "The Bells of East Hampton." She thought I
might find it interesting as my parents Don and Pauline had recently
purchased the William Barton house at the crest of Barton Hill.......
From that book I would find a certain kinship, not only to the
founder of our bell industry, but the historical significant of the
house we lived in and our town as a whole. I still remember the
title of that report - "Mr. Barton and His Bells." That
school report has fostered a lifelong interest in our history,
collecting information, studying what others have researched and
written, and has manifest itself in recent years to writing about
East Hampton Past in letters to the Editor of the Rivereast. I also
preserve in greater depth these articles in my blog.
I guess one of the
other reasons that my report held such relevance is that my
friendship with my 5th grade teacher, Bob Moore, remained thorough
his life. He passed several years ago, but we had a mutual
interest beyond East Hampton history. We were both active
politically and Democrats.
At the April 3rd
event held at Angelico's Lakeside on Reminiscing about East Hampton's
Bars, Taverns, Inns and Resorts, I spoke about our town, and what I
characterize as its creation by water and fire - both important
components critical to our industrial development.
What greeted
settlers of Chatham in the late 1730s was predominantly hilly and
rocky terrain. Most of those receiving proprietor rights as
Middletown land owners, found minimal farming opportunities which
probably explains why the town had been surveyed and lots parceled
out by 1721 yet didn’t experience settlement in significant numbers
until after 1737, long after many of the original owners sold their
property without ever venturing east across the great river. Most of
the historical record on settlement centers on people beginning to
occupy the land, construction of homes, and petitioning the General
Assembly for the establishment of Congregational Church parishes.
Our earliest industries primarily catered to the settlement of the
town itself. It was related to the construction of homes.
Processing materials was key. Water played a significant role as at
least 3 mills were built along Pocotopaug Stream: grist mills to
process grain and sawmills to cut and finish lumber. In all there
were 13 or more mills in the Middle Haddam and 3-Mile Division.
Other areas of the town (East Middletown) experienced similar
ventures using the abundant forests for a steady supply of raw
material. Although I've seen a number of references to quarries in
the 19th century, I noted little or nothing to the 1700s. One must
assume that quarry work was quite significant as every home
constructed has huge granite blocks of which the cellar walls are
composed.
What really
advanced settlement was not the land for farming, but rather water,
and then fire!
Knowles Landing rested on the banks of the Connecticut River in the
village of Middle Haddam. It didn't go unnoticed to those first
residents, beginning around 1720, of the value of the river for
commerce and trade or how exceptional farm land was at a premium.
From its shipyards starting in the latter 1700s, 51 schooners, brigs
and sloops were built and launched. Margaret Faber will tell (or has
told) you about that great industry.
Inland, to the
east of Middle Haddam, was Pocotopaug Pond, the beautiful crystal
clear body of water from which a stream flows southwesterly through
our current village center. My great-grandfather, Newton Markham,
always referred to Pocotopaug as a pond, probably because in his
youth its high water mark was 15 or 20 feet from the current
shoreline. Then it was comprised of almost two distinct bodies of
water - the main with today's twin islands and Markham's Bay with a
roadway connecting Spellman and Markham Point. It became Meeks Point
in the 1940s when George Meeks from Meriden purchased the point.
The first dam
was constructed in 1903 by the Pocotopaugh Water Power Company, a
consortium of 5 mill owners including Bevin Bros., Gong Bell, Summit
Tread, Starr Bros. and N.N. Hill Mfg. Those industrialists desired a
way to more efficiently harness water to power machinery in their
factories and that happened through a series of 7 or 8 mill ponds,
remnants of which remain. Ironically, it was the dam, raising the
level of the lake that fostered our tourism and resort industry.
Our earliest
entrepreneurs had a similar use for the water exiting Pocotopaug. At
a site where the American Distilling driveway is located on the
channel of Pocotopaug Stream, Giles Hall and his partner Jabez
Hamlin, influential Middletown land owners and members of the General
Assembly, acquired the lots directly south of the outlet and in 1740
built an Iron Works, forge and smelting factory with a Great Hammer
driven by water power to form and shape the ingots. Although no
local source of iron ore, our Iron Works processed and refined pig
iron mined in Salisbury CT and ore shipped as far away as West Point.
We had one of the few forges not located directly at the raw
material source, but ours flourished and ultimately spawned our
infamous bell industry. Its great mechanically driven hammer was
able to pound and shape the iron, much of which was used in the
shipbuilding industry. The fire that stoked the forge of the iron
works came from another local industry - charcoal - produced from
nearby abundant hardwood forests.
Abijah Hall, an
iron worker from Lyme, and probably a relative of Giles Hall, was
first brought in to run the forge. His son Abijah Hall, Jr. ran the
forge from 1784 until 1812. In 1825 Jedidiah Barstow build a new
forge and scythe factory on the site of the old iron works, having
acquired a half interest in the "Iron Works" standing on
Pocotopauge Stream near the Pond and an equal one half of land and
buildings standing on or near said premises with all the
appurtenances and "privileges" thereto belonging. Although
not defined in the land records, the "privileges" most
likely relate to harnessing the flow of water out of Pocotopauge to
run water wheels as well as the rights to the forge. Many have
speculated that the Bevin's always owned the dam and rights thereto,
but that is not substantiated from the land records. Bevin Bros.,
founded in 1832, began acquiring the land and old forge rights once
associated with the iron works on East High Street in 1850, 18 years
after formation of their bell company. The Bevin Bros. factory had
always been located just off Summit Street until the horrendous fire
in May 2012. Acquisition of the old iron works site filled a
strategic need to incorporate water power to drive machinery for
their factory. To do so, control of the water flow was crucial.
Initially, small mill ponds retained the water and the flow from them
turned water wheels. The idea of a larger reservoir retained by a
dam on the lake came later. The concept was quite simple - more water
- more power. The flow from the Lake would be restricted during the
day. At night the water would be released which would fill the mill
ponds. The factories would then release the mill pond reservoirs
during working hours to drive the waterwheels and machinery.
Also, Bevin
Bros. never owned the Lake as others have speculated. They did
purchase the land at the outlet which allowed them to construct the
1903 dam. A gate and apparatus does allow them to control the lake's
water level. Today there would be a public out roar if someone just
tried to construct a dam. State regulators from DEEP, our Inland
Wetlands and Planning and Zoning Commissions would be putting the
brakes on such a project. In 1903 and again when rebuilt in 1953, I
suspect citizens were grateful the mill owners undertook the
construction at no cost to the taxpayers. Remember - the dam and
size of the lake benefited everyone.
But getting back
to the question WHY? Until recently I pondered why did East Hampton
become the center for the bell industry? We know William Barton
settled here after first crafting bells in Cairo, New York, but why
East Hampton? I've read books or papers by Carl Price, Olive Adella
Clark, Martin Roberts, and the Middlesex County Preservation Trust,
among others. None ever really addressed the WHY. After a fair
amount of research and reflection the answer became rather simple.
Although little has been written, East Hampton had become a metal
working center with its Iron Forge, and this was likely the
attraction to one William Barton in 1808 when he settled here and
began making bells. Barton with his father, had been instrumental in
the development of interchangeable rifle parts during the American
Revolution. In the early 1800s Barton turned his talents to the
casting of sleigh bells. As many of you know, the uniqueness of his
process was a single piece casting with a clapper cast inside - a
process devised with wet sand - and one that did not require welding
two halves of the bell together - a vary labor intensive and costly
process. Instrumental to the founding of the bell industry was the
iron forge which developed into the use of other metals, especially
brass, a good metal, clean and bright, well suited for clear-toned
bells that emerged from East Hampton's charcoal fired furnaces. The
other reason for Barton settling here was skilled labor - we already
had trained iron and metal workers. Just after Barton opened his
first factory to the east of his house on Barton Hill, the first Iron
Works Forge closed. As Barton and his apprentices expanded with bell
manufacturing, their own plants had forges. Those skilled men from
the Iron Works moved to more lucrative jobs in the emerging bell
industry, many becoming apprentices to William Barton. Barton's
unique single cast design eliminated the inefficient and costly
process of welding two halves with a clapper. Coupling the metal
working forge and skilled labor, Barton found a winning combination
with his casting design which he generously shared with any willing
young man. From that first shop came the whole array of bell
manufacturers.
Advances came
when Abner Bevin brought John Hodge from Scotland, who introduced the
Hodge Furnace which could take slag and sweepings of the foundry and
separate dirt and impurities from the mass, efficiently and cost
effectively, yielding a pure metal, well suited for bell making.
From William Barton's design and apprentices, over 37 bell companies
formed, producing millions upon millions of bells.
The second Iron
Works constructed in 1825 did not share the same success as it
predecessor. Each of the bell manufacturers built their own forges
and smelting operations within their shoppes and factories. Iron was
produced more efficiently near the raw material source thus the cost
of transportation fixed its demise. Bevin Bros acquired the Iron
Works, not for the factory, but to control the flow of water. Bells
were made of brass - an alloy of tin and copper. Specialization and
technology propelled East Hampton to earn the reputation - "Bell
Capital of the World!"
Thus, the WHY
was quite simple! Technology from the Iron Works Forge, Skilled
Labor from the metal workers at the Forge, and one other important
component, our River Port in Middle Haddam that provided the means
to market and distribute our precious bells throughout the East Coast
and ultimately the world.
That my friends
is a much abbreviated history of our early industry. I hope it
provided some insight on WHY this seemingly out-of-the way town with
few apparent resources achieved such notoriety.
