Early Trumbull Industries - A history of the Nichols area of Trumbull
Audio Narration by John Fruin
early_trumbull_industries_a_history_of_the_nichols_area.mp3
early_trumbull_industries_a_history_of_the_nichols_area.mp3
by Sydney P. French
Most of the people living in the village until 1830, when the factories began to draw outsiders, were descendants of early settlers. Since the distance from England made it expesnisve to import clothes, household goods and other needed articles, the colonists began manufacturing for themselves. Every house had its spinning wheel and loom and the housewife made the clothes for her family. Cooking was done ina large fireplaces, bread was baked in chimney overns were fires were made to heat bricks before the food was put in.
The original village tanner and shoemaker was Squire David Seeley who lived in a house on the site of the David B. Plumb house. He carried his kit from house to house making the family boots and shoes out of leather made of hides furnished by the family. The vats where he tanned hides were by the roadside at Misha Brook. Later a tannery was built on the south side of Mountain Hill. Mr. Seeley was the first man in the village to take a newspaper and the neighbors would gather at his house to hear the news.The first sawmill in the locality stood near the dam of Old Sawmill Pond, which was built and owned by Daniel Fairchild before the Revolution.
The village chairmaker was John Bentley whose shop stood near his house opposite what is now Priscilla Place.By 1820 the manufacture of combs was quite an industry, one factory standing in the south yard of the house now owned by Howard CurtisA man by the name of Knox had a small tin ship just north of the house now owned by Mr. Linley where the village pots and pans were made.
The making of saddletrees, one of the larger village industires, had a small beginning. Eben Fairchild, son of Louis, and Uncle to Charles Sr., was a cabinetmaker and very ingenious. One day about 1800 he took an old saddle apart and set out to make another like it. It seemed such a good job that he made several more, carrying them across lots to his uncle's blacksmith ship in Isinglass where ironwork was added. His neighbors made fun of them but undaunted he took them by statgecoach to New York City where he found a ready market. More were made and finally a factory was built across the road from the present house of Mr. George Woods. This was bought out in 1844 by the Amblers who built factories on their land on Shelton Road. These prospered and were particularly busy during the Civil War. During good times they worked 12 hours a day, 6 days a week.
The largest industry in the village, the making of coaches and light carriages, was started by the Nichols Brothers; George, Daivd and James, whose plant at one time spread across both sides of what is now Center Street. Their chief market was in the South. This was ruined by the Civil War but they were able to develop a large trade through a Mr. Stevenson of Australia. The carriages were crated and drawn to New Haven where they were shipped by water to New York and there put on boats for Melbourne. This business flourished in the village until the growth of Bridgeport as a manufacturing center compelled it to move there at the end of the 19th century. One of the buildings, a large three story brick structure, stood until 1915, being used in later years as a blacksmith shop on the ground floor and for plays and entertainments on the upper floors.
Another carriage factory was built by Andrew Clark on land just south of the present house of Mr. Edward Nothnagle. This was bought out by the Amblers during the Civil War.
The Stickles house, recently torn down for the Merritt Parkway, was originally a pin factory owned by Elam Hawley, who lived in a little brown house in the rear. It was afterward used as a tavern. A four stall horse shed built for the use of the inn was later used on Sundays by the parishioners of Trinity Church across the road.
The first store in the village was kept by Robert Nichols, an ancestor of Lucius Nichols. It stood on what is now the property of Lorin Willis.In 1865 the old shop erected by Mr. Peet for a stub-joint factory was purchased by Charlos Blackman and Samuel Pateson and moved to the cornor of Huntington Turnpike and Jerusalem Hill above Trinity Church where it was used for a store. They sold out to Mr. Paine, he to Fairchild & Curtis, they to Williams Mead, who traded the property to Munson Evitt.
Until Mr. Mead was storekeeper in 1882, anyone going to Bridgeport would bring up the Nichols mail and throw it on the counter for all to look over and take their own. Rev. A.H. Goodenough, recently from England, was at this time pastor of the Methodist Church. He was anxious to have his mail, incoming and outgoing, reach its destination promptly so he applied to Washington for a post office. A committee to select the name sent in Nichols Farms, Amblersville and Old Farms. The replay of the government was "You may call it Nichols if you are of a mind to but there are too many Farms around already." The mail was carried by Franklin Potter, who ran a stagecoach from Huntington through Nichols to Bridgeport, as long as the post office was in existence. It was discontinued with the advent of Rural Free Delivery in President Theodore Roosevelt's administration.
Oliver Plumb kept a store for forty years. He also ran a slaughter-house to which the farmers brought their cattle and pigs to be butchered, the store keeping a portion of the meat in payment of services.Until recent times, farmers' wives bartered their surplus butter, eggs and cheese at the stores for froceries and utensils. Candles and sulphur matches were made at home for trading at the stores.
The original village tanner and shoemaker was Squire David Seeley who lived in a house on the site of the David B. Plumb house. He carried his kit from house to house making the family boots and shoes out of leather made of hides furnished by the family. The vats where he tanned hides were by the roadside at Misha Brook. Later a tannery was built on the south side of Mountain Hill. Mr. Seeley was the first man in the village to take a newspaper and the neighbors would gather at his house to hear the news.The first sawmill in the locality stood near the dam of Old Sawmill Pond, which was built and owned by Daniel Fairchild before the Revolution.
The village chairmaker was John Bentley whose shop stood near his house opposite what is now Priscilla Place.By 1820 the manufacture of combs was quite an industry, one factory standing in the south yard of the house now owned by Howard CurtisA man by the name of Knox had a small tin ship just north of the house now owned by Mr. Linley where the village pots and pans were made.
The making of saddletrees, one of the larger village industires, had a small beginning. Eben Fairchild, son of Louis, and Uncle to Charles Sr., was a cabinetmaker and very ingenious. One day about 1800 he took an old saddle apart and set out to make another like it. It seemed such a good job that he made several more, carrying them across lots to his uncle's blacksmith ship in Isinglass where ironwork was added. His neighbors made fun of them but undaunted he took them by statgecoach to New York City where he found a ready market. More were made and finally a factory was built across the road from the present house of Mr. George Woods. This was bought out in 1844 by the Amblers who built factories on their land on Shelton Road. These prospered and were particularly busy during the Civil War. During good times they worked 12 hours a day, 6 days a week.
The largest industry in the village, the making of coaches and light carriages, was started by the Nichols Brothers; George, Daivd and James, whose plant at one time spread across both sides of what is now Center Street. Their chief market was in the South. This was ruined by the Civil War but they were able to develop a large trade through a Mr. Stevenson of Australia. The carriages were crated and drawn to New Haven where they were shipped by water to New York and there put on boats for Melbourne. This business flourished in the village until the growth of Bridgeport as a manufacturing center compelled it to move there at the end of the 19th century. One of the buildings, a large three story brick structure, stood until 1915, being used in later years as a blacksmith shop on the ground floor and for plays and entertainments on the upper floors.
Another carriage factory was built by Andrew Clark on land just south of the present house of Mr. Edward Nothnagle. This was bought out by the Amblers during the Civil War.
The Stickles house, recently torn down for the Merritt Parkway, was originally a pin factory owned by Elam Hawley, who lived in a little brown house in the rear. It was afterward used as a tavern. A four stall horse shed built for the use of the inn was later used on Sundays by the parishioners of Trinity Church across the road.
The first store in the village was kept by Robert Nichols, an ancestor of Lucius Nichols. It stood on what is now the property of Lorin Willis.In 1865 the old shop erected by Mr. Peet for a stub-joint factory was purchased by Charlos Blackman and Samuel Pateson and moved to the cornor of Huntington Turnpike and Jerusalem Hill above Trinity Church where it was used for a store. They sold out to Mr. Paine, he to Fairchild & Curtis, they to Williams Mead, who traded the property to Munson Evitt.
Until Mr. Mead was storekeeper in 1882, anyone going to Bridgeport would bring up the Nichols mail and throw it on the counter for all to look over and take their own. Rev. A.H. Goodenough, recently from England, was at this time pastor of the Methodist Church. He was anxious to have his mail, incoming and outgoing, reach its destination promptly so he applied to Washington for a post office. A committee to select the name sent in Nichols Farms, Amblersville and Old Farms. The replay of the government was "You may call it Nichols if you are of a mind to but there are too many Farms around already." The mail was carried by Franklin Potter, who ran a stagecoach from Huntington through Nichols to Bridgeport, as long as the post office was in existence. It was discontinued with the advent of Rural Free Delivery in President Theodore Roosevelt's administration.
Oliver Plumb kept a store for forty years. He also ran a slaughter-house to which the farmers brought their cattle and pigs to be butchered, the store keeping a portion of the meat in payment of services.Until recent times, farmers' wives bartered their surplus butter, eggs and cheese at the stores for froceries and utensils. Candles and sulphur matches were made at home for trading at the stores.