Carolyn C. Smith
The Carriage Industry
Immediately after the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, which was the ending of the War of Independence, British merchants proceeded to flood the American market with goods as best as they could. The break from England, the mother country, caused serious shortage of goods of all sorts. In New Haven there was a great demand for everything. During that era, James Hillhouse became an outstanding businessman who encouraged and promoted constructive activities for the city. New Haven became the home of prominent inventors who later contributed greatly to the life of the city.
Industrialization was quite favorable in New Haven as well as other parts of the country. There were a large number of industries making such items as buttons, clocks, tinware, wagons and carriages. New Haven’s earliest known carriage maker was John Cook. His business dates back to 1794 which was Connecticut’s first carriage manufacturing concern. During the early years of the nineteenth century carriage building gradually became a significant factor among new industries of the city. The high cost to produce the vehicle as well as the bad roads were the major factors of the lack of demands for such means of transportation.
As New Haven and its surrounding towns grew with prosperity so did the need for carriages and wagons. There was plenty of oak, hickory, and ash found in the forest thus making it very easy to manufacture these vehicles. By the year 1860 New Haven had a list of at least fifty carriage manufacturers. During the early stages of carriage and wagon making almost all the work was done at a particular factory with certain pieces of hardware being purchased elsewhere. The profit from this industry made life very comfortable for the people who resided in this community.
A stagecoach accident involving James Brewster while he was traveling from Boston to New York prompted the idea of New Haven becoming a carriage building center. In 1810 Brewster opened his own carriage factory which started a new era in New Haven carriage making.
James Brewster
James Brewster is known as the symbol of the New Haven carriage industry. His shop was located in a one story building at the corner of Elm and High Streets. He later moved his business to Elm and Park Streets. This second location proved to be too small for his growing business. He found a larger location on Orange Street to satisfy his needs. He became known for his production method of dividing the work of the factory into different departments. This assembly line production was beneficial to persons involved.
In 1832, Brewster moved to an even larger factory at the foot of Wooster Street. Concurrent with the moving of the factory, he assisted in developing the new neighborhood by the creation of new streets and the widening of older ones. As a result, this area came to be known as Brewsterville. It no longer is referred to by that name but is called Wooster Square. The rise of the railroad industry forced Brewster to abandon the carriage business and focus his attention on building railroads.
Jonathan Mix
Jonathan Mix is noted for his invention of the elliptical steel carriage spring. This device made the old style coil spring and the previous leather suspension straps obsolete. Mix was an inventor and an important contributor to the success of New Haven’s carriage industry. Today’s Mix Avenue located in Hamden perpetuates the family name.
George T. Newhall
George T. Newhall became impressed with the large scale application of steam power as it had been used in Providence. In 1855, he was introduced to steam machinery on a large scale. This marked another milestone in the history of the New Haven carriage industry. Although the people were not in favor of steam driven equipment, its popularity could be seen and felt by its increase use after the Civil War. Due to the fact that coal had to be transported to New Haven from Pennsylvania, it caused an expansion of the industries for the city. This expansion permitted the wide spread of steam power.
Newhall learned the art of carriage making at the Hooker and Osborne factory which was located on Park Street. As a young man he entered business on his own and continued in the trade for over forty years. Normally he did not have a partner but at one time he did have Joseph Pardee and Singleton Carrington as co-partners. About 1850, Newhall acquired an old mill located on the banks of the Farmington Canal which is now the old railroad which runs parallel to Dixwell Avenue. He also purchased the section which was adjacent to the canal. After making the purchase and moving his carriage factory to the new location, business began to prosper.
As time went on Newhall purchased large tracts of land in the neighborhood from Henry and Joseph Munson as well as Ives Estate. He opened streets, built a number of houses and generally improved the property. Today “NEWHALLVILLE” is named in memory of this prominent businessman. Streets such as Newhall, Munson, Brewster, and Thompson remind us of the neighborhood’s history.
The Firearms Industry
The community of New Haven flourished with the carriage industry, however, the countries were not at peace with each other. The outbreak of World War II caused an economic slump for America. The factories in New Haven had to slow up their productions. Most industries were operating three or four days a week. As the war intensified, there was a great demand for weapons. By early 1915, Connecticut became a major center for the manufacturing of firearms. Winchester Repeating Arms and Marlin Rockwell, which were both located in New Haven, made a major impact on the lives of the people of the city.
Winchester Repeating Arms
The guns used during World War I and the first few years of World War II were single shot rifles or old style muzzle-loaders. The soldiers were nervous and feared for their lives because they were not able to load their guns fast enough to ensure the safety of the troops. Oliver F. Winchester became interested in the Henry and Spencer repeating guns with the hope that he could do something to ease the feelings the soldiers were having. He was determined to gain the confidence of the war department to make a purchase for this piece of equipment. At last, with much persuasion, the government ordered about 1200 repeating rifles. This was the first repeating gun to be used on a national scale. Those few sold made history. The soldiers who used them were pleased. They referred to it as the gun you load on Monday and fired itself until Sunday.
Oliver Winchester was pleased with the outcome of this gun. This particular piece of ammunition was the beginning of revolutionizing the whole science of firearms. As time went on the Winchester Repeating Arms made remarkable improvements in the use of these new guns. These new firearms were helping everybody. Wages were increased from $1.00 a day to $3.50 a day. The whole community was benefiting because there was more money to be spent at the stores. The workers were able to move into better and more comfortable homes. Prosperity was again on the rise.
The Winchester Repeating Arms plant was taken over in 1932 by Western Cartridge Company which was a division of Olin Industries. The Olin Corporation is still at its original site. Fortunate employees are still able to make a good salary which is in line with the high cost of living of our present days of the 1980’s.
Marlin Firearms Company
The Marlin Firearms Company was started by John M. Marlin back in 1870. He began his business by making single shot pistols, revolvers, and handcuffs. During World War I, the company was reorganized and thus picked up the name Marlin-Rockwell. This new company produced machine guns. In 1924 Frank Mackenna took over the plant and at the same time restored the original name to the company. The company has since moved from New Haven to North Haven. Although this was a loss to the community and neighborhood, prosperity did not slump too much.
