Document text
Francis Donovan
r"homaston,Conn
Wodnesday,Nov. 16,'38
E.R. Kaiser,
Former Supertntendent,leth Thomas Clock Co.
"Yes,T remember the old Criterion cluboand Iremen'ber the incident
you speak of,hut I'm not sure of some of the details. But her;e it isonear's
can remer,:cer.
*Seoms old John Gross,who had the first car town,took the bat ery
out one nipht and brought it down to tie club. left it lying in a corn9r--
and whether he did this with malice aforethou t or not I can't saysbut he
certainly helped the matter along after' l --and there it reposed until
later in the evening when the boys begar to gather for a round of pinochle.
*1411,j 'et about that time there s a hell of a sc-re going through
t he country about these I W W. .8. hey had blown up a building or something,
someplace,amax or had got the dit for it anywaystand people were edgy
every time the -ane was merit oned. To mak- it more interestingo bun
had come throuFh town and tytd berm lodged in the lockup the night beforeltand
as you knoT the cells in the town hall basement are richt adjelning the old
clubroom --that's the barber shop todl.y.
"One of tee boxissx boys saw the battery lyx over there in a cornereand
of colrse it war, t'te first such object he'd ever laid eyes on and he didn't
know what it was no more'n if it was something from Marsond the first thing
.come to his mind was V W. ts a rid their dirty work. He raised a big
katkisksitesx hullaballoo about 'infernal machines' and got all the others
77orked up sots they were afraid to go near it,and those who were a bit timid
just grabbed their coats -nd 'ate and went.
*Finally one of the braver ones,I can't just say who 'twasogot a pail of
waterland he run over ouidk and doused the battery/ Well all this time,
old Johnny Gross and some of the other maybe,that were in on /towers nearly
W 15u6.1
.2.-
bustin2 trying to keep from laughing out loud.
*After it was dunked in wetor they all felt a little exalitzxx better,but
then the problem erose how to dispose of it. Finally somebody hit on the
idea of taking it up on the side hilloup in Bradstreet's cow pesturepend
setting it off. For they were fury convinced it was a bombounderstand.
*So tee next dey,they all tzsitessifte marched up there,and half the town
with them,for by thit time the news had got areund. They carried it mighty
carefell_y ord when they got it up there,they took it out of the pailvend
attached a long fuse to it and somebody,/ think it was (the late G. A.
Lemmon,volunteered to set it off. Tho others gathered at a respectful dis-
tance and waited while G. A. lit the fuse and ran like hell. Of course
nothing happened ,and after while it occur -ad to them that they were
being kiePed they wont homs feeling foolish. And Johnny Gross went up
there that night and got his battery,but he didn't say anything about it
till the boys cooled off a little_
*They were always playing tricks in those days The Criterion club
was known as a high eless organization and their affairs every year were
outstanding social events. They used to give a fair for the benefit of the
ltturyx library once a year. knd when it was all over they threw a big
party for themselves at the elubronm. They_hed a dandy turkey one year,
Preoared by Parley Jones' mother,roaste4 and stuffed to a turn, rid they were
getting the place fixed -up for the dinner and left te bird on teat back
window sill. Then they went to lok f -r it,it wes gone,sed tee Criterion
club had nothing to eat but the fixings. Nobody ever knew hether it wes
taken for a joke or because somebody was hungry,but the town had a good
laugh.*
-3.
Excerpts from an article apnearing several years ago in
local weskit% (Bylined Tiling B.Georte)
Thorlaston Express,
"On the right hand side of the road ,going north to Torrington, just
this side of Fenn road,is a large three—family home,which goes by the name
of the Sailor's Home. No one seems to know how this house got the nspeothe
assumption being a sailor once lived there,but who he was or wmmx when he
did no is a mystery to the present generation of Thomastonians. But this
housertibaxx is far more dIstinotive in an hint risal way for other reasons
than that it bears his name. 1471 over a hundred years agoothis building was
a clock factoryond was later the home of other imilsztx industries. It there
for has a part in the industrial history of Thomaston.
Marvin and ldwa rd nlakeslee„descend-nts of Oapt.Thomas Blakesleesone
of the town's earliest settlersterected this building by the riseryte be
used for the manufacture of clockso business In which they were slrAady
enga-ed. The Blakeslee name,thereforols one of numerous othersosuch as
Seth Thomas,Silas Hoadley,and 2/1 Jr alma Henry Terry. The BlakOslees carried
on this business for s iiie years, ventuall_y selling out to Seth Thomas,
who bought out or forced out in the process of competition the other local
clockmakers,so tat the Seth Thomas name is the only one of that early
group perpetuated in the manufacture of clocks here today.
-"Xithough Seth Thomas bought out the interests of the companypand the
equipmert,he certered the manufacturing in his well established plant in the
center of the town. The former Blakeslee building became in turn thehome of
numerous other indstris. The first was that of Jerome Woodrufforho
built pianos and other musical irstr/A7ents. A second ma nufacturer by the
name of McCullom built organs there. An organ in use for Azitxxxx years at the
the old St.Pcter's chAich in I'lymr-,uth was one of his prod;,c1,s.
-4-
Llter manuracturtng of quite a different type went on here. Carrington
Lamb made splotsx s7 ools for thread and also spooled the thread Itself. Charles
Johnson,who was the brot'ler of the well known portrait painter,Horace Johnson,
built machinery in this plant,and a N7lson Pradley brought back the touch of
Thomaston's best-known industrypolocks, by turning out verges.
"In due timetheweverothe pl.-.ee fell into the hands of owners who made
a radical chanFre in the use of the building,converting it /X into tenements.
The buildingertich had stood by the banks of the river,ras moved to its pres-
e-t position along the road.
"Unfortunatelytthe date of this important c'-ange is not known. A note
by August /ehrlesto whom we are indebted for t"-is-'-'istoricil. dataotates:
'Many a newly -married couple started housekeeping in this old facto-y,as the
frxx rer,ts were small both in at ze.and in price and a small garden plot
was available.'
st as the ifirmer factory aequired an unusual namett'Ae
1.1
Sailor'a Homeppo tc! spot where it was uilt had a nare to conjure with.
This section as known at t'Alt ttne as Heathenvillesa nlme which is used
in many authentic records belng th-t given as the laation of the Blakesle-
factory 1n lallace Nutting's 'The Clock Book.' The ariFrin of the name is
as vaguo as that of the honse,and whethe r there was any connection between
the sailor ad theheathen Is not knownold-time sallors,having the name of
having a wild lot
ancistoonovan
Thomaston, Conn
\Weldnesday,Nov. 16,'38
E.R. Kaiser,
i Former Supertntendent,3eth Thomas Clock Co.
"Yes,i remember the old Criterion clubpand I remember t' incident
you speak of,but I'm not sure of some of the details. Bu here it is,near's
I can remember.
"Seems old John Gross,who had the first car i town,took the bat ery
out one night and brought it down to the club. g left it lying in a corner
and whether he did this with malice aforethough or not I can't say,but he
certainly helped the matter along afterards- and there it reposed until
later in the evening when the boys began t gather for a round of pinochle.
"Well,j'Ist about that time there wa a hell of a scre going through
the country about these I W W. 's. Ph- had blown up a building or something,
someplace,arotx or had got the credi for it anyways,and people were edgy
every time the name was mentione To makn it more interesting,a bum
had come through town and had b en. lodged in the lockup the night before, and
as you know the cells in the tow hall basement are right adjoining the old
clubroom —that's the barber s op today.
"One of the box boys saw the battery lyx over there in a cornerland
of course it was the first such object he'd ever laid eyes on and he didn't
know what it was no more n if it was something from Mrs,and the first thing
come to his mind was te I. W.W. 's a nd their dirty work. He raised a big
tutkixtmikoom hullab loo about 'infernal machinee and got all the others
worked up so's the were afraid to go near itpand those who were a bit timid
just grabbed the r coats 1,nd hats and went.
"Finally one of the braver ones,' can't just say who ttwas,got a pail of
water,and he run over nuick and doused the battery/ Well all this time,
old Johnny Gross and some of the other maybe,that were In on it,were nearly
w lbut32
-2-
bustinl trying to keep from laughing out loud.
"After it was dunked in water they all felt a little exisitxxx better,but
then the problem arose how to dispose of it. Finally somebody hit on the
idea of taking it up on the side hill,up in Bradstreetts cow pasture,and
setting it off. For they were fully convinced it was a bomblunderstand.
So the next day,they all tatickstiattxx marched up there,and half the town
with them,for by this time the news had got around. They carried it mighty
carefully ,and when they got it up there,they took it out of the pail and
attached a long fuse to it and somebody,I think it was (the late G. A.
Lemmon,volunteered to set it off. The others gathered at a respectful dis-
tance and waited while G. A. lit the fuse and ran like hell. Of course
nothing happenedo.nd after while it occur,-ed to them that they were
being kidded and they went home feeling foolish. And Johnny Cross went up
there that night and got his battery,but he didn't say anything about it
till the boys cooled off a little.:
"They were always playing tricks in those days. The Criterion club
was known as a high class organization and their affairs every year were
outstanding social events. They used to give a fair for the benefit of the
ltbsryx library once a year. And when it was all over they threw a big
party for themselves at the clubroom. They had a dandy turkey one year,
prepared by Perley Jones' motherproasted and stuffed to a turn,-nd they were
getting the place fixed up for the dinrer and left the bird on that back
window sill. Then they went to lo k fr,r it,it was gone,and the Criterion
club had nothing to eat but the fixings. Nobody ever knew 77hetrier it was
taken for a joke or because somebody was hungry,but the town had a good
laugh."
-3
Excerpts from an article apnearing several years age in the Thomaston Express,
local weekli. (Bylined Willis B.Georte)
"On the right hand side of the road ,going north to Torrington, just
this t side of Fenn roadtis a large three-family hame,which goes by the name
of the Sailor's Home. No one seems to know how this house got the nalpe,the
assumption being a sailor once lived there,but who he was or waxx when he
did so is a mystery to the present generation of Thomastonians. But this
housexttxtxx is far more distinctive in an hist-riaal way for other reascns
than that it bears his name. Well over a hundred years agelthis building was
a clock factory,and was later the home of other imaxixstx industries. It there
for has a nart in the industrial history of Thomastpn.
Marvin and Edwa rd Blakeslee,descendants of Capt.Thomas Blakesleetone
of the town's earliest settlersterected this building by the river,to be
used for the manufacture of clocks,a business in which they were already
engar-ed. The Blakeslee name,therefortis one of numerous others,such as
Seth Thomas,Silas HoadleYland Eli Jr ,and Henry Terry. The Blakeslees carri
on this business for s'me yearspeventually selling out to Seth Thomas,
who bought out or forced out in the process of competition the other local
clockmakers,so that the Seth Thomas name is the only one of that early
group perpetuated in the manufacture of clocks here today.
"Although Seth Thomas bought out the interests of the companytand the
equipment,he centered the manufacturing in his well established plant in the
center of the town. The former Blakeslee building became in turn thehome of
.numerous other industries. The first was that of Jerome Woodruff,who
built pianos and other musical instru-ents. A second ma nufacturer by ths
years a
name of McCullom built organs there. An organ in use for
the old St.Peteris church in Plymraith was one of his predicts.
Later manufacturing manufacturing of auite a different type went on here. Carrington
Lamb made soplex spools for thread and also sploled the thread itself. Charles
Johnson,who was the brother of the well known portrait painter,Horace Johnson,
built machinery to this plant,and a Nelson Bradley brought back the touch of
Thomaston's best-known industrytclocks, by turning out verges.
"In due timethowevertthe place fell into the hands of owners who made
a radical change in the use of the building,converting it tt into tenements.
The building,which had stood by the banks of the rivertwas moved to its pres-
ent position along the road.
"Unfortunatelytthe date of this important change is not known. A note
by August lehrle,to whom we are indebted for this A.storical data,states:
'Many a newly -married couple started housekeeping in this old factory,as the
ffxx rents were small both in si ze and in price and a small garden plot
was available.'
0
J st as the fbrmer factory acquired an unusual name,the
Sailor's Hornets° the spot where it was built had a name to conjure with.
This section was known at that time as Heathenvilleta name which is used
in many authentic records being that given as the lalation of the Blakeslee
factory in Wallace Nutting's 'The Clock Book.' The origin of the name is
as vague as that of the holAse,and whethe r there was any connection between
the sailor and theheathen is not knowntold-time sailors,having the name of
having a wild lot