Northern Berkshire County




Old Route 7




Red Lion Inn Cookbook

History of North Adams.





EARLY INDUSTRIES,
CHAPTER V.


BLACKSMITH SHOPS.

In 1794 Joseph Darby built a blacksmith shop and set up a trip-hammer, probably the first in North Adams. It was located on the notch road, above Daniel Wells’ residence, about two rods from the stream that flows down the notch. Mr. Darby made scythes, saws, axes, hoes, steelyards, etc. The iron was brought from Sailsbury, Conn. Emigrant parties passed through here frequently bound for the “Great West,” which was then western New York, and Mr. Darby did many jobs for them in iron work, such as traps, cow bells, etc., besides repairing, their vehicles and shoeing their horses. It was then a more dreadful undertaking to move to the shores of Lake Erie than it now is to move to the shores of the Pacific. Adventurous men, who in those days went 300 or 400 miles into the wilderness to settle, where war parties of Indians still roamed, were regarded with the same admiration for their bravery that Captain John Brown and the heroes of freedom were who emigrated to Kansas to save that lovely territory from the foul curse of slavery.

Captain Colgrove built the first blacksmith shop within our village limits in 1795. It stood near the corner of Pearl and Main streets.

David Darling built the first blacksmith shop within our village limits in 1795. It stood near the corner of Pearl and Main streets.

David Darling built the second blacksmith shop in 1802, where the Wilson House now stands. Mr. Darling was a kind neighbor, a man of decision, with a strong sense of justice though plain and unassuming in his ways. On a certain occasion, the use of the village church having been denied by two or three of its self-constituted guardians to a Universalist preacher, though it was built by the contributions of men of different religious beliefs Mr. Darling (who kept the key) declared that it was the agreement and understanding that the church should be opened to any respectable preacher whom the people wished to hear, when not occupied by the Baptist society, and he would open it to the Universalist. He was as good as his word, and the Word according to Universalism was preached perhaps for the first time in our village.

Joseph Darby, having, previously moved to this village, in 1810 built the third shop, near the corner of Main and Eagle streets, which site is now occupied by the Baptist church. Mr. Darby sold this stand to George Darling, who carried on an extensive business until his death, in 1839.


CARPENTER SHOPS.

During the early years of this village no carpenter shops existed. The most important class of mechanics worked by the day or month, as they now do. They performed their labor either in the building which was being erected or in a shed near by. Carpenter and joiners labor was then much more laborious than at present, as the tools were of English make, coarse and clumsy, and only a few of them. The pod auger and gouge were used, the screw auger not having been invented. Circular saws, planing and mortising machines and all other contrivances for saving the human muscle and rushing jobs through were then unknown.

Gideon Mixer in 1805 made a venture and built an addition to his house, then standing near where Mrs. Frank Colgrove resides, on Church street. This addition Mr. Mixer opened as the first regular carpenter shop in North Adams.

Jonathan Torrey, in 1809, settled here and opened a carpenter shop, which he carried on for years.

Cyrus Burlingame, father of S. Burlingame, commenced business in the basement of the old brick factory in 1812. He afterward occupied a part of Captain Colgrove’s grist mill.

Esek Paine, about the year 1814, carried on carpentering here.

Stukeley Weaver, about the year 1815, established himself as a carpenter in a building near the grist mill of Captain Colgrove.


COOPER SHOPS.

Cooperage must have become an extensive pursuit here as early as 1815. When orchards had multiplied and bore abundantly cider was pressed on almost every farm, and became the common beverage of almost everybody. Plenty of pine and oak lumber for barrel, cask tub and firkin staves then grew near the village. All the labor was done by hand.

Peter Carver made the first drive in the hoop line by commencing





Edited and adapted from the original by Laurel O’Donnell
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