History of North Adams, Mass.

which was built and designed for a cotton mill, located on the site of Dickinson & Brown’s forge, previously mentioned. The first considerable lot of machinery built was for the Slater mill at the Union, then being built by Hodges, Sanford & Co., and which forms the east end of the Eclipse mill. The contract to build this machinery by the job was taken of C. B. Turner by William Hall and Samuel Wilson. Mr. Hall was an experienced and very ingenious iron worker, having recently come from Patterson, N. J., and he introduced many important improvements. S. Wilson of Adams executed the wood work. Large quantities of machinery was turned out, until in 1835 the Gould mill was again devoted to manufacturing. About this time most manufacturers found it advantageous to connect a repair shop with their mills, and some of them constructed portions of their own machinery.

In the fall of 1847 James Hunter bought the patterns, tools, etc., of the foundry of Mason B. Green, then. located in front of the Phoenix mill. In the spring of 1848 David Temple and Abel Wetherbee bought an interest, and the business was conducted under the firm name of James Hunter & Co. During the summer of that year they started, in connection with this foundry at North Adams, another at Adams. During the winter of 1848-9 Mr. Temple withdrew from the firm, taking the Adams property.

In 1849 James Hunter and Abel Wetherbee purchased the house and lot near Main street bridge. The land where the furnace now stands was then a low marsh; they filled it up and erected a foundry building, 76x4O feet and two stories high. The whole outlay was about $3500. Mr. Wetherbee sold his interest the same year to Daniel and Stillman M. Thayer. In 1850 Joseph D. Clark purchased a part of James Hunter’s interest, and the firm was known as Hunter, Thayer & Co. They ran a grist mill for a, short time, then displaced it, putting in a planing machine and made boxes. In 1855 the planing machine was removed, in order that the machine shop might be started. This was started on a small scale, having only one engine and one drilling lathe. In the same year, in connection with the furnace and other business, they erected a store for the sale of merchandise, and kept also a general assortment of bar iron, steel, etc. In 1856 Daniel Thayer sold his interest to the other partners. In 1857 J. D. Clark and S. M. Thayer sold their interest to James E. Hunter and Martin C. Jewett. The firm became James Hunter & Co.

The business has gradually increased until, in 1885, it is the largest foundry in the county, and one of the largest in the state, the firm being known as James Hunter & Son.

In 1847 William Hodgkins purchased 11-2 acres of land and erected a brick building near the present site of the Troy & Greenfield freight house, on State street. Machine castings and ploughs were manufactured. Mr. Hodgkins carried on business here about five years, when a mortgage which was on the property was foreclosed and be was obliged to retire. When the Troy & Boston Railroad run in here, about 1859, they utilized this building as an engine house, and it continued to be used as such until 1872, when it was demolished.

History of North Adams.