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Fall River Iron-Works Company
| Name | Fall River Iron-Works Company |
| Ortssitz | Fall River (Mass.) |
| Art des Unternehmens | Eisenwerk |
| Anmerkungen | 1876: 3 buildings : rolling mill, nail mill, and foundry; 5 double and 2 single puddling furnaces, 18 heating furnaces, 105 nail machines, 1 hammer, and 8 trains of rolls (two 8, two 9, and four 18inch); product, nails, hoops, bands, and merchant bar iron to 2 inches wide; annual capacit) r , 11.000 net tons; average yearly production for past two years, 7.000 tons. |
| Quellenangaben | [Bishop: History of American manufacturers 3 (1868) 333] [Ironworks of the United States (1876) 64] [Earl: Centennial history of Fall River (1877) 44] |
| Zeit |
Ereignis |
| 1821 |
Eintragung mit einem Kapital von $24.000 |
| 1822 |
Bau des Walzwerks |
| 02.1822 |
Die Eisenfabrikation beginnt mit einem Walzwerk und zwölf Nagelschneidemaschinen. |
| 1825 |
Die Vereinigung wird eine Gesellschaft nach den Gesetzen von Massachusetts. Ihr Kapital beträgt $200,000. |
| 02.06.1843 |
Das Walzwerk wird völlig zerstört. Das Feuer bricht um 1.30 Uhr in der Nacht aus, und die gesamte Anlage ist nach kurzer Zeit nur noch eine Ruine. Schon bei Sonnenaufgang wird Holz von verschiedenen Holzlagerplätzen herbei geschafft, und die Vorbereitungen für den Wiederaufbau beginnen. |
| Mitte Juli 1843 |
Sehcs Wochen nach dem Brand ist das Walzwerk wieder voll in Betrieb. |
| 1845 |
Bau der Metacomet Cotton-mill mit 21.600 Spindeln |
| 1845 |
Das Kapital wird auf $960.000 erhöht. |
| 11.11.1859 |
Das Walzwerk brennt erneut ab und wird völlig zerstört. - Es wird nach kurzer Zeit wieder aufgebaut. |
| 1866 |
Acht Walzwerke und 105 Nagelmaschinen sind in Betrieb. |
| Produkt |
ab |
Bem. |
bis |
Bem. |
Kommentar |
| Walzprofile |
1876 |
[Ironworks of U.S. (1876)] |
1876 |
[Ironworks of U.S. (1876)] |
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| ZEIT | 1868 |
| THEMA | Firmenbeschreibung |
| TEXT | Was organized in 1821, with a capital of $24.000, and commenced the manufacture of Iron in February, 1822, with one set of Rolls for making Nail Plates, and twelve machines for Cutting Nails. Their production of Iron and Nails at that time was about five hundred tons per annum. They have gradually increased their operations until they have, in 1866, eight sets of Rolls and one hundred and five Nail Machines, producing four thousand five hundred tons of Hoop, Bar, and Wire Iron, and one hundred thousand casks of Nails, of one hundred pounds each, equal to five thousand tons. They also have a Foundry producing eighteen hundred tons Castings per annum for machinery purposes, and a Machine Shop and Boiler Shop, for building and repairing Machinery. In 1845, they built the Metacomet Cotton-mill, with 21.600 spindles; and a Gas Works, which supplies the Mills, stores, and private dwellings with Gas. The capital employed by the Corporation at the present time is about one million of dollars. Richard Borden, Esq., one of its originators, is Treasurer and General Manager of the Company. |
| QUELLE | [Bishop: History of American manufacturers 3 (1868) 333] |
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| ZEIT | 1877 |
| THEMA | Firmenbeschreibung |
| TEXT | The Fall River Iron Works Company, as one of the most remunerative properties of the kind in the United States, is an existing and perfectly logical and reasonable fact, representing a moderately appraised value in stock and property of $1,500,003; but the original premises of this practical argument were a miller and a ship carpenter, and a business of sloop-building. The financial basis upon which the Fall River Iron Works was started, Richard Borden and Bradford Durfee being the two promoters, but associating with themselves Holder Borden, David Anthony, and William Valentine, Joseph Butler and Abram and Isaac Wilkinson, of Providence, was 24,000. Soon after its commencement of operations, the two Wilkinsons desiring to draw out their contribution, S6000 was returned them, reducing the working amount to 18,000. In 1825 the association became a corporation under the law of Massachusetts. Its capital at this time was 200,000, which in 1845 was increased to 960,000; but all of this last aggregate, with over 500,000 more employed in the works of the company and other constantly remunerative enterprises, has accumulated from the earnings, not one dollar having been added by subscription or otherwise to the net 18,000 originally invested. Farther on may be discovered occasional suggestions of the circumstances that have aided a success so exceptional; yet it is safe here to say, that with a projection less energetic and sagacious, a control less wise and determined, and in a community less industrious and provident, no such success could ever have been achieved. The first works of the Iron Company were erected on the ground now occupied by the Metacomet Mill, and the production, hoop-iron, sold to New Bedford trade for binding oil casks. Various sizes of bar-iron were also made, and the manufacture of nails commenced, for which two machines were set up. In those days, the heading of the best nails was done by hand, and was necessarily a rather slow process. When a sufficient quantity had been made,
Colonel Borden would load up a sloop and sail to New York and up the Hudson until he etfected a sale. The company's nails always ranked well in the market, and when, on one occasion, a few had been shipped as a venture to Mobile, their superiority to the Pittsburg nail, made of soft iron, was so marked, that a whole cargo was at once ordered, anticipating the product of some days' operation. The business proving very profitable, the works were enlarged from time to time, other branches of production being added, until in 1840 the plant and business were moved to their present location near High Hill, so called, where, with the advantage of better organized buildings and more space, the possession of wharves and a water front is also secured. The company has suffered twice by fire. On June 2d, 1843, the rolling-mill was entirely destroyed. The fire broke out at half-past one o'clock in the morning, and the whole establishment was in ruins in a very short time, but before sunrise lumber was being hauled from various yards and preparations were going on to rebuild it. The owners did not even wait for the fire to cool before the plan of reconstruction was adopted and measures taken to replace their losses. In six weeks from the date of the fire the mill was again
in full operation. Such cool persistency always wins, and there is no occasion to wonder that success of the most pronounced type has followed the efforts of the company. Again on the iith of November, 1859, the rolling-mill was discovered to be on fire, and the flames obtained the masteiy for a second time, completely destroying the building ; but the same indomitable spirit met the misfortune as calmly as before ; the mill was immediately rebuilt, and in a short time in active work. The works are operated wholly by steam, employ 600 hands, and consume 40 tons of scrap and pig iron per da^-. The operations are carried on in three separate buildings - a rolling-mill, nail-mill, and foundry. Thirty-two thousand tons of iron are used annually in the production of nails, hoops, rods, castings, etc. There are 105 nail machines, the product of which is about 1 15,000 kegs of nails per annum. The monthly pa}'-roll averages 25,000. When the Iron Works Company was first formed, it purchased for 10,000 the whole section of land lying along the shore to the south and west of the Creek, as far as Annawan street on the south, and east to Canal street, and the land south to Ferry street was also secured afterward. In the development of this property. Major Bradford Durfee took a prominent and leading part. Born in 1 788, the earlier years of his manhood were spent in shipbuilding and kindred work. Up to 1821, about one vessel a year of from 20 to 75 tons burden was constructed, and the- sloops Fall River, Golden Age, Reindeer, the schooners High Flyer, the Irene and Betsey, and others were launched and engaged in the coasting or West India trade. The superior abilities of Major Durfee as a manager and constructor in all mechanical departments here manifested themselves, and when the Iron Works Company was formed with its eight owners, Colonel Borden was chosen agent, and Major Durfee superintendent. The latter, thin thirty-three years of age, entered upon the work with all the ardor of a young man in his prime, and was never so much in his element as when putting up mill buildings, arranging machinery, constructing wharves, or forwarding some kind of outdoor work. Thus the Iron Works wharves, the hammered stonework in the basement of the Annawan Mill, and the superstructure itself, the canal to the Print Works Pond, the dam, the new buildings and additions of the Iron Works, were all under his direction. When the steamboat line between Fall
River and Providence was established, he took charge of that also, and regularly, without fail, was on the wharf at the arrival and departure of the boats. When the rolling-mill was destroyed by fire, Major Durfee was in the midst of the ruins while they were yet hot, and with men and oxen hauled out the lumber and material for rebuilding. |
| QUELLE | [Earl: Centennial history of Fall River (1877) 44] |
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