Agriculture and Industry by Pete Zizka 1-6-2024 |
There can be no doubt that
Willimantic’s growth, was due to its rapid development as a mill town.
And throughout the 19th century, a large percentage of the
city’s activities were focused around the mills. But we mustn’t forget
that Willimantic and the Windhams were also home to a large agricultural
industry. The correlation between industry and agriculture was
demonstrated clearly in 1879 as part of an editorial and a lecture.
In February, 1879, the Honorable
T.S. Gold, a trustee of the Connecticut Agricultural School and
Secretary of the Connecticut State Board of Agriculture spoke to members
of the Willimantic Farmer’s Club and other interested farmers.
(Secretary Gold was well-known and well-liked by Connecticut’s farmers.
He had spoken to farmers clubs throughout the state and the audiences,
“heartily enjoyed the many sharp bits and humorous passages presented”.)
The lecture presented to the local Farmers Club was open to all local
manufacturers as well since it was felt that, in the Willimantic area, “the
interests of both are so blended together, yet each business is
separate.” In publicizing Secretary Gold’s upcoming lecture, The
Chronicle published a lengthy editorial that spoke of how local
agriculture and manufacturing have an effect on one another. The Linen
Company was used as an example because at that time it employed a
thousand people. The Company, “works eleven horses and one yoke of oxen,
and their monthly pay roll amounts to about $25,000.” It was said that
the mill owned 169 tenements, four factory buildings and a store.
Yearly, the company bought from 20 to 25 hundred cords of birch from
local farmers who received payment upon delivery. Another interesting
statistic was that the company used 120 thousand pounds of cotton per
month, and the cotton farmer also received his cash. And so the fact was
demonstrated that the Linen Company could not operate without the farmer
to raise cotton for thread and birch for spools? Nor could the farmer do
without the manufacturer to purchase his cotton, wool, birch and other
products? Since the Linen Company employed over a thousand workers it
was said that they created a wonderful market for the farmers’ produce.
“The Willimantic Linen company not only helps the farmer but the
blacksmith and carpenter as well. There are eleven horses and two oxen
to be kept shod, wagons to be kept in repair, which gives employment to
our mechanics and they are enabled to buy provisions,
wood and other items from
the farmers.” The company’s store was also a source of income for local
farmers since they could sell produce to the store and receive cash for
the produce. The editorial concluded with a question. “When a
corporation is doing so much for a community, cannot the farmer give his
influence to sustain it? Remove this corporation from us and how our
farms would depreciate in value. Add another mill and what farmer would
not rejoice? We might ask the voters of Windham, ‘Have you unjustly
taxed this Company? Have you encouraged them to enlarge their works’”?
Another industry that had strong ties with local
farmers was the silk industry. Mansfield and Willimantic were home to
several large silk mills and all were dependent on local silk farmers.
As early as 1768,
William Hanks, of Mansfield, was cultivating a large vineyard and was
preparing to offer product to the public. He had raised enough silk to
make three women's gowns. Several farmers in Windham also have large
nurseries, and others orchards of Mulberry trees, which have been
cultivated to bring on a silk manufactory. The forward-looking Mr. Hanks
also sold mulberry trees. His ad in a local paper read, “Mulberry trees
to the number of three thousand to be sold at a reasonable rate by
William Hanks, of Mansfield, Windham County; the greater part of said
trees are three years old, and a great number of them an inch in
diameter at the ground, and there are all sizes under an inch. The best
time to set them is at the new moon in April. They will be sold cheap
for the speedy promoting the culture of silk.”
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