From “Historical Sketches of Andover” Sarah Loring Bailey, 1880, reprinted 1974. Transcribed from the book. 598 HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF ANDOVER. Next to the mills was, as has been said, the establishment of "Iron-Works" in ancient Andover. The first settler, Thomas Chandler, blacksmith, owned extensive iron works. just what these ancient iron-works were does not fully ap- pear. Probably they were for smelting and refining the ore which was found in the town, a sort of blomary. As late as 1770 Col. James Frye owned iron-works, which he then gave up, advertising to sell, " as he is done with the iron-works." He offers also for sale a. strong negro boy twenty years old, who is a good farm hand, " and can work in iron-work, both at blowing and refining." The first foundry in the Andover was built to furnish castings of machinery for Messrs. Davis and Furber's man- ufactory at North Andover. The builder and first operator proved untrustworthy, got deeply in debt, and quitted the town. The property passed into the hands of Boston men, and in 1842 was leased from them by Mr. Edmund Davis, an iron founder from Dover, N. H. When the business began, all the work was done by Mr. Davis and his son, with the help of one man. [From the Folsom Family 1876? P. 225:
vi. Jonathan b. ...Of his children... Sarah H. b. Jan. 20, 1805. m. Edmund Davis, Nov. t, 1826, well known with his sons for their iron castings in Dover and Portsmouth, N. H.. North Andover and Lawrence, Mass. , two of them and a daughter and a daughter being married and having children (one in Lawrence and the other in Sagamore, Michigan)];At the end of twenty years they employed about fifty men. In 1863 they took down their building and transferred the foundry to the city of Lawrence. "E. Davis and Son" was then and is now the name of the firm, Mr. Edmund Davis, senior, ultimately removed his residence to Portsmouth, N. H., but retained more or less supervision of the foundry until his death, in 1867. His long residence in North Andover identified him prominently with its inter- ests, both in secular affairs and in the religious society, " The Evangelical Church, of North Andover," with which he was connected. He was one of the original trustees of the Cem- etery, and owned a lot, where his remains were buried. Mr. Davis was a gingularly unobtrusive man, but one who com- manded respect. From an obituary notice, written by a min- ister who knew him well, the following is an extract relative to his character : - " None knew him who were not struck with the benignity, just- ness, and peace-loving nature of the man. It was in the family, however, that his worth was the most conspicuous. As a husband and a father few could be compared to him. Others may be as MILLS AND MANUFACTURES. 599 faithful, but few combine gentleness with dignity, reserve with case, strictness with affectionate geniality as he did." The business established by Mr. Davis is carried on by his son, Mr. George Edmund Davis, who resides at North Andover. Another foundry was built at North Andover by the man- ufacturing company of Messrs. Davis & Furber. The man- ufacture of machinery, so long carried on at North Andover under this firm name, originated in 1828 at Andover (South Parish). Jonathan Sawyer, of Harvard-, and Russell Phelps, of Sutton, machinists, came from a shop in Worcester, and began the manufacture of machinery, under the patronao-e of Mr. Abraham Marland, in the lower part of his mill. In 183 2 they sold the business to three of their employ6s, Charles Barnes, Georp~e H. Gilbert, and Parker Richardson. The shop was removed to the paper-m.ill, and in 1836 transferred to North Andover, on the Cochichawick, at what is called Machine Shop Village. Mr. Barnes withdrew from the firm to enter into the employ of the Ballardvale Manufacturing Company, but in 1838 resumed his connection. Messrs. Gil- A bert and Richardson bought the saw and grist-mill of Mr. Isaac Osgood, and built a machine shop and carried on busi- ness till I84T, when they dissolved the partnership and sold the saw-mill to the original owner. The same year, Mr. George L. Davis, a nephew of Mr. Gilbert, who had been employed by the firm for about six years, formed a copartnership with Mr. George H. Gilbert and Benjamin W. Gleason for five years, Messrs. Davis and Gleason being the managers. They Z~ leased the machine-shop and water-power, bou-ht the tools, and from that time to the present Mr. Davis has continued the manufacture of wool machinery. In 1846 Mr. Gilbert I retired from the firm, an~ in 1848 Mr. Mr. George H. Gilbert, in IS41, together with Mr. Charles A. Stevens, son of Captain Nathanael Stevens, of North Andover, removed to Ware in the west- ern part of the State, and there began woolen manufacturing, in which they were eminently successful. After about ten years, dissolving partnership, each con- tinned business for himself and both became founders of manufacturing com- panics among the most successful in New England. Mr. Gilbert died in 1868. A costly monument to his memory has been erected by his son in the North Andover Cemetery, which was the burial place of his wife, a daughter of Deacon Jedidiah Farnham. 6oo HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF ANDOVER. Charles Furber joined it. In 185 1 Messrs. Davis and Furber bought the entire interest, In 1857, On the death of Mr. Furber, Mr. Davis was for a short time sole proprietor. In 1858 Mr. Daniel T. Gage and Mr. John A. Wiley joined the firm, but in 186o the former withdrew. In January, ~861, Mr. Joseph M. Stone, a builder of locomotives, from Manchester, N. H., became a partner. In 1867 the sons of the partners, 'George G. Davis,' Joseph H. Stone, and James H. Davis, became members of the firm. The buildings, from the one little room in the Marland Mill, are now grown to a group of several large factories, shop, and foundry, at North Andover. The machinery made is in operation in mills in all parts of the United States. Hon. George L. Davis, who embarked in the enterprise at a time when it was btizardous, has stood by it in all vicis- situdes, and by his perseverance and ability established a manufacture honorable to the town, as well as a source of wealth to himself. Many institutions, educational and relig Z!, ions, have reaped benefit from the prosperity of this business and the liberality of its founder. Mr. Furber, whose name since his death is retained in the company, made his way up from poverty to influence and honor. He died in 1857, at the age of thirty-nine, deeply mourned by his numerous friends. He was at the time of his death a representative to the Legislature for North An- dover. Mr. Stone and Mr. Wiley are among the most influential citizens of the manufacturing village, and liberal contributors to all enterprises for its prosperity, and for the general wel- fare of the town. The manufacture of machinery was attempted on a large scale at Ballardvale in 1847 by-an incorporated company, of wbich Mr. John Marland was a principal member. They made machiner' and steam-enoines in the large stone manu- y n factory built by the company, and which, after some reverses, -they sold to the Whipple File Manufacturing Company. . This company was organized 186o, with a capital of .$500,000. I Since withdrawn to enter a firm in Boston,
vi. Jonathan b. ...Of his children... Sarah H. b. Jan. 20, 1805. m. Edmund Davis, Nov. t, 1826, well known with his sons for their iron castings in Dover and Portsmouth, N. H.. North Andover and Lawrence, Mass. , two of them and a daughter and a daughter being married and having children (one in Lawrence and the other in Sagamore, Michigan)];At the end of twenty years they employed about fifty men. In 1863 they took down their building and transferred the foundry to the city of Lawrence. "E. Davis and Son" was then and is now the name of the firm, Mr. Edmund Davis, senior, ultimately removed his residence to Portsmouth, N. H., but retained more or less supervision of the foundry until his death, in 1867. His long residence in North Andover identified him prominently with its inter- ests, both in secular affairs and in the religious society, " The Evangelical Church, of North Andover," with which he was connected. He was one of the original trustees of the Cem- etery, and owned a lot, where his remains were buried. Mr. Davis was a gingularly unobtrusive man, but one who com- manded respect. From an obituary notice, written by a min- ister who knew him well, the following is an extract relative to his character : - " None knew him who were not struck with the benignity, just- ness, and peace-loving nature of the man. It was in the family, however, that his worth was the most conspicuous. As a husband and a father few could be compared to him. Others may be as MILLS AND MANUFACTURES. 599 faithful, but few combine gentleness with dignity, reserve with case, strictness with affectionate geniality as he did." The business established by Mr. Davis is carried on by his son, Mr. George Edmund Davis, who resides at North Andover. Another foundry was built at North Andover by the man- ufacturing company of Messrs. Davis & Furber. The man- ufacture of machinery, so long carried on at North Andover under this firm name, originated in 1828 at Andover (South Parish). Jonathan Sawyer, of Harvard-, and Russell Phelps, of Sutton, machinists, came from a shop in Worcester, and began the manufacture of machinery, under the patronao-e of Mr. Abraham Marland, in the lower part of his mill. In 183 2 they sold the business to three of their employ6s, Charles Barnes, Georp~e H. Gilbert, and Parker Richardson. The shop was removed to the paper-m.ill, and in 1836 transferred to North Andover, on the Cochichawick, at what is called Machine Shop Village. Mr. Barnes withdrew from the firm to enter into the employ of the Ballardvale Manufacturing Company, but in 1838 resumed his connection. Messrs. Gil- A bert and Richardson bought the saw and grist-mill of Mr. Isaac Osgood, and built a machine shop and carried on busi- ness till I84T, when they dissolved the partnership and sold the saw-mill to the original owner. The same year, Mr. George L. Davis, a nephew of Mr. Gilbert, who had been employed by the firm for about six years, formed a copartnership with Mr. George H. Gilbert and Benjamin W. Gleason for five years, Messrs. Davis and Gleason being the managers. They Z~ leased the machine-shop and water-power, bou-ht the tools, and from that time to the present Mr. Davis has continued the manufacture of wool machinery. In 1846 Mr. Gilbert I retired from the firm, an~ in 1848 Mr. Mr. George H. Gilbert, in IS41, together with Mr. Charles A. Stevens, son of Captain Nathanael Stevens, of North Andover, removed to Ware in the west- ern part of the State, and there began woolen manufacturing, in which they were eminently successful. After about ten years, dissolving partnership, each con- tinned business for himself and both became founders of manufacturing com- panics among the most successful in New England. Mr. Gilbert died in 1868. A costly monument to his memory has been erected by his son in the North Andover Cemetery, which was the burial place of his wife, a daughter of Deacon Jedidiah Farnham. 6oo HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF ANDOVER. Charles Furber joined it. In 185 1 Messrs. Davis and Furber bought the entire interest, In 1857, On the death of Mr. Furber, Mr. Davis was for a short time sole proprietor. In 1858 Mr. Daniel T. Gage and Mr. John A. Wiley joined the firm, but in 186o the former withdrew. In January, ~861, Mr. Joseph M. Stone, a builder of locomotives, from Manchester, N. H., became a partner. In 1867 the sons of the partners, 'George G. Davis,' Joseph H. Stone, and James H. Davis, became members of the firm. The buildings, from the one little room in the Marland Mill, are now grown to a group of several large factories, shop, and foundry, at North Andover. The machinery made is in operation in mills in all parts of the United States. Hon. George L. Davis, who embarked in the enterprise at a time when it was btizardous, has stood by it in all vicis- situdes, and by his perseverance and ability established a manufacture honorable to the town, as well as a source of wealth to himself. Many institutions, educational and relig Z!, ions, have reaped benefit from the prosperity of this business and the liberality of its founder. Mr. Furber, whose name since his death is retained in the company, made his way up from poverty to influence and honor. He died in 1857, at the age of thirty-nine, deeply mourned by his numerous friends. He was at the time of his death a representative to the Legislature for North An- dover. Mr. Stone and Mr. Wiley are among the most influential citizens of the manufacturing village, and liberal contributors to all enterprises for its prosperity, and for the general wel- fare of the town. The manufacture of machinery was attempted on a large scale at Ballardvale in 1847 by-an incorporated company, of wbich Mr. John Marland was a principal member. They made machiner' and steam-enoines in the large stone manu- y n factory built by the company, and which, after some reverses, -they sold to the Whipple File Manufacturing Company. . This company was organized 186o, with a capital of .$500,000. I Since withdrawn to enter a firm in Boston,
