Ilion High School - Class of 1897

The Ilion Citizen - October 8, 1897

Ilion and the Remingtons

Article 12

Ilion and the Remingtons

A complete History Of Ilion's Greatest Manufacturing Enterprise

Prepared by Albert N. Russell and Read Before the Herkimer County Historical Society, September 14, 1897

The history of Ilion as a village, both as to its origin and growth up to the present decade is so intimately connected with the lives and achievements of the Remingtons as to warrant the combination in the title to this paper, as well as to forbid any attempt at the treatment of the first independent of the last.

The proper limits to a paper to read at a meeting of this society, however, confine me to the statement of such historical facts regarding the growth of the village as are coincident with, and inseparable from, the progress of the Remington works. In referring to the various enterprises and industries which comprise in part the history of "the Remingtons," I shall not treat each in its regular sequence, nor in detail, but shall endeavor to make a brief record, informally, of that which may be interesting to those who may consult the archives of this society in years to come, and with a consciousness that my paper will afford but slight entertain to this audience.

The appellation, the Remingtons, is used here as applying principally to the members of that family who originated and conducted the manufacturing enterprises, the development of which have been the potent factor in the establishment and growth of the village, with its great industries, viz: Eliphalet Remington, (the second bearing that name) and his three sons, Philo, Samuel and Eliphalet, Jr..

The father of the Eliphalet Remington referred to, also named Eliphalet, was born in Suffield, Hartford county, Conn., Oct. 13, 1768, and his wife. Elizabeth Kilbourn, in Sandersfield in the same state, Aug. 20, 1770. They were married March 3rd, 1791. Their children were: Elizabeth, born Feb. 2, 1792; Eliphalet, born Oct. 28, 1793; Aphia born May 13, 1800, and Samuel, born Jan. 11, 1809, who died in infancy.

Elizabeth married Alansog Merry and was the mother of Mrs. Aphia Chismore, now living in Placerville, Cal; Eliphalet, who was one of the many passengers lost in the wreck of the steamer "Central America" in 1857, on return voyage from California; Edward, Charles and Welthy, deceased.

Eliphalet Remington, the founder of the Ilion works, married Abigail Paddock, who was killed by being thrown from a buggy by a runaway horse on Aug. 21, 1841. Besides the three sons his children were: Mary Ann, now living and widow of Rev. Chas. Austie and Maria, who became the wife of the late Lawrence L. Merry, and mother of Seward, now living in Ilion, and two daughters, Carrie and Addie, now living in Streator, Ill. Mrs. Merry died March 30, 1876. Susanna, another daughter died at the age of 21, unmarried.

Aphia P. , his sister, became the wife of the late John S. Avery of Litchfield, and mother of four sons, William, now deceased; Sanford, now living on part of the homestead in Litchfield; Samuel, living in Council Bluffs, Iowa; Alanson, deceased, and four daughters, viz: Thetis, wife of Lorin True, both of whom are deceased: Elizabeth, now living in Ilion; Mary M., who married Thomas Davis and is deceased, and Lucy, the wife of James Leveck, now living at or near the old homestead.

I have stated that the first Eliphalet Remington and Elizabeth Kilbourn, his wife, were natives of Connecticut, and have given the date of their marriage. Their first three children were born in that state. In 1800 they immigrated to Herkimer county, first making their homes at Cranes Corners, where Mr. Remington worked at his trade, that of carpenter, and, as Mrs. Chismore informs me, built there what is known now as the "Old Union Church."

Previous to moving here, viz, March 22, 1799, he purchased from James Smith of Litchfield 50 acres of land, the deed for which is of record in 1899s, in the first book of records after the fire which destroyed all records of previous date.

His subsequent purchases as indicated by the records gave him a holding of about 300 acres of land covering the territory where the Columbia Springs hotel now stands in the gulph, about three miles south from Ilion, and sufficient land along Steele's creek at that point to make its waters available as a power for industrial purposed.

At that date there was no continuous road leading through the gulph to Cedarville from where Ilion now is, but instead one crossing Steele's creek to the west near the present residence of Dennis H. Dygert and following near the creek to where the Harrington road now turns west by that route up to the old Remington farm, then down the hill as now, to the sulphur springs in the gulph and along the creek for some distance, then again taking to the hills on the west, and back to the creek at Cedarville.

This made the senior Remington's property on the creek a suitable place for a black-smiths shop and gave such control of the stream as to enable him to utilize it as a water power for propelling machinery.

The for-going is written as prefatory to the formal introduction of Eliphalet Remington the second, as the founder of Ilion and its industries and to enable me to correct some errors in tradition and written history.

The first relates to his birth place, which has been given as Litchfield while in fact he was 7 years old when his parents emigrated to that place from Connecticut. Other errors will be manifest as I proceed. The initiatory step to his mechanical and business career was the forging of a gun barrel for his own use which was done in the blacksmith shop referred to.

In Beers history of Herkimer county, it is stated that this occurred in 1816 and when he was 19 years old. If that was his age it must have been in 1812. If in 1816, his age was 23, for he was 7 years old in 1800.

From all the information attainable, I am let to the conclusion that the blacksmith shop referred to was in fact a forge having power furnished by a water wheel, and that the welding of the scrap iron into bars and forging the bars into crowbars, pickaxes, sleigh shoes, plow blades and points, was carried on there as well as horse shoeing and general repair work for farmers and that the industry was installed by Eliphalet Remington 1st, who as we have seen was a mechanic and who doubtless was well aware of the mechanical genius of his son and wisely provided for his establishment in a congenial business.

The association of the father with the son, and his active participation in his enterprises continued till the property where the great manufactory in Ilion now is, was purchased in 1828, and his life was sacrificed in the birth of that establishment.

On the 22 day of June in that year while engaged in nailing the timbers which entered into the construction of the first shop, he was thrown from the load by the canting of one of them and fell in such a position that the wheel of the wagon ran over him and injured his spine so seriously that death resulted after 5 days - on the 27th.

Whether young Eliphalet Remington forged his first gun barrel and with his own hands produced the finished gun because of his father's unwillingness to buy him one stated in existing histories, or because of an ambition to achieve such a mechanical success is a question of minor interest, but as the initiatory to an immense manufacturing business sending its products to the ends of the earth, and the founding of a village ranking among the first in the valley of the Mohawk it becomes of great interest and a striking illustration of the wonderful developments of this age and of our locality.

The quality of this first gun was such as to create in the neighborhood a demand for others of like efficiency. In response to this demand barrels both for rifles and shot guns were forged and appliances devised and put into use finishing exterior and interior, ready for stocking and completing.

In those days no factories for the manufacture of guns were in existence, but in every important village or town was to be found a gun smith, whose business was by primitive methods to make and repair fire arms for those living in the vicinity, the barrels for the same being imported from England and Belgium by hardware merchants. Morgan James was the leading smith in Utica and to him Mr. Remington took his first rifle barrels to be rifled, often taking as I am told, as many as he could carry on his back and making the journey of 15 miles on foot, returning with a like load of those left on the previous trip.

This was, however, but a temporary expedient, he soon had rifling machine of his own in operation, and was producing more effective barrels than could be obtained elsewhere. Ponderous grindstones were quarried from a ledge of red sandstone a short distance up the creek from the forge, and used to grind the exteriors true, and to the desired form, being driven by water power. The reputation of the Remington barrels soon became so great and extended so far that the gunsmiths were obliged to use and the hardware merchants to handle them in order to retain their customers.

Thus the merits of these products became known throughout our whole country and the little forge assumed the dignity of a factory.

An examination of an account book commencing in 1823 shows that while the making of gun barrels became a prominent part of the industry, other branches of work were kept up and that the prevalent method of paying workmen in part with "store goods" obtained with them.

Among other articles manufactured there was one the use of which is little known by the present generation, the cow bell.

The work was carried on at this point till 1828 when 100 acres of the John A. Clapsaddle property was purchased and removal made to the site of the now village of Ilion. To this purchase several additions were subsequently made. The firm of Hawes & Baines succeeded in the occupancy of the gulph establishment, where having they manufactured carpenter's squares and edged tools. They in turn sold to John F. Brown who conducted the same business till about 1833 and then sold out to a firm who removed the works to North Bennington, Vt. This Mr. Brown conceived the idea of making a watering place by the sulphur spring found there, and built the brick house known as the Columbia Springs Hotel. The enterprise was unsuccessful and the establishment is at this writing in a seriously dilapidated condition.

Following Mr. Remington to his new location, we find at "London" now the west part of Main street, two hotels for the accommodation of teamsters and canal men and a third near the site of the present gas works, a small store on the site of the new Heacock-Walker block. A canal water house where the recently built brick Hotaling block now stands, and perhaps a half dozen dwellings, mostly farm houses.

The first structure erected by Mr. Remington was a dwelling on the ground now occupied by O. B. Rudd's jewelry store. Following this, came the wooden shop directly in the rear of the office building, in the tower of which is the town clock.

In this building was installed the machinery for forging bar iron and converting the same into the various utensils previously made in the gulph establishment and for making and finishing ready for market barrels for rifles and shot guns, comprising in part a large tilt hammer, several right trip hammers, a large tub bellows and grind stones, with the necessary boring and rifling machines. To furnish power, water was brought from Steele's Creek by what is known as the "lower race" and utilized for driving the several water wheels, the waste from which was, by arrangement with the canal authorities, discharged into the Erie canal as a feeder. Increasing business demanded increased facilities: a stone building near the canal was built the following year and equipped with water wheels and trip hammers, to be used especially for welding and forging gun barrels. This has always been known as the "Stone Forge."

The demand for the Remington gun barrels had by this time become so extended that an organized shipping department became necessary, where a supply of locks, rough gun stocks, butt plates, patch boxes,and other trimmings were kept, so that the gunsmith could obtain his complete outfit. For many years and till the making of guns passed from the gunsmith to the factory, this department was in charge of Mr. A. C. Seamans, father of C. W. Seamans of typewriter fame.

In this manner the business was conducted by Mr. Remington with such changes and improvements as experience suggested, till in 1835, he entered into a partnership with Benj. Harrington for the purpose of making the manufacture of iron and such articles as were not properly connected with the gun business, a separate enterprise. For this purpose they built a dam on Steele's Creek and diverted the water into a pond or reservoir on the land now owned by the heirs of John Beihn near the present residence of William Harrington and about a mile south of the Ilion works, erected thereby the necessary buildings and equipments for making bar iron from scrap and from the iron produced, made the utensils commonly used by the farmers in those days, also mill spindles and such other irons were used in grist and saw mills.

To furnish toe scrap iron used, teams were employed to traverse the surrounding country and gather it in. The field of supply embraced all the surrounding counties, including Oswego. Iron ore was also drawn from the Clinton ore beds in Oneida county. To furnish the fuel the timber was cut from the surrounding hills and burned into charcoal.The firm also built and operated the saw mill known as "Harringtons Mill," the ruins of which were burned about three years since.

This forge was operated until the manufacture on a large scale and in proximity to the supplies of ore and coal rendered it unprofitable, and today nothing remains to mark the spot but a remnant of the diverting dam and the banks of the pond, the bed of which is a productive market garden.

In the meantime the sons of Mr. Remington were attaining maturity. Philo, who was born October 31, 1816, became of age in 1837; Samuel, born April 11th, 1818 in 1839; and Eliphalet, born November 12, 1828, in 1849.

Philo was educated in the common schools and at Cazenovia Seminary. Samuel at common schools and at Wilbraham Academy. Eliphalet attended Little Falls Academy and Cazenovia Seminary, in addition to the home schools.

Philo remained with his father and became master of all branches of the mechanical work, while Samuel tried his fortunes for a time in railroad construction in the west, meeting with so little success that he soon returned to Ilion, where for a time he conducted business by himself, opening a store on the canal bank in 1845.

In 1845, war with Mexico being imminent, our government entered into contract with Ames & Co. of Springfield, Mass., for the construction of several thousand carbines, the invention of one William Jencks. For some reason this company desired to be relieved of their job after having commenced to execute it, and Mr. Remington purchased the contract, together with such machinery as they had adapted to the work. The equipment was meagre, but combined within its own facilities, enabled him to execute the work to the satisfaction of the government Mr. Jencks, the inventor, came on to supervise the work and afterwards built the brick house on the north side of the canal now known as the John A. Rasbach homestead.

The building on the hill, now called the old armory, was built to enable Mr. Remington to carry out this first contract, and what is called the upper race, constructed to bring water to the wheel by which the machinery was driven.

Thus equipped, Mr Remington was ready to undertake other contracts and before he had finished the carbine work he had an order for 5,000 "Harpers Ferry" rifles, and before they were delivered, a further order of 5,000 was received,a and later, an additional one for 2,500 of the same. 5,000 Maynard self-priming musket locks were also made during the years 1857" and 1858. I summarize this as embracing most of the military work executed up to the advent of the war of the rebellion in 1861, but about 1857, one Fordyce Beals, invented a revolver which Mr. Remington manufactured under the inventor's supervision and the making of pistols of various models became an important branch of the work earned on.

Meanwhile Samuel had, in connection with others, engaged in the manufacture of broom handles and brooms and in 1851 or 1852, in one of the buildings which is now about in the center of the group, had commenced the manufacture of Yales patent locks, the father of Louis Diss, now assistant superintendent of the typewriter works, having charge of the work. After a year or so he also undertook the manufacture of safes and vault doors for banks. John F. Thomas being foreman in this department. Among the establishments equipped by him was the U. S. Mint at Philadelphia. In 1855 he also manufactured 200 breech loading guns of a model patented by one Merrill, but the system did not prove practicable, and no more were made.

The separate enterprises which Samuel had inaugurated, were abandoned in 1856 and thereafter all the business was conducted by E. Remington &. Sons, the three son s being partners.

About that time Mr. Charles Sayre of Utica, invented a cultivator tooth which they commenced to manufacture on the premises where the safe and lock work had been done and Mr. David D. Devoe became foreman of that work. This may be considered as the beginning of the agricultural works which later became so extensive.

During the period between 1828 and 1861 a thrifty little village with about 800 inhabitants had grown up around the Remington works. A post office was established in 1845 first named after M. Remington, but at his urgent request changed to Ilion, a name suggested by D. D. Devoe, who wa the first postmaster. Mr. Remington had built himself a substantial residence, the brick building on Main street now occupied by the Remington Arras Co., as an office, bank block and the Osgood hotel.

Philo and Eliphalet. Jr., had each become established in homes built on Otsego street directly opposite the first armory buildings, and on the corner of Otsego and Second streets, where the present brick Baptist church stands, a Union church had been erected. The stone school house on Morgan street provided accommodation for educational purposes. The village was incorporated under general laws in 1852, but subsequently a special act of incorporation was obtained which, with various amendments and substitutions, remains in force. In August of that year the Ilion bank was incorporated with a capital of $100,000, with Eliphalet Remington as president, he holding that office until his death.

With the advent of the civil war, a new impetus was given to the work of the "Armory," the new name now applied to the works. Orders were given by our government for army and navy revolvers. For the manufacture of these many new and special machines were purchased and tools adapted to the work made. Additional room was provided by building, and steam engines installed as auxiliary to the water power. Work was pushed night and day, but the requirements of the government could not be met in full and a building was rented in Utica and equipped for pistol work which was carried on there for a short time and then brought to Ilion. Orders were also received for large numbers of the regulation U. S. Spingfield musket which could only be made under the erections of several large buildings with corresponding increase of expensive machinery and the necessary tools and fixtures.

Under the pressure of these new demands upon his energies, the elder Mr. Remington was prostrated and on Aug. 12th, 1862 his remarkable career was ended, the second sacrifice to an enterprise of which communities and nations were to be the beneficiaries. His burial place was in the village cemetery, in a spot selected by him while surveying the land first purchased in Ilion.

I cannot speak of the personalities of Mr. Remington from the standpoint of an acquaintance, his death occurring a few weeks before I became a resident Ilion, but as gathered from others only. In stature he was tall, of muscular build and capable of great endurance. His manners were gentle and kindly, but his resolutions were firm, and obedience was enforced in the execution of his plans. His education was such as was afforded by the local schools, but he was a careful reader and became a well informed man. His habits were strictly temperate, his morals pure. As a neighbor he was always kind and obliging in every movement to promote the interests of the village he was a leader and co-worker. He was a man of sterling integrity and had the implicit confidence of his employees who always sought his advice and counsel. In politics he was an old line Whig until the advent of the Republican party with which he early identified himself.

In his religious views he was liberal rather than sectarian and he contributed generously for building a union church to be free for the use of all denominations, regarding that the best way to promote the religious interests of a community as small as Ilion then was. A strict economist he wasted neither time nor money, but I am persuaded that he was not greedy, and that an ambition to be rich was far from being his impelling motor. With men of his type, it seems to be an impulse to do, to develope, to produce and improve, which has no need for avarice as a motive power or selfishness as an incentive to economy. He evidently had but little taste for business as conducted by office machinery. It has been said of him that "he carried his office in his hat." This saying was doubtless inspired in part by his custom of carrying his current letters and papers in the tall hat which he commonly wore instead of in the side pocket as many of us do.

In looking over his books I find none of those special accounts now so generally kept: such as construction, repair, tools and machinery, etc., nor of interest or expense accounts, bills receivable and payable and other entries serving in any way to indicate his financial condition or business profits. An usually retentive memory seems to have enabled him to carry under his hat a greater part of that which is usually confided to the keeping of the ledger.

I am made to pronounce no greater eulogy upon his character than by saying that, during the thirty-six years I have lived in Herkimer county, I have never beard him spoken of except in terms of respect and commendation.

The management of the manufacturing department was devolved upon Philo, the oldest son, while Samuel, the second, assumed a position corresponding with that of general agent, which made hi m the negotiator of contracts with the government, purchaser of machinery materials, etc., a work which required him to spend much of his time at the Capitol or in the business centers of the country. To Eliphalet was left the general supervision of the office and particularly the correspondence for which he was especially qualified by reason of superior penmanship and great felicity in the use of language. The firm name "E. Remington & Sons" was retained until 1853 at which date the business was capitalized, an incorporation being effected under the same name with a nominal capital of $l,000,000, and a plant valued at about $l,500,000. This organization covered only the Arms business and properties, other interests being retained under the name of Remington Brothers or by the brothers individually.

The work was pushed with unremitting energy until the preparations were complete and they were able to make regular deliveries of muskets to the war department.

On the 12th day of April 1865, immediately after the surrender of the confederate army by General Lee, an order was issued from the war department stopping all further purchase of arms and munitions, and the Remingtons were notified to discontinue the production of guns and revolvers for government use. This doubtless was a necessary act on account of the impoverished condition of the treasury, but none the less cruel in is effects upon the which had incurred a large indebtedness depending upon the profits of government work for its liquidation.

With resources thus cut off the struggle for life became intense. The Ilion bank which was a large creditor was so deeply involved as to cause its suspension and Thomas Richardson, Esq, as receiver, wound up its affairs. In this connection it is a pleasure to record that afterwards when returning prosperity enabled them to do so, the Remingtons paid the stockholder and all with any holding claims against the bank in full with interest.

During the progress of the war it had been clearly demonstrated that the future infantry arm must be breech loading, and in anticipation of this change the company had already availed itself of the inventive genius of Mr. John Rider, a German by birth and a resident of Newark, Ohio and placed under his direction a corps of skilled mechanics, John V. Schmidt and others, who were working for the production of a breech loading rifle with the qualifications necessary to secure its adoption by military authorities.

The company possessed the confidence of the public to such a degree that creditors willingly granted extension of time, during which their running expenses were met by the proceeds of the other branches of work, and in due time those were prepared to offer the governments of the world the simplest, most effective and durable firearm the inventive genius of the age had produced.

It should be stated in this connection that some parts of the mechanism of those guns were the invention of parties outside of the Remington works, the use of which was obtained by license, with payment of royalty.

The manufacture of this new model gun required the customization of a complete set of tools and fixtures, of such accuracy that all the parts would be interchangeable, that is, that each piece of a given gun would fit perfectly into any or all the others. The cost of these tools and the additional machinery required a further outlay of many thousands of dollars, but with a faith and perseverance that yielded to no discouragements, they worked on till in 1867 the government of Denmark adopted the gun and entered into a contract for 42,000 stands of arms. Mr. Samuel Remington had now become the representative of the house in foreign lands where he remained till 1877. The works were run night and day and the contract successfully executed.

In 1867. an order was also received from the naval department of our government for 12,000 rifles which were duly delivered. Spain came in the same year for 85,000. Next, in 1868, came Sweden with an order for 30,000, followed in 1869 by Egypt, with a call for 50,000. In 1870, France and Germany wring engaged in a war, for which France was ill prepared, that government came to Ilion for help. Unlimited orders for arms were given. Neither buildings, machinery nor tools had sufficient capacity to meet the demand.

Large additions were made to every department and the working force increased till 1,300 to 1,400 men were employed, a large number of who were skillful mechanics. The regular output of rifles was 800 to 1,000 per day besides great numbers of pistols.

So excellent was the management and so perfect the equipment and organization that the product per day for each man employed was largely in excess of that attained in the Springfield armory during the civil war or of any other arms factory in the world.

A most marvelous exhibition of capacity and skillfully directed energy was made during the latter period of this undertaking when the output of completed rifles was 1,200 to 1,300 per day and of revolvers about 300. The record of such achievements needs no commentary to establish the reputation of Philo Remington as one of the most capable manufacturers our country has produced. The work was done under the contract system, being divided among 30 or more capable contractors under the direction of a superintendent and the necessary foreman.

The aggregate number of arms furnished France was 145,000. The execution of the contracts had resulted in large profits by which the debts of the corporation were liquidated, and the termination of the transactions, with France left them with a surplus which was deemed sufficiently large to warrant a dividend, which was made, approximating $2,000,000.00 to which smaller sums were subsequently added.

Previous to this Col. Watson C. Squire married a daughter of Philo Remington and became prominently connected with the business management, occupying the position of secretary and treasurer and by virtue of his position, the financial executive. He also acquired the ownership of a portion of the stock of the company which he retained for a time and then exchanged with Philo Remington for real estate in Seattle, Washington. He was succeeded by Eliphalet RemiDgton in the office of treasurer. Incidentally it may be stated that by appointment of President Arthur Col. Squire became governor of the territory of Washington and later by election United States senator from the new state which position he held for two consecutive terms.

In 1872 the state of New York having adopted the Remington rifle for use by the national guard made a contract for 21,000 which were duly furnished.

I think it should be recorded at this point that in the spring of 1870 a board of army officers appointed to test the various arms which had been invented and were seeking adoption by our government met at St. Louis, Major General Scofield being chairman. About fifty different models of rifles were submitted to the most severe tests, in which the Remington was victorious, and the commission reported decidedly in its favor. This report was fully endorsed by General Sherman, the head of the army. This was supposed to have been conclusive and to have established the Remington as the national arm, but by methods which are not subject to discussion here, interested parties finally procured the adoption of what is known as the "Allin Gun" which our government has wasted millions in manufacturing, and now strange to tell, our state legislature has committed the folly of providing for the exchange of her Remington for these inferior arms.

Following the completion of the French requisition, came in quick succession an order from Porto Rico in 1874 for 10,000, from Cuba the same year for 63,000, followed by Spain for 130,000, Egypt for 55,000 and another from Chilli 12,000 and sales were made from time to time from the New York office and Messrs. Hartley & Graham aggregating 144,500. The dates given above are of the first deliveries on the several orders. For work executed subsequent to 1875, I have not secured accurate statistics, but I am informed by Mr. Frederick Armstrong, who for a long time was book-keeper for the company, and who has kindling furnished me the foregoing dates, that sales to the United States of Columbia Honduras,