Pond Lily Company
By Mitchel Bertini
Early manufacturing in New Haven, Connecticut was greatly
aided by the West River. From 1776 to 1896, over fifty mills were constructed
in Westville and produced a wide range of goods. Another important feature of
the West River's industrial history was created in the late 1790s, the Pond Lily Dam.
Levi Sperry, son of Richard Sperry, a prominent Westville resident, was given the
land and decided to erect a grist mill in 1794. (Welch,6) Grist mills were used at
the time to grind corn and grain, so farmers could transport their crops more easily to market. Before building the mill, Sperry dammed the West River in order
to create a manageable water flow that could be used to power the facility’s
machinery. Early manufacturing in Westville
utilized water power from large water wheels that were powered by the West
River’s manageable flow of water. The grist mill was shut down in the early
1840s and soon became a carriage facility where springs and axles were
fabricated. Even though during the Civil War, the factory was able to produce
numerous good for the Union Army, it was not able to escape the depression of
1873.
When
the economy started to thrive again in the early 1880s, James Harder used the
site as a paper mill that ran until the mid-1890s. However, the mill did not
close; it was re-purposed into a textile mill and named the Pond Lily Company
(Figure 1). (Welch,8) The exact reasoning for
the re-purposing is unknown, but the new proved to be much more profitable. The
company started off by dying fabrics for carriage tops and eventually moved to
dying fabrics for the tops of roofless cars in the early 1900s. The company
also experienced a boost in production during World War I due to the need for
military uniforms on such a massive scale. Production during World War I also
led to the adaptation of new dying techniques because the chemicals used in
the process were imported directly from Germany. The Pond Lily Company continued to produce
textiles until the 1970s. (Polino)
The first patent to come out of the Pond Lily Company was
submitted December 4, 1939 for Water Repellent Textiles. (United States Patent Office, 2,526,462) The patent was not
approved until late October of 1944. This was due to the United States
involvement in World War II. During both World War I and II, the mill was
converted to producing military uniforms and goods for all U.S. military
branches. The second patent submitted by the Pond Lily Company was on November
19, 1946 and was approved on October 17, 1950. This
patent was for the flame-proofing of cloth that would be used for military and
civilian use. These patents being submitted and approved show just how
influential the Pond Lily Company was to both New Haven, Connecticut, and the
United States. Innovation was at the heart of production and their long-lasting
legacy in industry carries on to this day.
The Pond Lily Company was active in New Haven for almost
100 years. During that time, they made huge
advancements in paper and textile dying, created flame retardant clothing, and
revolutionized non-slip work boots. However, the challenges on the area
surrounding the mill were anything but beneficial. The Pond Lily Dam was
causing flood hazards, affecting local fish populations, and impeding natural
plant growth. After severe flooding suffered from Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the
Federal Government provided funding to Connecticut for recovery efforts in 2013.
The State of Connecticut worked along side the City of New Haven, the town of
Woodbridge, the New Haven Land Trust, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services
to remove the dam in an effort to alleviate the negative effects being felt in
Westville. The Pond Lily Dam was finally removed in February of 2016. Today the sight can be visited and enjoyed by anyone. The Pond Lily Nature Preserve stands today were the original structure stood.
Courtesy of The Pond Lily Company; the Story of One American Business. |
Bibliography
Polino, Valerie. "The Life and Times of the West River 1776-1896: A Study of Early Industry in Westville." 84.06.09: http://teachersinstitute.yale.edu/curriculum/units/1984/6/84.06.09.x.html.
United States Patent Office, Moisture-Resistant Flameproofed Product and Method of Making Same.Patent#2,526,462.Oct. 17,1950. http://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/ca/e4/0f/98f6aba5942835/US2526462.pdf
United States Patent Office, Moisture-Resistant Flameproofed Product and Method of Making Same.Patent#2,526,462.Oct. 17,1950. http://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/ca/e4/0f/98f6aba5942835/US2526462.pdf
Welch, John Francis. The Pond Lily Company; the Story of One American Business. Privately Printed, 1971.
Comments
Post a Comment