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EXCERPTS FROM SAMUEL WATKINSON COLLINS MEMORANDUMS
ABOUT THE USE OF WATER POWER AT THE COLLINS COMPANY 1826 - 1867
Collinsville (Canton), Connecticut
1853 - We bought of E. K. Root this year the water privilege on the river next below our property extending a mile down the river. It will probably be worth more to us to keep others from ponding up to us than to use it as a water privilege, as it would at some season of the year pond the water back on to our present water-wheels.
1854 - Great flood this year.
1857 - Great ice flood covering the river road North of the Village, East side of the river with ice which obstructed travel after the flood subsided.
1859 - Not having trip-hammers enough to enable us to meet the demand for Planter's Hoes, we this year built a trip-hammer shop 100 by 50 feet, close to the three-story stone building, the East side of said building and the hammers operating by shafting connected with the breast water wheel in said stone building.
1863 - A vote was passed at the October meeting...authorizing the Executive Officers of the Company to take measures to improve our Water Power.
1865 - This year we pulled down the one-story polishing shop built in 1845. Took out the old wooden breast wheel put in at the time, and put up a two-story building on the same spot and put in an iron turbine wheel. The lower story is for polishing, the upper story for handling machetes. Put up a large steam hammer called a ton hammer. Built (with some aid from others) a reservoir at Otis (Massachusetts) to improve our water power. Built a large reservoir at Otis.
CLICK HERE for a more detailed description of the Otis Reservoir.
1866 - Commenced quarrying stone at Canton Village for a new dam across the river.
1867 - The Legislature of Massachusetts at is Annual Session in 1867 granted a charter to the "The Farmington River Water Power Company" with Capital of $100,000 in shares of $100.00 each. The first meeting of the Corporators and Stockholders was held at New Boston, Mass., August 14, 1867.
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1867 (Cont.) - Built a stone dam across the river one foot higher than the old dam. Not being able to agree with the landholders above the dam, we applied to Court for commission to access damages under the flowage law. The commission authorized us to raise our dam one foot and use a 9 inch flashboard in Summer. They gave damages to: Davis $750; Tiffany $750; Ackart $750; Brown $225; I.E. Case $600; Silas Case $75; Mills $30.
END OF SAMUEL COLLINS MEMORANDUM
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Page 2 of 4
The Collins Company Factory Buildings
