Johnston Historical Society Historical Notes
Vol. VIII, #2, November 1998
Louis H. McGowan, President and Editor
Pat Macari, Vice President
The Brown Mill, Thornton
By Louis McGowan
For many years the Brown Mill sat on a lot at #1339 Plainfield Street in Thornton, just to the east of a gas station run by Bud Mullins. The history of the mill began with an agreement signed on June 28, 1832, between Pardon Fenner of Johnston and John Brown of Providence.1 Pardon was a direct descendant of Captain Arthur Fenner, the first settler in the area, and was a large landholder in the Thornton section (formerly Lower Simmonsville). According to the terms of the agreement Fenner would undertake to build a two and one-half story structure, 32 feet long and 22 feet wide, near Gallows Bridge on the Providence and Norwich Turnpike (present day Plainfield Street at the Pocasset River). It was to be completed before the next October 1st. Brown stipulated that he would lease the middle story and the upper half story, which he would use for his cotton manufacturing business. Fenner contracted to run a grist mill on the lower story.
Apparently all this happened, because an 1836 execution, levied against the manufacturers John E. Brown and Moses Brown, sons of the above-mentioned John Brown, described the buildings on the property mentioned in the 1832 agreement.2
Pardon Fenner died in 1837 and the property passed to his daughter, Abby. She married Daniel Brown, originally from Webster Avenue in the Silver Lake area of what was then Johnston. About 1847 their mill burned to the ground, and in 1848 they built a stone mill on the site to replace the original. The Browns leased it for 10 years, along with the dwelling houses and water privilege, to Alanson and Otis Steere, cotton mill operators.3 Both parties, though, agreed to cancel the lease after only four years, due to some strange circumstances. James F. Simmons, a powerful manufacturer and politician, lived in his majestic, Greek Revival mansion on Atwood Avenue just around the corner from the Browns who lived on Plainfield Street on the present site of the Walgreen Store. Simmons had a mill privilege on Mill Street between the two mill privileges of the Browns (one of theirs was the Brown Mill privilege, and the other was further upstream at the site of the present Victoria Mill on Mill Street). According to Clarence Irving Brown, a descendant of Daniel and Abby, there were bad feelings between Simmons and Daniel for 50 years, and it was characterized by protracted litigation between the two.4 The trouble started when Brown observed Simmons' men cutting timber on a wood lot belonging to Phebe (Fenner) Manchester, a sister of Brown's wife, Abby. Brown thwarted Simmons' plans, and because of this, the latter swore revenge. He accomplished this by controlling the water power of the Brown Mill. By doing this he forced Brown's tenants, the Steeres, to break their lease and vacate the complex in 1852.
The Browns continued to own the mill in the 1850s and 1860s, leasing it out to various parties. In 1860 and 1861 a James L. Hawkes conducted a sale of textile machinery then being used in the Brown Mill to William Gazley of North Providence and William Dyer of Plainfield, Connecticut. Hawkes had purchased much of the equipment from Joseph Westcott.5 It is not known if Hawkes, Dyer, or Westcott actually operated a textile business here or were merely engaging in the buying and selling of textile machinery.
In 1865 Robert Wilson, Town Clerk and trustee for Abby Brown, leased the property for 5 years to Richard C. Cunliff, Henry Gill, and Herny Atwood.6 It does not appear that they ran the mill, but rather sub-leased it to others. Gill and Atwood in the following year sold their interest to William Gazley, mentioned above. In 1865 Gazley, a cotton yarn manufacturer, took out a mortgage deed for the property with Richard G. Cunliff, the remaining lessee from the 1865 contract. Cunliff promptly transferred the mortgage to George B. Harris of Burrillville.7
After the 1865 lease ran out, John G. Peckham leased the mill under the firm name of "J. G. Peckham and Co". Pardon S. Peckham (John's half-brother) and Daniel Wood, both of Coventry, R. I., and Edwin H. Aldrich of Providence appear on various leases in the early 1870s. In 1871, John's other half-brother, Leander W. Peckham, took over operation of the mill. Leander ran it for two years until 1873 when he assumed the lease himself. He ran the mill under his own name until 1877 or 1878.8
Daniel Brown, his wife, Abby, and later her estate continued to own the Brown MIll and pay taxes on it. In 1881 though, tax books listed "Simon W. Simmons, wife's estate" as the owner of the property. The Simmons owned the Brown Mill for the rest of the 1880s, but others ran it. Thomas C. Peckham was taxed for machinery in the mill from 1887 until 1890, so it appears the Peckham family continued operating their textile business here.9
The history of the mill is difficult to follow in this period as there are frequent leases and sub-leases. It appears that none of the manufacturers were too successful. At times there were also different businesses operating simultaneously on different floors of the mill, complicating the reconstruction of its history.
A connection to the Peckham family continued on, though, because in 1890 Col. Frank W. Tillinghast, husband of Thomas C. Peckham's daughter, Grace, bought the property from Simmons.10 Tillinghast ran the textile business at the mill under the firm name of Pocasset Warp Co. He incorporated the firm in 1893 with Walter F. Stiles and Levi Wallace.11 In 1894 Tillinghast quit-claimed the Brown Mill Estate to that company.12 The Pocasset Warp name appears in town directories until 1896 as a manufacturer, but it owned the property until 1906 when it sold the estate to the Tillinghast-Stiles Co. The latter remained owner until 1938.13
It seems that the Tillinghast-Stiles Co., who dealt in yarns, did no manufacturing in the mill during this period. They leased out the building to other firms such as the Samuel Fitch Mfg. Co. (a.k.a. Samuel Fitch and Sons) who made knit goods and fleece linings here from 1899 to 1907.14 In 1910 the Hedge and Taylor Mfg. Co., cotton bleachers, were in the mill. In the 1916 to 1922 period the National Silk Hosiery Co., makers of knitted scarves and accordian reefers (jackets), were located here.15 Pettaconsett Mfg. Co. was in the mill by 1919 and ran their business until 1928, producing textile novelties such as curtains and fine voiles.16
In 1938 the Tillinghast-Stiles Co. sold the property to Michael Riccitelli.17 The Riccitelli family was the last owner of the site. The property was in their hands when the mill burned in the 1970s. During their ownership, the mill was occupied by a number of tenants. Tabco Braid, makers of braid rugs, was there in the 1950s and 1960s. The American Ring Co. operated on one floor after Tabco moved out. At the time of the fire, the Angus Jewelry Co. was housed on the second floor, and the C and S Jewelry Co. was on the third floor. On the first floor was a singles club.
The fire took everything. One hundred and forty-odd years of manufacturing history went up in smoke. A proud little stone factory that dated back to water-power times could not resist the powers of the flame. Another piece of our history was taken from us.
Footnotes:
Where Are They Now?
By Steve Merolla
As the members of the Johnston Historical Society's Cemetery Committee (Lou, Pat, Mike, Everett "Stone Dog", Dan, and Steve) have done their work of clearing brush and recording gravestones in the town's cemeteries, they have been puzzled by the fact that there are not nearly as many burials as there were residents of the town. Of course, for the last 100 years or so, almost all residents have been interred in large public cemeteries. However, Johnston has been inhabited by non-native peoples for over 350 years. We certainly have not seen 300 years of burials as far as marked and crude stones are concerned. Where are all the people buried? An important and crucial clue came this past year when cemeteries #86 and #88 were removed to Highland Memorial Cemetery by the R.I. Resource Recovery Corporation. There were a total of 26 marked headstones in the two cemeteries along with about a dozen unmarked, crude stones. However when Public Archeology Lab excavated the two sites, a total of 69 remains were found. Thus, nearly half of the burials were totally unmarked and their existence would never have been known but for the excavation. We can only assume that these unmarked burials once had wooden markers that naturally disappeared over time. The cost of a stone marker was simply beyond the reach of many a poor farmer. Even the low-lying crude stones in some cases may have sunk deeper into the ground over the centuries. Thus, in many of our older town cemeteries there may be many more bodies under the turf than we can ever know.
Another factor in this question is that removals also took place many years ago. Towards the end of the 19th century, the large public cemeteries became the popular places for families to bury their relatives. One reason may have been the perpetual care available in them. Most of the small farm cemeteries visited by Mr. James Arnold in the 1890's were described by him as being in poor condition. As families moved off their ancestral farms, there was not longer anyone left to care for the family cemetery. In some cases families removed the remains of relatives from their small farm cemetery to one ot the public cemeteries. I will give a couple of examples. Five members of the Latham family were removed from Johnston to North Burial Ground in 1875. In 1898, Laban and Sophia Latham were removed to Pocasset Cemetery from a graveyard off Central Avenue near the Providence line. Another example comes from Cemetery #35. Today there are still 5 or 6 stones in place, but in the late 1890s, 12 members of the Harris family were removed to Pocasset Cemetery. More examples abound and more research must be completed in this area. The fact remains, though, that many Johnston residents had their remains removed to the large public cemeteries at least 100 years ago.
Another reason so many stones are missing is the fact that entire cemeteries have been destroyed through the years. Much of the damage has occured in the 20th century, as bulldozers have cleared way for development. It is almost certain that the Joseph Borden cemetery was destroyed in the early 1960s when Route 6 (195) was cut through Hartford Avenue. This cemetery would have been located in the middle of where the highway is now, but there is no record of the cemetery being removed.
However, we cannot blame only 20th century activities for these unfortunate occurences. In some cases farmers more than 100 years ago failed to show proper regard for cemeteries located on their property. I will take some examples from a 3/4 mile stretch of Central Avenue. On May 10, 1891, James Arnold made this notatum: "On the south side of the Central Pike on the farm of Benoni Mathewson east of the Village of Hughesdale and near the crossing of the Borden Lane road. There was a burial lot which Mr. Mathewson plowed down a few years ago. We are told Mr. Hezekiah Smith was buried here with members of his family." Another example comes from Mr. Clarence I. Brown, a geneologist who did much of his research around the turn of this century. During the course of his research he made this note: Mr. Edwin F. Brown, who resides on the Central Pike, said in August, 1901, that when a boy he was very familiar with the sight of an old burying ground on the Mawney King Farm, which for years has been ploughed up." Both of these cemeteries would have been just off Central Avenue, on either side of Borden Avenue. A last example comes from the 18th century. When Jonathan Olney sold his 140 acre farm (the present-day Allendale Insurance Company on the north side of Central Avenue) to Thomas Angell in 1754, the deed stated "...and also the privelege of the Burying Place which is now on the land aforesaid..." Though this parcel changed hands many times, the "Burying Place" is no longer mentioned in subsequent deeds. Mention of it may simply have been omitted, but at some point this cemetery was also likely ploughed over, for no later sources ever make mention of it again. Considering that the stones at that early date would have been small rude markers or even wood, it is easy to imagine that such a cemetery could be ploughed under. Ultimately, more research must be done, but we can see what has happened with the final resting places of so many town residents. Some lie totally unmarked in existing cemeteries; some were removed to large public cemeteries; and some were simply ploughed over in the past or paved over in the 20th century. Perhaps some still are waiting to be discovered deep in the woods—the Cemetery Committee will some day find them.
New Champlin Grant
In a letter dated October 29, 1998, from Mr. David A. King, Executive Director of The Champlin Foundations, we received word that his organization had approved our request for $48,900 to construct a museum and archives. We are all elated! For the last couple of years we have had a dream about a Johnston Museum. Sometimes, it seemed like a pipe dream, but we held out hope. Now, within the next year, it will be a reality.
This will really put our group on the map, and it will be a huge step forward in the preservation of our town's history. Start thinking about those special Johnston items that you might want to donate to the museum. The building will have the look of an old barn. Inside, roughly 2/3 of the building will be taken up by the museum itself, with display cabinets housing some exhibit items. Other pieces will be mounted on walls. The remaining 1/3 of the building will be our archives/work area where records, photographs, documents, etc. will be stored. We anticipate that work on the building will begin this winter.
In conjunction with the grant, we will be starting a campaign to solicit money for display cabinets, exhibit materials, etc. These items are quite costly, but good cabinets will serve us for many, many years. If you are able to help financially with donations towards exhibits, it would be much appreciated. You will have the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping to save your town's past. Remember that your donations to the Johnston Historical Society are tax-deductible.
Last Year's Grant
Our fence is standing and looks great! On November 4, 1998, Warren Lanpher fastened the redwood picket sections of the fence to the pressure-treated square posts. The fence was assembled from scratch by Warren, who will soon install caps on the posts and a gate in front of the house. Stop by and see the fence—it very nicely sets off the house and defines the yard. It is something to be proud of.
Bob Garofalo finished his work on the rear fireplace this summer. He does beautiful work. The exhaust ducts for the heating system have been re-routed, the cradle and hearth have been replaced, and some of the interior brickwork has been re-set. After Bob was finished, an observer would swear that the fireplace was intact from 170 years ago. Oftentimes in historic restorations of brickwork, the mortar and bricks stand out, screaming that they were just put in place. You never see that problem with a project that Bob does. He used all antique brick (much of it kindly donated by Don Jackson) and blended in the mortar so that it looks like ancient work.
The rest of the wall will be finished by Warren. He has already moved the fireplace surround from the parlor to the back room. This was done so that the surround that was donated by Mrs. Peg Mathewson could be installed in the parlor. This latter surround was saved from a Mathewson house on Greenville Avenue that was destroyed a number of years ago. Mrs. Mathewson and late husband, Bill, had stored the surround all these years. It is a beautiful early 19th century piece that has much intricate carving and fits nicely in the parlor. Warren will plaster the wall in the rear room and will paint both surrounds.
Monthly Meetings
Scott Molloy was guest speaker at our April 1998 meeting and he talked to us about trollies in Rhode Island. Scott always attracts a crowd and he sure did that night, with 30 members and guests attending. His talk was entertaining and informative.
In May, our own Warren Lanpher thrilled us with a slide show about a stone-ender he restored in Westerly. It is nice to have a craftsman of his caliber in our society and working on our house.
At our June meeting, we showed a couple of videos. One was a Cox Cable interview with Louis McGowan and former member Bob Burford. They discussed Johnston history. The other video showed footage taken by Pat Macari at the recent cemetery removals on the landfill property. His video nicely captured and important event.
Roberta Randall and Warren Lanpher talked about Warren's restoration of Roberta's house at our September meeting. The house was in shambles when Brenda bought it but with a little money and a lot of hard work, it is now a showpiece. It was inspiring, believe me.
At our October meeting Louis McGowan showed slides of textile mills in Rhode Island. He talked about the history of the industry and the range of architecture in the mills.
Annual Picnic
In July we held our third annual picnic. About 40 members and guests attended. The weather was beautiful and we all had a great time. Thanks to Mike and Tom who played and sang for us.
Reunions
We have had representation at three local reunions in the last few months. We feel that it is important for some of us to be present at these functions and to participate if possible. This past June, members Pat Macari, Bel Peters, and Louis McGowan attended a Thornton School Reunion at the Kelley and Gazzero Post on Plainfield Street. Over 200 people attended. In the same month Pat and Lou sttended a Calef School 75th Anniversary celebration at the school. Alan Iemma, with a lot of help from Bob Casey and their committee, did a great job of bringing back the old days at the school. In October Louis attended a Simmonsville reunion and gave a short speech on the history of the village. We also had a board on display with captioned photographs of Simmonsville. Over 450 people attended the reunion which was held at the 1025 Club, an amazing figure for a small village. The committee did a great job of organizing the event.
Yard Work
Thanks to Dan Mernier and Steve Merolla for their hard work in building most of a stone wall around the garden at the front of the house. We will buy more stone and continue the wall at a later date.
Images of America—Johnston II
Thanks to a lot of hard work from Pat Macari, Steve Merolla, Dan Brown, Everett Cogswell, and myself, our second book has been completed. On October 15, 1998, Pat and Louis took the photos and text up to Dover, New Hampshire, to Arcadia Publishing. We spent about four hours with Amy Sutton, our editor, looking over the images. Four were rejected, reflecting a committment to tougher editing by the publisher. We took care of this situation and everything was sent to South Carolina where the photos and text will be scanned prior to their shipment to England for printing. We expect that the proofs will be sent to us shortly. The finished product should be ready in early March, 1999. Don't miss out—be sure to get your copy and one for a friend or relative.
Halloween at the Farnum House
A number of members had a lot of fun this past Halloween at the headquarters. Danny built a cemetery out front with dry ice bubbling amongst the stones. The house was decorated with skeletons, frogs, lizards, and the like. Nancy and Danny, Louis, and Mike and Cathy were all dressed in costume (some of us actually didn't look too much different from our daily appearance!). A number of trick or treaters came by, but I think we scared a few away. Silly adults, huh.
Belfield Avenue Cemetery
At the Town Council Meeting on November 9, 1998, an ordinance was passed whereby the town will take control of Johnston Historic Cemetery #74, which is located at the corner of Hartford Avenue and Belfield Drive. The council was told that care of the cemetery will be performed by people in the neighborhood. This issue came up because the front portion of the cemetery has for most of this century been used by various businesses and has been paved over for many years, even though it has been set aside as a burial ground since 1870. In this section three burials were recorded in 1891. The present owner does not appear to have known that this front section was part of the cemetery and seems to have thought that the burial yard was the section in back that was surrounded by granite posts. In this rear section are five more recent burials. The deed chain back from the purchase of the property by the present owner to the 1870 deed is quite clear, though. The front section is still set aside as sacred ground.
We are not sure how this will effect other cemeteries in the future. By State law the town can take over any abandoned cemetery. Whether the town wants to get into the business of owning cemeteries is open to debate. The Department of Parks and Recreation, under Vin LaFazia, has been maintaining 20+ cemeteries until this past summer. Our own cemetery committee, of course, does cleaning of cemeteries in the colder months.
Deerfield Trip
Two carloads of society members traveled to Deerfield, Massachusetts, on November 15, 1998. The main street in the old historic area is one mile of beautiful houses. Restored in the 1940s and 1950s, the houses are a wonderful reminder of our Colonial past. Most of the homes are privately owned but 12 properties are owned by Historic Deerfield and are open to the public. It is a great day trip.
Donations
Thanks to the following individuals for their kind donations:
Also: a special thanks to our good friend, Tom Greene, who sold us some much-needed Johnston pieces in November. Included were a number of Johnston Taxbooks from the 19th and 20th centuries and two Johnston Directories. These items will be of much use in our research of town history. They are hard to come by, and we appreciate having a friend like Tom who makes these items available to us at very reasonable prices.
Thanks
Thank you to Andrew Brown who did a nice job of mowing our lawn for us this 1998 season. He also raked and picked up the leaves this fall. It was nice not to have to worry about this chore being done.
Cemetery Committee Update
by Pat Macari
As the summer season ends each year, so does the hiatus that the cemetery committee takes. Cooler weather allows the group to renew its efforts to clean and inventory the town's burial grounds. The project was put on hold a bit longer this year as the committee was spending its free time trying to meet the October 16 deadline for our second book. With the book out of the way and poison ivy and sore backs only memories, the cemetery crew got back into action. We cleaned and inventoried three cemeteries on Scituate Avenue, #28, 29, and 30.
The removal and relocation of cemeteries #87 and 88 has been completed by the Public Archaeological Lab. Members of the committee have viewed this sad but fascinating, once in a lifetime dig—much of it recorded on film by Pat. We do hope not to see more removals like this one. A special thanks goes to Martha and Fred Mikkelson. A comprehensive report will follow, and a rededication is planned at Highland Memorial cemetery in the spring.
Have you paid your 1998 dues yet? Single membership is $10.00 and family membership is $12.00. Remember—yours help us to keep operating.
Johnston Historical Society, 101 Putnam Pike, Johnston, RI 02919, (401) 231-3380, info@johnstonhistorical.org
Unless otherwise noted, all content is © 2006 Johnston Historical Society.
Posted April 2006