Joseph H. Allen
Encyclopedia
Joseph H. Allen was an industrial businessman, an officer in the Civil War
, and a town supervisor
of Brunswick
, New York
. Allen was born in Alburg, Vermont
, to parents of British descent
and left home at an early age. After several business ventures, he became successful in the auger
and hoe business, selling mainly to the American South. He successfully ran for supervisor of the Town of Brunswick in 1856 and justice of the peace
in 1861. At the beginning of the Civil War, his sales plummeted so he closed his business and enlisted in the Union Army
. Allen was wounded multiple times during his service and ended his career at the rank of lieutenant colonel
. He returned home to reopen his factory, which was instrumental to the industrial success
of the hamlet of Eagle Mills in the mid to late 19th century. He died in 1884 at the age of 62.
and of English
origin, and his mother was originally from Vermont
and of Scottish
descent. He left home when he was eight years old "to carve out a fortune for himself", as Sylvester put it in his History of Rensselaer County, New York. He began work in an auger
factory in Hamden
, Connecticut, at an early age and continued until he was seventeen years old. At that time, he purchased a clock store, which he traded for horses in Vermont and Canada
. He shipped his horses to the West Indies, but the ship was wrecked, and his horses were lost, thus placing him badly in debt. However, he soon obtained credit, and again shipped a number of horses to the West Indies, this time doing well, enabling him to pay all his debts and even earning him a profit.
, New York. There he entered into partnership with O. W. Edson in manufacturing augers. The partnership continued until the following January when Allen purchased his partner’s share and continued in this business until the factory burned down in 1850.
In January 1851, Allen purchased the Eagle flour mills, an historically important industrial building in the area, which eventually gave the hamlet of Eagle Mills its name. The factory had a long history of failed business attempts. It was built in 1821 by Daniel Sheldon to mill flour using wheat supplied from Troy. After brief success, the business closed and the building sat idle. It was sold to James Bumstead who reopened the building as a feed
mill. He too had troubles and sold the building to James McChesney, who kept the building idle for some time before transferring the property to Catlin and Saxton, who began the manufacture of augers and bits
. Also unsuccessful, Catlin and Saxton abandoned the business and James McChesney (whose name was still on the deed) sold the property to Groome and Shattuck, who began manufacturing monkey wrench
es. This too failed and the property was sold to Paul Smith, a miller from nearby Cropseyville
, who sold the property to Allen in 1851 because Smith later decided that he preferred to keep his mills consolidated in Cropseyville.
The factory was located on the rocky banks of the Poesten Kill
, a creek that was commonly used for water power in the area. Allen had two new buildings erected and funneled creek water to them through tunnels in the bedrock underneath the buildings. He named his enterprise the Millville Manufacturing Company and converted the mill into an auger and bit factory. At one point, he experimented with producing cable chains and files, as well. But the company soon ran into legal difficulties and was dissolved.
Allen reopened the company in 1859, having added machinery for the manufacture of hoes, and opened a retail store on site. He found a successful market in the South, where demand was high. His company, newly named the Planters' Hoe Company, was a considerable success. However, as the nation came closer to civil war, demand dropped and sales in the South became impossible. The factory was closed in 1861, not only due to poor sales, but because Allen enlisted in the Union Army
.
of Brunswick, a position he was reelected to once and held until 1857; he ran as a Whig
. He was also elected justice of the peace
in 1861, but he did not finish his term because he decided to serve in the Civil War; this time he ran as a Democrat
, and remained one for the rest of his life.
In early 1862, the 125th Volunteer Infantry Regiment had been put together in Brunswick and a call by President Lincoln
for more troops was answered by Allen that September. He enlisted in Company C of the 169th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment and was chosen captain, having organized the company within six days. Most of the infantrymen came from Brunswick, though some came from surrounding towns. Residents of the town raised the money necessary to cover various "bounties and expenses" incurred by Allen's soldiers while en route to war.
Allen participated in all the battles in which his regiment took part except a few minor ones, due to wounds he received in battle. During the Battle of Cold Harbor
, the bones in his wrist were shattered, and he later incurred a flesh wound in the same wrist at the First Battle of Fort Fisher
. He was also wounded in the leg near his ankle at Fort Fisher; the musket ball remained there until his death. While recovering from injuries, he was reassigned to New York to recruit new soldiers. He was promoted to the rank of major
in June 1864, and, for "meritorious conduct" at Fort Fisher, he was recommended for promotion by President Lincoln and brevetted
lieutenant colonel
on March 13, 1865.
In addition to holding the offices of justice of the peace and town supervisor, it is also said that Allen was one of the foremost supporters of education in the town. On July 6, 1847, he married Sarah H. Payne, daughter of David H. and Catharine C. Payne, of Hamden, Connecticut. The couple had two children: Sarah and Cornelia May.
Allen died on April 24, 1884, and is buried in Eagle Mills Cemetery on Brunswick Road
in Eagle Mills; his wife died in 1907 and is buried next to him. Based on insignia carved on his gravestone (specifically the Square and Compasses
), Allen was a Mason
.
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, and a town supervisor
Town supervisor
Town Supervisor is an elective legislative position in New York towns. Supervisors sit on the town board, where they preside over town board meetings and vote on all matters with no more legal weight than that of any other board member .Towns may adopt local laws that allow them to provide for an...
of Brunswick
Brunswick, New York
Brunswick is a town in Rensselaer County, New York, United States that was originally settled in the early 18th century. During its history, it had been part of Albany County, Rensselaerswyck, and Troy, before its incorporation in 1807...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Allen was born in Alburg, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, to parents of British descent
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
and left home at an early age. After several business ventures, he became successful in the auger
Auger
An auger is a drilling device, or drill bit, that usually includes a rotating helical screw blade called a "flighting" to act as a screw conveyor to remove the drilled out material...
and hoe business, selling mainly to the American South. He successfully ran for supervisor of the Town of Brunswick in 1856 and justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
in 1861. At the beginning of the Civil War, his sales plummeted so he closed his business and enlisted in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
. Allen was wounded multiple times during his service and ended his career at the rank of lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
. He returned home to reopen his factory, which was instrumental to the industrial success
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
of the hamlet of Eagle Mills in the mid to late 19th century. He died in 1884 at the age of 62.
Early life
Allen was the son of John and Sarah Allen. His father was a native of ConnecticutConnecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and of English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
origin, and his mother was originally from Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
and of Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
descent. He left home when he was eight years old "to carve out a fortune for himself", as Sylvester put it in his History of Rensselaer County, New York. He began work in an auger
Auger
An auger is a drilling device, or drill bit, that usually includes a rotating helical screw blade called a "flighting" to act as a screw conveyor to remove the drilled out material...
factory in Hamden
Hamden, Connecticut
Hamden is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town's nickname is "The Land of the Sleeping Giant." Hamden is home to Quinnipiac University. The population was 58,180 according to the Census Bureau's 2005 estimates...
, Connecticut, at an early age and continued until he was seventeen years old. At that time, he purchased a clock store, which he traded for horses in Vermont and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He shipped his horses to the West Indies, but the ship was wrecked, and his horses were lost, thus placing him badly in debt. However, he soon obtained credit, and again shipped a number of horses to the West Indies, this time doing well, enabling him to pay all his debts and even earning him a profit.
Before the war
Allen soon resumed his place in the auger factory in Connecticut, where he remained until September 1, 1843, when he moved to TroyTroy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
, New York. There he entered into partnership with O. W. Edson in manufacturing augers. The partnership continued until the following January when Allen purchased his partner’s share and continued in this business until the factory burned down in 1850.
In January 1851, Allen purchased the Eagle flour mills, an historically important industrial building in the area, which eventually gave the hamlet of Eagle Mills its name. The factory had a long history of failed business attempts. It was built in 1821 by Daniel Sheldon to mill flour using wheat supplied from Troy. After brief success, the business closed and the building sat idle. It was sold to James Bumstead who reopened the building as a feed
Cattle feeding
Different cattle feeding production systems have separate advantages and disadvantages. Most cows have a diet that is composed of at least some forage . In fact most beef cattle are raised on pasture from birth in the spring until autumn...
mill. He too had troubles and sold the building to James McChesney, who kept the building idle for some time before transferring the property to Catlin and Saxton, who began the manufacture of augers and bits
Tool bit
The term tool bit generally refers to a non-rotary cutting tool used in metal lathes, shapers, and planers. Such cutters are also often referred to by the set-phrase name of single-point cutting tool. The cutting edge is ground to suit a particular machining operation and may be resharpened or...
. Also unsuccessful, Catlin and Saxton abandoned the business and James McChesney (whose name was still on the deed) sold the property to Groome and Shattuck, who began manufacturing monkey wrench
Monkey wrench
The monkey wrench is an adjustable wrench, a later American development of eighteenth century English coach wrenches. It was popular in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries but is now used only for heavier tasks, having been mostly replaced by the lighter and sleeker shifting adjustable or...
es. This too failed and the property was sold to Paul Smith, a miller from nearby Cropseyville
Cropseyville, New York
Cropseyville is a hamlet in Rensselaer County, New York. It comprises the ZIP code of 12052.It is located east of the city of Troy, in the town of Brunswick. It resides in the Brunswick Central School District and Berlin Central School District.-External links:*...
, who sold the property to Allen in 1851 because Smith later decided that he preferred to keep his mills consolidated in Cropseyville.
The factory was located on the rocky banks of the Poesten Kill
Poesten Kill
The Poesten Kill is a creek in upstate New York located entirely in Rensselaer County, which flows westerly from its source at Dyken Pond in the town of Berlin to its mouth at the Hudson River in the city of Troy...
, a creek that was commonly used for water power in the area. Allen had two new buildings erected and funneled creek water to them through tunnels in the bedrock underneath the buildings. He named his enterprise the Millville Manufacturing Company and converted the mill into an auger and bit factory. At one point, he experimented with producing cable chains and files, as well. But the company soon ran into legal difficulties and was dissolved.
Allen reopened the company in 1859, having added machinery for the manufacture of hoes, and opened a retail store on site. He found a successful market in the South, where demand was high. His company, newly named the Planters' Hoe Company, was a considerable success. However, as the nation came closer to civil war, demand dropped and sales in the South became impossible. The factory was closed in 1861, not only due to poor sales, but because Allen enlisted in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
.
Public and armed service
Allen's presence was noticeable within Brunswick. In March 1853, he presided over a meeting to incorporate the "Church of the Disciples of Christ at the village of Millville", now known simply as Church of the Disciples of Christ. That summer, a church building was erected at a cost of about $1,200. In 1856 Allen became the supervisorTown supervisor
Town Supervisor is an elective legislative position in New York towns. Supervisors sit on the town board, where they preside over town board meetings and vote on all matters with no more legal weight than that of any other board member .Towns may adopt local laws that allow them to provide for an...
of Brunswick, a position he was reelected to once and held until 1857; he ran as a Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
. He was also elected justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
in 1861, but he did not finish his term because he decided to serve in the Civil War; this time he ran as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, and remained one for the rest of his life.
In early 1862, the 125th Volunteer Infantry Regiment had been put together in Brunswick and a call by President Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
for more troops was answered by Allen that September. He enlisted in Company C of the 169th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment and was chosen captain, having organized the company within six days. Most of the infantrymen came from Brunswick, though some came from surrounding towns. Residents of the town raised the money necessary to cover various "bounties and expenses" incurred by Allen's soldiers while en route to war.
Allen participated in all the battles in which his regiment took part except a few minor ones, due to wounds he received in battle. During the Battle of Cold Harbor
Battle of Cold Harbor
The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought from May 31 to June 12, 1864 . It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign during the American Civil War, and is remembered as one of American history's bloodiest, most lopsided battles...
, the bones in his wrist were shattered, and he later incurred a flesh wound in the same wrist at the First Battle of Fort Fisher
First Battle of Fort Fisher
The First Battle of Fort Fisher, was a siege fought from December 23 to December 27, 1864, was a failed attempt by Union forces to capture the fort guarding Wilmington, North Carolina, the South's last major port on the Atlantic Ocean...
. He was also wounded in the leg near his ankle at Fort Fisher; the musket ball remained there until his death. While recovering from injuries, he was reassigned to New York to recruit new soldiers. He was promoted to the rank of major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
in June 1864, and, for "meritorious conduct" at Fort Fisher, he was recommended for promotion by President Lincoln and brevetted
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
on March 13, 1865.
Post war and personal life
Allen returned to Brunswick after the war and reopened the Planters' Hoe Company in association with George T. Lane. He ended the production of augers, which still made up a small percentage of production even after closing Millville Manufacturing. Allen put himself in charge of manufacturing and sales and he again secured a solid market share in the South. A prosperous trade resumed and was still strong at least until the 1880s. The company eventually expanded and began manufacturing lighter common hoes for the general public, adding to its heavy southern-style line of hoes. The Planters' Hoe Company was still a success as late as the 1890s, but it was extinct by the 1920s.In addition to holding the offices of justice of the peace and town supervisor, it is also said that Allen was one of the foremost supporters of education in the town. On July 6, 1847, he married Sarah H. Payne, daughter of David H. and Catharine C. Payne, of Hamden, Connecticut. The couple had two children: Sarah and Cornelia May.
Allen died on April 24, 1884, and is buried in Eagle Mills Cemetery on Brunswick Road
New York State Route 2
New York State Route 2 is a state highway in the Capital District of New York, United States. It extends from an interchange with Interstate 87 and NY 7 in the hamlet of Latham within the town of Colonie to the Massachusetts state line, where it continues to Boston as Route 2....
in Eagle Mills; his wife died in 1907 and is buried next to him. Based on insignia carved on his gravestone (specifically the Square and Compasses
Square and Compasses
The Square and Compasses is the single most identifiable symbol of Freemasonry. Both the square and compasses are architect's tools and are used in Masonic ritual as emblems to teach symbolic lessons...
), Allen was a Mason
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
.