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Nelson
Adams |
NELSON
ADAMS
Biographical History of
Massachusetts
Biographies and Autobiographies of the Leading Men
in the State
by Samuel Atkins Eliot, M.D.D. 1916
NELSON ADAMS was born at
Hubbardston, Worcester County, Massachusetts, July 6,1831. He is the
son of Elisha Adams (born August 16, 1787, died July 14, 1868), who
married October 12, 1808, Betsey Dean, the daughter of Richard and
Grace Pannenter Dean, of Oakham, Massachusetts. She died May 20,
1859. His grandfather was Elijah Adams, born in West Medway,
Massachusetts, January 7,1768, married April 14,1774, Lizzie Morse,
daughter of Ezekiel and Rebecca (cousins) Morse of Holliston who
settled in Hubbardston, 1774. He died December 7, 1817. She died
December 31, 1839. Elisha Adams was the seventh child of Elijah. He
was a man of remarkable mechanical ability, he could make or repair
anything that could be fashioned from wood, and was a good type of
the old fashioned farmer who did not have to call in outside
assistance to do the many little jobs that are always occurring on
the farm. Besides farming he made chairs from the abundance of
suitable wood growing on his rough stony land. He allowed nothing to
go to waste, the rough wood being made into charcoal. He was a
descendant of Henry Adams who came from England and settled in
Braintree, Massachusetts, in 1633, the line being Henry 1, Edward 2,
John 3, Obadiah 4, Nathan 5, Elijah 6, Elisha 7, Nelson 8. President
John Adams and Samuel Adams belonged to the same family.
Nelson Adams lived on his father's farm until he was about
eighteen year old, attending district school in the winter and
assisting his father in his varied industries. He has always been
thankful for his training on the farm in his early days, although at
the time he had the boy's usual prejudice against the grindstone and
the hand power turning lathe.
Of his school days he mentions the particular delight he took in
the teaching of Samuel Heywood who introduced him to Colburn's
Mental Arithmetic and to the study of Astronomy. He also speaks of
the excellent influence of his mother upon his moral and spiritual
life. She was a skillful farmer's wife whose butter was renowned
through the town. In fact he had just the training which they are
now attempting to supply by the kindergarten and manual training
schools, but it was of a much higher grade, for the boy was made to
feel that he was of some use in the world and was not merely being
taught something that might be of use. He speaks of his visits to
the blacksmith shop, that center of town news, where he heard
discussed the various events that were taking place in the wide
world. >From the farm he graduated at the age of eighteen and
went to Fitchburg to work for some time in the chair factory of
Alonso Davis. But he did not like the confinement of the shop, and
soon left it to engage in a more congenial business. This was the
life of a drover. At that time all cattle and other live stock for
the Boston Market had to make the journey on foot. This life kept
him continually out of doors and on horseback. He would collect
cattle, sheep, hogs, and horses in the western part of New England
and drive them to the great market at Brighton. In the spring he
bought young hogs in Brighton and drove them west to be fed and
fattened for the fall markets. He was engaged in this business from
1850 to 1855 when the course of trade began to change and cattle and
other animals were brought to market on the cars.
In the winters of 1852 and 1853 he went to Boston and was
employed in the bacon works and in the market. During this time he
attended courses of the Lowell Institute. Thus he had a good
schooling in the packing business. This was before the days of
canned goods, and everything intended for future use had to be
pickled or otherwise preserved. In 1855 he went to Fitchburg and
entered into business with Mr. Francis Buttrick. Mr. Adams seems to
have been early impressed with the importance of gathering up all
the fragments that nothing might be lost. So when Mr. Buttrick went
into the slaughtering business at Fitchburg he took charge of the
by-products. He rendered the lard at first in open kettles and
afterwards by steam. This produced considerable waste material which
the health authorities compelled him to take care of, as
slaughtering by the old methods was no longer permitted. In 1857 he
saw what he considered a better opening for business at Fairhaven,
Connecticut. Buying out a small establishment at that place, he
removed the appliances to New Haven and went more fully into the
treatment of the butchers' refuse, sending his wagons all through
the county gathering up fragments. He continued in his first
establishment for two or three years when he hired a place at Beaver
Pond where he continued for about twenty years. In speaking of his
work at this place he says the great variety of by-products would
not be apparent to the casual observer. Material which is useless
before it is worked up was gathered and brought into the rendering
plant, which also included curing among its processes. Tripe, pigs
feet, and lambs' tongues were pickled and put up attractively long
before the canning industry began sending out its products. Besides
the provision branch of the business, the main product of the
rendering plant was tallow. Bone was quite a resource and was
separated into several different grades: the specially selected bone
was sold to the novelty dealer, who made buttons, crochet needles,
piano keys, handles for cutlery, and many other useful things. Some
of the bone was made into bone black, for use in sugar refining, and
some was used in the steel industry for case hardening steel. Tons
of ground bones were used in fertilizers, being sent away by the
vessel load to the fertilizer plants up and down the Atlantic coast.
Hide trimmings and sinews were prepared for glue stock. Neatsfoot
oil was made and clarified for the market.
At about the same time he went to New Haven, Mr. Adams became
interested in another establishment at Bridgeport, although he did
not take active charge of this till some years after. From 1859
until 1887 he was interested in a plant at Waterbury, and in 1865 he
became heavily interested in a plant in New York City. Finding that
he had too much on his hands he was able to dispose of his interests
in New York in 1867. In 1867 he had a chance to buy a well equipped
factory at Hartford and retained his interest in this till 1888.
Mr. Adams seems to have never been averse to extending his
business when he saw a good opening, and in 1876 he bought out the
Springfield plant of R. C. Taylor. This place was on leased premises
and in an unsuitable situation. So he bought the D. B. Wesson place
and put the establishment in charge of his nephew H. G. Thomas. The
establishment was placed in Longmeadow. There he added the
manufacture of poultry food and fertilizers to his other business.
Mr. Adams removed to Springfield about 1897 and still continues
reside there, content in a happy old age but by no means considering
himself old.
Contributed by Barb
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