ColchesterTalks.com Free and open access to Colchester's rich history.
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ColchesterTalks.com Free and open access to Colchester's rich history.
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Class of 2008 Grad Committee info
Promoting Business in Colchester:
Interested in other local history within the state? Please visit our following website affiliates that are kind enough to list Colchestertalks.com Visit Connecticut's Heritage Gateway a program of
The Connecticut Historical Society
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The end of the 19th Century was arguably the golden age for business in Colchester.
At that time, there were major stock companies, a thriving downtown with merchants, a hotel, grist mills, lumberyards, livery stables and much more. Over time, the many stories of these business will be shared. 3/28/2007 Colchester's Banks of the 1800's. Colchester Savings Bank 1874- early 1900's 3/23/2007 See samples of 1890 advertisements from Colchester's major businesses. 3/22/2007 The Colchester Creamery Company was one of two stock companies in Colchester in the 1890's.
3/11/2007 Click here to see a listing of Colchester's businesses in 1885. Click here to see a listing of Colchester's businesses in 1886. Hayward/Colchester Rubber Company 1847-1892 H.P. Buell Apothecaries and Druggist 1878-1926
Colchester Bank 1856-1857 This bank started in 1856 under the leadership of Isaac B. Buell. It's initial cashier was Samuel F. Jones. According to the May Session 1857 Bank Commissioner's report to the Connecticut General Assembly, the bank had $103,946 in resources. This was about $2.2 million in 2007 dollars. Click here to see an actual draft note from 1856 Click here to read the Bank Commissioner's report It's interesting to note that the bank was no longer listed after 1857. Upon further research reading old articles from the Hartford Courant (via the website iconn.org), an interesting tale of greed and scandal. The crime: In the December 10, 1857 edition of the Hartford Daily Courant, Mr. Jones was arrested for embezzling $75,000 from the bank. This was the equivalent of $1.6 million in 2007 dollars. In the December 22, 1857 edition of the Hartford Daily Courant, Mr. Jones was also found out to have illegally printed $101,000 in draft notes ( $2.1 million in 2007 dollars), for his own personal use in 1857. He convinced the bank president, Isaac Buell to sign the draft notes without knowledge the bank did not have the resources to cover the notes. It was this act the drove the final nail into the bank's coffin. Once the financial mess was discovered, the bank was put into receivership by state banking officials. Eventually, all holders of the bank draft notes were given about 25 cents on the dollar. The escape, chase and eventual capture: In the December 10, 1857 edition of the Hartford Daily Courant, Mr. Jones was arrested in New York City and confined to a hotel until local banking officials arrived. In the interim, Mr. Jones' lawyers succeeded in getting him released. Once local banking officials arrived they found out that Mr. Jones was nowhere to be found. In the February 16, 1859 edition of the Hartford Daily Courant, it was revealed that New York City Police Commissioner was personally embarrassed that Mr. Jones escaped custody in 1857. In 1859, detectives got a break by locating and following Mr. Jones' wife to his hiding place at the Metropolitan Hotel. A scuffle ensued to arrest Mr. Jones and bring him to justice in Connecticut. The article went on to state however, that more intrigued was involved. While under armed escort back to Connecticut, Mr. Jones' train was stopped in Harlem. It turned out that the wrong writ was issued and the New York City officials refused to let Mr. Jones leave the city. Connecticut officials seemed to have been baffled by the legal wrangling. In the February 21, 1857 edition of the Hartford Daily Courant, the final chapter in the Jones saga was told. Mr. Jones was placed under an armed police escort back to Connecticut. Unbeknown to Connecticut policemen, Mr. Jones' friend's mounted a large group of armed men intending to rescue Mr. Jones. The article details the chase through Connecticut's back roads. Eventually, Mr. Jones arrived safely to Norwich and brought to justice. This ended the saga of one of Connecticut's largest baking scandals. Colchester Savings Bank 1874- early 1900's
Advertisement from 1890 Hank's Directory of Willimantic and Colchester. Research is being done on this bank and an update will be provided. it was Colchester's second major bank. It's deposits in 1889 were the equivalent of $5.5 million in 2007 dollars. It lasted until the early 1900's. It's eventual demise was a major fire. H.P. Buell Apothecaries and Druggist 1878-1926
Advertisement from 1890 Hank's Directory of Willimantic and Colchester.
Harley P. Buell's store was between what is now the Chevrolet auto dealership and old Fire station. A shed is now on it's location. In 1878, he purchased the store from Dr. C.H. Rogers. In it's hey day, H.P. Buell was one of the largest druggist in the area. It serviced Colchester until 1926. According to land records, at that time, the estate of H. P. Buell sold the property to E.R Holmes. The building housed ER Holmes' store and Dr. Stebbin's practice upstairs.
Here is an advertisement from the Colchester Advocate in 1886. Click here to read about H.P. Buell from the January 13, 1886 edition of The Colchester Advocate. It's in the far right hand column.
Colchester Creamery Company 1886- ????
Colchester and surrounding areas flourished with many dairy farms. The Colchester Creamery Company filed its joint stock certificate November 24, 1886. (1) Annually, this company processed over 350,000 pounds of raw milk to create butter, butter milk and cream. It's initial annual sales were approximately $450,000 in 2007 dollars. This company was run by many whose names are common on our street signs today. There was D.C. Gillette, Frank Taylor, M.L. Loomis, R.B. Clark and several others. Read their Nov 1896 financial report.
(1) Special Acts and Resolutions of the State of Connecticut; Vol. X, page 1379
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