Waterbury - The Brass City

As I was researching something completely different tonight, I came across some very interesting information on the history of Scovill Manufacturing and Waterbury known in it's prime as "Brass City."   It would seem many Lithuanian families who immigrated to Connecticut may have worked here.   I am told that my grandfather, Charles Skerstonas, worked here for a few years after coming to the US, where he saved money to buy the farm in Thomaston.  Although the family history Martha prepared doesn't specifically mention it, I wonder if others in the family worked there as well?

The piece I found is called "Scovill Brass Works - Written Historical and Descriptive Data.  Historic American Engineering Record.  National Park Service. (HAER No. CT-153)"

memory.loc.gov/pnp/habshaer/ct/.../ct0598data.pdf

It seems the firm that became Scovill Manufacturing was started by four partners in 1802.  They made tin and pewter alloy buttons, cast and stamped brass and copper buttons, and gold finished buttons made from all metals.  At that time there was a high demand for these buttons, which traditionally had been imported from Birmingham, England for military uniforms. 

As years passed the owners formed various subsidiaries throughout the Waterbury area and opened new product lines.   A new photographic process invented in 1839 used silver on copper "daguerreotypes" which were produced by the Scovills.  Between 1850 and 1874 the photography division made as much in profits as the brass business.  They also began rolling "German Silver" and making decorative objects through the mid to late 1800s.  

By 1909, Connecticut manufactured 44.6% of America's output of brass, bronze and their products.  Waterbury alone accounted for 21.3% of America's brass and bronze products.  The early ethnic neighborhoods grew and new ones came into being to house a diversity of immigrants.  Lithuanians first began arriving in Waterbury in the 1890s, as many left their homeland to avoid service in the Russian army as well as to improve their economic circumstances.  Emigration from Lithuania to the United States increased further following the start of the Russo-Japanese war in 1904.

 Lithuanian and Russian Population in Waterbury based on Country of Birth (In 1890, 1900, and 1910 Lithuanians were enumerated as Russians):

1890     Russia:  123
1900:    Russia: 1,265
1910:    Russia: 5,600
1920:    Russia: 3,209     Lithuania: 3,674

(By 1920 the largest ethnic populations:  Italy: 9,232  Ireland 4,507 then Lithuania 3,674)

 

You can also check out this "Scovill Bulletin" from January 1930.   It is fairly amazing just how big and far reaching this company is by 1930.   If you read all the way to the last few pages they lists the branch offices and divisions - which are located in CT, other parts of the US and even in Holland. 

http://www.scovillbulletin.com/30s/Scovill%201930/01%20Jan-1930.pdf