Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 8.djvu/321

 Concord, Netv Hampshire.

��293

��partnership of Downing & Abbot con- tinued until September, 1847, when it was dissolved by mutual consent. Mr. Abbot kept on at the old shops, which he had purchased of Mr. Downing in 1835 ; while Mr. Downing, taking his sons Lewis and Alonzo Downing into a new firm as partners, built and moved into new shops nearly opposite the Phenix Hotel. For eighteen years the two firms carried on their business in separate establishments, with consid- erable rivalry. L. Downing & Sons commenced with four forges and thirty men, which number in a few years they increased to eleven forges and eighty men. The settlement of California opened a large trade to them, both in coaches and carriages. In 1850 they commenced the manufacture of omni- buses, many for use in Philadelphia. Mr. Abbot extended his business in the South and West. At first he employed seventy-five men, which number was increased in a few years to two hun- dred. After a while he had twenty-four forges in operation. In the winter of 1849 the Abbot shops were entirely destroyed by fire, but were quickly replaced. In 1852 he took his son, Edward A. Abbot, into partnership. The RebelHon interfered with the busi- ness, but new markets were obtained in foreign countries.

In January, 1865, when Lewis Down- ing retired from business, the two firms were united into the firm of Abbot, Downing, & Co., which was incor- porated in 1874 as the Abbot- Downing Company. The Concord coaches and carriages have gained their enviable rep- utation from the thoroughness of the work done. The very best of materials have been sought for, and the best skilled labor has been employed. A good workman has always had employ-

��ment as long as he pleased. Men who commenced to work for them in youth have grown gray in their service. A large portion of the workmen have be- come permanent residents of the town, and own the houses they occupy. They are intelligent, industrious, enter- prising, skilful, and valuable citizens.

On the first day of October of the current year, a gold-headed cane was presented with the following inscrip- tion : " Presented to Samuel Gage by the Abbot-Downing Company, on com- pletion of fifty years' service." Such a golden memento probably could not be given in another establishment in the United States.'

When Mr. Downing bought the prop- erty, it extended from the fence south of the Catholic church to Isaac Shute's land on the south, and extended back to South Street, and was quite a farm. On the estate on Pierce Street, between Monroe and Downing Streets, was a white oak grove and a few pine trees, a favorite resort for the boys of sixt>' years ago. North of the Downing land was the land of Dr. Thomdyke, next the Harris estate, all running back to South Street.

There are in the city several smaller carriage-shops, employing in the aggre- gate many workmen.

' Inquiry at the company's office elicited the fact that many now in the employment of the company have seen long years of continuous service.

Lorenzo K. Peacock 47

Stephen Webster 47

Robert Woodruff 43

Hiram Rolfe 43

George W. Mitchell 38

W. H. Allison 38

Charles H. Adams 37

Luther Lawrence 37

James A. Miller 37

John L. French 37

Joseph H. Lane 36

Benjamin L. Leavitt 3^

James Otis 36

James G. Chesley 35

�� �