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MANUFACTURES OF NASHUA, N. 1.
MANUFACTURES OF NASHUA, N. II.
NASHUA, in Ililsboro' County, at the confluence of the Nashua and
Merrimac rivers, about forty miles from Boston, is the second most impor-
tant manufacturing town in New Hampshire. It has a capital of over two
million dollars invested in manufactures, employs about 2800 hands, and
produces an annual value of nearly $4,000,000. About twenty million
yards of cotton goods were made in 1860 by three corporations, the
Nashua, Jackson, and Harbor Manufacturing Companies, whose aggregate
capital was $1,660,000, and who employed 1500 operatives. The oldest
and largest of these companies is the Nashua, which has 4 mills, having
40,000 spindles and 1200 looms, and also an extensive machine-shop.
The Jackson has 3 mills, with 22,000 spindles and 700 looms.
Next to Cotton goods, the most prominent manufactories are those of
Iron and the various fabrics of Iron. Of these the most important are the
works of the NASHUA IRON COMPANY, which manufactures every descrip-
tion of forged work, including forged iron locomotive driving-wheels,
locomotive tires, piston and connecting rods, frames, crank, straight
and car axles, locomotive cranks, etc. The works comprise two forge
shops, one with four steam trip hammers, and one with three steam
hammers, a rolling-mill, and a machine-shop. In equipments and general
facilities, these works are not surpassed by any similar ones in the
country.
The Nashua Iron Company was organized in 1848, and its present
capital is $125,000, though the Company have the privilege of increasing
it to $300,000. All the extensive additions that have been made to the
works and machinery within a few years, were paid for out of the profits
of the Company, which had been set aside as a reserved fund, after paying
the usual dividend. About 180 men are now employed in the works, and
the average annual product is $500,000. Moses A. Herrick, Esq., of
Boston, is Treasurer of this well-managed and successful Company.
Machinists' Tools and Steam Engines are made quite extensively by the
firm of GAGE, WARNER & WHiTNEY. The senior partner of this firm
established in 1837 what is believed to have been the first shop in the
United States devoted exclusively to the manufacture of machinists' tools.
The present co-partnership of John H. Gage, David A. G. Warner, and
George Whitney, dates from    December, 1851.    Their manufactures
include iron planers of all sizes, engine lathes, from the smallest watch-
maker's up to a size suitable for turning locomotive driving-wheels six or
eight feet in diameter, hand lathes of all sizes, chucking lathes of all
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