Ingenious Machinists: Two Inventive Lives from the American Industrial Revolution

282 Pages·2014·5.16 MB·English

by  Anthony J. Connors

INGENIOUS MACHINISTS
Pawtucket Bridge and Falls (anon., c. 1810), Rhode Island Historical Society.
D.B. (Anonymous). [Pawtucket Bridge and Falls with Slater Mill]. Pawtucket, RI ca. 1810.
Watercolor and ink on paper. Painting. RHi X5 22.
INGENIOUS MACHINISTS
Two Inventive Lives from the
American Industrial Revolution
ANTHONY J. CONNORS
e
excelsior editions
e
Published by
S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y O F N E W YO R K P R E S S
Albany
© 2014 State University of New York
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Production, Laurie Searl
Marketing, Kate R. Seburyamo
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Connors, Anthony J.
Ingenious machinists : two inventive lives from the American industrial
r evolution / Anthony J. Connors.
pages cm. — (Excelsior editions)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4384-5401-6 (hardcover : alk. paper)
ISBN 978-1-4384-5402-3 (pbk. : alk. paper)
E-ISBN 978-1-4384-5403-0 (ebook)
1. Wilkinson, David, 1771–1852. 2. Moody, Paul. 3. Machinists—United
States—Biography. 4. Inventors—United States—Biography. 5. Industrial
revolution—United States. I. Title.
HD8039.M22U695 2014
677'.02850922—dc23
[B] 2014002126
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To Sharon
and
to the memory of my parents
Contents
List of Illustrations ix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction: Machinists in the Early Republic 1
Chapter 1
Industrial Glimmerings: Massachusetts before 1790 7
Chapter 2
Revolutionary Technology: Rhode Island, 1775–1790 19
Chapter 3
The Progress of a Textile Machinist: Paul Moody, 1794–1814 39
Chapter 4
Oziel’s Son: David Wilkinson, 1790–1815 55
Chapter 5
Company Man: Paul Moody at Waltham, 1813–1823 81
Chapter 6
Toward Wilkinsonville: David Wilkinson, 1815–1828 113
v i i
v i i i Con ten ts
Chapter 7
Respectable Company Man About Town:
Paul Moody at Lowell, 1823–1831 139
Chapter 8
“We All Broke Down”: David Wilkinson, 1829–1852 169
Epilogue
Ingenious Machinists 197
Notes 205
Glossary of Textile and Machine Tool Terms 249
Essay on Sources 253
Bibliography 263
Index 277
Illustrations
Figure 2.1
Samuel Slater’s spinning frame 32
Figure 2.2
Samuel Slater portrait 35
Figure 2.3
Moses Brown portrait 37
Figure 4.1
Wilkinson Brothers oil mill advertisement 62
Figures 4.2 & 4.3
David Wilkinson’s screw lathe patent 63
Figure 4.4
Wilkinson and Slater Mills 73
Figure 4.5
David Wilkinson portrait 77
Figure 4.6
Martha Wilkinson portrait 78
i x