THE BUTTON FACTORY
From an account by the
Standard Press 1935
Construction of the connecting link in the highway system near the
Whitehouse Bridge necessitates the demolition of the old and abandoned Tibbits
"Button Factory" and a small plaster dwelling house nearby. The job
of razing these two buildings is now under way, B. B. Lester of the village
having secured the contract.
As an industrial plant the Button Factory passed
through a varied and curious career.
Insofar as The Standard Press was able to learn, it was constructed by
the late John B. Tibbits between 1875 and 1880. I. G. Langworthy of Hoosick
states the plaster dwelling house was erected some years prior to the factory,
his family residing there and he, himself, being born there in 1871. His father,
the late Isaac R. Langworthy, operated the factory as a saw mill for seven or
eight years after its construction, using vertical saws which were later
replaced by circular saws. Operated by water power from a pond across the
highway and the outlet passing through the mill to the Hoosick river, more than
90,000 feet of timber was cut at the mill during the first few years of its
existence all of which was consumed in the construction of Tibbits properties.
It had been utilized as a saw mill, more or less, through the years up to
within recent times.
An addition was made to the mill later on, and for
eight years or more, A. A. Brimmer of Hoosick operated a cider and vinegar mill
on the property. Four vats, each capable of producing 130 gallons of either
product, kept a half a dozen men busy through this period and large quantities
of vinegar were shipped to New York weekly. Work at the saw mill went on at
full blast at the same time. John B. Tibbits then changed the plant
considerably gad went into the business of manufacturing buttons. During this
period the factory enjoyed its most prosperous years, some 30 hands being
employed.
For a short time the mill was operated as a flax
industry, the raising of flax during the 80's being one of the most predominating
farming occupations in this section. Later, knitting machinery was installed
and far a time, a John Dryer manufactured hosiery and shirts there. A few years
passed and the factory underwent a complete change of character when John B.
Tibbits took Fred Jackworth and a man by the name of Yunk, both inventors of
sorts, under his wing and launched into the business of making electric light
bulbs. For a time this business prove profitable, although the three men at its
head made little or nothing out of the proposition because of patent troubles
and differences of opinion arising between the two inventors. Files of the
Rensselaer County Standard of 1885 Aeneid refer to the fact that at one time
the mill entertained an order for 18,000 electric light bulbs. Large dynamos
were also constructed at the plant, but these were not an overwhelming success
, as it appears the motors failed to function as they were expected to do.
Other small industries were launched from time to time, but the factory finally
reverted to its original status as a saw mill, and in the course of time ceased
operations altogether.
The building was constructed two stories above the highway with three other stories being sunk down the side of the embankment for a distance of approximately 40 feet. Huge timbers were used in the frame work while in some sections of the mill the floor boards are from three to four inches thick. The interior is awesome; footsteps echo hollowly through cavernous depths; damp and dark recesses in the walls are met at almost every tuning, and dust lies thick over disabled machinery of almost every description. Since the demolition work started a week ago the wreckers have been assailed by an extremely disagreeable odor, which led to thoughts of partially buried and decaying bodies. The odor was tracked to its lair Tuesday and while it was something decidedly dead and gruesome, it was not the body of a human being. Lester has seven men employed on wrecking the structure. His contract limits him to 21 days in which to raze both buildings, but he believes he will complete the wrecking several day prior to the expiration of the given time