The making of cutlery in Winsted began in 1852 with table cutlery and it later developed into pocket knives. Most knife makers were English immigrants who brought their fine skills to this country with them. These businesses were very successful for years.
Eagle Works
Eagle Works was a joint stock cutlery company that was organized in 1852 and run by, Albert Bradshaw, an English cutler. Bradshaw leased a portion of his building to two English cutlers, named Thompson and Gascoigne, who had come to Winsted in 1852 and opened a small shop in which they made pocket cutlery. The factory was located in a brick factory on the lake stream, next to the Connecticut Western railroad depot and it manufactured table cutlery.
By 1854, Eagle Works was purchased by Rice, Lathrop & Clary. After a fire destroyed its structure, the concern relocated to the west end of Main Street. It closed around 1854 and was eventually taken over by Elliot P. Beardsley, the manager of Beardsley Scythe, and his partner James R. Alvord. Eagle Works had done a fair trade, but lacked capital, even though Beardsley and Alvord had acted as their agents.
Beardsley & Alvord
Elliot P. Beardsley and James R. Alvord began to manufacture pocket cutlery in 1853. Beardsley & Alvord occupied the factory directly across from Highland Lake, on West Lake Street, the building later occupied by Union Pin Co.
When Beardsley & Alvord added pocket knives to its product line, the business boomed. The company purchased the old Dudley Tannery, on the Highland Lake outlet, around 1856, and replaced the old buildings with new ones to create the Empire Knife Co. Elliot P. Beardsley was also associated with several other Winsted industries.
Empire Knife Co.
Of all the companies that operated in town, Empire Knife was considered one of the most successful. It had grown out of the Beardsley & Alvord Co. After Elliot Beardsley’s death in 1878, the concern reverted to James Alvord, who purchased Winsted Augur Co.’s water privilege on the Mad River at Coe Street and removed the Lake Street plant to its new location, in 1880, where a new factory was built with modern equipment.
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Empire Knife employed 100 hands, mostly skilled workers, and produced the finest knives in the trade. Their trademark “Empire” brand knives were widely distributed and very competitive, in a trade that had once been dominated by highly graded English goods. Empire Knife was incorporated on Jan. 1, 1890, with a capital of $175,000 and George M. Brill as president. After a fire in 1893, a new building was erected and the company added corkscrews and manicure files to its regular line of knives.
By 1918, Empire Knife offered over 800 different patterns of knives, employed 150 workers, and was considered one of the largest producers of pocket knives in the country. They took great pride in the fine products that they manufactured and guaranteed this to their customers. In 1920, the Alvord family sold out their interest. With the coming of the Great Depression in the 1930s, like many companies, Empire Knife was forced to close its doors, though it had been one of the largest and most successful businesses Winsted ever had.
Capitol Products
Capitol Products was founded in 1919, by John Colavecchio, as a knife manufacturer. In 1929, the company changed over to fine appliances and it became one of the most outstanding manufacturers in its field. Capitol’s product line included grills, toasters, broilers, coffeemakers, and more. Its signature “Lady Winsted” and “Miss Winsted” products were distributed nationwide and in Canada. The company kept abreast of all the advances within its industry. With an eye toward growth, Capitol acquired additional land and extended its Willow Street property on the Mad River almost to Bridge Street. It was one of a handful of business structures along the Mad River that survived the flood of 1955.
American Knife Co.
American Knife Co. was established around 1920 by former employees of the Empire Knife Co. Irving Manchester was one of the organizers and served as president and treasurer. American Knife made fine pocket knives and paring knives. It started business in the Benjamin Richards & Co. chair factory and moved to Lake Street, in 1932, to expand both its water power and space. Although it was a successful business, American Knife only employed about 15 workers. In 1947, it relocated on the same street and changed its name to Kandall Manufacturing. The name was changed again, within a few months, to Bukar Manufacturing. The business operated successfully until it was destroyed by the 1955 flood.
Taken from “Brains, Money & Pluck: Profiles of Early Industries” by Verna Gilson, genealogy and local history research assistant, Beardsley & Memorial Library, Winsted.
