History of Springfield, Illinois, its attractions as a home and advantages for business, manufacturing, etc. Pub. under the auspices of the Springfield board of trade, by J. C. Power.

98 SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, AND
The company secured by the liberality watches has already commenced. It
of Henry Converse, Esq., and others, fif- will now be but a few weeks until time
teen acres of land as a site for the fac- pieces from the factory of the Springtory, which is beautifully situated on field Watch Company will be found in
North Grand Avenue, just outside the the show cases of all first class jewelers.
city limits, and adjoining the grounds of At the annual meeting of the company,
the Springfield City Water Works Reser- March 1st, 1871, the capital stock was
voir. The company adopted a design, increased to $200,000. At the same time
drawn by the well known architect, J. aboard of five directors were chosen,
C. Cochrane, Esq., and immediately pro- consisting of John T. Stuart, John Wilceeded to erect their factory. liams, W. B. Miller, John W. Bunn, and
At the beginning of December, 1870, W. D. Richardson. The old board of
the buildings were so far advanced that officers were all re-elected, namely: Hon.
the machinery was removed into it, from John T. Stuart, president; Col. John
their former shops, and operations con- Williams, vice president; George N.
tinued. Black, treasurer; and W. B. Miller, secThe machinery, which is now almost retary.
completed, embraces many of their former J. IK. Bigelow, Esq., who has held reinventions and improvements, together sponsible positions, in watch factories,
with a great number of recent novel ideas. from the commencement of watch manTheir late increase of capital stock shows ufacturing in this country, has superinthat the company are going to build up tended the work from the beginning of
a mammoth establishment, in addition to this enterprise. Under his supervision,
mcaking watches superior to any others. not only the delicate and ingenious maIt is but reasonable to expect, with chinery for watch making has been manthe large experience they Shave had in ufactured, but the neat, beautiful, and
building up other establishments, that well constructed edifice has been erected
this object will be attained. also. To describe the building, and maThe average number of men employed chinery, in all its complicated parts, tohas been twenty-eight, but at the present gether with the, varied processes of
time it is thirty-four. This number will of watch making, would require the
be greatly increased, and a large number space of a dozen such articles as this.
of females will be employed very soon They will be worthy of an elaborate dealso, as the work of making the parts of scription hereafter.