General Editorial Review
James A. Townsend & Co., Wholesale Grocers. Next we mention the above firm, as they are the leading one of the county, and the members of it have either been connected with, or employed by the firm of Homer Ramsdell & Co. Mr. James A. Townsend began as a clerk for T. Powell & Co., in 1856, in which capacity he remained until Oct. 1st, when in company with Captain Lockwood, under the firm name of Lockwood & Townsend, they began business for themselves. Feb. 1st 1858, he became a member of the firm of Homer Ramsdell & Co., the firm consisting of Homer Ramsdell, George W. and James A. Townsend. James A. attending chiefly to their sales, which ran annually into hundreds of thousands of dollars. Mr. Townsend remained with the firm until 1876 when he withdrew and in company with Martin L. Lee, and Albert D. Marvin formed the firm of James A. Townsend & Co., and succeeded to the wholesale grocery trade of Homer Ramsdell & Co., both Mr. Lee & Mr. Marvin having been for several years in the employ of Homer Ramsdell & Co. This firm is the leading grocery house between New York city and Albany. They handle all classes of groceries wholesale and retail, making a specialty of flour, sugars, molasses and teas, and their trade extends through the counties of Orange, Ulster, Sullivan, Dutchess and Rockland and into the State of Pennsylvania. The gentlemen composing this firm are thorough enterprising business men. They purchase all their immense stock of goods for cash, and thus far have never asked one day's time upon any purchase. Mr. Townsend, aside from his interest in the grocery business, as proprietor of the Highland Paper Mills, at Moodna, town of New Windsor, which he purchased in 1876. This is one of the finest mills in the State and manufacturers all classes of writing paper. The mill is 30 x 100 feet, three stories in height, is run by water power, having three turbine wheels. There are six engines for cutting the pulp, the train is 80 feet and the mill is supplied with three sets or piles of calender rolls. The mill gives employment to from 60 to 70 hands. James A. Townsend and the two gentlemen associated with him are emphatically self-made men, all their immense interests are entirely of their own creating, their trade is what they have made it. In the face of the hard times, with values constantly shrinking, with labor unemployed and capital fearful of investment, to start any enterprise and make of it such a magnificent success as these two, i. e., the grocery business and paper mills, have been made, is beyond the power of most men, and deservedly places those who can do so in the foremost rank as business men.
William Wright, Foundry and Engine Works. Mr. Wright is a native of Wayne County, N. Y., where he was born in 1818. At the age of eighteen he was apprenticed to Mr. John Dagget of Newark, N. Y., to learn the machinist's trade, having early shown his taste for this calling. He remained with Mr. Dagget two years and a half, when he was engaged by the Buffalo & Niagara Falls, R. R. Co. at Niagara. Ill health, however, soon compelled him to return home, where some months were spent in recovery. He afterward engaged with a Mr. Williams, of Palmyra, N. Y., in building steam engines, but in 1842 he went to Rochester, N. Y., and in company with Mr. John Bush of that place, continued the same business, and while here Mr. Wright invented a Rotary Engine, and in 1845 entered into partnership with Mr. F. Church, of Providence, R. I., to which city he removed and began the manufacture of these engines. This he continued for one year, and he was then employed for a short time by the Providence Tool Co. until his engagement with Corliss, Nightingale & Co. While in their employ he added many useful improvements to steam engines. In 1850 Mr. Wright was employed by Woodruff & Beach, of Hartford, designing, building and erecting numerous large engines, among them, the engine of the Brooklyn Water Works, which he patented, and also another Automatic cutoff steam engine, which has been extensively used throughout the country. Upon the outbreak of the Rebellion, Mr. Wright superintended the building of machinery for many of the Government gun boats, among them, that of the Kearsarge, and in 1863 he became a member of the New York Steam Engine Company, which was largely engaged in manufacturing machinery for Government boats. In 1866 he came to Newburgh, and entered into an agreement with Homer Ramsdell to manufacture steam engines under his patent. They continued for one year, when a company was formed, Mr. Wright remaining with the new firm, and also with the Washington Iron Works, an incorporated company which continued until 1870, when in company with several other gentlemen he formed the company of Wm. Wright & Co. The business is now conducted by Mr. Wright alone, all the other members of the firm being dead. Wrights Patent Automatic Cut-off Steam Engines have gained a world-wide reputation, and have brought Wm. Wright a fame second to no inventor in the land. His shops are located upon South Water st., the main one, including foundry and machine shop, being 200 x 500 feet, two stories high, and the pattern shops and offices being 50 x 200 feet, three stories in height, employing about one hundred and twenty-five hands.
Wm. O. Mailler & Co. This firm is located upon Front st. cor Third, and are engaged in wholesale grocery and commission business, and is the successor of one of the oldest and largest houses in the city. The business was established by Francis Crawford in 1806. His son David Crawford succeeded him in the business, after which the firm of Crawford, Mailler & Co. was formed, the business consisting of forwarding and commission, the company owning several sloops. The firm afterward became W. K. Mailler & Co. which changed to William O. Mailler, then to W. K. Mailler & Co., and lastly to Wm. O. Mailler & Co. They were among the largest shippers in the early days of steamboating, having owned the first steamboat in Newburgh. We have neither space or time to mention the various public enterprises with which the above firm have been identified. Suffice it to say there has not lived in Newburgh a more spirited family than that of Crawford and Mailler, and no enterprise looking to the ultimate good and improvement of the city but has had their hearty aid and support.
E. S. Turner, Real Estate & Insurance. Mr. Turner successor to the firm of Turner & Weygant, represents the largest insurance capital of any agent in the State outside of New York City. He established the business in Newburgh in 1875, since which time he has conducted the same very successfully. The mortgage and loan business was connected with his other agency at the time of the formation of the firm of Turner & Weygant in the spring of 1878. Mr. Turner is a gentleman well known and ranks among the leading business men of Newburgh.