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A History of the Dolgeville Mill, Inc. Site
Dolgeville, NY
Timeline:
1794 - Samuel Low, regarded as one of the first pioneers to the area, builds a saw mill and a grist mill on the East Canada Creek. (near the current location of the Route 29 bridge over the creek)
1815 - Reuben Ransom takes further advantage of the waterpower by erecting a woolen mill on the western side of the creek near the falls.
1830 - Major D.B. Winton erects Brockett’s Bridge Tannery (Later known as the Herkimer County Tannery) on the western side of the creek below the falls.
1836 - Major D.B. Winton erects a gristmill on the old Ransom woolen mill site.
1843 - Major D.B. Winton sells the tannery to Col. Amos Griswold who ran it with his son Addison and son-in-law, the Hon. Nathaniel S. Greene.
1856-1874 - The tannery property passes through various hands.
1874 - Alfred Dolge, a piano manufacturer and importer from New York City, visits Brockett’s Bridge while prospecting for spruce wood to be used for piano sounding boards. Upon seeing Brockett’s Bridge nestled in the valley of the East Canada Creek, Dolge knows he has found the ideal manufacturing location. The situation is enhanced further when he realizes the abandoned Herkimer County Tannery buildings are for sale. Alfred Dolge purchases the tannery property and buildings from Col. Watson for $7,000.
1875 - Alfred Dolge purchases 30,000 acres of Adirondack woodlands and develops lumber mills.
1879 - Alfred Dolge installs a 600hp water turbine to provide electricity to run machinery.
1881 - The Edison Electric Light Company installs a dynamo to provide electric lighting to the plant. ( Thomas Edison’s first hydroelectric dynamo) Daniel Green, a traveling shoe salesman for the Wallace Elliot Company in New York City, visits Dolgeville. Daniel Green is shown a pair of felt shoes fashioned from waste pieces of piano felt which had been made in the Dolgeville Felt Mill. These felt shoes are worn by many factory workers to keep their feet warm and comfortable on the factory’s cold stone floors. Alfred Dolge meets with Daniel Green and his brother William and agrees to manufacture felt shoes and slippers for their new business venture.
1898 - Alfred Dolge experiences financial difficulties, and leaves Dolgeville to settle in California. The Daniel Green Felt Shoe Company continues to manufacture their products in the Dolgeville factory.
1908 - A Westinghouse Alternating Current Generator is installed.
1999- The Daniel Green Shoe Company closes their Dolgeville factory.
2000 - 2002 - The factory complex used by the Daniel Green Shoe Company for nearly 120 years is abandoned. Windows are broken and evidence of neglect and vandals become apparent.
2002 - The factory complex is purchased by Charles Soukup and Jan Murphy. Restoration begins.
2004 - The Dolgeville Mill Antiques and Artisans Center opens for business on April 3.
Present - The Dolgeville Mill is one of the largest antiques centers in New York State. It continues to grow, as does the vision of its owners.
Other Important Dates in the History of the Village of Dolgeville and surrounding areas:
1795 - John Faville builds a saw mill and a grist mill on Ransom Creek (near where Peckville Rd currently crosses the creek)
1795-1805 - A small settlement develops in the area currently known as the Village of Dolgeville. Families by the names of Ayers, Spencer, Ransom, Spofford, Lamberson, Brockett and Randall settle and clear land for farming. A blacksmith shop, tannery and a schoolhouse also spring up in the new community
1805 - A settler named Zachary Green builds the first bridge over the East Canada Creek. The small community is known as Green’s Bridge for a number of years.
1808 - The State Road is completed. It crosses the East Canada Creek at Green’s Bridge. (became NYS Rte 29 in 1924)
1814 - Major General George Izard and approximately 4000 troops march through Green’s Bridge on his way from Plattsburgh to Sackett’s Harbor on Lake Ontario.
1815 - A road is built between Green’s Bridge and Little Falls.
1826 - A post office is established, with Zephi Brockett as postmaster. The village adopts the name Brockett’s Bridge.
1850’s - Several homes in the area were used as stopping places along the Underground Railroad.
1875-1881 - The population of Brockett’s Bridge increases from 325 to 1500 people. Many dwelling are built. The village is booming.
1879 - Brockett’s Bridge volunteer fire company, Volunteer Company #1 is formed. (The Dolgeville/Manheim Historical currently resides in the old firehouse)
1881 - By unanimous vote, the village changes its name from Brockett’s Bridge to Dolgeville.
1887 - Electricity is introduced to the village. A second fire company, the Excelsior Hose Company # 1, is formed. Alfred Dolge buys the Rueben Faville Farm located on the east side of East Canada Creek, including the picturesque High Falls. 500 acres of this land is presented to the people of Dolgeville to be used as a park.
1891 - Dolgeville is incorporated, with Alfred Dolge as president. A system of schools is created. Alfred Dolge establishes a progressive newspaper.
1892 - Dolgeville experiences its first major fire. Neither of the fire departments possesses adequate equipment and several buildings along Main Street are lost. The Irondale Reservoir is built to supply water. The Little Falls & Dolgeville railroad is built. The train stops at Dolgeville for the first time on December 14.
1894 - A third fire company, known as General J.P. Spofford Hose Company #2 is formed. Shortly after, the Excelsior Hose Company #1 disbands. Volunteer Company #1 changes its name to Alfred Dolge Hose Company #1.
1933 - Passenger service on the Little Falls & Dolgeville railroad line ceases.
1964 - Last train visits Dolgeville on July 10, railroad line is closed.
1974 - The two volunteer fire companies combine to create the Dolgeville Fire Department.
1999 - The area feels the blow of the closing of the Daniel Green Shoe Company’s Dolgeville factory.
2006 - The East Canada Creek floods, a restaurant building collapses into the creek. Extensive flooding damages areas of the Mohawk Valley.
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