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Marcellus Woolen Mill
Their Growth from the Formation Unto the Present Date
Story in: Marcellus NY Weekly Observer, / Thursday, Janurary 22, 1880

Started by Thomas Dyre in 1814 who did wool carding & cloth dressing using one set of cards, while looms operated by hand.
Sold out in two or three years (1818?) …………….to Mr. Rhodes of Clinton, New York.
1819…..Samuel & Austin Godard bought the business..changed name to Godard & Kellogg who enlagged the building.
………...The building constructed , main structure being 26/60 feet, three stories high with a wing 33/33 feet.
1830 Firm changed name to Godard & Taylor until 1833
1833 Firm changed name to Taylor & Machen until 1836
1836 Firm changed name to Parsons & Machen.
……….This firm introduced power looms into the Mill in 1840
1847 Russell Taylor bought out Mr. Parsons
The Mill burned down in July of 1847, a few months after the purchase.
Mr. Machen purchased taylor’s interest and soon rebuilt the present main building with large wooden additions.
1850 Chester Moses purchased an interest.

1852 …brought around great exccitement inthis instution, caused by a Dr. Leviett, of Kentucky
claiming that he had a new process for the manufacture of linen. Accordingly stock to the amount of $100,000
was issue and was speedily bought up by ous citizens and several New Yorkers, including Horace Greeley.
after expending this amount the experiment was pronoanced a failure. The institution was sold @ a Sheriffs Sale

1855 Chester Moses purchased the Mill for the manufacture of Woolen Goods.
The business was conducted under the name of Chester Moses & Co.
The Firm being composed of Chester Moses, Jay Fitton & J. C. Sawyre…
who conducted the business until 1858 when Fitton absconded with a large amount of money
which bankrupted the concern.. After this the Company was reorganized under the same firm name,
comprising C. Moses, J. C. Sayre & Lucius Moses who continued until 1870, when Chester Moses died.

1870..After 1870 the firm name was L. Moses & Co.
until 1877 when J. C. Sayre sold his interest to Lucias Moses, the present proprietor.
The capacity of the Mill has increased since 1855 to the present time from
3500 yards per month to 20,000 yards per month and accordingly the number of laborers
has been increased from time to time, so that there are 85 employees with a pay roll
amounting to $2400 per month, which they are as sure to receive on the 15th of each month.
About 20,000 pounds of wool is consumed each month and an equal number of yards of Casshmeres
are made during that time, which find a ready sale in the New York market.

The wooden additions that were erected in 1847 have long since been torn and in their stead
stand substantial brick structures.. The Mill throughout is supplied with the best of machinery
which is always in good running order.
The general management is superintended by Mr. Simon Dodd, Jr
while to office work is entrusted to Mr. John Hemenway.

“What Marcellus needs is more manufacturing institutions that would be managed with like carefulness as in the Mill owned by Lucius Moses.”
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1884 Fire Destroyed by Fire! Date in Article Questioned? by Leo
Marcellus Observer: Thursday, May 10, 1962
William Meacham was born in Marcellus in 1807 and died in 1892. As a boy he worked for Austin Goddard in the old Woolen Mill.
Afterwards he owned the Mill with Joseph Taylor, Bishop Parsons and Russell Taylor.
Mr. Meacham owned the Mill that was later called the Upper Crown Mill.
It was a wooden structure and about 1884 ,(Is this an error & should be 1848 ?), was destroyed by fire then rebuilt, the old part the present building.
Later Chester Moses joined partners with him and he later sold out to Moses.
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Syracuse Weekly Express: Thursday, September 17, 1891
Marcellus Sept. 14
Men are at work putting electric lights in the Upper Crown Mill.
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Remember When in Marcellus…..Mill Demolished
Upper Crown Mill Demolished in 1985
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Skaneateles Man Purchases Upper Crown Mill
Marcellus Observer, September 3-9, 1997

Jeff Paul of Pork Street recently purchased the upper crown Mill in Marcellus. He purchased the Upper Crown Mill
which is located on six acres of land at the corner on Maple and Orange Street, with the idea of turning it into
an area that could house an appartment complex, stores and possibly senior housing.
Village mayor, Fred Eisenberg said “Will it help the Village?”
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Library Unveils Plan…Books @ Crown Mill
Marcellus Observer, Janurary 31-February 6, 2007

The Upper Crown Mill property, just beyond the corner of Orange and Maple Streets, near Nine Mile Creek,
is currently being developed b. MCK Building Associates and Lake Architectural, local businesses
with a strong track record for design and building with an eye twoard historic preservation are the developers.
The developers plan to replicate the historic industrial mill buildings that existed at the site for nearly 200 years.
The buildings will be used as as condominiums and small commercial office space and will be built in a landscaped campus like setting.
The developers have provided plans to build a separate, custom designed building for the Library.
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Marcellus Built On Creek…..Once A “Mill Town”
by Liz Michalee: Community Newspaper Janurary 10, 1989

Marcellus founded in 1794, developed rapidly during the early 1800’s as a combined result
of the available power from Nine Mile creek and its location on the well traveled Seneca Tnpk.
By 1823, nineteen (19) Mills and one furnace operated along the creek.
Woolen mills were in operation in Marcellus for nearly 150 years.
In 1812 the first woolen mill was built near today’s Orange and Maple Streets and is referred to as the Upper Crown Mills.
It was destroyed by fire in 1847 and rebuilt in 1848 by William J. Mechan. Mr. Mechan sold the mill to a group of investors
who brought in expensive machinery from abroad to manufacture linen. This venture didn’t last,
and the property was sold to Chester Moses. He reopened the mill in 1855.
In 1880 another mill owned by Mr. Moses was taken over by the Marcellus Wollen Mills Co..
In 1889 it consolidated with the Crown Mills Co. In 1896, the upper mill on Factory Street-now Maple Street- was
consuming 500,000 pounds of wool annually while the lower mill consumed 400,000,
according to Kathryn C. Heffernan’s book “Nine Mile Creek.”
The Crown Mills Co. eventually passed to the hands of Edward Moir, who had been the superintendent.
Mr. Moir was originally from Scotland and had imigrated to Canada, where he learned about the woolen industry.
He was known as an expert in wool processing as well as tariff legislation that affected wages
for woolen workers. and profits for the companies.
In addition to providing employment for Marcellus residents, Mr. Moir recruited many workers from Scotland
as weavers, dyers, dressers and designers and the company did well through the early 1900’s.
In 1935, according to an article appearing in a Syracuse Newspaper, the Crown Woolen Mills employed 300
of the 1,100 Marcellus residents.
……(90 persons employed @ Upper Mill…with six regular departments of labor, each with an oversear:
The business continued to prosper until competition from imported fabrics and new synthetic fabrics
entering the marketplace resulted in the closing of the upper mill in 1955 and the lower mill in 1961.
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“Onondaga County”……..“Brief Sketches of Early & Later Times in Marcellus”
“History of the Old Stone Mill, Early Distilleries, the Upper Woolen Factory etc.”……..Seventh Paper
……………………………………………,May 5, 1894……………. Marcellus Newspaper Story:

“Continuing down the stream we next come to the Upper Marcellus Woolen Mill. The first factory built on this site was erected by the brothers, Robert and Thomas Dyer, about the time of the war of 1812. It was built for the manufacturing of of woolen cloth, and carding and cloth dressing was also carried on in the same building. In that day and for many years after, or till near 1850, there was a great deal of hand carding done, and spinning in the homes was very common after the wool was ,\made into rolls at the carding mill, and when spun it was either twoven in the home or taken to the dresser and finished ready to be made into garments both for every day and sunday wear. Four yards, one yard wide, of pressed flannel made a laady a nice dress. The men wore what was called sheep.s grey cloth or white mixed with butternut color, where they had not black sheep’s wool to give the color, some of the farmers were particular to keep black sheep for this purpose and some of the best families wore such cloth. The Dyer Bros. run the factory for about four years and then sold out to John Rhodes, father of Thomas Rhodes of our village, and Bishop N. Parsons. Thomas dyer moved to Canada and his brother Robert to Dryden, N.Y., and subsequently to Canada. Rhodes and Parsons continued the business about two years when through the treachery of a friend the mill was sold on foreclosure and bought by Samuel Godard who held a mortage on the site being the original owner of the water power before the mill was built and sold to Austin Godard and Ansel Kellog. Austin Godard sold his part to the late William J. Machan and Kellog his part to Joseph Taylor. Machan and Taylor run the mill as a firm awhile and were succeded by Machan and Parsons until it was burnt in 1847. After it was burnt Machan rebuilt the brick or west part of the present building in 1848, and run a woolen factory awhile longer when a Linen Company of quite prominent men, including in the number Horace Greely, Wm. H. Seward, Chester Moses and one Leavitt and others, was formed, and bought out Machan for the purpose of turning the mill into a linen factory.
Expensive machinery was bought in the old country, and also one invented by Leavitt was put in, to manufacture flax cotton, but the undertaking proved an entire failure. After this Chester Moses, father of Lucius Moses now of Syracuse, bought the mill of this Linen Company at a very low figure and reconverted it into a woolen factory somewhere along in the fifities.

“Onondaga County”……..“Brief Sketches of Early & Later Times in Marcellus”
………..” History of the Upper Woolen Factory Continued”……..Eighth Paper
……………………………………………,May 12, 1894……………. Marcellus Newspaper Story:

“The expensive machinery of the Linen Company was removed, and was considered so worthless that most of it was sold for old iron. It was along in the fall of 1855 when Chester Moses, a man of energy, of honor and integrity, who had succeeded in refitting and refurnishing the building as a woolen factory, started it up again. He soon employed James Fitten of Skaneatelles, as head superintendent, and everything went along apparently quite satisfactory for some two years or more when by the treachery of his superintendent he became suddenly quite heavily embarrassed. While he was away in Ohio buying wool. Fitten, who was directed to proceed to New York and draw money and send to him, drew out a large sum and abscounded to England. Detectives were put on his track and he was brought back to this country but he so managed his case that very little was recovered from him. His daduerrotype is still kept in the mill as a memento of his perfidy. Mr. Moses in his embarrassement, arranged as best he could with his creditors, and after awhile by the aid of his son, Lucius, who came home from Minnesota and went into business with him, he was enabled to pay up his the last debt. James Ainsworth who had been assistant, succeeded Fitten as superintendent, and J. C. Sayre succeeded Ainsworth, and after a time became a member of the firm and for many years the firm name was Moses & Co.
During the war the factory did a large and paying business and for several years after, and was doing a flourishing business at the time of Mr. Moses death May 13, 1870. The factory was continuedvafter this for several years under the name of Moses & Co., or until Lucius Moses bought out Mr. Sayre. Lucius Moses was the solepropietor for several years, during wich time there were some additions and improvements made to the buildings. In 1886 the property was turned over into a Stock Company, consisting of Lucius Moses-President, H. Soule of Syracuse-Vice President, Joseph Willetts of Skaneateles-Secretary, C. N. Case-Treasurer, Simon Dodd-Superintendent, and James Dodd, and was called the Marcellus Woolen Mill Company. They continued it with varying sucess for a few years until they sold to the Crown Mills Company in 1890. Mr. Moses still retaining a share of the stock. The officers of this company are S. W. Barker-President, Lucius Moses-Vice President, Arthur T. Sullivan-Treasurer, and E. Moir-Superintendent.
Under the name Crown Mills, reincorporated in 1890, the Marcellus Woolen Mill has run in connection with the lower mill. The upper mill has undergone considerable repairs and improvemrnts. Electric lights have been introduced, a new water wheel, a new steam engine and boiler put in and considerable new and improved modern machinery added, and the mill has been run with an increased force of help and has turned out a larger variety of fabrics. The mill is now quite complete and capable of turning out the very best goods. It consumes about 400,000 lbs of wool annually, and the output of cloth is from 125,000 to 160,000 yards per year, according to the times and demand.
At present ninety or more persons are employed in this upper mill. There are six regular departments of labor, each with an overseer, besides several others are employed outside of these departments. Edward Moir is - general superintendent, John Daye - assistant superintendent and designer, James Goode - pattern weaver, John E. Griffin-wool buyer and sorter with two assistant wool sorters, Wm. Julia and Harry Griflin. Mr. Julia is the oldest employee of the mill having been here since 1855. John Malcom - overseer of the dyeing department and five hands with him, James Armstrong - overseer of the carding department with ten hands, Peter Stalker - overseer of the spinning department with nine hands, Fred O’Brien - overseer of twisting and warping department with fifteen hands, T. J. Porteous - overseer of the weaving department with twenty hands, C. H. Baker, overseer of the finishing department with sixteen hands. I. A. Share,
-machinist, with Frank VanHousen as assistant. Charles N. Case - book keeper. James Curtin and William George - watchmen. George S. Gilson - engineer, Edward Eagan - teamster. M. Kennedy - yard man and Martin Hackett - coachman. The above force varies according to trade conditions.”
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