WHB and the Brooklyn Bridge

Adam on the Brooklyn Bridge, looking towards lower Manhattan

I recently had the opportunity to visit the Brooklyn Bridge in New York with my son Adam. We were able to cross over the bridge on a wooden walkway that extended over the busy traffic and East River far below. The bridgework and night-time views of the NYC skyline were amazing!

Our view of the New York skyline from the bridge

The experience brought to mind a letter that Uncle Will had written in 1880, which I had briefly described in a previous post. At that time, the bridge was considered to be one of the greatest engineering feats in the world. Construction of the bridge had begun in 1869 and would take 14 years to complete. The chief engineer on the project was a German immigrant named John Roebling. During the second year of construction, however, his foot was crushed and he died of tetanus. Afterwards, his 32-year old son, Washington Roebling, took over the project as chief engineer.

In November 1880, Uncle Will had written a letter home to his 15-year old sister Sarah, whom they had affectionately called Sadie. At that time, he was in his first semester as an engineering student at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ. From his dormitory room on the third floor, he was able to look across the Hudson River to NYC and may have been able to see the stone suspension towers of the bridge on the other side of Manhattan. On the third page of his letter (see below), Uncle Will describes contacting the chief engineer to ask permission to visit the bridge during construction.

He and his classmates were then able to cross over the footpath above the bridge and get a personal tour from another engineer on the project. He writes that:

"It is a grand thing to go up on those piers. They are over 250 feet above the river. The view of NY and the surroundings is magnificent. When on the walk out over the river it almost seems as if one was flying." and "Going across that bridge is the best treat that I have had since I have been here -- I only wish that Papa and Frank could go over it too."

Although separated by 139 years, Adam is also a young engineer. I mentioned to him that Uncle Will's brother Frank (Franklin Benjamin Bristol I) was his great-great grandfather, and Papa (Benjamin Hiel Bristol) was his great-great-great grandfather!

Uncle Will's experience on the bridge that day may have been particularly inspiring for him during his career. After graduating from Stevens in 1884, he would begin teaching there in 1886 and then become a professor of mathematics there in 1899, after starting the Bristol Company with Frank and his father in 1889. While at Stevens, he also patented some of his most successful inventions. The school still offers a William Henry Bristol Endowed Scholarship, which is "awarded to a deserving student with financial need."

Uncle Will's letter from November 1880, page 1 (click to enlarge)

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

Probate Certificates, 1905

Howard's Probate Certificate

Carlton's Probate Certificate



Franklin II's Probate Certificate

 

These probate certificates are from July 1905 (click on images to enlarge). In June 1905, Uncle Will had assumed guardianship of three of Franklin I’s children after Franklin's death in November 1904. By that time, Howard was aged 17, Carlton was 14, and Franklin II was 4. The fourth brother, Sam, was aged 20 and therefore was not considered a minor. Although Uncle Will did not have any children of his own, this generous act probably brought the family closer together and must have fostered a great loyalty towards him.

 

Automobile Plate, 1904

This small brass plate has a sad story. The plate measures 1.5 x 3 inches and is stamped with the words “Licensed under Selden Patent No. 549,160, Patented November 5, 1895.” My grandfather (Franklin II) had written on the outside of the envelope: “plate acquired by employee of the Bristol Co. at time of my father’s death – when his car was struck by RR train at the Bristol Company plant in Platts Mills – early 1900.”  The “early 1900” may refer to the “early 1900s.” His father (Franklin I) was returning from the Bristol Company on Monday evening, November 21, 1904, when he was killed by a train. I have posted an obituary with more information on this incident under this separate entry. 

In doing some research, George Selden claimed to have invented the first commercial gasoline engine in 1895, although Henry Ford strongly disputed this claim. Nonetheless, several automobile manufacturers at that time took out licenses under Selden’s patent and mounted this plate near the engines of their cars.

Franklin I Obituary and Automobile, 1904

This is the obituary for Franklin I, who was born on July 14, 1860 and died tragically on Monday, November 21, 1904. I think most of us have heard pieces of this story over the years, but it must have been a real tragedy for the family at that time.

According to this information, he had driven back to his office at the Bristol Company to get the newspaper on a Monday evening after having dinner with his family at their home on Platts Mills Road. While returning home, he was struck by a passenger train heading southward from Waterbury.

The article notes that he was driving a Stevens Duryea, such as the one below. Interestingly, the Bristol family was reported to have nine automobiles in 1904, which seems quite remarkable during that time of the automobile’s infancy. Because the family was full of engineers and inventors, they must have been fascinated with this new technology.

The first addition of the “Interstate Automobile Register and Tourist Guide” (provided by David, Jr.) was published in 1905.   According to this information, there were only 2,084 registered automobiles and motorcycles in Connecticut at that time. The listing included seven vehicles for the Bristol family: Edgar H. Bristol, Oldsmobile and Rambler; Frank B. Bristol, Cadillac; B.H. Bristol, Knox; B.B. Bristol, Ford; F.B. Bristol, Stevens-Duryea; and William H. Bristol, Stevens-Duryea.

Original Bristol Company Building

Like many successful companies (i.e., Apple, Google, and HP) it turns out that the Bristol Company was started in a garage! Here is a photo of the original carriage barn near Platt’s Bridge in Waterbury where Uncle Will and his brother Franklin I started the business in 1889. Uncle Will was also a professor at Stevens Institute of Technology at that time, while Franklin was probably working at Platt's Mills.

On the back of the photo is written “F.B. Bristol’s barn in which the Bristol Company was started.” According to an article in the Waterbury American from August 1934 (which I will attach in a future posting), before they could begin work, they had to move the horses and carriages to one corner of the building and mortgage the house to finance the necessary tools and equipment.

Two of Franklin I’s sons, Sam and Howard, can be seen standing in front of the building. Sam would later become secretary while Howard would become president.

The business reportedly remained at this location until 1892, when it was moved to its more permanent location with access to the railroad and more room for expansion.

Photo of Franklin I and Family from 1902

 

This family photo is from around 1902. According to a card on the back of the frame in my father’s (Franklin III’s) handwriting, from left to right the people are: Howard (1886), Cora (1862), Franklin II (1901), Carlton (1891), and Franklin I (1860), and the photo was taken by Sam (1885).

 

I am always struck by how formal their clothing was back then, even for a picnic! Papa is wearing a dress which was apparently common for boys up to two years old.  A fifth brother (Harold) was born in 1886 but unfortunately died within his first year.