290 REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1886. 



without the town, the said digger shall be none but an inhabitant of 

 Middletown, and shall be responsible to ye towne twelve pence pr. tunu 

 for every tuunof stones that he or they shall digg for any person whoso- 

 ever without the towne ; this money to be paid in wheat and pease to 

 ye townsmen or their assigns for ye nse of ye towne within six months 

 after the transportation of the said stone."* 



How soon the surface rock was exhausted and it became necessary, as 

 now, to go below the level of the ground for suitable material is not 

 stated, but the quarry thus opened was at length disposed of by the 

 town and passed through various hands, among whom the names of 

 Shaler & Hall are conspicuous. These parties pursued the business 

 vigorously and made a handsome profit. For several years between 

 1810 and 1820 some thirty hands were employed for the eight months 

 comprising the quarrying season, and from four to six teams. Some 50 

 rods south of this quarry another was opened about ] 783, and was 

 owned by Messrs. Hulburt & Eoberts. About 1814 this was purchased 

 from the heirs of Aaron Hulburt and deeded to Erastus and Silas 

 Brainard, who carried on the business conjointly until the death of the 

 latter in 1847. The business is carried on under the name of Brainard 

 & Oo. to the i>resent time. For some live years after this lirm began 

 work they employed but from seven to ten hands and two yoke of oxen. 

 In 1819 a quarry was opened north of the Shaler & Hall quarry by the 

 firm of Patten & Eussell. It was afterwards known as the Bussell & 

 Hall quarry, and finally in 1841 was united with that of Shaler & Hall, 

 the firms combining to form the Middlesex Quarry Company. Some years 

 later still another opening was made below tlie Brainard quarry near 

 the ferry between Portland and Middletown. This also was known as 

 the Shaler & Hall quarry ; the original firm by this name having been 

 incorporated with the Middlesex Quarry Company. 



The three firms above enumerated continue to monopolize the quarry- 

 ing industry at this place. The quarries extend from a point near the 

 ferry northward along the river for some three-fourths of a mile, and 

 vary in depth from 50 to 150 feet. Their yield of stone of all grades 

 during the time of their operation has been roughly estimated at 

 4,300,000 cubic feet. The rate of progress is given as follows : In 1850 

 the number of men employed at the three quarries was about 900 and 

 100 yoke of oxen; thirty vessels being regularly employed to convey the 

 quarried material to the markets, each vessel conveying from 75 to 150 

 tons and making from twenty to thirty trips each season. Two years 

 later the number of workmen regularly employed had increased to 1,200,, 

 while 200 more were engaged on contract work. The stone, even at 

 this date, had found its way to markets as far west as Milwaukee and 

 San Francisco. The census returns for 18S0 showed the total number 

 of men employed to be but 925, with 80 yoke of oxen and 55 horses and 

 mules. The falling off in numbers may doubtless be considered due to 



'Freestone Qmirries of Portland, Conn., by Prof. J. Johnaonf. N-a,t. Mag., 1853, p. 

 268. 



