Il6 HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 



ago, when Stephen Gregory commenced melting iron in a crucible for 

 the purpose of making plow castings. His place was located on Main 

 street, on property now occupied by Southard, Robertson & Co. (The 

 People's Stove Works.) He was succeeded by Wyley, Conklin & Co., 

 who, in 1826, commenced the erection of new buildings, put in ma- 

 chinery, and largely increased the business. 



The plow works of Wyley & Conklin having been sold to Henry 

 Robinson, the manufacture of grates and mantles for dwelling houses 

 was commenced. Mr. Robinson was succeeded by Thos. Southard, 

 dec'd, in 1840, who commenced the manufacture of stoves. Some eight 

 or ten years afterwards, upon the death of Mr. Southard, the present 

 firm of Southard, Robertson & Co. came into possession, and the im- 

 print of the People's Stove Works may now be found upon work of their 

 manufacture all over the land. 



In the winter of 1826-27, Seth Hoyt erected part of the buildings now 

 known as the Peekskill Plow Works and commenced the manufacture 

 of plows and plow castings on an extensive plan. A few years after- 

 wards Mr. Hoyt died and the property was purchased by Truman Minor 

 and Frost Horton, who, in 1835, formed a co-partnership under the firm 

 name of Minor & Horton, and three years afterwards the firm became 

 Minor, Horton & Co., who commenced the erection of extensive ad- 

 ditions and enlarged their business to such an extent that their wares 

 were shipped to almost every part of the world. This firm continued the 

 business for thirty years, when it was merged into a joint stock com- 

 pany, now known as the Peekskill Plow works. 



The foundries now in operation are The People's Stove Works, 

 (Southard, Robertson & Co.), the Union Stove Works, (Hill's), 

 National Stove Works (Stanford's), the foundry of Montross, Lent & 

 Pollock, the American Stove Works, and the Peekskill Manufacturing 

 Company, (Seymour's). In brisk seasons these shops employ from 400 

 to 600 men. 



Besides the foundries above enumerated, the most of which have ex- 

 tensive warerooms in New York city, there are located in the village 

 and its immediate vicinity, the Machine works of Anderson Brothers, 

 the Highland Chemical Works, the Force Table and Oil Cloth Manu- 

 facturing Co., Binney's Lamp Black Factory, the Annsville Wire Mills, 

 the Oregon Paper Mills, a Manufactory of Drain Tiles and Hageman's 

 Soap Factory. 



The Peekskill Blast Furnace is located on Annsville creek, and is 

 connected with the Croft iron mines by a railway built for the purpose, 

 by which the furnace is supplied with a superior quality of iron ore at a 



