Historical Farmington.....by Twink Osgood

FARMINGTON GAS COMPANY

April 1886. The Farmington Gas Co. has been recently formed here forthe introduction of gas into our dwellings, factories, stores and upon our streets. A portion of the pipe has been ordered, work will beginas soon as the frost is out of the ground.

August 1886. After a long delay, from various causes, operations fi-nally began upon the gas works. A large force is at work and mattersare being pushed. The plant is located at the lower end of Hancock St.,where the Company purchases a three acre strip. The work consists of an office, 18'X 28', and adjoining is the retort house, 20' X 22'. Both buildings are of brick, a story and a half high. In the rear will be a gas holder, of circular from, 3^ feet in diameter.

September 1886. Dr. R. B. Foss & Co.'s Store was the first to be litwith the new gas, and attracted a great deal of attention. During thesame evening, Emerson & Garland's Drug Store and Carleton & Bennett'sClothing Store were illuminated with gas and gave excellent satisfac-
tion.

April 1887. Mr. Averill is now in charge of our Gas Works. He builtthe Gas Works in Concord more than thirty years ago and also at Gard-iner, Maine. For many years, he has been in charge of the works in Do-ver, N.H.    We are indeed fortunate in having the service of such a man.

Within the next year our street lights, to the number of sixteen, willbe changed from kerosene to gas lights, and other lights will be added as the gas mains are extended.

Wood is the fuel for operating the gas works and some of
supplied the necessary means to keep the Works working.

In the fall of 1893, gas was put in the Drew Hosiery Mill (on theof the former Mooney's Mill) and more lights are being put in toplace the old lamps.November 12, 1987. The
las Light Co. is   con- *sidering running apipe from near the de-pot to their gas house to conduct oil through instead of trucking it.

February 10, 1899, The new lamp in front of Pythian Hall was piped for gas this week.

In the fall of 1903, a change in the manu-facture of gas took place. The Gas Co. purchased gas generators for making acetylene gas. These generators were set up and after (continued next page)

Farmington Gas Co., continued

some arrangements were made at the plant, the making of new gas was be-gun. Anyone using the new gas had to buy a new burner as the old ones could not be used.

January 22, 190^. The Cloutman Electric Plant furnished its first e-lectricity this week for use in the Cloutman factory and for lighting .As late as April 190^, a new gas light was placed on the drinking foun-tain on the Square.

Because of its convenience, efficiency and costs of electricity, the use of gas came to be used less and less. In the spring of 1908, theFarmington Gas Light Company wnet into recievership.

At Osgood Pharmacy today there is evidence of the use of gas for light-ing. If you look at the metal ceiling you can see a metal plate in thecenter of which is a rubber stopper that was used to plug the gas line. The stopper is covered with many coats of paints


These photos are stored together. They are from different periods of time. Last pulled together for possible use in August 1986.

FHS-Kyle Leach