Page 6 - Bristol Magazine Spring 2025

Ten Generations
Ten Gen eration s

by Thomas Dickau OF CONTRIBUTIONS

BY THE CITY’S FIRST TWO FAMILIES

The first two permanent settlers of Bristol Brass employees, but due to de-
what would become the City of Bris- terioration after 211 years, it was taken
tol, were Ebenezer Barns (the “e” was down in 1939.
added three generations later) and Ne-
hemiah Manross. In 1728, Barnes with The New England states were becoming
his son Stephen, left his home in Farm- engaged in two waves of the American
ington and traveled west through “The Industrial Revolution during the nine-
Great Forest “or “West Woods” to fine teenth and early twentieth centuries.
suitable land for farming and the con- Industrialization was transforming the
struction of a home. Although this land area from an agrarian style of living to
had been secured over a half century a more urban based lifestyle.
earlier, considered too rocky and hilly
for an agrarian lifestyle, it remained The Wallace Barnes Company opened
a hunting and fishing reserve for the in 1857 and was joined by the Dunbar
friendly Tunxis Indians. Barnes, the Spring Company in the manufacturing
community’s first permanent settler, of a variety of springs needed by clock-
built his home on a plains area extend- makers. They also began production
ing to Plainville along the Pequabuck of hoops needed for crinoline skirts.
River. This was at the junction of today’s Wallace Barnes This partnership dissolved in 1863. The
Broad Street and King Street (formerly This article will include contributions Dunbar Brothers Company and the F.N.
known as “The King’s Highway. “) made by these families but certainly Manross and Sons Company, formerly
from Forestville, later merged as the
Nehemiah Manross, with his family, are limited in scope by three centuries Associated Spring Corporation.
of history.
moved to this area from Lebanon soon
after and built a home on the King’s THE BARNES LEGACY
Highway. Sharing within the community was a ne-
This article will describe how these two cessity for survival. Ebenezer’s house,
being located on an old Indian trail
families, for ten generations and three connecting Farmington to Mattatuck
centuries, have become prominent and (present day Waterbury), soon served
contributed significantly as benefactors as a tavern providing lodging, meals,
to the community. Neither Ebenezer and horse stabling. These convenienc-
Barnes nor Nehemiah Manross would es were certainly needed, especially on
ever realize the significance their ear- the Sabbath Day, when travel was for-
ly settlements would have upon the bidden except under rare circumstanc-
growth of the Bristol community. es. Eventually becoming a stagecoach
stop, the tavern also became the cen-
ter for dissemination of news and mail, Wallace Barnes - Old Factory
as well as serving as a social gathering
place. Soon after, Barnes built a grist Through the leadership succession of
mill on the Pequabuck River near pres- the Barnes family, the company started
ent day Riverside Avenue. This became by Wallace Barnes flourished. Enduring
a public meeting place, where commu- the hardships of wars and conflicts, suf-
nication with neighbors became possi- fering the pains of recessions and the
ble and where notices, meetings, and Great Depression, the Wallace Barnes
news were posted. The Barnes family Company, later known as the Associ-
was already contributing to the com- ated Spring Corporation, always met
munity’s growth. The Barnes house was wartime production quotas. During its
entire history, including challenging
Barnes Homestead in later years utilized for housing for times, it was a major employer of city

6 Bristol Magazine - Spring Issue 2025