Samuel W. Collins
Encyclopedia
Samuel W. Collins was a Canton
, Connecticut
axe
manufacturer.
Samuel Watkinson Collins was born September 8, 1802 in Middletown, Connecticut, one of seven children His father was a
successful lawyer in Middletown, and his mother came from Suffolk County, England and was apparently well educated. He died in 1871.
Collins began his company in 1826, producing axes. In 1832, Collins hired a 24-year-old Elisha K. Root
, who made industrial improvements that both improved the quality of Collins' axes, and revolutionized the efficiency of their manufacture. The company expanded into other edge tools, becoming well-known throughout Central and South America as a maker of machetes.
Sam Collins Day
is an annual celebration in Canton CT named in his honor.
Canton, Connecticut
Canton is a rural town, incorporated in 1806, in Hartford County, Connecticut. The population was 8,840 at the 2000 census, and has grown to 10,292 as of the 2010 census. It is bordered by Granby on the north, Simsbury on the east, Avon and Burlington on the south, New Hartford on the west, and...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
manufacturer.
Samuel Watkinson Collins was born September 8, 1802 in Middletown, Connecticut, one of seven children His father was a
successful lawyer in Middletown, and his mother came from Suffolk County, England and was apparently well educated. He died in 1871.
Collins began his company in 1826, producing axes. In 1832, Collins hired a 24-year-old Elisha K. Root
Elisha K. Root
Elisha K. Root was a Connecticut machinist and inventor.Root was born on a Massachusetts farm and worked as a bobbin boy in a cotton mill before switching, at the age of 15, to working in a machine shop in Ware, Massachusetts. At age 24 he was hired by Connecticut industrialist Samuel W...
, who made industrial improvements that both improved the quality of Collins' axes, and revolutionized the efficiency of their manufacture. The company expanded into other edge tools, becoming well-known throughout Central and South America as a maker of machetes.
Sam Collins Day
Sam Collins Day
Sam Collins Day is a local holiday in Canton/Collinsville Connecticut, USA. It is celebrated on the 3rd Saturday in September, and is a showcase of local businesses, clubs, and other organizations. The event is named after Samuel W...
is an annual celebration in Canton CT named in his honor.
Sources
- Diana Muir, Reflections in Bullough's Pond; Economy and Ecosystem in New England, University Press of New England, 2000.