Due to its rocky soil, Bristol was often overlooked as a desirable place to settle. Those who did settle here came to take advantage of the vast amounts of cheap available land. They settled initially along the outskirts of town on Fall Mountain and Chippens Hill and set up farms that could be used to sustain their families. Over time, residents in search of rich farming soil moved to other developing areas of the country in the north and west. Despite this shortcoming, Bristol did have one natural resource that would eventually chart its course of development – the river.

Using the power of the river and its tributaries, industry began to grow in Bristol during the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries. Although gristmills, saw mills and fulling mills located along the river were used by Bristol’s residents for years, the new mills that began appearing after 1800 were different. Unlike the earlier mills that helped the citizens transform their crops into materials that they could use to produce food or clothing for their families, the new mills were built to manufacture items for sale. As the nation expanded, producing products that could be marketed and sold in other areas of the country presented new opportunities. In the end, it would be the production and peddling of clocks that would secure Bristol’s opportunity for growth.

Not far from Bristol in the adjoining town of Plymouth, an innovative clockmaker named Eli Terry and his associates, Seth Thomas and Silas Hoadley, set up a clock manufacturing concern that would revolutionize the use of waterpower. Instead of producing clocks one-by-one, Terry developed a system that harnessed the power of water and helped him mass-produce clock gears made from wood. In addition, he trained unskilled laborers to use the mass-produced gears to build clockworks in an assembly line fashion. Little did he know the impact that his actions would have on the development of the neighboring town of Bristol. 

Terry’s success enabled him to experiment with another idea of his which would make it possible for more than just the wealthy to own clocks. He sold his first factory to his associates and went on to perfect the design and production of the pillar and scroll shelf clock.   This was the first example of a clock that could be sold complete with a case and instead of standing on the floor, it could be placed on a shelf. Prior to this revolutionary, compact design, the clockworks and tallcase cabinet had to be produced and purchased separately which was very expensive. 

Due in part to Terry’s great success, many individuals joined the industry. By combining Terry’s manufacturing methods and the system of distribution that had been established by the Yankee peddlers, along with their business know-how from farming, Bristol’s citizens began to transform Bristol into an industrial-based economy. Clockmaking and its associated industries were such an integral part of Bristol’s make-up, that Bristol reportedly had about 280 firms engaged in the clock industry at one time or another. Clockmakers like the Ives and Jerome brothers, Welch, Hubbell, Brown, Atkins, Boardman, Brewster, Sessions and Ingraham opened shops in Bristol and began to produce large quantities of movements and encased shelf clocks. In fact, it was the Jerome brothers who were responsible for designing a shelf clock that was outfitted with mass-produced brass gears. By applying Terry’s innovative mass-production method to rolled brass, they were able to stamp out clock gears in large quantities. The result not only expanded the industry, but also expanded the marketing opportunities because the clocks could be successfully shipped overseas. 

Area merchants, who at one time had been satisfied to be the link between the clockmakers and peddlers, expanded their involvement by setting up their own clockmaking concerns or employing cabinetmakers to encase the clockworks that they purchased in large quantities from local clockmakers. One such merchant, George Mitchell, was responsible for bringing many individuals that specialized in making clock movements and cases to town. Among them was a Glastonbury cabinetmaker named Elias Ingraham. Working as a casemaker and designer, Ingraham eventually became involved as a principle in a number of companies that produced clocks and/or cases. It was not until 1865, five years after the formation of E. Ingraham & Company, that a department devoted to the manufacture of clock movements was incorporated into the company. This gave him the opportunity to expand the business and begin to manufacture clocks that were indeed Ingraham-made.

Through the years, due to increased mechanization and the high price of machinery necessary to produce their products, smaller clock shops and clock-related industries were forced to close. Some of the smaller shop owners moved on to work for the larger remaining clock companies. E. Ingraham & Company and Sessions Clock Company eventually rose as the two remaining clock companies in Bristol. Although their industrial influence was felt worldwide, perhaps the greatest impact that these companies made was on the growth of Bristol as a town. Just as the river had dictated the early industrial growth and settlement of Bristol, the Sessions and Ingraham companies influenced its later development.

Along with other manufacturers that set up in town, the Sessions and Ingraham companies established themselves near the river in order to take advantage of the waterpower. The massive plants not only dominated the areas in which they stood, but dictated the growth of their surrounding areas. Essentially, as these plants grew, so did Bristol. Evidence of the Sessions’s factory influence can be seen in the commercial district and cluster of housing that initially grew adjacent to the plant in Forestville. Likewise, Ingraham’s influence can be seen in Bristol’s downtown area. The movement shop, spanning 200 feet long and four stories high that once stood on North Main Street, acted as a cornerstone of the downtown’s commercial center. 

Called upon by the government during World War II to cease the production of clocks and watches and gear up for war production, these companies answered the call and employed record numbers as they worked around the clock to fill the orders. People from surrounding towns as well as newly arrived immigrants from foreign countries came to settle in Bristol to fill these positions. This influx of people influenced the housing that was built in Bristol. Many newcomers who were encouraged by family members to come to town for employment, often boarded with family members until they established themselves. Thereafter, they settled in apartments, multi-family dwellings, industry-inspired housing projects like Cambridge Park or Victory Heights or single-family company houses. Except for the housing projects that were developed in outlying areas, most of the housing was concentrated in and around the factories. A good example of this can be found on Federal Hill. Adjacent to the downtown commercial district, much of the housing and architecture of this area was influenced by the housing needs of the workers and owners of the nearby Ingraham factory.  

In the years following WWII, the affiliation with the government through military contracts began to subside and the clock factories began the process of gearing up for post-war production. As they began the retooling process, they started to realize that much of their equipment for clock production was quite antiquated. They also observed another phenomenon that had the potential to threaten Bristol’s reputation as the world’s center for clock manufacturing. In an effort to encourage better trade relations after the war, the United States was importing more goods from foreign countries. Edward Ingraham, President of the Ingraham company, observed the trend and feared the impact it might have on the clock and watch industry. Since many of the imported clocks and watches were gaining in popularity due in part to their affordable prices, he feared that the domestic companies might not be able to compete and eventually be pushed out of the market. Not only would this impact Bristol’s industrial economy, but its proud clockmaking heritage might be lost forever.

On October 24, 1952 Edward Ingraham met with a group of area businessmen at The Town Club (now the Dupont Funeral Home) on Bellevue Avenue to discuss his concerns. They decided to establish a museum that would be dedicated to educating the public about the clockmaking heritage of the area. Although they had considered housing the museum in a building located next to the North Main Street plant or erecting a more modern building on Route 6, they decided to purchase the 1801 home of Miles Lewis located on Federal Hill. Since many of the products that the clock companies produced were used in residential settings, the committee thought that a house would provide the perfect setting to showcase and display the clocks. After some modifications the Bristol Clock Museum opened its doors in 1954 with over 300 clocks on display. In 1958 the name of the museum was changed to the American Clock & Watch Museum to reflect the expanded scope of the collection.  

Mr. Ingraham’s foresight and subsequent formation of the museum proved to be providential. During the 1960s the local clock industry witnessed many changes. The E. Ingraham & Co. left its North Main Street factory in 1964 and moved to a smaller factory in Forestville located in the Redstone Hill Industrial Park. The company was sold to the McGraw-Hill conglomerate in 1967. The movement shop that once helped to define the commercial center of downtown was demolished in 1969. Like the Ingraham Company, the Sessions Clock Company was sold to an outside conglomerate and clock production ceased at the Forestville plant in 1968. However, unlike the Ingraham movement shop, a major portion of the Sessions factory complex still dominates East Main Street in Forestville.      

Over the years the American Clock & Watch Museum has expanded from the original historic home and now boasts over 10,000 square feet of exhibit space. In addition, the collection has expanded to over 4,000 timepieces. Each year the museum hosts over 5,000 visitors. This number includes casual drop-in visitors, school group tours, adult bus tours and clock and watch enthusiasts from around the world. With more expansions planned for the future, Edward Ingraham’s dream continues to thrive; the rich clockmaking heritage of a city whose land was once overlooked, has been preserved for future generations.