At the beginning of the seventeenth century two Indian families-Iroquois and Algonquins-lived in western Massachusetts and what is now known as Blandford was a part of their hunting ground. Among the later tribe there was a tradition to the effect that in the moon there lived an aged woman who was weaving a basket and that when she finished her work the world would be destroyed. Every time there was an eclipse of the moon they thought a dog had destroyed the basket which necessitated that the aged woman should start her work all over again.
When people weave a legendary tale around an art it is an indication that to them the art is important and that they have practiced it for countless ages. Apparently no people are so primitive that they do not know about it. In primeval times basketwork was a branch of the art of weaving, and both of these arts grew out of the still more primitive one of wattling.
A basket is a utensil made of osier twigs or other flexible materials, such as rushes, strips of wood, splits of bamboo or rattan, and used for holding and carrying varied sorts of commodities. Baskets woven by the natives in South America are capable of holding liquids. On account of its lightness combined with strength and durability, basketwork is preferred to joinery in the manufacture of many varied commodities.
The word basket is of Britanno-Celtic origin. Around the middle of the past century William C. Higgins of the fifth generation of basket manufacturers in Massachusetts, moved from Ringville (Worthington) to Blandford and established a factory. From Mr. Lyman Gibbs, Mr. Higgins purchased a tract of land in the North Village bordering both banks of Wheeler's brook.
In those days the stream afforded ample power for the operation of a water wheel. White ash timber was plentiful in the township and out of this material the baskets were made. The trees were felled and drawn to the shop yard for trimming. The logs were then split into sections and the sections steamed. Subjected to pounding by a trip hammer the sections of wood were separated into strips which were planed. Having provided a sufficient quantity of strips of greater length than the proposed dimensions of the finished work, a number of strips were placed on a wooden form in parallel pairs at small intervals in the direction of the longer diameter of the basket. This formed the woof, so to speak.
The strips were then crossed at right angles with corresponding strips. Next each of the latter were woven alternately over and under the length wise parallel pieces and thus the parallel pieces were held fast; and this formed the "slath" - the foundation. Next the end of one of the two tranversed strips were woven under the length-wise strips all around the bottom till the whole strip was worked in; and the same was done with the other transverse strip and then additional strips were woven in until the bottom was of the required size.
After finishing the bottom, work began on the super structure by driving a sufficient number of strips between the strips at the bottom from the edge toward the center. These formed the ribs or skeleton and were set up in the direction of the sides. Between these ribs other strips were woven in until the structure reached the desired length. The edge was finished by multiple stripping of the circumference.
Many innovations in basket making were introduced by Mr. Higgins. These related largely to reinforcements which gave added durability to finished product. A patent was granted for the Higgins basket by the authorities in Washington on April 1st, 1873.
Mr. Higgins specialized in all kinds of Cotton, Woolen, Paper, Elevator, Sorting, Shoe, Silk, Laundry, Steam, and Farm Baskets. The shop was equipped to manufacture baskets of odd sizes and shapes including the small darning and the large balloon baskets, many of which are still in existence.
With the passing of the years water power was replaced by steam. Upon the death of Mr. Higgins the business was incorporated under the name of the William C. Higgins' Sons and was conducted by two sons, Lee and Ira Higgins. After forty years of operation the raw material of white ash became largely extinct in Blandford which necessitated hauling trees by oxen and horses from as far away as Tolland. This additional overhead expense coupled with the fact that the company was under the expense of hauling the finished product six miles to a railroad for shipment made it advisable to discontinue the business. This was done in the year 1905. Much of the equipment was purchased by the Ballou Company and has been installed in their factory at Becket, Mass. On the foundation of the basket factory in North Blandford, Dr. Frank A. Higgins, a grandson of William C. Higgins, has erected a summer home which he has named Camp Drowsy Dale.
When people weave a legendary tale around an art it is an indication that to them the art is important and that they have practiced it for countless ages. Apparently no people are so primitive that they do not know about it. In primeval times basketwork was a branch of the art of weaving, and both of these arts grew out of the still more primitive one of wattling.
A basket is a utensil made of osier twigs or other flexible materials, such as rushes, strips of wood, splits of bamboo or rattan, and used for holding and carrying varied sorts of commodities. Baskets woven by the natives in South America are capable of holding liquids. On account of its lightness combined with strength and durability, basketwork is preferred to joinery in the manufacture of many varied commodities.
The word basket is of Britanno-Celtic origin. Around the middle of the past century William C. Higgins of the fifth generation of basket manufacturers in Massachusetts, moved from Ringville (Worthington) to Blandford and established a factory. From Mr. Lyman Gibbs, Mr. Higgins purchased a tract of land in the North Village bordering both banks of Wheeler's brook.
In those days the stream afforded ample power for the operation of a water wheel. White ash timber was plentiful in the township and out of this material the baskets were made. The trees were felled and drawn to the shop yard for trimming. The logs were then split into sections and the sections steamed. Subjected to pounding by a trip hammer the sections of wood were separated into strips which were planed. Having provided a sufficient quantity of strips of greater length than the proposed dimensions of the finished work, a number of strips were placed on a wooden form in parallel pairs at small intervals in the direction of the longer diameter of the basket. This formed the woof, so to speak.
The strips were then crossed at right angles with corresponding strips. Next each of the latter were woven alternately over and under the length wise parallel pieces and thus the parallel pieces were held fast; and this formed the "slath" - the foundation. Next the end of one of the two tranversed strips were woven under the length-wise strips all around the bottom till the whole strip was worked in; and the same was done with the other transverse strip and then additional strips were woven in until the bottom was of the required size.
After finishing the bottom, work began on the super structure by driving a sufficient number of strips between the strips at the bottom from the edge toward the center. These formed the ribs or skeleton and were set up in the direction of the sides. Between these ribs other strips were woven in until the structure reached the desired length. The edge was finished by multiple stripping of the circumference.
Many innovations in basket making were introduced by Mr. Higgins. These related largely to reinforcements which gave added durability to finished product. A patent was granted for the Higgins basket by the authorities in Washington on April 1st, 1873.
Mr. Higgins specialized in all kinds of Cotton, Woolen, Paper, Elevator, Sorting, Shoe, Silk, Laundry, Steam, and Farm Baskets. The shop was equipped to manufacture baskets of odd sizes and shapes including the small darning and the large balloon baskets, many of which are still in existence.
With the passing of the years water power was replaced by steam. Upon the death of Mr. Higgins the business was incorporated under the name of the William C. Higgins' Sons and was conducted by two sons, Lee and Ira Higgins. After forty years of operation the raw material of white ash became largely extinct in Blandford which necessitated hauling trees by oxen and horses from as far away as Tolland. This additional overhead expense coupled with the fact that the company was under the expense of hauling the finished product six miles to a railroad for shipment made it advisable to discontinue the business. This was done in the year 1905. Much of the equipment was purchased by the Ballou Company and has been installed in their factory at Becket, Mass. On the foundation of the basket factory in North Blandford, Dr. Frank A. Higgins, a grandson of William C. Higgins, has erected a summer home which he has named Camp Drowsy Dale.
