The tannery building was thirty feet wide and sixty-eight feet long and was three stories high. The vats used in the tannery were made of pine planks; each vat was four feet wide, four feet deep, and eight feet long. Some of them lasted as long as the tannery itself. The tops of all the vats in the tannery were on the level with the floor. Underneath the vats, from numbers 12 to 21, there was a trough about 8 inches square. This trough ran under the vats to the "junk" in the corner. Each vat was equipped with a two inch hole and a plug in the bottom, which connected with the trough. When the liquor in the vat became weak, it was drained off through this hole, the waste running through to the junk. After being strengthened with fresh tanbark, the liquor in the junk could be used again and again. Vats numbered 1 to 11 had a trough under them that ran underneath the floor and came out near the water wheel. When these vats were drawn off, the water, lime, or whatever liquor was in the vats, ran into the brook and down stream.
Bark was thrown in at the side door of the tannery, and pushed through a hole in the floor to the bark mill which was located on the top floor over the end of the tannery above the water wheel. The shaft of the wheel ran directly up from the water wheel to the bark mill. The ground bark was dropped through to the second floor where there was a track with a truck running on it. There it was shoveled into large four-bushel baskets, manufactured by Higgins and Sons of North Blandford, and carried out on the truck to the leach. It took about seventy-five bushels of ground tanbark to fill the leach. The leach had a copper boiler inside and water from the junk in the lower corner was pumped into it. The leach was pumped full, with enough water to fill one of the vats.
After the water was pumped into the leach, a fire was built in the heater. It would take a day to heat the leach to the boiling point and get the strength out of the tanbark. After this cooled the next day, the tanbark liquor was drawn out and run through troughs to the vats where it was to be used.
All the hides, when brought into the tannery were put into vats number one and two. Twenty-five hides were put in each of these vats which contained nothing but water. The hides were soaked in this water for about a week. They were then taken out of the vat and spread on the floor. A large knife was used to split the hides down the back. After splitting, the hides were put through the water wheel. The water wheel in this tannery was about fourteen feet in diameter and eight feet wide. On each side of the wheel there was a 11⁄2 inch plank about a foot wide, fitted to the inside of the wheel to keep the hides in place on the wheel when it was running and the hides were being washed. The water wheel played an important part in the tannery as it washed the hides as clean as the water could make them.
After the hides were taken from the water wheel they were put into the lime. vats, numbers 1, 2, or 3. A three hundred twenty-five pound barrel of unslaked lime was used in each vat and the vat was filled to within a foot of the top with water. The hides were allowed to stay in the lime vats about three weeks, or until the hair came off easily. During this time, it was necessary to haul the hides out once a week and replace them so that the lime water would reach all parts of the hide, and the hair would come off all at once. At the end of the three weeks, the hides were taken out and put into the water wheel, ten sides at a time. The water wheel was then started and the hides would be washed clean and the hair all washed off. These hides were then soaked in vats numbers 5 and 6 in clear water for a day or so before they were put on the currier beam and shaved, that is, the flesh cut off the hides. They were then put into Vats 8 and 9 which were called "grainer" vats. They contained about twenty-five bushels of hen manure, a preparation which would take out all the lime that remained in the hides. In the summer- time, if a thunder shower came up, hides had to be taken out of the grainer vats and washed on the water wheel to prevent spoilage.
The hides were again washed before being put into vats 12-21 which contained the tanbark of hemlock liquor. They were first put into "weak" liquor, liquor that had been used before. After they were partly tanned through, they were taken out and put into vats with strong liquor and were kept there until thoroughly tanned.
In the early days, the farmers brought in light calf skins for fine shoes and heavy veal skins for heavy boots. These hides, after lying in the tanbark liquor vats, were taken out; the vats were taken outside, the liquor drawn off, and the vats cleaned out. The calf skins, thoroughly
tanned, were taken to the vats outside of the tannery. The bottom of the vat was covered with fresh ground tanbark and a calf skin laid on, spread out smooth over the bark, covered with more tanbark, and another calf skin was laid on top. This procedure was followed until all the calf skins on hand were in the vat. The vat was then filled with warm liquor from the leach and the calf skins were left in the vat for three or four years, according to the wants of the farmer. When they were taken out, they were taken to the "table", spread out flesh side up, and a hand. scraper was used to scrape the flesh and particles of tanbark off the hide. The skins. were then hung on poles, outside the tannery in the sun, to dry. When thoroughly dry, they were brought back into the shop, placed on the table and a light coat of liquid oil was applied to the grain or hair side. A "setting-out stone" was made of a piece of wood about 1/4 inches thick with a piece of glass about 3% inch thick and about 8 inches long set into it. The setting-out stone was used to rub all the wrinkles out of the skin. After this process, the skins were hung up inside and allowed to dry for awhile and then blacked.
The blacking preparation in those days was made in a large iron kettle which was filled full of scrap iron, chiefly old barrel- hoops. The kettle was filled with urine and left until the iron had mostly been eaten away. A quantity of the liquid was then taken out and put in a smaller dish and mixed with lamp black. The calf skin, on the flesh side, was covered with neat's-foot oil and then the lamp black mixture was applied over the surface with a brush. The setting-out stone was then used to rub the mixture thoroughly into the skin. Then a heavy coat of neat's-foot oil was again applied and the skin hung up to dry. When dry, it was again taken to the table and oil was thoroughly worked into the skin on top of the blacking. This made a very nice finish and would remain as long as the leather lasted.
The farmers used to keep a supply of skins at the tannery so that when their boots and shoes needed replacing they could have the skins finished up quickly. After the skins were taken home, the town cobbler came to the house and made boots and shoes for the entire family.
The process of making harness leather was practically the same as that of making boot and shoe leather with the exception that leather for harnesses was never taken outside of the tannery for drying.
Whip leather was made in the same way as shoe leather except that after the hides were taken from the water wheel, they were put in vats 6 and 7, and shaved clean from the flesh. Then they were put into vats 10 or 11 into a preparation of salt and alum. They were allowed to stay in this vat until thoroughly tanned, about a week or ten days. They were then dried outside. When dry, they were spread on the table, five sides at a time, and rolled up, tied with a string to keep them from unrolling, and taken to the whip manufacturers in Westfield.
To make drum-heads, the skins could not be put into lime as lime would make the finished drumheads white and spotted. The best drumheads were made from calf skins, or deacon skins brought from South America packed in hogsheads. After these skins were taken off the water wheel they were hung up by the hind leg in the "sweat". The sweat was about 7 feet high and made as tight as possible; it had two-by-fours nailed up along each side with nails driven in about one inch apart
on the sides. The end of the leg skin of these calf skins was split with a small knife and hooked onto one of these nails. The skins were hung up close together. The skins were allowed to stay in the sweat for a week or ten days, according to the weather, until the hair came off easily. They were put onto boards. Each board had a large hole in it. The skins were tacked onto the board over the hole so that the skin did not touch the board except on the edges. They were drawn tight and nailed every two inches around the edge. When dry, they were as clear as amber. It was possible to see to read a newspaper through them anywhere.
If we had winter hides with long hair, they would be taken from the lime vats and put on a large beam where the hides were spread. A scraper or knife was used to scrape off the hair and the hair was saved. It was put into barrels and when there was enough to wash, it was put in vat number 2 with clean water and thoroughly stirred up. This water was drawn off, and it was filled up again and stirred up until the lime was all washed from the hair. The hair was then taken, raked out with a rake onto the floor; the water was drained off from it; it was taken to an outside building and spread on the floor to dry. When the hair was thoroughly dry, it was packed in bags and sold for use in making plaster.
The boys in those early days, used to catch woodchucks and have the hides tanned in the bark for mittens. There was no hide that we tanned that was as tough as the woodchuck skin for mittens.
From a Book of Blandford Facts compiled by Plumb Brown M.D., a summer resident and local history buff of Blandford who died in 1947 leaving this typewritten manuscript in the care of Doris W. Hayden of Blandford.
Bark was thrown in at the side door of the tannery, and pushed through a hole in the floor to the bark mill which was located on the top floor over the end of the tannery above the water wheel. The shaft of the wheel ran directly up from the water wheel to the bark mill. The ground bark was dropped through to the second floor where there was a track with a truck running on it. There it was shoveled into large four-bushel baskets, manufactured by Higgins and Sons of North Blandford, and carried out on the truck to the leach. It took about seventy-five bushels of ground tanbark to fill the leach. The leach had a copper boiler inside and water from the junk in the lower corner was pumped into it. The leach was pumped full, with enough water to fill one of the vats.
After the water was pumped into the leach, a fire was built in the heater. It would take a day to heat the leach to the boiling point and get the strength out of the tanbark. After this cooled the next day, the tanbark liquor was drawn out and run through troughs to the vats where it was to be used.
All the hides, when brought into the tannery were put into vats number one and two. Twenty-five hides were put in each of these vats which contained nothing but water. The hides were soaked in this water for about a week. They were then taken out of the vat and spread on the floor. A large knife was used to split the hides down the back. After splitting, the hides were put through the water wheel. The water wheel in this tannery was about fourteen feet in diameter and eight feet wide. On each side of the wheel there was a 11⁄2 inch plank about a foot wide, fitted to the inside of the wheel to keep the hides in place on the wheel when it was running and the hides were being washed. The water wheel played an important part in the tannery as it washed the hides as clean as the water could make them.
After the hides were taken from the water wheel they were put into the lime. vats, numbers 1, 2, or 3. A three hundred twenty-five pound barrel of unslaked lime was used in each vat and the vat was filled to within a foot of the top with water. The hides were allowed to stay in the lime vats about three weeks, or until the hair came off easily. During this time, it was necessary to haul the hides out once a week and replace them so that the lime water would reach all parts of the hide, and the hair would come off all at once. At the end of the three weeks, the hides were taken out and put into the water wheel, ten sides at a time. The water wheel was then started and the hides would be washed clean and the hair all washed off. These hides were then soaked in vats numbers 5 and 6 in clear water for a day or so before they were put on the currier beam and shaved, that is, the flesh cut off the hides. They were then put into Vats 8 and 9 which were called "grainer" vats. They contained about twenty-five bushels of hen manure, a preparation which would take out all the lime that remained in the hides. In the summer- time, if a thunder shower came up, hides had to be taken out of the grainer vats and washed on the water wheel to prevent spoilage.
The hides were again washed before being put into vats 12-21 which contained the tanbark of hemlock liquor. They were first put into "weak" liquor, liquor that had been used before. After they were partly tanned through, they were taken out and put into vats with strong liquor and were kept there until thoroughly tanned.
In the early days, the farmers brought in light calf skins for fine shoes and heavy veal skins for heavy boots. These hides, after lying in the tanbark liquor vats, were taken out; the vats were taken outside, the liquor drawn off, and the vats cleaned out. The calf skins, thoroughly
tanned, were taken to the vats outside of the tannery. The bottom of the vat was covered with fresh ground tanbark and a calf skin laid on, spread out smooth over the bark, covered with more tanbark, and another calf skin was laid on top. This procedure was followed until all the calf skins on hand were in the vat. The vat was then filled with warm liquor from the leach and the calf skins were left in the vat for three or four years, according to the wants of the farmer. When they were taken out, they were taken to the "table", spread out flesh side up, and a hand. scraper was used to scrape the flesh and particles of tanbark off the hide. The skins. were then hung on poles, outside the tannery in the sun, to dry. When thoroughly dry, they were brought back into the shop, placed on the table and a light coat of liquid oil was applied to the grain or hair side. A "setting-out stone" was made of a piece of wood about 1/4 inches thick with a piece of glass about 3% inch thick and about 8 inches long set into it. The setting-out stone was used to rub all the wrinkles out of the skin. After this process, the skins were hung up inside and allowed to dry for awhile and then blacked.
The blacking preparation in those days was made in a large iron kettle which was filled full of scrap iron, chiefly old barrel- hoops. The kettle was filled with urine and left until the iron had mostly been eaten away. A quantity of the liquid was then taken out and put in a smaller dish and mixed with lamp black. The calf skin, on the flesh side, was covered with neat's-foot oil and then the lamp black mixture was applied over the surface with a brush. The setting-out stone was then used to rub the mixture thoroughly into the skin. Then a heavy coat of neat's-foot oil was again applied and the skin hung up to dry. When dry, it was again taken to the table and oil was thoroughly worked into the skin on top of the blacking. This made a very nice finish and would remain as long as the leather lasted.
The farmers used to keep a supply of skins at the tannery so that when their boots and shoes needed replacing they could have the skins finished up quickly. After the skins were taken home, the town cobbler came to the house and made boots and shoes for the entire family.
The process of making harness leather was practically the same as that of making boot and shoe leather with the exception that leather for harnesses was never taken outside of the tannery for drying.
Whip leather was made in the same way as shoe leather except that after the hides were taken from the water wheel, they were put in vats 6 and 7, and shaved clean from the flesh. Then they were put into vats 10 or 11 into a preparation of salt and alum. They were allowed to stay in this vat until thoroughly tanned, about a week or ten days. They were then dried outside. When dry, they were spread on the table, five sides at a time, and rolled up, tied with a string to keep them from unrolling, and taken to the whip manufacturers in Westfield.
To make drum-heads, the skins could not be put into lime as lime would make the finished drumheads white and spotted. The best drumheads were made from calf skins, or deacon skins brought from South America packed in hogsheads. After these skins were taken off the water wheel they were hung up by the hind leg in the "sweat". The sweat was about 7 feet high and made as tight as possible; it had two-by-fours nailed up along each side with nails driven in about one inch apart
on the sides. The end of the leg skin of these calf skins was split with a small knife and hooked onto one of these nails. The skins were hung up close together. The skins were allowed to stay in the sweat for a week or ten days, according to the weather, until the hair came off easily. They were put onto boards. Each board had a large hole in it. The skins were tacked onto the board over the hole so that the skin did not touch the board except on the edges. They were drawn tight and nailed every two inches around the edge. When dry, they were as clear as amber. It was possible to see to read a newspaper through them anywhere.
If we had winter hides with long hair, they would be taken from the lime vats and put on a large beam where the hides were spread. A scraper or knife was used to scrape off the hair and the hair was saved. It was put into barrels and when there was enough to wash, it was put in vat number 2 with clean water and thoroughly stirred up. This water was drawn off, and it was filled up again and stirred up until the lime was all washed from the hair. The hair was then taken, raked out with a rake onto the floor; the water was drained off from it; it was taken to an outside building and spread on the floor to dry. When the hair was thoroughly dry, it was packed in bags and sold for use in making plaster.
The boys in those early days, used to catch woodchucks and have the hides tanned in the bark for mittens. There was no hide that we tanned that was as tough as the woodchuck skin for mittens.
From a Book of Blandford Facts compiled by Plumb Brown M.D., a summer resident and local history buff of Blandford who died in 1947 leaving this typewritten manuscript in the care of Doris W. Hayden of Blandford.