It was once again a hot and unpleasantly humid day. Nevertheless, I decided to go out to explore some local history.
Soap Factory
J.B. Williams Co., was established in 1849 by James Baker Williams. It was the first shaving soap manufacturer in the world. The company made men's toiletries over the next century, including shaving cream, talcum powder and such popular products as Williams' Genuine Yankee Soap, Aqua Velva and 'Lectric Shave.
In 1840 just seven people made all the soap in 1840 but by 1860, the payroll doubled. Men mixed the compounds, boiled the tallow and pressed the soap into bars. Women wrapped and labeled the products. It was one of the first factories to hire women. Ink and blacking -- shoe polish made from a base of apple cider jelly -- were soon added to the product line.
At its peak in the 1950s, the J.B. Williams Co. had a workforce of 230 and a string of well-known products -- Skol suntan lotion, Lectric Shave and Aqua Velva shaving lotions, Conti castile soaps and shampoos and more.
JB Williams Park
Further upstream from the factory is a park named after JB Williams, and for good reason. The company used the area as a water source and it was eventually used as a reservoir to provide water to local residents until the mid-1960s, when the town finally purchased the property.
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| All Trails Map side trip to pond marked Blue circle indicates campsite location |
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| historical remnants |
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| the pond |
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| historical remnant |
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| the main loop |
This was a really nicely done Boy Scout project!
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| there are some bootleg side trails worth checking out on my mountain bike |
Further Info
J.B. WILLIAMS PUT SOAP, GLASTONBURY ON THE MAP
Williams 1840 (Scroll down to see old products ads)
