Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

machines, and got $6 a month, and board,
which was one dollar more than any other
boy got." When eighteen years of age,
he was industriously employed at mak-
ing knives, in the town of Bristol, and at
that time almost succumbed to an attack
of typhus fever, which he contracted, pos-
sibly, during his faithful nursing of his
employer through a severe attack of the
disease. Shortly after his recovery, Mr.
Dimock went to Northampton, Massa-
chusetts, where in partnership with his
brother, Lucius Dimock, he ventured into
independent business and operated a ma-
chine shop there for a number of years.
One of their apprentices was George A.
Fairfield, who was destined later to rise
to prominent place in Hartford engineer-
ing circles, as the head of the Hartford
Machine Screw Company, and to hold
distinguished political and civic offices.
An important chapter in the life of Ira
Dimock had its beginning in 1853, following
a trip to New York City to attend
the World's Fair, the first American
attempt of its kind, and fashioned after
a World's Fair held in the Crystal Pal-
ace, London, England, in 1851. Returning
by boat to Norwich, Mr. Dimock met
on the steamer Dwight Campbell, "and the
two sat up most of the night discussing
a suggestion that they buy out George
and Albert Conant, who were running a
silk mill in the old Windham county town
of Mansfield, Connecticut." The follow-
ing day they began negotiations with the
Conant Brothers, and in a short period of
time became owners of the mill. At the
end of the first year of business by the
new owners it was discovered that the
mill had in that time been operated at a
loss to themselves of $5,000, a serious situation,
so much so that Mr. Campbell
resolved to dispose of his interest without
delay, which he did, Mr. Saunders, the
bookkeeper at the mill, purchasing his
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
275
interest. Mr. Dimock had confidence in
the future of the silk business and applied
himself determinedly to make his mill
yield a satisfactory profit instead of a
loss. Under the reconstructed company,
many improvements were introduced,
and at the end of the second year the balance
sheet showed the firm to have made
a profit of $8,000. Mr. Dimock proved
himself to be a man of great strength of
character, and two years later, during
the financial panic of 1857, when so many
of the leading manufacturing plants of the
country became hopelessly involved,
the Dimock-Saunders plant continued in
operation and, when the financial stringency
passed, went forward to increasing
prosperity. In course of time, Mr. Dimock
became interested in the Nonatuck
Silk Company, and spent considerable of
his time at the plants of that corporation
in Northampton and Florence, Massachu-
setts, and for many years prior to his
death was president of the company,
serving in that responsible capacity for
more than forty years, and the success of
the company was mainly due to his able di-
rection of its affairs. At most if the prin-
cipal meetings of the silk associations of
America, Mr. Dimock was an honored
guest at the speakers' table, and his
recommendations relating to the silk
manufacturing industry were given their
rightful place as emanating from the ex-
perience of a man of such long and nota-
bly successful connection with the indus-
try.
Mr. Dimock took great pride in the
fact that he was not only a natural mechanic,
but also a skilled one, thoroughly
understanding the working of machinery.
Apparently this gift was inherited from
his forebears, as not only Ira Dimock
but his three brothers, Martial, Edwin
and Lucius, were also of a natural mechanical
turn, and were well and widely