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WADE, John Franklin,
Muuufucturcr. Pnblic Official.
John Franklin Wade was born June 29,
iS/hi, at TallokaS, Brooks county, Georgia,
the son of Thomas and Mary (Oliver 1
Wade.
His early life was spent on a cotton
farm. He attended the schools of the vil-
lage. In his twenty-first year, not being
satisfied on the farm, he went to Florida
in search of other employment, and for a
time worked on orange groves. In Octo-
ber o\ [88l, he entered the employ of the
S. B. Hubbard Company, of Jacksonville.
Florida, a large wholesale and retail store
of hardware and building material. In
February, 1884, he traveled through
Texas, finally locating at Dallas. Not
finding employment there in the hardware
business, he worked on a farm near Dallas
until September, returning to Jackson-
ville, Florida, reentering the employ of the
S. B. Hubbard Company, remaining for
a few months until he had a better offer
with the Drew Hardware Company of
the same city. He remained there until
October, 1885, when he entered the employ
of the Rockwell cc Kinnie Company,
of Jacksonville, Florida, which position
he held until they closed out their busi-
ness in February, 1889. He left Jacksonville,
March 2, 1889, for Bristol, Connecticut,
and joined A. F. Rockwell, March
5, 1889. in starting the manufacturing of
what was then known as the New De-
parture Bell. He started as an ordinary
laborer, taking anything that came to
hand, having no experience in the manufacturing
business. The business was
later organized into the New Departure
Bell Company, continuing until 1896,
when it was changed to the New Departure
Manufacturing Company. He
worked up from the position of ordinary
laborer to that of contractor, thus serving
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65
for a year, and then was placed &fl Foreman
in one of the departments, remaining
in this position from nine to ten months,
lie was made general superintendent of
the plant, which position he held until
August, [904.
The German government had pas
laws whereby they would not protect any
foreign patents unless the goods were
manufactured in Germany. As he was
familiar with the manufacture of New
Departure goods, Mr. Rockwell selected
him as the man to establish a foreign
branch in Germany. Mr. Wade fulfilled
his mission most satisfactorily, remaining
in Germany as general manager of the
Xew Departure Manufacturing Company
until January, 1910. The company then
had an offer for the sale of their patents
in Germany which they accepted, and
their machinery was sold to parties in
Birmingham, England, and the business
closed out in Germany. After a short
time spent in Paris, Mr. Wade returned
to the United States, resuming connections
with the New Departure Manufac-
turing Company, continuing as general
superintendent until October, 1915, when
he severed his connections, becoming
works manager of the Bristol Brass Com-
pany, which position he holds at present.
He is a director of the Bristol Brass Company,
and of the Bryce Manufacturing
Company of Forestville, Connecticut.
Mr. Wade has long been active in Bris-
tol's public life. In 1899 he was elected
burgess on the Board of Wardens and
Burgesses. In 1901-02-03-04 he was
elected warden, his departure for Berlin,
Germany, interrupting his public service.
After his return to Bristol in February,
1910, he was reelected warden of the borough
in April and held that position until
the town and borough government were
united under the form of a city govern-
ment. He then had the honor of being