Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

setts. He seems to have inherited from
his father a strong bent toward things me-
chanical. After completing the courses in
the public schools of East Lee and Northampton,
he learned the trade of machinist
and tool maker in the shop of Webster
Herrick, in the latter town. On the completion
of his apprenticeship, Mr. Couch
found employment as toll and gauge
maker in the sewing machine shop at Flor-
ence, Massachusetts. He was there about
two years, leaving to become superintendent
of his father's machine shop, and
continued with him for twenty-three and
one-half years. The business continued to
grow, and by 1880 had assumed such pro-
portions that it had to be removed to
Florence, Massachusetts, to secure larger
quarters. In addition to a large machine
shop they also carried on a large foundry
and pattern shop. In 1889 the business
was sold and Mr. Couch remained with
the new owner for about one and one-half
years. He then went to Atlanta, Georgia,
as superintendent of the Atlanta Machine
Works. Mr. Couch was there only three
months and then returned to Florence,
where he had accepted a position as designer
of tools for the Whitney Fire Arms
Company. When he had been there about
a year the company went out of business,
and Mr. Couch entered the employ of the
Ames Sword Company, of Chicopee,
where he was placed in charge of a con-
tract for building fifty thousand revolv-
ers. This undertaking involved the de-
signing of special tools and the erection
of a factory, all of which was done under
Mr. Couch's supervision. After three
years Mr. Couch made another change,
becoming superintendent for the company
engaged in building the "Northampton"
bicycle. After two years he came to
Hartford as a designer of automatic machinery
for the Pratt & Whitney Com-
pany. A year and a half later he entered
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
342
the employ of the Whitney Manufacturing
Company, in which Mr. Amos Whitney,
of the Pratt & Whitney Company,
was interested. Mr. Couch remained with
this company twelve years as mechanical
engineer. Since that time he has lived
practically retired. While with the Pratt
& Whitney Company Mr. Couch designed
the only strictly automatic machine
shown at the Paris Exposition, according
to a statement of the "Scientific American."
This machine received the rough
castings of sewing-machine wheels in a
magazine, and from there the wheels were
placed automatically in position on a
lathe, where they were trued up, drilled
and finished without being touched by
hand.
For many years Mr. Couch was cor-
netist and alto soloist in the Florence
Brass Band, under R. W. Irwin, now
judge of the Superior Court of Massachu-
setts. He is a member of St. John's
Lodge, No. 4, Ancient Free and Accepted
Masons. He is also a member and past
grand of Nonoluth Lodge, Independent
Order of Odd Fellows, of Northampton,
and is a member of the Grand Lodge of
the State of Massachusetts. He was the
first chief patriarch of G. Fred Barnes Encampment,
Independent Order of Odd
Fellows, of Hartford, and is a member of
the Grand Encampment of Connecticut;
member of Meadow City Canton, Patriarchs
Militant, in which he holds a ma-
jor's commission. While a resident of
Northampton, Mr. Couch served as chairman
of the Democratic City Committee,
but since coming to Hartford has not been
an active political worker. In recent years
he has been identified with the Republican
party.
Mr. Couch married, June 15, 1869, Clara
Adele, born June 15, 1847, m East Lee,
Massachusetts, daughter of Rockwell
Denison Wilson, who was born in Stock-