Nahum Bailey (1793-1876)
Compiled by Andrew W. Pollock III
 

Nahum Bailey, a prolific auger manufacturer in Kingston, Massachusetts, was born in 1793, the son of Eliphalet Bailey and Martha Robinson. In September 1817 he was married to Christiana Drew Washburn, by whom he had several children. He died in October 1876.

Little information has been found about Bailey's early life and career. No information has come to light about Nahum's apprenticeship, although it is supposed that he learned the trade of auger making from Daniel Bisbee or Thomas Cushman, both of whom were older than Nahum and both were Kingston residents.

Nahum is believed to have first manufactured his own augers in a little shop on the Boston Road in Kingston. The Local History Room at the Kingston Public Library in Kingston, Massachusetts has a photograph of a small building identified by Emily Drew as having been Nahum Bailey's workshop.

In 1815, Nahum Bailey bought out Thomas Cushman's interest in the Stony Brook Iron Works, which was located off Maple Street, a short distance from Kingston Center, and it is presumed that he soon started manufacturing augers at this new location. It appears that although the facilities of the Stony Brook Iron Works were shared by Nahum Bailey and his partners Seth Drew and Seth Washburn (the latter being Nahum's father-in-law), that each of the partners operated as seperate business entities, accordingly Nahum Bailey's augers are marked N. BAILEY rather than STONY BROOK IRON WORKS or something similar.

From Christopher P. Drew's notes, the compiler infers that Nahum Bailey's share of the Stony Brook Iron works was originally 15%. If my interpretation of Christopher's notes are correct, out of every work period of 20 days, Nahum Bailey would have use of the water power for 3 days, Seth Drew for 10 days, and Seth Washburn for 7 days. Emily Drew writes: There "were two shops [at the Stony Brook Iron Works]. Grandfather [Seth] Drew owned one, where he did ship work (?). The others was owned by Uncle Seth Washburn (?). Mr. Nahum Bailey put up a finishing shop while he did his forging at Uncle Seth Washburn's."

Prior to 1831, Nahum Bailey acquired Seth Washburn's share of the Stony Brook Iron Works becoming a 50% owner, and entitled to the use of 50% of the water power at the Stony Brook privilege.

Nahum Bailey had at least two apprentices: Christopher Prince Drew and Thomas Bailey, the founders of C. DREW & CO.; both learned the trade of auger manufacturing from "Uncle Nahum" as he was called.

In 1866 Nahum Bailey retired from business, selling out his interest in the Stony Brook privilege to Caleb Bates. No obituary marking Nahum's death has come to the compiler's attention.

Caleb Bates eventually built a double walled stone and earth dam at the Stony Brook privilege, enlarging the pond and thereby augmenting the water power available. The enlarged pond was to cover the spot where Nahum Bailey's auger shop was located, and accordingly the old auger shop was torn down as being too old to be of further use.

It appears that Nahum Bailey was Kingston's most prolific auger manufacturer. The compiler was able to locate and acquire for his collection a total of 17 N. BAILEY augers in the space of less than a year (February to November 2002). Most of these were found in antique shops in New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont. It seems likely that hundreds of Bailey's augers may still exist.

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