Ethan Allen Street
From Worcester Activist wiki
“Donovan… jumped a claim, and when the rightful owner warned him off, he drew an Allen pepperbox,” wrote Alfred T. Jackson in “Diary of a Forty- Niner,” published in 1920.
That was in the bearded, rough and tumble days of the California Gold Rush, when miners swaggered so much doctors built up a huge practice in dislocated hips.
Everyone packed an Allen pepperbox in those days. It was heavy for its length, unwieldy and inaccurate – but looked good on the hip.
The pepperbox, a self-cocking revolver, was invented by a Worcester man who made his fortune in guns. Franklin P. Rice, Worcester historian, credits him with preceding Colt.
Ethan Allen – no relation to the Green Mountain boy – was born in Bellingham Sept. 2, 1806. He had a common school education, then became an apprentice in a machine shop in Franklin.
At 21, he set up shop himself and in 1831 began to make cutlery in Milford. Soon he moved to Grafton, where he put out knives and cobbler tools. He built a small factory in 1833; began to make small arms, “saw handled rifled dueling pistols and walking stick guns.” In 1837 he moved to Norwich, Conn., for about 10 years and then to Worcester.
He invented several other types of revolving pistols; a breech loading rifle; machinery for manufacturing firearms. His most important invention was probably machinery for the manufacture of metallic cartridges.
He built the first metallic cartridge factory in the world in 1860. It gave the American firearms industry one of its greatest thrusts.
Allen went into partnership with his brothers-in-law. The concern became Allen & Thurber; Allen, Thurber & Co.; Allen & Wheelock, the Ethan Allen & Co.
He bought a large estate from Abiel Jaques; built a huge white mansion on spacious grounds.
Allen died Jan. 7, 1871, at 64, leaving one son, William Ethan. He died in 1893.
“All of his creations were characterized by the extreme simplicity that seems on of the higher marks of a truly great invention,” said Allen’s friend, Rev. H. L. Wayland, a Baptist pastor.
Ethan Allen street, named in 1927, connects Murray avenue and Jaques avenue. It honors a pioneer inventor of weapons.
The core of this article comes from A History of Your City Streets.
