"Little Wringer" makes big difference in Laundry History
- President, Waterbury Historical Society
- Oct 8
- 2 min read
Last week, the monthly Pop-up Library and History Artifact presentation at the Senior Center featured the Colby Little Wringer, a "new and improved device for wringing clothes," patented in 1860 by George J. Colby for Colby Bros. Manufacturing in Waterbury.
Marketed as the Colby Little Wringer, the device was described by Scientific American in its January 12, 1861 issue:
The object of it is to...obviate the labor of wringing, which is the hardest part of the work. This invention consists of a very simple attachment to a common washing tub, or it may be attached to a washing machine, with which, by turning a crank handle, and running the clothes between a pair of pressure rollers, the water is pressed out, and they drop into a basket underneath ready for drying.
George J. Colby and his brother, Edwin A., originally from Bolton, Vermont, came to Waterbury in 1856 and purchased about 30 acres of land and an old starch factory, which included a water privilege on the nearby stream, now known as Thatcher Brook. This parcel was located approximately where the Shaw's grocery store presently stands, on the east side of Route 100 and south of Laurel Lane.
In their early 20s, the entrepreneurial brothers took advantage of the extensive presence of willow trees on the property to establish a willow peeling plant, capitalizing on George's recent patent for a willow peeling machine.
By 1867, Colby Bros. Manufacturing had expanded to willow cabs, clothes wringers, children's vehicles, and chairs. About fifteen company buildings and 10 dwelling houses comprised their "campus," leading to the area being known as Colbyville. In the early 1870s, however, the brothers sold the business to the Montpelier Manufacturing Company.
As part of the presentation, Librarian DeAnna brought some books on laundry history and the history of the Colbyville area available for checkout.
