Flanders, William Thomas

WILLIAM THOMAS  FLANDERS

William Thomas Flanders, who is regarded as an authority upon anything connected with galvanizing, having gained expert knowledge and skill along that line by reason of long experience and wide study, has been instrumental in installing many of the galvanizing plants in the leading productive industries of the country. New Hampshire numbers him among her native sons, his birth having occurred in Moultonboro, Carroll county, October 2, 1853, his parents being E. H. and Melissa Bloomfield (Smith) Flanders. The father was born in Alton, Belknap county, New Hampshire, and was a son of Thomas Flanders. The progenitor of the family in America was one of the original settlers of Massachusetts and his grandson blazed his way up to New Hampshire through an unbroken wilderness and became one of the first settlers in that state. E. H. Flanders obtained his education in Carroll county, New Hampshire. He became a prosperous farmer and spent practically his entire life at Moultonboro but eventually retired from active business and removed to Nashua, New Hampshire, where he made his home until his death, which occurred at the home of his daughter. His wife was born in Moultonboro and she, too, passed away in Nashua.

William T. Flanders was educated in the schools of Laconia, New Hampshire, where he made his home with a sister in order to have the advantages of the schools of that place. After attending the district school near the farm he studied at the Guilford Academy at Laconia. Later he served an apprenticeship in the office of the Laconia Democrat, learning the printer's trade, which he afterward followed in various towns of New England and of Pennsylvania, spending some time at Manchester, New Hampshire, at Boston and at Philadelphia. He was connected with the printing trade from 1869 until 1876 and in that year entered the employ of the White Mountain Ice Cream Freezer Company, being assigned to duty in the galvanizing department of the factory. He learned the galvanizing business there and between 1876 and 18S9 had charge of the galvanizing and tinning department for that company. He had made a complete study of galvanizing and had developed expert skill in that connection. In 1889 he resigned his position to engage in the business of equipping and installing galvanizing departments in large manufacturing plants. These were of his own design and construction and he took contracts for their installation, putting in plants for the Reading Iron Company at Reading, Pennsylvania, and for the American Tube & Iron Company at Middletown, Pennsylvania, these being the two largest galvanizing plants in America at that time. He also installed many others. In 1901 he entered the employ of the Malleable Iron Fittings Company at Branford to take charge of the galvanizing department and has remained in this connection since that time. He is one of America's leading authorities on galvanizing and tinning and in 1911 he published the results of his experience and knowledge in a volume entitled "Galvanizing and Tinning," this being a compilation of many articles which he had previously written on the subject and which had appeared in the Iron Age, the Metal Worker and other industrial and trade papers. In 1915 he put out the second edition of this work, which is an exhaustive one, covering every process of coating metal. He stands today in the front ranks as a representative of galvanizing work and is called in consultation by many of the largest iron manufacturing companies of the country for advice on galvanizing systems and for assistance in solving their galvanizing difficulties. He also receives letters from all over the world seeking information and advice concerning this subject.

On the 19th of March, 1876, Mr. Flanders was united in marriage at Laconia, New Hampshire, to Miss Julia Dallison, who was born and reared in Philadelphia and went to Laconia with her parents, George and Mary (Marston) Dallison, who were natives of Leicestershire, England, where the father learned the trade of stocking making by the old hand Fram system, which was then used in England. He afterward emigrated to Philadelphia, where he engaged in stocking manufacturing and later removed to Laconia, New Hampshire, where he continued in the same line of business. Both he and his wife passed away in Laconia. To Mr. and Mrs. Flanders have been born two children: Harry, who was born in Laconia and died in infancy; and Bessie May, who was born in Laconia and is the wife of Harry A. Smith, who is associated with her father in business. They have two children: Warren Flanders, who was born in Branford; and Barbara, also born in Branford.

In politics Mr. Flanders is a republican and for three years he served on the board of finance of Branford but has never been an office seeker and has constantly refused to become a candidate for political positions. He is a prominent Mason, belonging to Widows Son Lodge, No. 66, F. & A. M., of which lie is a past master; to Pulaski Chapter, R. A. M., of Fairhaven; Crawford Council, R. & S. M.; and to Hejoz Grotto, No. 2. M. O. U. P. E. R., of New Haven. He is likewise a member of Woodland Lodge, K. P., of Branford, and he belongs to the Masonic Club of New York city, to the Union League Club of New Haven, to the Branford Business Men's Association and to various local social clubs. He has erected a fine residence in Branford, where he is now pleasantly located. His constant progress in his business career has won him success, but more to him than the material rewards of his labors are the results which he has achieved in his given line, his contribution to the world's work being indeed valuable, his name in connection with galvanizing being known throughout the length and breadth of the land.
 
 

Modern History of New Haven
and 
Eastern New Haven County

Illustrated

Volume II

New York – Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company 
1918

pgs 300 - 303

 
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NEW HAVEN 
COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES
pages / text are copyrighted by
Elaine Kidd O'Leary & 
Anne Taylor-Czaplewski
May 2002