The lower Hampden Emery Mill on the Chester and Becket Railroad Trail on Hampden Street in Chester, hard to believe it but that large building sat right there at the trailhead.  There was first a saw mill at this location built and operated by Erastus Fay, brother to Timothy Fay, Jr. who built the lower Fay Bedstead Factory, just upstream on Walker Brook.  In 1867 Erastus sold the mill to the Chester Iron Company who planned to erect a furnace on the site. (Springfield Union, 06/03/1864) The Chester Iron Company had been formed by Dr. Heman Lucas and James Ames to process what they thought was iron ore. The smelting failed but they subsequently learned that they had discovered emery so disbanded the Chester Iron Company, formed the Chester Emery Company and built an emery mill at this location.  At that time the Emery mines were at full operation.  You can see some remnants of the operation on the trail including the bases of the winches….very convenient the Old Mine was right at the factory’s back door.  Notice the stone building walls on both sides of Walker Brook when you hike the trail. Courtesy Chester Historical Society.

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