John M. Russell Manufacturing Co.
Excerpt from Naugatuck Daily News – Saturday, August 31, 1946
World War II - History Edition
Russell Developed Slide Fastener For Morner Life Saver
The John M. Russell Mfg. Co. operated on a very active production basis throughout the World War II period.
From the time Great Britain entered the war and therefore drastically improved her Panel Board, this company made sure that the shipments and work assignments were fully posted as to its wartime facilities.
In coöperation with the special engineers used by the Army, Russell received the successful and final order for a vital Navy need and supplied the first all-metal slide fastener for nickel safety suits. These garments, however, were made of nickel silver as nickel became one of the very short and greatly needed metals that was needed for more essential items than canteen seams. To protect these steel chains from rusting, a special heavy electro Zing coating was used. The same tools normally used for producing house window chain were turned over exclusively for better than four years to producing these chains.
Fasteners of this type were used for gasoline and oil filler caps for airplanes and trucks, antenna holders for fuel tanks and cap rods.
Fasteners, particularly buckles, made by Russell, were used on aviation mechanics suits and rubber boots. A quick lock fastener was even for the famous Morner life saving suit.
Although copper bearing materials were outlawed for plumbing, Russell was able to help serve the civilian home front as well as Army depots and federal fixed projects with these heavily galvanized items.
Excerpt from Naugatuck Daily News – Monday, September 15, 1947
Industrial Exhibit Supplement
Sons Carry On Business Started In 1904 By Late John M. Russell
The John M. Russell Manufacturing Company, Inc., was founded in Woodbury, Conn., in 1904 by the man whose name the company still bears, the late John Moore Russell.
The company started in with a few machines for making plumber's chain, and in 1908 the founder located at the present site on Rubber avenue, Millville, Naugatuck, forming a corporation at that time. He remained as the president until his death.
In later years his sons, John Curtis Russell and Theodore Barnum Russell after their schooling, went to work in the business and upon the founder's death, March 4, 1924, Theodore Russell became president, treasurer and general manager, Curtis Russell, vice-president and assistant treasurer, and Miss Dorothy E. Jones (Mrs. William S. Heyniger), secretary.
Nationally Established
The company in the past twenty-five years has become nationally established through considerable increase in its size of plant, manufacturing facilities and personnel as manufacturers of a full line of sash chain, safety chain, jack chain and wire sprocket chain, also plumbers specialties and special buckles and fasteners. In peacetimes the company’s principal outlets for its goods are through manufacturers requiring chain as part of their products, hardware and plumbing jobbers and rubber and leather shoe manufacturers. During World Wars I and II the company served its country very actively making chain and buckles for the U. S. Army, Navy and Air Corps and a special dental implement was designed by the company’s present president for the Army suites of emergency life saving kits and manufactured by this company. Several other articles so designed are being manufactured by the company.
The company’s location along Long Meadow brook has for nearly 100 years been an industrial site, the availability of water power having originally attracted a manufacturer of knives and another of wagon wheel spokes.
In addition to the company’s present activities in its presently enlarged three story building, it rents its other building, one half to the Millville Brass Foundry Company, which in turn makes all of the John M. Russell Co. castings for its plumbing products as well as castings for others, and the other half to the Hyllite Plating Company whose management is thoroughly versed in primarily the operation of chromium plating.
Naugatuck Daily News – Monday, September 15, 1947
Naugatuck Daily News – Monday, September 15, 1947