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1881 HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY, ILLINOIS
Inter-State Publishing Company
Chicago, Illinois, 1881






Page 679

CHARLES L. HOYT , Superintendent of the Springfield Watch Factory, is a native of Middleburg, New York, born in 1828; was brought by his parents to Detroit, Michigan, and was there reared and educated. He learned the trade of watch making in Rochester, that State, where he carried on the business nine years. Moving to Romeo, Michigan, he continued at his trade until the Pike's Peak gold excitement arose, in 1860, when he joined the throng of gold seekers, and spent nearly a year in Colorado. He then returned to Detroit, and entered the employ of the large wholesale and retail watch and jewelry house of M.S. Smith & Co. While there, he invented a very superior watch, which he named "Our Watch", and made about a hundred movements, worth $150 each. He sold his tools and materials to accept the Superintendency of the Freeport Watch Factory, which position he filled till it was destroyed by fire, in October, 1875. Subsequently, he had charge of the escapement department of the Rockford Watch Factory five years, and resigned that place to become Superintendent for the Illinois Watch Company, in October, 1880. Mr. Hoyt married Safrona A. Lett, a native of Genesee county, New York, thirty years ago. Flora Hoyt is their only child.


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