Historian Jeff Murray takes a look into West Hartford’s past to uncover some surprising information, stir up some memories, or reflect on how much life has changed – or hasn’t changed at all. Enjoy this week’s ‘From West Hartford’s Archives’ …

By Jeff Murray

In the late summer of 1940, the West Hartford Building Department issued a permit to the Jacobs Manufacturing Company for a new factory and office building on Newington Road across from Elmfield Street. The two-story office, factory, and powerhouse construction was estimated to cost more than $150,000. Within six months, the company had moved its equipment to Elmwood from its original site on Park Street in Hartford.

In 1902, Arthur Irving Jacobs had developed the modern drill chuck. This specialized clamp designed to hold drill bit

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