in 1867 brothers George M. Clark and Thomas J. Clark established Higganum Manufacturing Corp. to make agricultural machinery, with George as president and Thomas as vice president. They often did business as the Higganum Manufacturing Co. (there had been an earlier business of that name which made oakum; these two unrelated companies are often mixed up but there is at least a 30 year gap between them). In 1872 Clinton B. Davis bought a share in the business and became treasurer and general manager; he later became secretary as well.

in 1891, during an economic slowdown, the company became insolvent, and reorganized out of receivership in 1892 as the Cutaway Harrow Co. Their mainstay product was the "Clark Cutaway Harrow" and we have seen the company name misstated as the Clark Cutaway Harrow Co. In 1898 Davis died after an illness and the company became insolvent at about the same time. The company managed to emerge from this financial embarrassment though it seems that it took until about 1903 before the company was again on solid footing.

In 1908 George M. Clark died of a stroke; although he was already 74 years of age he was active and in good health and his death was unexpected. The company seems to have continued for a couple more decades before it faded away.

This Vintage Machinery website lists makers of woodworking and metalworking machinery plus engines and motors, vises and handheld power tools. The Cutaway Harrow Co. is listed here because they made the Dutton and Dutton Improved mower knife and tool grinders, which were advertised in farming publications between about 1893 and 1910.

Information Sources

• The 1871-72 Annual Report of the American Institute of the City of New Yorklists exhibitors at the 1871 Fair of the American Institute, including Higganum Manufacturing Co., which exhibited a mowing machine and a hay spreader.
• The 1872 volume Acts and Laws of His Majesties Colony of Connecticut in New-England, Volume 6 lists joint stock companies, including the Higganum Manufacturing Co., Haddam, certified filed August 27, 1867.
• February 1873 Manufacturer & Builder lists premiums awarded by at the 1872 Fair of the American Institute, including Higganum Manufacturing Co., for "set of Wire Rope Clamps".
• 1876 United States Centennial International Exhibition Official Catalogue lists exhibitors, including Higganum Manufacturing Co., Higganum, Conn., in the categories of Plows and agricultural implements; Corn-shellers, hay-spreaders, etc.; Cider-mills, meat-cutters, etc.
• 1887-04-14 The Breeder's Gazette, page 603, has a small illustrated ad for the "Dutton Grinder / Perfect mowing machine knife grinder. Weight but 18 Lbs. Can be carried into the field and attached to Mowing Machine Wheel. Send for Descriptive Catalogue. Agents wanted in every county. R. H. Allen Co., 189 Water St., New York."
• 1888 Farm Implement News Buyer's Guide lists Higganum Manufacturing Corporation, Higganum, Conn., as makers of "Dutton" mower knife grinders. Higganum had a New York office at "189 and 191 Water St."
• 1893 Digest of Trade Marks for Machines, Metals, Jewelry, and the Hardware and Allied Trades has trademarks registered by Higganum Manufacturing Co., including "Allen's Improved Victor" plows, registered 1874-04-28; "Charter Oak" plows, registered 1875-08-24; "Silver Eagle" plows, registered 1874-04-28; and "Farmer's Favorite" grinding mills for fruit, etc., registered 1875-03-02. Trademarks registered to Higganum Manufacturing Co. before 1893
• 1893 ads for the Dutton mower knife grinder from the Cutaway Harrow Co.
• 1898-09-29 Farm Implement News, obituary.

  Clinton B. Davis, secretary and treasurer of the Cutaway Harrow Company, Higganum, Conn., died at his home in that city Wednesday, Sept. 21, aged fifty-five years. He had a very severe sickness four years ago from which he never fully recovered. The immediate cause of his death was pneumonia.

  ...in 1872, Mr. Davis bought an interest in the Higganum Manufacturing Corporation, of which he was made treasurer and general manager. In this business he was associated with George M. Clark. A few years ago the name of the business was changed to the Cutaway Harrow Company...

• 1898-12-15 Farm Implement News. "The Cutaway Harrow Company, of Higganum, Conn., whose financial embarrassment was mentioned in Farm Implement News of Dec. 8, have made an assignment, naming Clement S. Hubbard as trustee. The immediate cause of the failure is said to be a light trade and poor collections during the past season, but primarily it is due to large royalties which the companies were paying on certain implements manufactured. It is stated that these royalties amounted to 20 per cent of the sales and have reached up to date more than $100,000. According to President Clark, the former business of the concern warranted this outlay, but latterly the payment of royalties could not be continued with profit to the company. They were also burdened with a lot of dead stock bought from the Higganum Manufacturing Company, whom they succeeded. A statement of the assets and liabilities has not yet been made public."
• February 1901 Atlantic Reporter summary of In re Deep River Nat. Bank (Supreme Court of Errors of Connecticut, Dec. 18, 1900). The lawsuit involves the secretary and treasurer of the Higganum Manufacturing Corp., Clinton B. Davis, who died in September, 1898. The report is an interesting read. The notable facts given there are that Higganum Manufacturing Corp. became insolvent and went out of business in 1891, and shortly after the Cutaway Harrow Co. was formed, with the same officers, and carried on the same business. That company became insolvent in fall 1898.
• Our Horticultural Visitor. Vol. 9, No. 3, Mar. 1903. Pg. 6.
• 1903 Connecticut Annual Report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

  The Cuttaway Harrow Co.
  Haddam, (Higganum).

  Works shown in connection with this write-up were mostly erected before this company was organized which have at different times controlled the plant. The first was the Higganum Manufacturing Company, second, the Higganum Manufacturing Corporation, and third in 1892, the Cutaway Harrow Co. George M. Clark has been president of all three companies and Thomas J. Clark has been vice president of all three.

  The present floor space of the plant is nearly or quite seven acres; their motive power is water. The plant is located about one-fourth mile from the main tracks of the Valley railroad, by which it is connected. They are now the largest manufacturers of disk harrows and disk plows in the world. They are the only manufacturers of Clark’s Cutaway machines, Cutaway harrows, Cutaway disk plows, right laps and Cutaway disk gang plows and double action Cutaway disk harrows, in fact, they are very large manufacturers of Cutaway machines of every description. They manufacture a very large line of agricultural tools and other machinery, reversible sulky disk plows, common plows, side hill plows, root cutters, Sampson tobacco presses and jacks, Dutton mower knife and machine tool grinders, also other grinders, Acme cutting nippers, cider mills, and other machinery, of which they ship hundreds of car loads annually in this country and also to all other civilized countries on the globe.

• 1906 Bureau of Vital Statistic of the State of Connecticut — Fifty-Ninth Registration Report lists corporations no longer believed active, including the Higganum Manufacturing Corp., dated May 28, 1889.
• 1908-03-12 Farm Implement News, obituary.

  George M. Clark, president of the Cutaway Harrow Company, of Higganum, Conn., died suddenly March 2, as the result of s stroke of apoplexy. Mr. Clark was seventy-four years of age and apparently in good health. He had made a tour of the factory, as was his custom, and had just reached the office door upon his return, when he fell upon the steps and immediately expired.

  The deceased was born at Haddam, Conn., June 11, 1833. In early life he was a ship and house carpenter, working at various points along the Atlantic coast. In 1855 he was superintendent of a large business where supplies for whaling vessels were sold and in 1859 he engaged as a journeyman with the Meriden Cutlery Company and was soon placed in charge of all of that company's outside mechanical operations.

  Mr. Clark engaged in the implement trade in 1867 when, with his brother, Thos. J. Clark, he built a factory at Higganum for the manufacture of mowers. Later various other implements were added, the best known of which is the celebrated Clark cutaway harrow. He invented and patented many improvements on agricultural implements. Mr. Clark was an example of what Yankee pluck, perseverance, energy and determination can accomplish. Inheriting nothing but his undaunted courage and strong will he pushed his way to success. It is said by his friends that the secret of his success in everything he undertook was his bull dog tenacity. "He never let go except to get a better hold." ... The business of the Cutaway Harrow Company will be continued without interruption, the company being incorporated.

• The 2005 book, Haddam, 1870-1930, by Charlotte Gradie and Jan Sweet. "The Clark Cutaway Harrow Company sold its unique design of harrow and other agricultural implements to customers throughout the company. The business was founded by brothers Thomas Clark and George W. Clark as the Higganum Manufacturing Company in 1867. In 1891 it was renamed Clark Cutaway Harrow after its signature product. The company's factory building, shown here in 1914, was constructed in 1867. At its height, the business employed 150 men."