Hiram Washington Hayden

• Born: 10 Feb 1819, Haydenville MA
• Marriage: Pauline Migeon on 31 Jul 1844 in Waterbury CT
• Died: 18 Jul 1904, Waterbury Middlesex MA

  General notes:

Silverplater and brassfounder.

  Events in his life were:

• Mr. Hayden was a lover of art and an avid inventor. While working at Scovills & Co. (later Scovill Manufacturing) he made chased buttons, believed to be the first made in the United States.
  He patented a design for brass kettles which completely evolutionized the manufacturing of these pots, and in 1851 sold the patent to Waterbury Brass Company.
  In 1853, Mr Hayden joined Israel Holmes and John C. Booth in the formation of Holmes, Booth and Haydens. H.W. Hayden has taken out numerous patents, assigning many to Holmes, Booth and Haydens.
  Among his patented inventions are a breech-loading rifle, a magazine rifle, and a machine for making solid metal tubing, which he sold to manufacturing concerns in Pittsburgh.
  One of his greatest discoveries was the development of the daguerreotype, an early photographic process. This lead to his development of a process of taking a picture on paper. He holds the honor of being one of the independent discoverer of the photographic process, having produced three paper photographs of landscapes and delivering them to the Waterbury American Newspaper in 1851. His future work in the photographic area led him closer than anyone else of the era to producing a colored photograph.
  

• He was a partner from 1853 to 1886 with Israel Holmes, John C. Booth, Henry Hubbard and James Albert Hayden in Waterbury CT as HOLMES, BOOTH & HAYDENS. ⁴

• He was issued design patent number 17,241 on 5 Apr 1887
  
  HIRAM W. HAYDEN, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE ROGERS & HAMILTON COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.
  
  DESIGN FOR A SPOON OR FORK HANDLE.
  
  SPECIFICATION forming part of Design No. 17,241, dated April 5, 1887
  Application filed February 17, 1887 Serial No. 228,006 Term of patent 7 years.
  
  To all whom it may concern:
  Be it known that I, Hiram. W. Hayden, a citizen of the I United States, residing at Water-bury, in the: county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented and produced a new and original Design for Spoon and Fork Handles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part thereof.
  In the drawing is shown a spoon whose handle is ornamented in accordance with my design.
  The leading feature of my design is the row or series of raised oval bead-shaped figures, lettered A, which appear upon and extend along the spoon-shank from the juncture of the hitter with the bowl to the point where the shank commences to widen into the handle. The beads which make up the pattern are as long as the spoon-shank is wide on the top, and, collectively, the pattern occupies the entire top surface of the spoon-shank, as is shown in the drawing.
  I claim—
  A design for spoon-handles and the like, the same consisting of the beaded figure, as described, covering the entire top surface of the spoon-shank and extending from the juncture of the shank and bowl to the point where the handle develops out of the shank, substantially as illustrated and described.
  In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.
  
  Hiram W. Hayden
  
  Witnesses:
  H. H. Walker
  C. J. Hackett
  

• He appeared on the 1880 census taken at Waterbury CT, listed as a brass manufacturer.

Hiram married Pauline Migeon on 31 Jul 1844 in Waterbury CT. (Pauline Migeon was born about 1821 in France and died on 20 Apr 1873 in Waterbury CT.)