Isaac B. Williams came to Dover as an apprentice to his uncle, James Hill, in 1835. Captain Hill ran a belt-making business in the Nail Factory on Central Street. By 1842, I.B. Williams was the head of this business, which had relocated to Cocheco Mill #4 . I.B. Williams outgrew its location once more and moved to an abandoned shoe factory on Orchard Street in 1875.
After I.B.'s death in 1885, his son Frank enlarged the premises again, developing a 4 story factory with 70,000 feet of floor space which ran 100 feet on Orchard Street and 315 feet on Waldron Street. In 1945, the buildings and machinery were sold to Isadore Osman and George Limon who renamed the firm United Tanners. The buildings were refurbished with machinery for making side leather used in shoes and handbags rather than belting. The tannery closed down in 1976 and the buildings were demolished.
For further information on the I.B.Williams Belt factory, consult this manuscript located in the Historical Room:
RH CNFLA 1
I.B.Williams & Sons' Belt Factory