USA > Illinois > St Clair County > History of St. Clair County, Illinois. With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 81
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303
HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
race, called mound builders. The most of the remains of those wlio had been buried in our own times, were cared for by their friends and conveyed to the new cemetery. For months, however, a grin- uing skull might have been seen peering from the freshi cut bank of the mound at the passer-by, and so close to the street that the hand of the pedestrian could touch it as he passed.
The city at this time contains two cemeteries, both situated in Fourth ward, not far from the National Stock Yards. These were laid off for grave-yards, when the Cahokians first established Illinois city ; but were not used as such until about fifteen years ago.
THE NATIONAL STOCK YARDS.
Prior to 1845, the live stock trade of St. Louis was carried on at what was formerly known as Papstown or New Brighton, and sit- uated in the south-eastern portion of the present city of East St. Louis. About this time yards were established on the west side of the river at St. Louis. Here the business was conducted until the opening of the National Stock Yards on the east side of the river in 1873. The subject of constructing these yards was mooted as early as 1871. The agitation of the question culminated by the united efforts of several prominent Eastern and Western capitalists, who proceeded at once to purchase six hundred and fifty. acres of land on the east side of the river near the city limits of East St. Louis. In July, 1872, mutual covenants were entered into between the company and the city authorities. The former were to construct a hotel to cost not less than $100,000, and to contain commission offices, brokers' offices, telegraph and post-offices, with all modern conveniences for transacting business. The stock yards were to ex- ceed in completeness and magnitude any institution of the kind in the United States.
The city on its part covenanted to refrain from infringing, by constructing streets, or any city improvements whatsoever upon the survey, No. 627, and owned by said company. To all of which was attached the city seal and signature of A. M. Allerton, manager and attorney of the company. The yards were opened for business in the fall of 1873. One hundred out of six hundred and fifty acres purchased, are enclosed and laid out with all the convenient appurtenances of a first-class live stock market. The form of the enclosure is a rectangle and describes nearly a square. It is laid by avenues which intersect each other at right angles. Four of these avenues extend entirely through the enclo- sure from east to west. The floors of the yard are paved with stone, and the sheds are comfortable and well arranged for the conve- nience of stock. The arrangements for receiving and shipping the same are complete. No less than seventy cars can be loaded and un- loaded at the same time. It contains one mile of cattle pens, which can accommodate upwards of 10,000 head of cattle. The bog and sheep houses are models of convenience and cleanliness. Over the entrance to the hog-house is inscribed the words, " Hotel de Hog," and of the sheep house, " Hotel de Sheep." The hog-house is eleven hundred and twenty-two feet in length, and capable of accommo- dating upwards of 20,000 head. The sheep-house is upwards of five hundred feet in length, by a hundred in width, and has the ca- pacity of holding, if necessary, 10,000 head. The stable is a fine building, two hundred and eighty-five feet long, by eighty wide, and fitted with stalls for the accommodation of three hundred head of horses. The racks and mangers are constructed of iron ; the former are supplied with hay by wooden cylinders, and the stalls are well arranged for drainage. There are two hog barns, and each has a capacity to hold eleven hundred tons of hay and fifteen thousand bushels of corn. At the approach of the yards from the south-east, on St. Clair avenue, is situated the " Allerton House,"
a magnificent building of brick with free-stone facings, and all the belongings of first-class material. It is two hundred and fifty feet in length, by one hundred and forty in breadth, and has one hundred rooms for the accommodation of guests. There is a telegraph com- munication with the exchange building, and every other conve- nience to the drovers or traders. Itscost, including furniture, was upwards of $150,000.
The Exchange Building is centrally situated, and conveniently arranged for the transaction of all business connected with the yards. It is a large brick building, plain in architecture, and three stories in height, including basement. In the north wing of the latter are the offices of the railroad stock agents, and in the center and south wing are a bar, billiard hall and refreshment room. The first floor is occupied by the officers of the yard company, bank and commission firms. On the second floor is situated the telegraph office, printing office, etc.
The Stock Yards Bank, situated in this building, is one of the important features of the concern. It materially facilitates the business of all who have transactions at the yards, its daily business aggregating upwards of $300,000.
The water-works of the yards are situated on the east bauk of Cahokia creek, near the packing houses. Along the avenues are placed watch-boxes, each containing a hydrant and fire-bose, and 80 arranged as to cover any fire with one or two hydrants. The tank- house is a substantial building seventy feet in height, and contains three tubs, each thirty-two feet in diameter by thirty feet deep, and capable of holding 600,000 gallons of water. The total expendi- ture in establishing the yards, including lands, buildings, etc., is upwards of a million and a half dollars. They are complete in every arrangement, and the rapidity with which stock can be trans- ferred from the Missouri side to the yards, or from point to point, is a matter that every shipper is interested in, as "time is money "' to the live business men. Hon. Isaac H. Knox, vice-president and manager for the company, is the right man in the right place. He is a clear-headed business man, combined with affableness and rare executive ability. Under his management the business has mate- rially increased, and become one of the most important stock mark- ets in the country. The following is a table showing the receipts of the yards since their opening :
Cars. Cattle.
Hogs.
Sheep.
Horses.
1874-17,264
234,002
498,840
41,407
2,235
1875-13,938
232,183
181,708
46,316
2,385
1876-18,052
234,671
333,560
84,034
2,616
1877-24,342
322,571
425,389
119,165
2,366
1878-31,003
317,830
833,446
82,549
2,534
1879-85,641
333,155
1,163,748
99,951
4,338
1880-38,294
346,533
1,262,234
129,611
5,963
OTHER BUSINESS AT THE YARDS.
St. Louis Beef Cunning Company .- This company was organized in the fall of 1876, with a capital of $200,000, and promises to be in time the largest establishment of the kind on either continent. It is situated on St. Clair avenue, and occupies eight acres of ground. The main building is 324x100 feet, and four stories high. The slaughter house is 240x76 feet, two stories high, and is adjoined to the main building. The warehouse is also two stories in height, and 176x100 feet on the ground. In addition to these there is an engine room 60x61, tank-house 76x30, and smoke-house 24x60. The establishment furnishes employment to nearly one thousand persons, two-fifths of whom are boys and girls. One thousand head of cattle arc slaughtered daily, and the annual value of manufac- tured products is between four and five millions of dollars. Hon. Isaac H. Knox is president of the company, but the establishment
304
HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
is under the immediate supervision of Mr. Patterson, secretary and treasurer.
East St. Louis Packing and Provision Company .- This enterprise was established in 1873, under the firm name of W. E. Richardson & Co , and merged into a stock company in 1875. The grounds, on which this packing house stands, contain ten acres, seven of which are covered with the buildings. They are mainly three stories in height, and all of them are constructed of brick. It is one of the most extensive packing houses in the West, and when worked to its full capacity, gives employment to seven hundred men. The nominal capacity of the works is 8,000 hogs per day, and the value of its annual shipments is from three to five millions of dollars. It is under the efficient management of D. L. Quirk, president, and W. E. Richardson, vice-president.
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Francis Whitaker & Sons .- This packing house was erected in 1877, at the expense of upwards of $100,000. The main building is 185x185 feet, and is three and a half stories high, with a cellar under the entire building. A tank-house 80x90 feet joins the main building, and adjacent to the former is the slaughter-house, 30x60 feet. Besides these there are eight pen-houses, all under one roof, 120x120 feet, and a platform packing apartment 40x185 feet. The average capacity of the house is 3,000 hogs per day, and employs about three hundred hands.
North- Western Fertilizing Company .- This is a branch establish- ment of a well-known Chicago firm. The works commenced ope- rations here in the fall of 1877. The building is a frame structure, and covers one acre of ground. The machinery of the factory is run by a one hundred-horse power engine. Fifty hands are em- ployed daily to conduct the works. It has the capacity of manu- facturing, annually, 15,000 tons of fertilizer, which, when thrown upon the market, will bring upwards of $400,000. Within the last year the company has added machinery for the purpose of manufacturing " Plant-Food," specially adapted for house plants and lawn use, on account of its being entirely odorless. Large quantities of both the Fertilizer and Plant-Food find a demand in the eastern markets.
Mc Carthy Live Stock and Packing Company, situated on the cor- ner of Provision street and the plank road. The building was erected in 1877-8, by Arch. Allen, but is now owned by F. G. Rowe, and the business is conducted by John McCarthy. The building is a snug two-story brick, and with the attachments, covers nearly an acre of ground. It has the capacity of slaughtering and packing daily 1000 head of hogs and fifty head of cattle. It gives employment to twenty men:
St. Louis Carbon Works .- These works were established in 1875 at a cost of $ 40,000, and are situated on the National Stock Yards railroad. They were first known as the " Western Fertilizing and Chemical Works," and in 1878 again changed the name to " Keeler's Carbon Works." They afterwards assumed the former title, and are so-called at this time. The company owns three acres of ground, upon which the factory is situated. The building is a frame, 150 by 300 feet, the main portion of which is two stories high. The machinery consists of a fifty horse power engine, a bone mill and bone kiln. It manufactures from five to six thousand tons of bone yearly, and employs from thirty to forty hands. The an- nual manufactured product is upwards of $600,000. Max Dietrich is the superintendent of the works.
Carey's Bref and Pork Packing House is situated on Provision street, and north of McCarthy's packing house. It was established by Richard Carey, sole owner and proprietor, in the year 1880, at a cost of $10,000. The building is a snug two-story house, with
stone basement, the upper portion being built of brick, and in size is 48 by 55 feet. There is also a boiler and tank-house, 30 by 40 feet, which is detached from the main building. This is also built of brick. and is two stories in height. When worked to its full ca- pacity, it can pack 600 hogs and 100 beeves daily, and gives em- ployment to forty persons.
St. Lo vis Rendering Works. Levi Baugh, jr., proprietor. These were established in 1872, and located on the east side of Provision street and the Stock Yards railway. The building is a frame two- story structure, 68 by 80 feet on the ground floor, with a side room for cooling purposes 16 by 30 feet. The engine-room, attached to the main building on the north, is 30 by 30 feet. The cost of the works was $2,500, and they give employment to about twelve men. The establishment, under the efficient management of Mr. Baugh, is capable of rendering 150 hogs and 50 beeves per day.
George Mulrow & Company, Pork Packers .- This institution is situated between the East St. Louis Packing House and the Na- tional Stock Yards enclosure, and was established in 1880. The building is a frame, two stories, and 50 by 150 feet in size, and cost, including machinery, etc., $3,000. It has the capacity of slaughter- ing and packing 300 hogs per day, and employs on an average fourteen hands. James Lillay, foreman.
Baugh's Catch Basin is situated just across Cahokia creek, out- side of the limits of the Stock Yards. It was constructed in 1880, at an expense of about $600, and is utilized to catch the superfluous grease that escapes through the sewer from the packing houses. Formerly the sewer opened into Cahokia creek, but the city authori- ties made complaint ; hence at this point a flume was built across the creek, and Mr. Baugh erected this basin. It is 30 by 40 feet in size, and contains eight vats, four on each side. Here the water is retained and cooled, when the grease floats, it is skimmed from the surface and deposited in barrels arranged for that purpose. When the packing houses are all in full blast, from fifteen to twenty barrels of grease are caught daily.
St. Clair Rendering Company .- This institution is owned and operated by M. E. Richardson and Capt. Clubb, and is situated on St. Clair avenue, between the National Stock Yards and the town of Brooklyn. It was established in the spring of 1880 by Rogers & Mullholl, and passed into the hands of the present proprietors the fall following. The main building is two stories high, frame, and iu size 76 by 76 feet, and cost, including necessary machinery, $5,000. It has the capacity of pressing ten tons of tank stuff, and drying one ton of blood daily, besides rendering three hundred and fifty hogs per week. It employs on an average fifteen hands, and manufactures $100,000 worth of products annually. Foreman, Wm. H. Courtney.
CITY MANUFACTURES.
St. Louis Bolt and Iron Company .- This is the largest manufac- turing establishment in the city, and is situated near the Cairo Short Line railroad. The officers of the company are T. A. Meyen- burg, president ; O. W. Meysenburg, superintendent; Geo. S. Ed- gell, treasurer. The works contain six puddling furnaces, three heating, six spike, and two bolt furnaces, besides all the necessary machinery peculiar to the works, such as planers, lathes, etc. Street rails, T rails, bolts and spikes are made a specialty of manu- facture by the company. The works are in operation day and night, the laborers being divided into two sets or watches. These works employ about one hundred and fifty men, and have the ca- pacity of manufacturing daily forty tons of finished iron, ten tons of railroad spikes, and several thousand strap or trace bolts. From three to four thousand dollars are paid to the employees every two
305
HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
weeks. The company own two and-a-half acres of ground and two railroad switches where the works are situated. The products are shipped to points both east and west.
Grape, Sugar, and Glucose Works, O. W. Heyer & Co., proprie- tors. These works are situated in the Third ward, on the river front, and were erected in 1869 by Brotherton & Morse for milling purposes. The present company purchased the property and re- modelled the building suitable to their wants. They commenced operations of manufacture in the spring of 1875. The present fac- tory, as remodelled, is made up of three departments or buildings. The main building, or manufactory proper, is four stories high, and 45 feet square. The engine house is 20 by 36 feet, besides a starch room, used exclusively for the manufacture of starch. The whole structure on the ground covers 50,000 square feet. The cost of the building and appurtenances thercto was $150,000. It has the ca- pacity of grinding 3,000 bushels of corn daily, and can manufac- ture in the same time one hundred and fifty barrels of syrup. From seventy-five to one hundred persous are constantly employed in the works. The approximate value of manufactured product is $100,000 annually. The business is under the immediate super- vision of Louis Strebl.
Railroad Frog Works .- This establishment dates from 1874, then under the sole supervision and management of George and Henry Elliot. In 1875. Mr. George Elliot died, and the institution passed into the hands of the present owners, H. & H. Elliot. The works were established for the purpose of manufacturing railway cross- ings, frogs, switches, and track tools, and are located on Main and Broad streets, near the East St. Louis and Carondelet railway. The main building, or machine shop, is 39 by 90 feet, with other convenient attachinents. The works were constructed at a cost of $10,000, and give employment to about sixty men, who receive for their labor from $1.75 to $3 per day. The capacity of manufacture is about 4,500 frogs and 100 crossings per annum. Value of pro- ducts, $150,000.
Heim's Brewing Company .- This is the only Brewing Company in East St. Louis. It was established by Nick Spannagel in 1856, and was afterwards purchased by the present company. It is situated on the corner of Tenth street and Belleville Turnpike. The build- ings occupy the identical site of the old hotel, built and kept in an early day by Mr. Condit, and the place known as Paps- town. The main building is a splendid three story brick struc- ture, and with the attach ments covers nearly an acre of ground. The cost of the building and machinery aggregates $150,000. Its capacity is from fifty to sixty thousand barrels annually, and gives employment to about forty persons. The annual value of manufac- tured goods is over $500,000. The company is attaching an ice machine for the purpose of cooling the cellars, which is an entirely new departure in the brewing business.
East St. Louis Gaslight Company was established in 1874, and situated at the junction of the Illinois and St. Louis railroad, near Cahokia creek. The size of the tank is sixty feet in diameter and twenty feet in depth. It has the capacity of supplying 58,000 feet of gas, and is supplied with seven-and a-half miles of pipe. The capital invested is about $125,000, and at present receives an in- come of upwards of $7,000 from the annual manufactured material. Wm. H. Watts is the efficient superintendent of the works, and has under his supervision the employment of eleven men.
East St. Louis Flouring Mills .- St. Louis has been one of the most unfortunate cities in the country with regard to the destruction by fire of her flouring mills. Many have been built, and but one is now standing. This was first constructed in 1855, by F. H. Krite
and A. De Clansel for a saw-mill near the old Belleville depot. In 1861 it was sold to a company who transformed it into a grist-mill ; this was torn down in 1865, and a large four-story brick erected in its place. The latter was a first-class mill in every respect, and was built and operated by Notley, Krite & Co. In the fall of 1866, it was destroyed by fire, involving a heavy loss to the owners. The present building was erected in 1868-69, on the old site, and is the only flouring mill in the city. It is a four-story brick build- ing with basement, and in size 40x80 feet. The cost of construc- tion exceeded $80,000, having all the modern machinery and improvements for manufacturing flour. The mill has the capacity of making four hundred barrels of flour per day, containing seven run of stones, three for meal and four for flour. It employs about twenty-five hands, and handles annually nearly $500,000 of manu- factured material. Mr. F. H. Krite is the secretary of the firm, and has the general supervision of the mill.
City Planing Mill .- This factory was origin ally located at Litch- field, Ill., and was removed to this city in 1877. It is now owned by Theodore Wiegreffe, and situated on Fourth street, between Mis- souri and St. Louis avenues. It is a frame building, mainly two stories high, and 86x112 feet, on the ground. The cost of the factory, including all the appurtenances, was upwards of $6,000. From twelve to fifteen hands are constantly employed, and manufacture over 8,000 pork-packing boxes annually, beside mak- ing a large quantity of doors, sash, blinds, etc. The amount of manufactured goods is $15,000.
East St. Louis Elevator Company .- This institution is one of the leading industries of the city, and was established in 1867, by an act of the legislature, approved March 6th of that year. It is situa- ted on the river front below the bridge, and occupies the ground on the line of the dike, which was built to improve the harbor in 1842, by Capt. Robert E. Lee, then Chief Engineer of the United States army. The company owns five hundred feet front on the river, by four hundred feet deep, and by the conditions of the charter it may extend these boundaries to one thousand feet front by the same in depth, and occupy by purchase any other lands within three miles of Bloody Islaud. The capacity for storing grain is upwards of one million bushels. The cost of the grounds, building, machinery, etc., was nearly $1,000,000.
The Advance Elevator and Warehouse is situated on the island, near Front street, between the Chicago and Alton, and Ohio and Mississippi railways. It was established in 1872, by Messrs. Mc- Cormic, Adams and Armington, at a cost of $125,000. In 1880 it passed into the hands of the present company. The elevator and warerooms covered 20,400 square feet of ground. The elevator proper is 50x60 feet, 130 feet high, and has convenient connections with the river and all the roads leading into East St. Louis. It has an engine of eighty horse-power, and all necessary machinery for handling grain. From twelve to fifteen men are employed daily, and seventy car-loads of grain can be elevated in one day. Three tracks pass through the entire building. It has the capacity of storing 400,000 bushels of grain. The present company are R. S. McCormic, C. W. Isaacs, D. P. Slatery, Jno. Jackson, and H. Rogers.
Pioneer Warehouse .- This was established by Benj. F. Horn in the spring of 1880, and is situated east of the East St. Louis Flour- ing Mills, and south of the Illinois and St. Louis railway track. The building is a frame, one-story, and 20x60 feet. It has the capacity of manufacturing 270 flour barrels per day, and gives employment to twenty men. Richard Zimmerman, foreman.
39
306
HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
FOTO
HALL'S
KCH
HALL'S PATENT DRY PRECIOUS METAL SEPARATOR, EAST ST. LOUIS, ILL.
Hall & Co's. Manufactory was established in the spring of 1880, with the following officers repre - senting the company : Giles Hall, President; J. M. Macdonald, Vice-President; Ferdinand Heim, Treasurer ; Wm. P. Launtz, Secretary. The machines manufactured by this company are for the purpose of separating or extracting gold and other precious metal from auriferous deposits. This process is ingeniously effected by means of compressed air in connection with chemicals (sce cut above). It is entirely a new invention, and if it succeeds in performing what the inventor claims for it, the company has certainly struck a bonanza. The capital stock is 812,000. The factory is situated on Collinsville avenue, between Broadway and Missouri avenues.
C. B. &. Q Elevator Company .- This is a new enterprise, and the elevator is now in process of construction. It is owned by, and will be conducted in the interest of the Chicago, Burlington and Quin- cy Railway Company. It is situated at the terminus of the road, and a little north of the company's freight-house. The foundation is composed of seventeen piers besides the outer walls, and the size of the main building is to be 87x177 feet, and 118 feet in height. The cost of its construction, machinery, etc., will exceed half a million dollars, and it will have the capacity of storing 750,000 bushels of grain. Four tracks are to be laid through the building.
Turning Factory, Henry Sternkopf, proprietor. This factory was established in 1876, and is located on Brady street, between Main street and Cairo Short Line railway track. The building is a
frame structure 24x30 feet, and cost, including machinery, $1,500. Mr. Sternkopf has in his employ from four to six men, and manu- factures all articles in wood work. Wooden faucets are made a specialty, turning out from fifteen to twenty gross per week. The annual sales of manufactured goods are from two to three thousand dollars.
So la Factory .- This enterprise was established in 1870, by C. Lutt & Co. The business is carried on in a fine two-story brick building, 40x80 feet in dimensions, and it is located on Main street, between Broadway and Railroad street. The cost of construction, with the necessary appliances, was $4,500. The factory is capable of manufacturing three hundred boxes of soda-water per day. It gives employment to four persons, and handles a manufactured
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