USA > Illinois > Stephenson County > History of Stephenson County, Illinois : a record of its settlement, organization, and three-quarters of a century of progress > Part 64
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WOODMANSE MANUFACTURING COMPANY.
The city of Freeport has always been noted for its large output of windmills and pumps. Not only does it possess the large plant of the Stover Manufac- turing Company, but the Woodmanse plant, which manufactures a grade of windmill surpassed by none on the market. The factory, which is a large brick structure, on the corner of Galena and Liberty streets, has been built and added to within the past fifteen years, and is today as modern and complete an insti- tution in every respect as Freeport can boast of.
The business of the Woodmanse Manufacturing Company has always been largely controlled by the founder and present manager, Mr. H. Woodmanse. Be-
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ginning business in a small way, Mr. Woodmanse has worked up and enlarged his market until now the Woodmanse product is known throughout the country as superior and up to date in every particular. The great advance is due largely to the energy and ability of Mr. Woodmanse himself, who has exercised a per- sonal supervision over the details of the work at all times. He has had faith in the excellence of his windmill, and has never allowed himself to be discour- aged by any obstacle in his path. Mr. Woodmanse is exceedingly jealous of the reputation of his windmill, and takes every precaution to turn out a product which will surpass any other in existence.
The factory was established by Mr. Woodmanse in 1872 near the site where it now stands, on the corner of Stephenson and Liberty (then Dock) streets. Here he opened a depot for the sale of agricultural implements, devoting him- self particularly to the sale of the Marsh harvester, one thousand seven hun- dred of which he disposed of in six years. In 1878, he opened his factory on its present site on the corner of Galena and Liberty streets. He first com- menced the manufacture of windmills and farm pumps, but of late years has confined himself solely to the Woodmanse windmill, and has placed large num- bers of his machines on the farms of the surrounding country. Mr. Wood- manse is owner of the controlling interest of his plant, by a large amount. George L. Steenrod is superintendent of the factory. The output of the fac- tory is about twenty-five thousand of the windmills annually, and a force of over two hundred workmen are employed. The foreign trade in windmills has grown of late years. Excellent freight facilities are offered by the Illinois Central and Northwestern Railroads, whose tracks pass the Woodmanse fac- tory, and connection is also afforded by means of the Transfer Bridge, with the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway.
FREEPORT GAS, LIGHT & COKE COMPANY.
The Freeport Gas, Light & Coke Company, formerly known as the Freeport Light & Fuel Company, was organized as early as 1855. Before that time the only methods of illumination in Freeport were the kerosene lamp, and the ancient tallow candle. In the early part of the year 1855, Thomas J. Turner and a number of other public spirited citizens met and formed the first gas company of Freeport's history. They obtained a charter from the state legislature, per- mitting the incorporation of the company, and bearing the date February 15, 1855. On October 16th of the same year the organization was perfected by the election of the following officers : Thomas J. Turner, president; E. H. Hyde, treasurer ; Homer N. Hibbard, secretary. The capital stock was fixed at $50,000.
During the same year grounds for the buildings of the gas works were pur- chased, contracts were let, and the work of construction was begun. Early in 1856 they were completed. The spot where they were first built is still oc- cupied by the gas company buildings, the original structures having been re- placed by the modern and up-to-date edifices.
The company continued to operate the works for a number of years, but did not make a success of the business end of the venture, and sold out to Thompson Dean, a Cincinnati capitalist. About September 1, 1863, Mr. Dean
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also withdrew from the business and sold out to S. S. Ashcraft and Thomas Butterworth. These officers remained in charge until May 14, 1867, when the gas works were purchased by L. K. Scofield and C. S. Hill, of Freeport, at a cost of $23,626. On the 26th of July, 1871, Mr. Hill sold his interest to L. L. Munn, who operated the works in conjunction with Mr. Scofield, until Feb- ruary 26, 1879. On that date Mr. Scofield withdrew from the business, and went to engage in business in Fort Scott, Kansas. His interests in the gas works was purchased by L. Z. Farwell, and Farwell and Munn remained in charge until 1890. Then Mr. Munn disposed of his interest to Mr. Farwell, who conducted the business alone until 1895. In 1895 the works were bought out by a stock company, which now controls the plants. The new company numbers among its members some of the leading citizens of Freeport, and was incorporated under the laws of the state of Illinois as "The Freeport Light & Fuel Company," with a capital stock of $100,000.
Three years ago a business deal was concluded by Charles D. Knowlton, president of the gas company, by which the holdings of the stock company were to be transferred to Charles W. Morse, a New York capitalist. On the failure of that gentleman to complete his part of the deal, the bargain was declared off, and the stock company is again for the present in charge.
The secretary and manager of the company is Z. T. F. Runner, who has held the position for many years. He has been associated with the plant since 1868, with the exception of a few years spent on the road as a traveling salesman, owing to failing health. Mr. Runner has made the manufacture of gas an intensive study, and is considered one of the most thorough gas men in the business.
FREEPORT RAILWAY, LIGHT & POWER COMPANY.
The existence of an electric light company in Freport dates from 1882, in which year the first company, known as the Freeport Van De Poele Electric Light and Power Company was established. Previous to 1882, the streets of the city had been shrouded in darkness by night. The gas company, in accordance with its contracts with the city, had put up a number of gas lamps, but for one reason or another, they were unsatisfactory and were discontinued. Dur- ing the summer of 1882, the Van De Poele Company, of Chicago, gave several exhibitions with the light in this city, and succeeded in interesting Freeport capitalists in the project of organizing a company. In the fall of that year the above mentioned company was organized with a capital stock of $25,000, and a contract to light the city for a period of twenty-five years. On December 26, 1882, the plant, which was located near the Illinois Central tracks on Galena street, was put into operation. By the close of 1883, the company had forty lights in operation in the city hotels and stores, but no move had been made to light the streets. In July, 1885, the matter was brought before the city coun- cil, who granted the company a five year's contract, the city to pay $4,500 an- nually for the light. The plant was then owned by a stock company, in which D. C. Stover, Charles Nieman, Fred Gund, and R. H. Wiles were the principal holders. A difficulty arose between the gas and electric companies, which was immediately forestalled by the purchase of the electric light plant by Farwell
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OPERA HOUSE. FREEPORT
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and Munn, owners of the gas works. In 1886 a new power station was erected close to the gas works, and three years later a large Westinghouse incandescent . dynamo was added to the equipment of the plant.
On the 22d of February, 1890, a disastrous fire completely destroyed the electric light plant, and L. Z. Farwell, who had recently purchased the interest of Mr. Munn was left to bear the loss alone. He immediately rebuilt the plant, and in August, 1893, he removed the plant to Liberty street where he erected a brick building, 50 x 150, and established a system of power and lighting, repre- senting an outlay of $75,000, furnishing the city and private consumers with ninety arc lamps. Mr. Farwell remained sole owner until the summer of 1894, when the plant was purchased by the Freeport General Electric Company.
The origin of the Freeport General Electric was in 1886, when Messrs. F. C. Platt and G. D. Clinger, of Waterloo, Iowa, introduced the subject of a street railway system to the citizens of Freeport, and succeeded in interesting several capitalists in the project. A company was organized on October 16, of that year, with a capital stock of $45,000, and incorporated by F. C. Platt, G. D. Clinger, Jacob Krohn, J. B. Taylor and W. G. Barnes. Large stables were erected on Taylor avenue, and a horse car system operating four miles of track was installed. The lines were on Carroll, Williams and Chicago streets, Oak Place, and North Galena avenue, with a west and east line on Stephenson street and Taylor ovenue, intersecting the north and south line at the corner of Ste- phenson and Chicago streets. On November 4, 1886, the company elected the following officers: Jacob Krohn, president; F. C. Platt, vice president; J. B. Taylor, secretary; W. G. Barnes, treasurer; G. D. Clinger, general manager. The cars began to operate on Thanksgiving Day, 1886.
In January, 1887, G. D. Clinger sold his interest in the enterprise to J. B. Taylor, and F. C. Platt disposed of most of his stock to the same gentleman. Hiram Warner, of Morris, Illinois, became general manager. In the winter of 1892-3, Congressman Mutchler, of Pennsylvania, visited Freeport, purchased the horse car lines, and in company with some other gentlemen, proceeded to convert it into an electric railway. On August 11, 1894, the work of putting down new rails was commenced, and the trolley cars arrived the following No- vember. On the first of December, of that year, the Freeport Electric Light and Power plant was purchased, and the light and power systems consolidated into one under the title of the Freeport General Electric Company.
The Freeport General Electric Company continued to do business for about seven years, and gave the citizens of Freeport excellent service. The terminals of the various lines were extended, and the rolling stock of the company kept in excellent condition. About ten years ago, the business was purchased by A. P. and A. J. Goddard, who moved the electric light plant from its location on Liberty street to the old Goddard's Mill site, Clark avenue and the river. A new power house was built, and the water power afforded by the Pecatonica river dam, familiarly known as Goddard's dam, was utilized. The old structure, formerly occupied by the mills of Goddard and Clark, was also used. This, however, burned down about two years ago, and the brick power house, with additions and changes, was used alone.
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A. P. and A. J. Goddard made a number of extensions to the street railway system, when they took possession of the lines, building the extension in the southeastern portion of the city, which is known to Freeporters as "the loop." The Loop Line runs east from the old Carroll street terminal at Empire street to Bauscher street, north of Bauscher street to Adams street, northwest on Adams street to Chippewa street, north on Chippewa street to Shawnee street, east on Shawnee street to Gund avenue, north and west on Gund avenue to Hancock avenue, north on Hancock avenue to Taylor avenue, connecting with the East Stephenson street line of the company. The building of this line helped to open up the Arcade addition, and other parts of the city, which were formerly altogether without transportation facilities. It is no longer in opera- tion, except in parts, having been discontinued on account of difficulties with the railroad companies whose tracks it crosses several times.
About six years ago a competing company was organized under the title of the Freeport Light & Power Company, Charles E. Gregory, of Chicago, being the chief instigator. When A. P. Goddard died, the firm of "A. P. and A. J. Goddard" became the Freeport Railway, Light and Power Company, and Al- pheus J. Goddard continued to fill the position of general superintendent. For several years the two rival light and power companies ran side by side. In July, 1910, the two companies consolidated, Charles E. Gregory being elected president, and Alpheus J. Goddard vice president. It is planned to thoroughly renovate and renew the rolling stock of the company, and effect a much needed improvement in the street railway system. A new extension to connect the western terminals of the Stephenson street and North Galena avenue lines is planned. It is said that the company has bought a large tract of land west of North Globe avenue and plans to run its line through, plat the addition, and open it up to buyers. The scheme is a good one, and as the country is particularly beautiful and well adapted to residence lots, and is, moreover, in that section of suburban Freeport in which the natural growth of the city is trending, the addition of transportation facilities should make the lots sell like hot cakes.
J. W. MILLER COMPANY.
The J. W. Miller Incubator Company, a private concern owned by J. W. Miller, has its factory and offices at the south end of Oak Place, between the Illinois Central tracks and the river. It had its origin in the J. W. Miller Poul- try farm, which was located on the owner's farm south of town. The poultry business was begun by Mr. Miller about twenty years ago, and continued until 1901, when the present work of manufacturing incubators and brooders was commenced.
While the concern is one of the smaller factories of Freeport, yet Mr. Miller does a large business, both in Stephenson county and in the adjoining states. He began the work of making incubators and brooders on his farm on the Dunbar road, and continued there for two years. He then moved into the Stover building, which he occupied for two years more. From the Stover building, Mr. Miller moved to his present factory, where he has been located for about five years.
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About fifty men are employed by the Miller Company during the busy season. The average yearly output of incubators and brooders is in the neighborhood of fifteen thousand. The tracks of the Illinois Central, which pass the factory, offer good shipping facilities.
FREEPORT ARTIFICIAL ICE AND COLD STORAGE COMPANY.
The Freeport Artificial Ice and Cold Storage Company, makers of pure dis- tilled water artificial ice, organized their company in January, 1907, and elected the following officers: President, W. E. Fry; vice-president, W. H. Flachte- meier ; secretary, W. H. Foll; treasurer, W. N. Tice.
Immediately after the work of organization was accomplished, the ice fac. tory now in use was built. The plant is located south of the Illinois Central tracks at the corner of Adams street and Clark avenue. Although built with a view to supplying every demand in case of a large increase in business, the plant is already too small to satisfy the wants of the growing business. A new addi- tion is contemplated by the directors of the company, but no definite action has been taken as yet.
The machinery used is of the most up-to-date variety, and was purchased from the Henry Vogt Machine Company, of Louisville, Kentucky. The absorp- tion system is employed, and the ice is frozen in cans. Pure distilled well water is used throughout, and the precautions taken to insure perfect purity in the fin- ished product are in evidence at every stage of the manufacture. The water used is obtained from the company's own wells. It is converted into steam, forced into the condenser at the top of the building, then conveyed through a number of skimmers and filters, charcoal and sponge, into a boiler, where it is re-boiled at a temperature of 212 degrees. The water thus purified is poured into the freezing cans and lowered into tanks of calcium chloride brine. Pipes carrying ammonia gas suround the freezing can, and the action of the ammonia gas on the calcium chloride brine produces a temperature low enough to freeze the contents of the can. The cans contain three hundred pound cakes of ice, and, at a temperature of fourteen degrees above zero, forty-eight hours are con- sumed in the process of freezing.
About sixteen hands are employed by the company during the busy season, which is, of course, every season except midwinter. Four wagons are constantly employed to distribute the product, and the plant turns out on an average twenty- eight tons of ice every twenty-four hours. Large ice-houses adjoin the ice fac- tory, but the capacity of both factory and ice-houses is now taxed to the ut- most. In addition to the local business, the company does some shipping. A spur track of the Illinois Central enters the company's grounds, and thus fur- nishes good transportation facilities.
FREEPORT SHOE MANUFACTURING COMPANY.
The Freeport Shoe Manufacturing Company was organized in September, 1900, by a company of Freeport gentlemen, of whom Fred Dorman was elected president, Henry Baier vice-president, Will H. Foll secretary and treasurer, and
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B. Goldman superintendent. The idle and deserted factory of the H. Meyer Boot and Shoe Company was purchased, the original firm having failed after a short and satisfactory career, and the manufacture of boots and shoes was imme- diately commenced.
The manner in which the Freeport Shoe Company has built up a trade has been nothing short of miraculous. The market was at first restricted to almost nothing, but within ten years the output has grown so enormously that today one thousand pairs of boots and shoes are made daily. The whole of the product is at present sold to the Selz, Schwab & Company, of Chicago.
The factory is located in West Freeport, south of Lincoln Boulevard, in the addition known as the Shoe Factory Addition. The plant is well equipped in every respect, and employs the most up-to-date machinery. A force of one hun- dred and twenty-five hands is employed throughout the year.
A number of changes have occurred in the ownership of the company since its comparatively recent organization, but the list of officers is, with one excep- tion, unchanged. The present officials are : President, Fred Dorman; vice presi- dent, Henry Baier; secretary, H. H. Antrim; treasurer and superintendent, B. Goldman.
KEENE CANNING COMPANY.
The Keene Canning Company was started under the firm of Emory & Keene in the year 1887. The first factory was located across the river in East Free- port, but the company remained there only a year. Mr. Emory then left the business, and F. O. Keene has since been sole proprietor and manager. In 1888 the business was moved to its present location at the foot of Monterey street, close to the Illinois Central tracks. Hardly had the new factory been erected when a disastrous fire destroyed the whole property, entailing an enormous loss. Mr. Keene was in the east when the fire occurred, and as soon as he returned commenced the erection of a new factory.
Hard times ensued for the Keene Canning Company, and it is due to the pluck and persistency of Mr. Keene that the company has reached its present prosperous condition. Last winter, 1909, the new factory, a fine three-story brick building, was built to replace the old frame structure.
The company cans three articles of food: corn, peas, and pumpkin. The first vegetable canned was corn,; then, a few years ago, Mr. Keene began the work of canning sugar peas, and, finally, pumpkin. The new factory is up-to- date and contains entirely modern machinery. Formerly some of the work, such as the husking of corn, was done by hand, but for some years all of the work has been done by machinery. Now the product is not touched from the time it leaves the farmer's wagon until the can is opened by the consumer. Machin- ery conveys the unhusked corn from the bins, where it is unloaded, to the third story of the building, where it is husked, shelled, cooked, and canned. The cans are then automatically sealed, and put through a machine which decorates them with wrappers indicating the brand.
Formerly the peas were all shelled at the factory, but now much of this work is done at the farms, and the peas are brought to town already shelled. Mr.
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Keene owns a large number of farms himself, nearly 1,000 acres in all, where he grows all of his peas and a small quantity of corn. The balance is purchased from the farmers of the vicinity. The different farms belonging to the Keene Canning Company are located in every portion of the county. There are large tracts south of town, and also in Lancaster Township. The largest pea produc- ing farm is located in Lancaster, a short distance northeast of town, and is known as Pea Ridge. Here an auxiliary plant has been erected, and the work of shelling the peas is practically all done here. When the peas are brought to the Freeport plant they are ready to be cleaned, cooked, and canned immediately.
The pumpkin industry is of recent growth. The product is canned both in the ordinary sized cans, in quart tins, in, gallon tins, and in other receptacles of varying sizes. About 1,400 tons of pumpkin were canned last year.
The capacity of the cannery, since the addition of the new machinery, is very large. About 120,000 cans of goods are manufactured daily, which makes a total of nearly 4,000,000 cans of goods for the entire season. Of the 4,000,000, about 2,250,000 cans are of corn, 1,000,000 of peas, and less than 1,000,000 of pumpkin. The equipment of the factory is such that 240 tons of corn can be handled daily.
As regards machinery and equipment, the factory is thoroughly up-to-date. They possess a 340 H. P. boiler, a 150 H. P. engine, and a 30 H. P. engine. Among the farm equipment is a gasoline plow, fifty horses and mules, between thirty and forty wagons, reapers, and seeding machines, etc. From one hundred and fifty to two hundred hands are employed at the factory during the busy sea- son, which, however, does not last throughout the entire year. A visit to the establishment is well worth one's time, and the process of cooking and canning is extremely interesting. F. O. Keene is in direct control of the concern, and acts as manager and superintendent.
D. E. SWAN COMPANY.
The D. E. Swan Organ Company, manufacturers of high grade cabinet or- gans, is a concern of recent growth, although its predecessors have been in ope- ration for a number of years. The Burdett Organ Company, which preceded it, was organized by the Burdett Brothers, and bought the factory formerly oc- cupied by the Johnson Wheel Company in North Freeport. The Burdett Com- pany was in existence for a number of years, and then sold out to the Cable Company, manufacturers of pianos and organs. When the Cable Company de- cided to remove its plant from Freeport two years ago, the Freeport property was purchased by D. E. Swan, general superintendent of the plant, and the organ business was continued.
The Swan factory occupies a large lot north of the addition in North Free- port known as the Wheel Factory addition. It is a large structure, meeting sat- isfactorily the insistent demands of the growing company for additional floor space. The Illinois Central Railroad, whose Wallace yards are situated just west of the organ factory, offers facilities for transportation of the manu- factured product, and in this respect the Swan Organ Factory's location sur- passes that of any manufacturing concern in the city.
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The company manufactures a high grade instrument, and has a large yearly output. Over one hundred hands are employed in the various departments, and the prospects for the future of the D. E. Swan Organ Company are ex- tremely bright.
HENNEY BUGGY COMPANY.
The name "Henney" has been one around which much of Freeport's indus- trial progress has been built up. John W. Henney, Sr., came to this county in 1848 and in 1868 he began the manufacture of buggies and carriages in a small shop at Cedarville. The business grew to such proportions that he moved his business to Freeport and established the celebrated Henney Buggy Company. The business developed rapidly and soon became one of the leading industries of its kind in America. The name plate "Henney" on a buggy or carriage meant a guarantee of honest material and workmanship, and did much to give Freeport a nation-wide reputation as a manufacting center. While the business has passed into the hands of the Motive Plow Company, Mr. Henney is still connected with Freeport enterprises, is a member of the Board of Education and is one of the county's most honored and distinguished citizens.
THE CHARLES E. MEYER COMPANY.
In 1858, over 50 years ago, the Meyer Company began the manufacture of vinegar in Freeport. The business has enjoyed a remarkable progress, and large shipments are made all over the middle west. The company suffered a heavy loss by fire a few year ago, but have gone on increasing the output. In July, 1910, the company bought the buildings of the Bear Brening Company, at 60 Oak place, and will now have a plant adequate to meet the demands of the trade. Mr. Stahl, at the head of this company, is one of the Freeport's most capable young business men and that insures the future success of the organiza- tion.
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