The history of Adams County Illinois : containing a history of the county - its cities, towns, etc. a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion; general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men, Part 142

Author:
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Chicago : Murray, Williamson & Phelps
Number of Pages: 1254

USA > Illinois > Adams County > The history of Adams County Illinois : containing a history of the county - its cities, towns, etc. a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion; general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men > Part 142

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all of which was raised by subscription and promptly paid, leaving the asso- ciation free from-debt. The Hospital is situated on Spring street, between tenth and eleventhi streets, on grounds ample for the purpose, and has ac- commodations for 30 patients. It is in a healthy location, has airy and cheerful rooms, with modern conveniences and skillful attendant physicians; and the management has good success in treating patients, the supervising spirit being a lady of large hospital experience, under the most favorable circumstances.

In April, 1878, the hospital was turned over to a board of ten women managers, who are selected from an executive committee of thirty five ladies. The present officers consist of Mrs. Sarah Denman, President; Mrs. Wm. Marsh, vice-President; Mrs. Anna McMahan, Recording Sec- retary; Miss Lucy Bagby, Corresponding Secretary, and Miss E. B. Bull, Treasurer. Mrs. George W. Brown, Mrs. Rodney Lambert, Mrs. Edward Turner, Mrs. Lewis and Miss M. E. Chapin, compose the Managing Board.

The association receives all alike to its open arms of charity, regardless of race, creed or color, if there is any hope of their being benefitted, and provided they have no contagious disease which will endanger the other patients, and free to all who are unable to pay and need its services; but it is a hospital for the sick, and not an asylum for the aged and infirm. It has supported during the past year 30 charity patients, 21 provided by the supervisor and 19 pay patients, 70 in all, some of whom have been there for years. It is entirely sustained by private contributions, is out of debt, and owns the grounds, buildings and furniture.

The membership of the association is intended to embrace all forms of religious opinion in the community, and in this respect to be based upon a foundation as broad as our common humanity. Conscientious, large-hearted women have undertaken to carry forward this enterprise, which appeals through every groan of the afflicted and suffering poor to the humanitarian sentiment of their more fortunate brethren.

ST. MARY'S HOSPITAL.

About the year 1867 a delegation of Sisters of Charity known as the Sis- ters of St. Francis came to this city for the purpose of establishing a hos- pital, equal to the wants of the growing city. Ground was purchased on Broadway, between Fourteenth and Sixteenth streets, money was raised and the erection of the hospital building was commenced. The building was three stories high with cut stone basement and mansard roof, the structure costing $35,000. After the completion of the building the hos- pital was opened and the Sisters commenced their good work of minister- ing to the sick and relieving distressed unfortunates. All without regard to nationality or religion are admitted. The hospital is conducted by eleven Sisters of Charity, Sister Emerentia having charge of the institution. The year 1876 an addition was erected, at a cost of $11,000, to meet the . increasing demands upon the charity of the hospital. During that year 345 persons were admitted. The number who have received the benefits of the institution the past year is greater than that of any year previous.

QUINCY WORKHOUSE.

About the year 1865, the authorities of the city of Quincy deemed it ad- visable to utilize the vagrant and petty criminal element of her citizens by erecting a workhouse, where law-breakers could be confined and at the same

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time become in a measure self-supporting by being compelled to work for their bread, as do the law-abiding people outside. Accordingly; steps were taken toward that end, which resulted in the purchase by the city of over seven acres of land, and the erection of a one-story stone building on Front street, not far from the southern boundary of the city. The purchase extends on to the bluff and embraces extensive limestone quarries. When these petty criminals are arrested and convicted of an offense whose penalty is either fine or confinement in jail, or both, the criminals are incarcerated in the Workhouse and put to work upon the stone pile, either at breaking for macadam, or dressing rock for erossings or guttering. They are under the supervision of a superintendent who sees they are kept at work and gives each one credit for $1 for every day's labor performed, the amount being applied toward liquidating the assessed fine, or shortening the term of con- finement in jail. The experiment was found to work well in two ways; it has the effect to deter, in a measure, that somewhat numerous class of evil- disposed indigent persons who have a holy horror of work, from committing the crimes which, upon conviction, necessitate them to labor; and it fur- nishes large quantities of material for street improvements, as is shown by the figures from the report of the Superintendent for the last fiscal year. He contracts with the city to board and superintend the prisoners for a specified sum; and the proceeds of their labor is the property of the city.

A number of years ago another more ample, two-story stone building was erected near the first. The number of pauper criminals thus rendering the municipality a valuable service at one time, by working their passage from the felon's cell to God's open air of freedom varies from one to twelve. And the results of the past year, as shown by the report, are: 1,472 loads of macadam, worth sixty cents per load; 92 loads of rock for crossing, worth a dollar per load; 376 loads of riprap, worth fifty cents per load; and 279 loads of gutter stone, worth a dollar per load, which shows an aggregate yearly revenue from this source of $1,442.20. L. M. Pittman is Superin- tendent; J. H. Cavolt, Assistant Superintendent.

HOTELS.

Quincy is well supplied with hotels and boarding houses, many o_ them first-class buildings and excellent in appointments and accommoda tions. The leading hotels are the Tremont, the Quincy, the Wilson, the Furlong, the Occidental, and the Pacific. According to the estimates made the arrivals at the hotels named foot up for the year over 55,000.

The Tremont, Louis Miller, proprietor, has recently been enlarged and improved. The house has 125 rooms and the employes number 75. The arrivals average thirty per day.

The Quincy was materially improved recently, a large sum having been expended in repairs. It is under the management of Miller & Lee, experienced hotel men. It has 100 rooms and employs 27 persons, and averages twenty arrivals per day.

The Occidental, T. Rogers, proprietor, on Hampshire street, does an extensive business, receiving a large patronage from the country. Its reg- ister shows more arrivals than any other hotel in the city. There are six- teen employes, 84 rooms, and the arrivals average 75 per day.

The Wilson, owned by James Wilson, is conducted upon the European plan, the only house exclusively of that system in town. There are 26 rooms and fourteen employes. The arrivals average twelve per day.

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HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY.

The Furlong, James Furlong, proprietor, on Maine, near Sixth, is one of the popular houses of the city. The arrivals for the year average ten per day. The building contains 25 rooms, and gives employment to fifteen persons.

The Pacific, H. Moecker, proprietor, is located on the levee, convenient to the depot, and offers excellent accommodations. There are 25 rooms and eleven employes. The arrivals average fifteen daily.

The other hotels in Quincy, are the following:

Palmer House, 625 and 627 Maine.

Ballard House, O. T. Ellis, proprietor, 70 North Fourth.

Currier House, 46 Front.

Depot House, 45 North Front.

Franklin House, J. F. Gant, proprietor, 58 and 60 North Fifth.

Kentucky House, Louis Lantz, proprietor, 212 and 214 Maine.

Missouri House, Theodore Featheringill, proprietor, Hampshire and Third.

Pennsylvania House, Dr. Fitzpatrick, proprietor, 531 Hampshire.

Sherman House, Jas. Ferguson, proprietor, Front and Vermont.

St. Joe House, J. D. Hoffmeister, proprietor, 310 Hampshire.

Union House, John Hogan, proprietor, 44 Front.

THE EXPRESS BUSINESS.

Two express companies, the American and the United States, have offices in the city, one agent, F. C. Fargo, managing the business for both corporations. The American does the express business of all the lines of the C., B. & Q., the H. & St. Joe, and the United States of the Wabash.

MANUFACTORIES.

There is no subject more appropriate for the closing chapter of this vol- ume than the manufacturing interests of the county, and particularly the city of Quincy. The "Gem City" stands in the front rank with the cities of Illinois in this feature of industry. As compared with other points Quincy possesses superior advantages for manufacturing purposes. It is abundantly supplied with water and fuel, and her extensive railroad system affords rare opportunities for collecting raw material and distributing the manufactured goods. There are four leading lines which are particularly prominent: the flouring mills, the stove foundries, the tobacco factories and the breweries.

Notwithstanding the Scripture declaration that man cannot live by bread alone, it is equally true that it forms an important ingredient of human diet, a fact which the early settlers of Adams county fully realized and provided for.

The first primitive grist mill was established as early as 1824. During the five or six following years several horse power mills were established in different parts of the county. In 1831 J. T. Holmes and N. Pitkin started the first steam flouring mill in Quincy, at the foot of Ohio street. So prosperous has the manufacture of flour proven that the city now boasts of thirteen large flouring mills, besides a number of first-class flouring mills, throughout the county, prominent among which are the Casco Mills, at Camp Point and Clayton, the property of Wm. L. Oliver.

The amount of grain converted into breadstuffs in these thirteen estab- lishments in Quincy is almost incredible.

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CONCLUSION.

Eagle Mills, one of the oldest establishments in the city, is located on Broadway, between Olive and Second streets, and is conducted by the vet- eran miller, H. S. Osborn, ably assisted by Rod. Lambert and Henry Meis- ser. During the year they ground 223,811 bushels of wheat and manufac- tured 46,986 barrels of flour, for which they found a ready market through- out the country. They employ thirteen hands.

Castel Mills, Graves & Whitman proprietors, is another old and pop- ular mill, located on Front street, just opposite the passenger depot. The mill has been running for a quarter of a century or more. It has a capac- ity of 100,000 barrels annually.

Tellico Mills, owned and operated by Dick Bros., is located near the corner of Front and Delaware streets, and is one of the largest and best in the country, and has a capacity of 300 barrels of flour in 24 hours. Its flour has gained a wide reputation through the North, East, South and West.

Center Mills, located on the corner of Jersey and Front streets, This is an old mill, and the name of Allen & Whyers, the proprietors, is a guarantee of the excellence of its production.

Quincy Mills, corner of Ninth and Vermont street, Moenning Bros. proprietors, were in operation steadily the past year and ground 52,000 bushels of wheat, 3,000 bushels of rye, and manufactured 13,000 barrels of wheat and 600 barrels of rye flour. This mill has a fine reputation and the flour is eagerly sought after.

Broadway Mills .- Owen Thom & Co., proprietors of the above mills, have only been grinding wheat since March 1st, 1877, yet they manufactured 3,000 barrels of flour and handled 30,000 bushels of wheat. The firm make a speciality of corn meal, and have this year ground 5,000 barrels of meal, for which they find ready sale.

City Mills, corner of Eighth and Kentucky streets, Knollenberg, Waver- ing & Co. proprietors, ground during the year 60,000 bushels of wheat and manufactured 12,500 barrels of flour. This mill has only been in operation about four years, but it has already gained a good reputation for making first-class flour.

Gem City Mill, C. S. Gove & Son proprietors, was established in July, 1876. The firm make a specialty of flour and meal, and ground 3,900 bushels of wheat and 3,000 bushels of corn, and made 680 barrels of flour and 150,000 pounds of meal.

The Royal Mill is located on South Seventh street, between Maine and Hampshire, and makes a specialty of corn meal and hominy. The mill ground 24,000 bushels of corn and manufactured 325,000 pounds of meal and 600 barrels of hominy in a single year. This is the only mill in the city making hominy, in which it has a large trade. This mill also deals largely in feed.

Farmers' Mills .- This establishment, owned by Moenning & Weltin, located on Fourth street, between Maine and Hampshire, is well known, at home and abroad, for the excellence of the flour manufactured. The Farm- ers Mills' brands are quoted among the highest in the principal markets of the country and are always in demand. The mill was burned August 11, 1876, and was rebuilt and commenced operation again on the 10th of November, that year. They grind wheat, corn and rye in large quantities.

City Spring .- The City Spring Mills of Hunnerwadel & Ringier, on Sixth, between York and Kentucky. The mill is first-class and the brands

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HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY.

of flour popular wherever known. Their capacity is 100 barrels in 24 hours. The proprietors have a demand for all they ean manufacture.

The Star Mill, owned by VandenBoom & Wewers, is doing a thriving business, and has a capacity of 100 barrels of flour in 24 hours.

The People's Mill, George Miller proprietor, makes a specialty of man- ufacturing eorn meal, and does an increasing business.

These mills draw chiefly upon Illinois, Missouri and Kansas for their supplies of grain, and ship the immense quantity of their products to all points of the compass, much of them going east and South and to Chicago.

STOVES.

This city was one of the first in the Western country to engage in stove manufacturing. The first foundry was started in the year 1846, through the enterprise of Allen Comstock. The business flourished and the little pioneer Stove Works has grown into the extensive Phoenix Foundry, one of the first in the country. There are four firms, of which this is the parent, engaged in manufacturing, all doing a large trade.

The Phoenix stove foundry of Comstock, Castle & Co., leads in volume of business. About 20,000 stoves are manufactured a year, and the firm find the demand about equal to their supply. The value of the product of the year is nearly $250,000. One hundred and ten to one hundred and twenty-five men are employed at the works and make 200 tons of stoves and ware per month. The Phoenix stoves come into competition with the best of other cities and never fail to come off with credit to Quincy.

Bonnet, Duffy & Co., manufacturers of stoves, ranges and hollow- ware, now located on the corner of Fifth and Ohio streets, are one of the leading firms in the West. The house was established in 1866, by Bonnet & Duffy, and employed 28 men that year. They now employ over 70 men, 36 molders. They are just completing a large new brick building on the river bank, South Front street, containing a molding room, 86 by 125 feet area, and a warehouse, 40 by 120 feet, and five stories high, into which they will remove in July, when they expect to increase the volume of their business at least one-fourth. They melt 1,200 tons of iron a year.

Thomas White's Stove Works, on the corner of Fifth and York, was established in 1860, by the firm of Bonnet, Duffy & White. The latter became sole proprietor in 1865. The building is 100 by 165 feet, and three stories and basement. He employs 40 men and melts four tons of iron per day, turning out 9,000 stoves and ranges a year. His sales run about $80,000 per annum.

Excelsior Stove Works .- This well-known stove foundry, located on Delaware street, continues to hold its own. The works were started many years ago and established a reputation for excellence of work, second to none. The business the past year has been prosperous. A large number of men were employed. It melts 800 tons of iron annually.

TOBACCO.

The tobacco manufacturing interest in Quincy having had its birth during the late war, has grown to mammoth dimensions, and yields an immense revenue to the city and furnishes occupation for a large number of laborers. The manufacturing is chiefly comprised in four large estab- lishments: The Gem City Plug Tobacco Works, the Empire Plug To-

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CONCLUSION.

bacco Works, the Empire Fine Cut Factory and Joel Harris' Sons Plug Tobacco Works.

The Gem City Plug Tobacco Works, the first in point of age and one of the largest, plug tobacco factories in this country, was established in 1862, by Turner Vanhorn & Co. Their factory is located on South Front street; the building is 70 by 200 feet, four stories high. The first year the concern employed 60 hands and produced 300,000 pounds a year. The business has steadily increased, and they now work 250 hands and turn out 160,000 pounds per month, and are unable to fill their orders. Their sales aggregate $750,000 yearly.

The Empire Plug Tobacco Works, situated on Fifth street and Ohio avenue, and second in order of age, were founded by Daniel Harris and Albert Beebe, in 1867, though Mr. Harris had conducted the business in a small way since 1862. The business of the firm grew so rapidly that in 1876 they had 700 employes, a working capital of $300,000, and pro- duced 2,300,000 pounds of plug tobacco. The company paid the Govern- ment for stamps that year $750,000. The factory is now owned and run by T. J. Mackoy, who employs 150 hands and turns out 75,000 pounds a month.

The Empire Fine Cut Tobacco Factory, Wellman & Dwire proprie- tors, is situated on Payson avenue, between Fourth and Fifth streets. It s the only exclusive fine cut works in this part of the country, the largest west of Cincinnati, and was established by Harris, Beebe & Co., in 1875. The building is 60 by 100 feet, seven stories. It is supplied with the most approved machinery, works 125 hands, and produces 80,000 pounds of fine cut and smoking tobacco per month. In May of this year they turned out 160,000 pounds. Trade constantly increasing.

Joel Harris' Sons, Plug Tobacco Works, 29 and 30 North Front street, opposite the Union Depot, is the youngest member of the tobacco family, having been established January 1, 1879. It employs 200 hands and man- ufactures 80,000 pounds of plug tobacco per month. Their sales extend to the Pacific coast, and average about $30,000 monthly.

BREWERIES.

The brewing business of Quincy surpasses that of any city of its size in the country. The first brewery was started by Anton Delabar, in 1837, and was burned the same year. Others followed in succession, until there are now five firms engaged in the business in the city limits and one a mile north. The leading establishment is that of

Dick Brothers Quincy Brewing Company, situated on the corner of Ninth and York streets. It is one of the largest in the West, and has some hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in buildings and business. They employ a large force of men, and have a brewing capacity of 40,000 barrels of beer a year, though they make less. They ship their beer as far west as Colorado, and south to Texas, in their own refrigerator cars. Last year's business was $150,000.

Ruff Brothers & Co.'s establishment is next in size, and produces about one-half as much per year as the Dicks' concern.

J. Luther & Co., Washington Brewery, John M. Ruths, Eber Brothers and F. X. Schill-a mile and a half above the city-have all brewing estab- lishments of considerable capacity, producing from 1,400 to 3,000 barrels a year.

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HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY.

MACHINE SHOPS.

The city is well supplied with foundries and machine shops. The establishments rank with the first in the country, and compete in western work with the oldest and largest shops of the principal cities. John Will- iams & Co., Smithi, Hayner & Co. and the Gardner works, will compare in extent and quality of work with any similar firms in the West.

One of the most complete machine shops and foundries is that of John Williams & Co., on Front street. The firm manufacture all kinds of ma- chinery, but make a specialty of steam engines, railroad and bridge work, in which they compete with the largest establishments of the country. For years past they have filled large orders for railroads and bridges in Mis- souri, Kansas and other Western States. Their work has the reputation of being first-class. About seventy men are employed and the business will aggregate about $35,000 a year.

The foundry and machine shops of Smith, Hayner & Co., on Fifth street, near Ohio, is one of the oldest establishments of the kind in the city . The specialty of the firm is steam engines, in which they do a large busi- ness. Their work is of the best. The aggregate of the business for the year is about $75,000. Thirty men are employed in the works.

R. W. Gardner, known not only in this country but in Europe as the inventor and manufacturer of the celebrated Gardner Governor, the most important of all inventions for steam engines, has his foundry and shops at the corner of Fifth and Ohio streets, which give employment to 33 men. For the twelve months he manufactured over 1,200 governors. The demand increases each year. The purchasers were from all parts of the United States and abroad, some of the orders being from Australia. New machin- ery is being added to the foundry and he expects to manufacture more ex- tensively the coming year than ever before.

CARRIAGES AND WAGONS.

One of the most important branches of manufacturing in this city is that of carriage and wagon making. The business is conducted on a large scale, one of the firms being one of the largest and best in the Union.

E. M. Miller & Co .- One of the most extensive manufacturing estab- lishments in the western country is the carriage factory of E. M. Miller & Co., on Sixth street. The firm occupy three large first-class brick build- ings, erected by them, and carry on the business on an immense scale, run- ning the year through. The business of the firm was started 21 years ago, in an old barn, employing ten men, and grew rapidly year by year. The firm make all styles of buggies and carriages, hearses and omnibuses. In the latter they probably excel any other manufacturers in the country. They fill orders for the Eastern States, for Canada, for the South and South- west and do a large business in the Western Territories and in California. One hundred and fifty hands are employed.

Hynes & Co., southeast corner Fifth and Jersey streets, com- menced business in a small way in 1869, on Sixth street, between Maine and Jersey, the firm at that time being Hynes & Moore, and continued under the same style until the death of Mr. Moore, which occurred recently. John A. Lenox, known to the trade for the past twenty-five years, is now connected with this house. They have a capacity of running seventy-five hands. They make a special point on the quality

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of the work which they turn out, and whether it be an elegant family car- riage or a plain open buggy the material and workmanship will always be found to be of the very best. They have given considerable attention dur- ing the past season to the manufacture of the stylish side-bars. Messrs. Hynes & Co. are making all classes of family carriages, two-seated car- riages, open and top buggies, phaetons, etc. This firm employ only the most skillful workmen, and many of their finer carriages and buggies are made from original designs. They are prepared to make any desired style of buggy or carriage to order on short notice. They have made a specialty of manufacturing vehicles of all kinds to order from special designs, and this feature forms an important branch of their business.

W. T. & E. A. Rogers own and operate a large wagon manufactory on the corner of Fourth and Oak streets and make a large number of wag- ons annually. The Rogers wagons have been in good demand wherever they have been introduced, competing successfully with those manufactured elsewhere. The firm have the reputation of doing good work, their wagons being durable and light-running, and possessing advantages not found in those of other factories. One thousand wagons are manufactured and sold a year, the demand being about equal to the supply. From twenty-five to sixty persons are employed in the factory.

J. Koenig and Luhrs & Wayne are also engaged in the manufacture of carriages and buggies in the city, and turn out a considerable quantity of work.

THE VANDIVER CORN PLANTER COMPANY OF QUINCY.

This company was incorporated under State laws in 1870, and have been conducting a very large and successful business since its organization. Its officers are Edward G. Castle, President; Joseph C. Barlow, Superin- tendent and Secretary.

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The history of Adams County Illinois : containing a history of the county - its cities, towns, etc. a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion; general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men, Part 142

Author: Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Chicago : Murray, Williamson & Phelps Number of Pages: 1254

Author:
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Chicago : Murray, Williamson & Phelps
Number of Pages: 1254