USA > Indiana > Delaware County > A twentieth century history of Delaware County, Indiana, Volume I > Part 17
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57
One more quotation from the enthusiastic newspapers of the time will suffice. From quiet, matter-of-fact statement of current news, the local papers had quickly adopted a style in harmony with the enthusiasm of the hour, and ordinary news is quite lost among the big leaders describing the opening of new wells, location of factories, etc. Indeed, it is necessary for the historian to modify, in the light of known later facts, many of the con- fident assertions of the press at that time. The following is quoted from the Muncie Daily News of April 12, 1887:
The boom breezes were much stronger and more regular yesterday than it has been at any time yet. Many of the gentlemen who were here last week and went home over Sunday came back with reinforcements. The men who came for the first yesterday found the supply of gas much larger than they had been led to suspect. Speculators expected to find in Muncie an Indiana village like Portland, Anderson or New Castle, with a sickly natural gas flame as a curiosity. Instead of that they see a city with all
145
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
the improvements of a place of 20.000 people. They see a city with a idly built business centre-long rows of handsome edifices with shining Rate glass fronts. Handsome public buildings in all parts of the city. A court house finer than ones possessed by Cincinnati or Indianapolis. They see a city of 7.500 with $150.000 invested in public school buildings. A city with $15,000 invested in a fire department and a corps of firemen as good as there is in any city in the state. A city with $3,000 invested in the most approved fire alarm system. Visitors standing in front of the Kirby hast evening heard the bell ring and in sixteen seconds saw a magnificent team of horses dashing down the street drawing the same fire machinery they would see used in New York City. The visitors were incredulous and thought the alarm came from the engine house, but investigation proved that a key was turned one-half mile away, which informed every citizen of Muncie where the fire was located, rang gongs which awakened the firemen, opened the stall doors of the horses and the great doors of the department. Our surprised individual said to the writer: "Why this is not a Hoosier village, but an Indiana city."
One of the results of the boom was to arouse the spirit of enterprise and nerve men to engage in undertakings which they would regard as im- possible during ordinary times. One evening, while the speculative fever and general enthusiasm was at its height, a number of men were sitting in the Kirby House discussing various features of the boom. Among other things, one expressed his desire for a ground floor office, something that could not be had anywhere in Muncie at that time. Several others were vi like mind and said they would pay handsomely for such an advantage of location. In the group was James Boyce, who turned to the first speaker and asked how much he would pay for such a room. "There is a lot and just in the right location," pointing to the corner where the Commercial Club building now stands. One said he would give sixty dollars a month for such a room, but it was useless to discuss it, for no building was there and none could be put there as soon as needed. "Gentlemen," was Mr. Boyce's reply, "if you will rent the rooms, I will have a brick building there in a week's time." It was in the nature of a wager, and the business men hardly thought it possible for Boyce to fulfill his promise though they were quite willing to accept their part of the bargain. It is indicative of the spirit and energy of the time that Mr. Boyce succeeded. On Monday, April 18, he contracted with D. C. Mitchell to erect on the corner of Main and Jefferson, a one-story brick building. 96 feet front and 24 feet deep, six rooms, with plate-glass windows, and all to be completed by the fol- lowing Saturday evening. Here is a paragraph from the News :- "Build- ing by gas light. One of the most novel sights ever witnessed in this town or any other was the work on the new Boyce building last evening. Ground was broken yesterday morning and this morning some of the walls are one story high. The workmen were at their places all night, and by the aid of
146
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
flaming gas torches are able to work as readily as they can in day." Sat- urday evening Mitchell turned over the keys of the completed building to Boyce. This was long known as "Real Estate Row."
For a time building and real estate were the principal interests of the city. It was announced early in April, 1887, that "Rat Row," corner of Jackson and Walnut streets, would be replaced with a three-story business block, and other buildings were projected. If the newspaper reports of the transactions are to be believed, the amounts invested in local land by outside capitalists ran into the hundreds of thousands every week. On April II, for instance, Goshorn brothers of Cincinnati bought William Walling's farm and John Luick's farm, paying $52,000 for the two tracts. On the same day T. H. Kirby sold 66 acres of suburban property at $275 an acre. April 22, thirty acres on Walnut street pike sold for $650 an acre, and a corner lot sold for $5,500 that two weeks before had brought $3,500. April 27 the Kirby tract of 41 acres west of town sold at $475 an acre; six days before, the price was $250 an acre. These are a few examples selected from the long list of transactions published every day. Shorn of the exaggeration natural to the occasion, they represent a phenomenal rise in real estate values.
Board of Trade.
February 24, 1887, was organized the Muncie Board of Trade as a corporation "for promotion of any and all undertakings calculated to ad- vance the interests, improvement and general welfare of the city of Muncie." The first officers were: J. A. Goddard, president ; S. A. Wilson, first vice president ; T. F. Rose, second vice president ; J. R. McMahan, third vice president ; W. M. Marsh, treasurer. The Board of Trade was the first of several similar and successive organizations that, each in turn, worked for the welfare and industrial development of Muncie. The scope of the work to be done by the Board is shown by the names of the committees-Manu- factures, public improvements, ways and means, local roads and streets, projected railroads, completed railroads, public affairs, etc. The Board of Trade had its origin in a citizens' meeting of February Ist, to devise means to attract manufacturers and utilize the gas supply. At that time the fol- lowing committee were appointed: James Boyce, S. M. Highlands, J. N. Templer, George Kirby, A. L. Johnson.
The charter members of the Board of Trade, men who thus actively identified themselves with the progress of Muncie after the gas discoveries, though most of them had been for years working public-spiritedly along the same lines, were as follows :
James Boyce, Webster S. Richey, W. L. Lacey,
George Kirby, J. A. Heinsohn, J. C. Greisheimer,
1
:
147
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
F. L. Wachtell,
J. R. Meeks,
Thomas Mckillip,
S. M. Highlands,
Carl Spilker,
. C. N. Wilcoxon,
T. F. Rose,
J. H. Smith,
Samuel A. Wilson,
J. W. Ream,
J. E. Burson,
Edward Tuhcy,
C. E. Adamson,
C. P. Franklin,
W. M. Marsh,
C. H. Anthony,
John M. Kirby,
John F. Wildman,
Joseph A. Goddard,
B. F. Bratton,
Fred W. Heath,
WV. L. Little,
F. Leon,
John M. Bloss, E. P. Smith,
J. W. Templer,
John F. Sanders,
T. A. Neely,
C. F. W. Neely,
Joshua Truitt,
A. A. Wilkinson,
W. P. Jenkins,
J. R. McMahan,
J. W. Perkins,
A. L. Johnson, Frank Ellis.
It is surprising how quickly the boom of 1887 died out. The enthusiasmn was too great to last. No one could be found to confess that it was gone, the newspapers said not a word about it, though their pages once more took on somewhat of the appearance and routine news matter they had had in the previous year. But as one who was most active in the move- ment said, "The boom broke in a single night." However, it must not be understood that this marked a real calamity and permanent cessation of the development of Muncie. So far, the sudden activity and progress of the city was artificial, was speculative, and consisted mainly of real estate transfers that might enrich individuals but added no real wealth to the community. The real and effective resources (gas) had hardly been touched. It took time, and careful planning on the part of the citizens, to establish manufactories and make Muncie a big center of industry. That was accomplished in the course of a year or so, and then the real boom came, compared to which this first speculative flurry was insignificant.
Muncie was progressing during this time and was laying the founda- tions for permanent development. Yet, if one could judge entirely by the newspapers of the time, there was almost a complete cessation of enterprise during the political campaign of 1888, and there was no revival until the following spring. But while the city may not have added greatly to its business interests during that time, it is certain that much had been done for the enduring welfare of the city. The manufactories that have remained longest and proved the foundation of the industrial city were established here during the first two years. Many of the interesting details of these years must be included in the chronological summary, but the larger facts may be sketched.
-
1
4
148
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
Manufactories.
As already stated, Muncie had a splendid nucleus of manufacturing enterprise before the gas boom, though it is true that most of the industries employed only a few persons and therefore did not contribute materially to the making of a "factory city." The principal factories of Muncie before the boom, as enumerated by the News on July 23, 1885, were as follows: James Boyce, flax bagging and handles; J. W. Little, feather dusters; Wysor, Haines & Co., machine works; A. L. Johnson & Co., hardwood lumber; Johnson & Hitchcock, skewers; Wysor, Kline & Co. and C. N. Wilcoxon, roller flour mills; E. P. Smith, Mock Bros. and Joseph Prutzman, tile and brick; Bandy Planing Mill Company ; New York Spoke Works; J. I.I. Smith & Co., bent wood work; Garrard & Patterson, bed springs. Roller skates, then much in demand, were made by T. A. Neely, Bishop & Long, Becktel & Johnson, Coleman, Streeter & Co., and Victor Skate Company. Besides all these, Muncie's manufactured products in- cluded curry combs, reed organs, furniture, hubs, wringers and scrubbers, cigars, boots and shoes, leather, brooms, barrels. Several manufacturers made goods on their own patents. It is a matter to be recognized in this history that the list of Muncie's inventors is a long one.
The list of names just given should be regarded somewhat as an honor roll, since they had located in the city before it was able to offer extraor- dinary inducements to manufactures. Hardly had the news of the dis- covery of gas in eastern Indiana reached the east when the movement of manufacturers to this region began. For some kinds of manufactories, notably glass making, natural gas was the pre-eminent fuel; but even aside from this adaptability, the extreme cheapness of gas proved an alluring bait to a host of manufacturers who located in this part of the state about that time. Many towns, through their commercial clubs or boards of trade, increased the inducements by offering sites and a gas well already developed, so that the company might use its ledger space for ground rent and fnel for recording additional profits.
One of the first enterprises to locate in Muncie was the Kinnear Manu- facturing Company, carved wood being their specialty. The company was incorporated in July, 1887, with capital stock of $30,000. This was largely a local concern. its directors being C. E. Tuthill, B. F. Kinnear, A. L. Kerwood. George Kirby and T. F. Rose. They conducted a successful business for several years.
In the same month (July) the Ball Brothers, of Buffalo, New York, began their negotiations which resulted in the location of their great glass factories in Muncie. The plans of the enterprise were published July 28, and the building of the plant on Meridian street in Galliher's addition was
-
119
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
begun at once. Their gas well was opened September 9, and in a short time the enterprise was in operation.
The oldest, as well as one of the largest, of the manufacturing enter- prises whose history belongs within the gas regime, is the Indiana Bridge Company, which was incorporated shortly after the gas discovery, with capital stock of $30,000. It is worth noting that the officers of this concern were all local men, who were identified with Muncie long before natural gas was thought of. They were: T. F. Rose, president; J. C. Johnson, treasurer, and George F. McCulloch, secretary. Natural gas wells were sunk on their premises east of town, and by March, 1887, they had com- pleted one large brick and stone building and were building another.
Many people remember that Muncie once had a rubber works. The Muncie Rubber Company was incorporated September 21, 1887, by J. W. Nutt, C. T. Petchell and J. D. Mitchell, and the contract for the building was let in the following November.
About the time natural gas was discovered in Indiana, the new Inter- State Commerce bill went into effect. Just how much influence on the manufacturing growth of Muncie this may have had cannot be stated accurately, but it was asserted at the time that the new law had paralyzed the nail and glass business in the Virginias, and that this was an additional incentive for such industries to move to the natural gas belt. It is certain that a big rush of glass makers followed the discovery of gas. After the coming of the Balls, the next important enterprise of this kind was the Hemingray Bros., who in January, 1888, announced their decision to move part of their glass factories from Covington, Kentucky. The location chosen by this firm, which has continued as one of the big industries of Muncie, was on Macedonia avenue, east of the Ball plant.
In January, 1888, the Muncie News gave a list of the factories that had been located since the gas discovery. The total number of employes connected with these enterprises was given as 1,400, mainly skilled work- men, but it is evident that these figures were not the result of actual counting. but rather an estimate based on future growth of each factory to its promised capacity. The plants named, with the number of employes, were the following: Kinnear Manufacturing Company, 100; Brooks Creamery, 20; Balls Bros. Glass Company, 300; G. Jaeger Paper Com- pany, 200; Muncie Rubber Company. 100: Hemingray Glass Company, 500; E. P. Smith & Co., 50; Thompson Enameling Company, 125.
The year 1888 was one of marked activity in Muncie's factory develop- ment. Many of the older firms, including the bagging mills, handle factory, bent wood works, and the Indiana bridge works, continued in flourishing condition, while the new plants were rapidly nearing completion. The pulp works, southwest of town, began operation during the summer, and for the
:
150
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
first time the farmers of the county had a commercial demand for their straw, the pulp mill paying three dollars a ton for it when delivered. in May, largely through the efforts of the Board of Trade, a large nail factory, hitherto located in Greencastle, Indiana, was obtained for Muncie, being renamed the Muncie Nail Works. Mr. Charles Darnall was president. One hundred and fifty lots were obtained for the plant in the Gallihier sub- division.
Without disparaging the efforts of other men, it may be said truth- fully that Mr. James Boyce was as indefatigable in the work of building a city here during the gas boom as he had been during earlier years, when he was the principal manufacturer of the city of five thousand people. In 1888 Mr. Boyce platted a suburb on his land across the river on the cast of town, giving it the name of Boyceton. Here, it was announced in June of that .year, Maring, Hart & Co. would locate their window glass works, moving them from their former location in Bellaire, Ohio. The securing of this enterprise for Muncie was attributed entirely to Mr. Boyce's efforts.
Another enterprise brought in during this year was the C. H. Over Glass Works. All these glass works were to begin operation in the fall, so the outlook was very bright for industrial Muncie. At the close of 1888, in the report of the state geologist, was published a list of the factories at Muncie using natural gas for fuel. This included practically all the larger enterprises, and as the statistics concerning each may be considered fairly reliable, the report is summarized here:
Muncie Pulp Company ; capacity, 20 tons daily ; 80 employes.
Muncie Combination Manufacturing Company ; capital, $25,000; 25 employes.
Ball Glass Works, fruit jars, green and amber bottles; two furnaces, nine pots; value of daily product, $700; 125 employes; weekly payroll, $1,200; sand from Millington, Illinois; lime from Fostoria, Ohio, and soda ash from England.
Hemingray Glass Company, bottles; one furnace, fourteen pots; 100 employes; weekly payroll, $800.
C. H. Over, window glass; two furnaces, sixteen pots; weekly capacity, 1,400 boxes of glass; 84 employes; weekly payroll, $1,400.
Maring, Hart & Co., window glass; two furnaces, twenty pots; capacity of 7,6So 50-feet boxes of glass monthly; 120 employes.
Muncie Nail Company, steel and iron nails; daily capacity, 500 kegs of nails ; 200 employes; monthly payroll, $10,000.
Many of the details of Muncie's growth, the establishment of factories, and other interesting facts must be omitted here and mentioned in the chronological chapter or under special titles. The street railway had its origin early in the gas boom, but the history of that can best be told in one
.
៛
151
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
article. The rapid development of the city was also reflected in the building of churches and schools and these too must be described elsewhere. How- ever. as one studies the events of those years, one is convinced of the fact that Muncie grew disproportionately during the first few years. The splen- il energy of the citizens was directed for the most part to the making of a big manufacturing center. Factories, more factories, seemed to be the i'm of all the organized efforts put forth at this time. This being true, the other interests of the city could not possibly keep pace with its industrial avancement. The population of the city increased threefold within a few years, a dozen immense factories came in, and while bringing with them great possibilities of wealth, also introduced a complexity of good and evil conditions that the city was unable to cope with for some years to come. Liberality was naturally a characteristic of city and citizens at a time when a cordial invitation, together with a fat money bonus, was extended to the manufacturing interests of the world. But partly as a result of this liber- ality and open-handedness and partly because of the absorption of all classes in latsiness affairs, Muncie soon came to have the reputation of being a "irce and easy town," where the good people were too busy to concern them- selves greatly with moral conditions. So, for a number of years, Muncie's history is marked by social evils and statutory crimes that in the aggregate make a record from which any city might well wish to be free. It was not "an outbreak of crime," such as occurs in all cities from time to time, but the record forms almost a continuous story from day to day extending over several years. Criminality in Muncie was due to the conditions, as stated, rather than to any sudden infection of depravity. For a long while hardly any attempt was made to regulate the saloons, and the "quart shops," low dives and other haunts of vice flourished without check. These conditions were tolerated by the city government and by the better classes largely, it would seem, because such evils were deemed to be a necessary part of in- dustrial prosperity, and also because the moral forces and organizations had not increased apace with the material expansion of the city. While it seems necessary to call attention to this feature of Muncie's history, a de- tailed account of the criminal record happily has no place here; those whose morbid desire leads them in quest of such accounts, need only turn over the pages of the local newspapers of that period.
By the close of 1890 Muncie's factories produced an amazing variety vi products, chief among them being fine window glass, bottles and miscel- laneous glass articles, nails and iron work, wood pulp, architectural iron, brass and novelties, caskets, bent wood, hubs and spokes, handles, coil hoops, etc., etc. Johnson's sawmill, Truitt's sawmill, Bandy planing mill, Muncie foundry were all enterprises that had helped make Muncie before the boom, and were still doing flourishing business. In the spring of 1891, however,
152
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
Muncie lost one of her oldest and most important factories. The Muncie Bagging Co., largely the enterprise of Mr. Boyce, had existed here nearly twenty years, notwithstanding the fact that its raw material was imported from abroad and that its principal market was in the south. But at this time it was considered wise to move it to the cast.
With the first years of the 'gos, came the "big boom," not alone at Muncie but throughout the county and the gas belt. The recoil that fol- lowed the first burst of enthusiasm in 1887 did not materially affect the prosperity of the city and country, and in the meantime capital had come in and development work had proceeded so far that the second advance may be said to have been. "all along the line." It possessed real substance, both money and energy, and exhibited its strength and influence in every part of the county.
Citizens Enterprise Company.
While it would be impossible to describe Muncie's development during these years without reference to the Citizens Enterprise Company, it is also true that the story of that company is the most characteristic feature of the city's industrial history and represents very correctly the interests and activ- ities and the strenuous enterprise of the time. The Citizens Enterprise Company was organized August 14, 1891, at a meeting held in the city council chamber and attended by representatives of all the important inter- ests of the city. The board of directors that were chosen were: George Kirby, George L. Lenon, O. J. Lotz, Frank Lcon, James Boyce, J. A. God- dard, A. L. Johnson, W. M. Marsh, C. H. Church ; with an advisory board consisting of A. L. Kerwood, George W. Spilker, J. R. Sprankle, J. A. Heinsohn, J. H. Wysor, J. F. Darnall.
The object of the company was to promote the industrial interests of the city and especially to secure additional factories. For this purpose a large sum of money was needed, and remarkable energy was shown in rais- ing the amount. Committees were appointed for every ward in the city, to solicit subscriptions ; the property owners in Center township outside of the city were even called on for assistance. As a result of the vigorous campaign, the committee reported $103.000 secured by September 28tl1. By the end of October the amount had crept up to $140,000. For a time it seemed impossible to get any further. Finally, at a public meeting, the reserve was broken by a single subscription of $12,000, which was followed by a scene of remarkable enthusiasm and good will, during which the liberal donations soon increased the total to more than two hundred thousand dol- lars-the exact amount was $211,050. The company was in reality a public- spirited stock company, the capital stock being divided among a large num- ber of stockholders. The first assessment on this stock, amounting to ten percent, was called for on January 1, 1892, and during the existence of
-
... ..
------
153
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
the company only three other assessments were made, amounting to fifty percent in all, from which was realized, by the end of 1894. the sum of $ 0.685.48. When the last assessment was levied, it was found that several subscribers refused to pay their share, and the collectors for the company had extreme difficulty in performing their tasks. The matter went to the courts, where it was finally decided that the subscriptions to the company's stock represented valid claims upon the subscribers and were collectible by Law. In 1895 suit was brought by some of the subscribers to annul the charter of the company, and when this was defeated in the circuit court the decision was considered one of the most important that had been handed down in the history of the county. The company continued to exist until January, 1897, having accomplished, especially during the first two or three years, work of inestimable value to Muncie.
With the expenditure of the ninety odd thousand dollars raised by sub- scriptions, the Enterprise Company brought into Muncie two million dollars represented in factories and capital. The Ohio Wagon works was the first enterprise secured $3,500 in the form of a loan being given it by the Enter- prise Co. The works burned down, and the Enterprise Company collecting the insurance, lost only $114 by the transaction. The R. E. Hill Mfg. Co., knitting mills, was the next concern, contracted for in March, 1892. The company met reverses, finally passing to the Muncie Underwear Co. The Common Sense Engine Co., the third industry, passed through several court judgments, but for three or four years was called one of the important fac- tories of the city. The Midland Steel Company, secured by the Enterprise Company in April, 1892, was the best achievement of the latter organiza- tion. The White River Iron and Steel Company, which was brought from Anderson, had misfortunes after locating here, but in 1895 was still in oper- ation, under the name of Park Iron and Steel Company. The Whitely reaper works, also secured by the Citizens company, was an important in- dustry, of which great results were expected, but the plant was destroyed by fire, and never resumed its original size and importance as an independent manufacturing concern. Of the other factories secured by the Enterprise Company, there were in operation in April, 1895, the following: Gill Bros. Glass Pot factory, Bell Stove Co., Tappan Shoe Co., Consumers Paper Co., Muncie Electrical works (secured in July, 1893. and at first badly man- aged), Muncie Wheel Co. (which was double its original size by 1895), the Muncie Iron and Steel. Co. (a home company), Whitely Malleable Iron Castings Co., Patton Hollow Ware works. The location of the Indiana iron works was due partly to Col. A. L. Conger and partly to the Enterprise Company. It was secured in 1892 and in 1895 was a large industry, em- ploying several hundred men.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.