History of St. Joseph County, Indiana, Part 86

Author: Chapman, Chas. C., & co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago : C.C. Chapman & co.
Number of Pages: 986

USA > Indiana > St Joseph County > History of St. Joseph County, Indiana > Part 86

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" Please, sir, we hain't been doin' nothin'; we just come here on an errand for the teacher!"

The superintendent dropped his pen and took their note. It ran thus: " Please send some chalk; we are entirely out." The haste with which the draft of that red-hot stove was closed, and the boys were got off from the floor and seated on comfortable chairs, was a caution. The superintendent gave them a big apple apiece, and langlied the thing off with them as a good joke as best he could, but he was ever after a little distrustful of his ability to determine the exact contents of a note before seeing the inside of it.

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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.

WARD SCHOOLS.

In addition to the high school, there are six school buildings in various parts of the city. The Jefferson school building was erected in 1866; has four main and two recitation rooms, and is valued at $10,000. The Madison building was erected in 1864, and has the same number of rooms and valued at $10,000. The Lafayette was originally built in 1854; was burned down and rebuilt in 1872. It has four rooms, and valued at $8,000. Laurel building, in 1871. This building has four main and two recitation rooms. The Coquil- lard was built in 1863; remodeled in 1871, and has four rooms. The South building was built in 1878, and has four rooms. The value of the Laurel is $8,000, and Coquillard and South, $6,000 each. Each of these buildings are of brick.

ENUMERATION AND ENROLLMENT.

A superficial observer might be struck by the disparity between the enrollment and enumeration; 1,936 enrolled, 4,267 enumerated! It might look to him as though over half the school-going popula- tion were in the streets. But such is not the case. A great num- ber of them attend private and denominational schools, and in the factories and manufacturing establishments are to be found many more. The bulk of the population of a manufacturing city is nec- essarily composed of laboring people whose energies are absorbed by the struggle for subsistence. The children of such are by cir- cumstances debarred from higher educational culture. They have to be content with the merest rudiments of learning. It is there- fore not a matter of wonder that the per cent. of children in the schools is not so great as, for example, in commercial or college towns. Bnt though this is to be greatly regretted, it nevertheless gives such places a larger tnition fund in proportion to the children in actual attendance, and it should enable those who are privileged to attend the schools to enjoy even better advantages than where the tuition fund has to be eked out by direct taxation.

EFFICIENCY OF THE SCHOOLS.

Under the management of Prof. Du Shaue, with the assistance and hearty co-operation of a Board of Trustees alive to the impor- tance of the work, the public schools have become very efficient, reflecting honor upon the superintendent, the trustees and citizens. At the present time 35 teachers are employed at an expense of $14,- 705 for the year; while the total expense for all purposes amounts to $22,000. The rate of taxation for school purposes lias never been over 17 cents on the hundred dollars, ranging all the way down to 9 cents. There is at present a surplus in the treasury of over $20,- 000. John Klingel has been a member of the School Board since 1867, and is deserving of special mention in this connection.

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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY

BOARD OF EDUCATION.

The Board of Education is composed of the following named per- sons: G. F. Nevins, President; Elliot Tutt, Secretary; John Klin- gel, Treasurer; James Du Shane, Superintendent.

During the school year 1880-'1, 35 teachers were employed.

TEACHERS.

For the school year commencing September, 1880, there were employed 35 teachers as follows:

HIGH SCHOOL .- James DuShane, Superintendent; Charles H. Bartlett, Principal; Essie Bissell and Eva Hill, Assistants; W. G. Schroeder, Special Teaclier.

WARD SCHOOLS .- Washington .- Miss Alice Patterson, Principal; Miss Cora Epley, Upper Intermediate; Miss Grace Wilcox, Lower Intermediate; Miss Lida O. Murray, Primary.

Jefferson .- Mr. H. J. Burlingame, Principal; Miss Kate Bow- man, Upper Intermediate; Miss Kate A. Thrush, Lower Interme- diate; Miss Jennie Dickey, Assistant Lower Intermediate; Miss Eliza Ebberson, Primary.

Madison .- Miss Kate E. Merrifield, Principal; Miss Libbie Allman, Upper Intermediate; Miss Laura Marsh, Lower Interme- diate; Miss Lizzie Greene, Primary; Miss Minnie Scott, Assistant Primary.

Lafayette .- Mr. Frank Conklin, Principal; Miss Ida Weaver, Upper Intermediate; Miss Fannie Spain, Lower Intermediate; Miss Jennie Betts, Primary.

Laurel .- Miss Lodema Dragoo, Principal; Mr. John, Hibberd, Upper Intermediate; Miss Alberta Jones, Lower Intermediate; Miss Sarah Johnson, Primary.

Coquillard .- Miss Carrie Sharpe, Principal; Miss Mary Durant, Upper Intermediate; Mr. Lewis F. Meyer, Lower Intermediate; Miss Ada Purdy, Primary.

South .- Mr. Albert McDonald, Principal; Miss Minnie Garrett, Upper Intermediate; Miss Emma Ford, Lower Intermediate; Miss Anna E. Lyon, Primary.

SOUTH BEND AS A MANUFACTURING POINT.

The first building erected for manufacturing purposes was that known for years afterward as the "old glass house." It was a frame, erected in the year 1836, and was abont 60 by 80 feet, with a wing. A company was formed for the manufacture of glass, con- sisting of John Brownfield, John T. McClelland and Johnson Horrell. They were induced to engage in this enterprise by the persuasion of S. Johnson, who was a practical glass-blower, and who had just arrived from the East. He found an excellent sand here, some of which he successfully experimented with, and he

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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPHI COUNTY.

became enthusiastic on the subject, and succeeded in imparting enough of his enthusiasm to the gentlemen named to induce them to furnish the necessary capital; but after the building was erected it was found that the clay, such as is used in glass-making, could not be obtained, except at a price so high, including transportation, that the business would be unprofitable, and the enterprise was consequently abandoned. The building remained unused, except for public meetings, and by the boys for Sunday ball-playing, until the winter of 1837, when the roof fell in from excessive weight of snow. The ground was afterward laid out into lots, and is to-day covered with residence buildings, so that it is hard to tell the pre- cise location of the first building for manufacturing purposes, but it was near the crossing of Division and Gen. Taylor streets.

" A bad beginning sometimes has a good ending" is fully exem- plified by reference to the manufacturing interests of South Bend, which now flourish upon every hand.

UTILIZING THE WATER-POWER.

The first determined effort at utilizing the great water-power afforded by the St. Joseph river, was made by Joseplı Fellows, Garrett V. Dennison, Thomas W. Alcott, James McKower, Wil- liam J. Worth, and John Van Buren, all of the State of New York. They purchased in 1835, from Alexis Coquillard, and in 1837 com- menced digging a race. They had a large quantity of timber in readiness for building head-gates, locks, and other purposes, when the scheme suddenly collapsed in consequence of the hard times, which prevailed at that time, especially in the East. One of the conditions of the sale which Mr. Coquillard made to the com- pany named was that they should build a dam, dig a race, and make certain other improvements. The conditions not being com- plied with, Mr. Coquillard sued for the recovery of the property. Judgment was obtained by him in the lower court, but an appeal was taken by the company to the Supreme Court. After dragging along in that court for several years, a decision was finally reached, and the judgment of the lower court sustained. Mr. Coquillard, when he obtained possession of the property, made large improve- ments on the race. This property was afterward purchased by Samuel L. Cottrell and others, and finally, in 1867, it was pur- chased by the South Bend Hydraulic Company, representing a capital of $100,000. This company was organized in 1867, and in the spring of 1868 completed and improved the race, and began letting the power to those who would use it for manufacturing pur- poses.

A charter was obtained in December, 1842, from the Legislature of the State, for the organization of the South Bend Manufacturing Company, and in February, 1843, the first election of officers was held, resulting in the election of Thomas W. Bray, President; George W. Matthews, Secretary; Abraham R. Harper, Treasurer.

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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.

In the spring of 1843 this company began the construction of a dam across the river, and also of a race upon the east side. The dam and race were both completed the following year. The first persons to avail themselves of the power were Abram R. and John H. Harper, who built upon the race a saw-mill. The second use made of the power was also for running a saw-mill. This latter was built by William Stanfield, and is yet in successful operation, and now owned by E. P. Taylor. Finley & Brown came next and established a factory for the manufacture of tubs and buckets. Just after get- ting the factory in operation it burned down and was never rebuilt. The first grist-mill erected and run by this power was also owned by A. R. & J. H. Harper. This is now known as the Keedy Mill, and owned by the Phoenix Milling Company, composed of Landon, Corbin & Foote. A woolen mill was also erected at an early day on the same ground now occupied by the Variety Bracket Works, but did not prove a successful business venture. Other factories sprung up one after another and lined both the east and west race; and not alone in this section, but in various parts of the city were works erected, machinery set in motion, and articles of manufact- uring skill turned out and sent into every part of the civilized world.

STUDEBAKER BROTHERS MANUFACTURING COMPANY.

In 1852 dates the real beginning of what is now known as the greatest wagon and carriage manufactory in the world, the success of which is indeed marvelous. The man who laid the foundation for this grand success was JOHN STUDEBAKER. He was a native of Pennsylvania. He served, as the custom there was, a six-year apprenticeship at wagon-making in Gettysburg, where in 1818 he made his " first genuine Studebaker wagon." Eighteen years after, in 1836, he came to the then " Far West" into Ashland county, Ohio, and here, joining to what he had by closest economy laid up by his own labor, the inheritance he had received from his father's estate and that from marriage, he purchased quite a large tract or farm. He began the work of improving it with great interest, and promised to himself and family, doubtless, much pleasure for his future home and comfort there. But his pleasurable anticipations of coming ease and good fortune were of short indulgence. He had, just before leaving Pennsylvania, been led, in the sympathy and kindness of his heart, to lend the use of his name to some of his neighbors in the day of their pecuniary trouble. The panic of '37, the following year, swept over the State, and among those who failed were those for whom he had endorsed notes. The consc- quence, which speedily followed him to his new home, was the attachment and sale by the sheriff of his new home and all his personal effects, thus by one blow sweeping all his earthly posses- sions, leaving him quite penniless to begin again life's labor and trials anew. The years of toil and poverty which followed these

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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.

great misfortunes of the parents are reviewed by those worthy sons with great feeling and tenderness of affection.

But John Studebaker knew too well how his fortune had come to be found sitting down idly, and groaning and brooding over his sad lot, and, therefore, we are told he at once opened a wagon repair and blacksmith shop, and toiled at the bench and the forge from four o'clock in the morning until nine at night, " I tell you," said the youngest of these brothers, " there was no ten or eight hour system then; it was work, work, for as many hours each day as thews of iron could stand the strain. And sueli a thing as money was almost unknown. It came in what was called 'store pay,' and it was my duty, while the older brothers worked at the forge or beneh, learning the trade, to ride around the country in a home-made wagon and gather the ' store pay,' that consisted of butter, eggs, and other country productions."

John Studebaker was one of those old-fashioned dealing men and geuerons to a fault. One of his most marked traits was his un bounded hospitality, which was only limited by his means to grant it, With a family of ten children, five boys and five daughters, his long days of hard labor were no more than sufficient to keep up their support. In those days emigrants passed West in wagons, and so great was his hospitality to these strangers that he has been known to fill his beds and eover his floor with them-take them in until he eould take no more- and sit up all night to keep up fires to make them comfortable. He became so popular that the little inn at the four corners had to close on this account.

THE FIRST PARTNERSHIP.

Not long after the father's struggles with poverty had begun anew, a successful German farmer whom his father-in-law had befriended in paying his passage from the old country, learning of the sad reverses, invited him to send his sons over to help him in his harvesting, for which they should receive good wages. They went 60 miles, and, after three weeks, returned home with about $ 75. " And that," said one of them, " suggested the partnership enterprises that have followed, and to which we owe whatever of success we have achieved." From this, and from the beginnings of, perhaps, a very large minority of the builders of great fortunes, we could peruse and write a homily on the text, " Despise not the day of small things."

With the wearying, exhausting labors of years following this fail- ure of 1837 came no cheer and hope for a better condition, and there- fore in 1848 he concluded to come farther West on horseback, in order to examine the country. He returned, and at once made preparation to move out here to South Bend, then a village of 1,200 inhabitants. Two wagons, made by himself and boys, brought all his worldly goods, among which and of greatest value, were two sets of tools for wagon-making. He bought a shop for $50, but

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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.

after carrying on the work for four years, being worn out by many years of excessive labor, he relinquished the active business of wagon-making to his eldest sons, Henry and Clement.

C. and H. Studebaker, both good mechanics, formed the first partnership for manufacturing, and by doing much of the mechan- ical work themselves, under the oversight of their father, who also acted as their agent upon his annual journeys to the great meet- ings of the Dunkards ( of which he was an influential member), they turned out, beside their repair work, five wagons. The busi- ness developed gradually larger until iu 1857 the partnership was estimated at $10,000, At this time Henry withdrew, and made pur- chase of a 200-acre farm, upon which he still lives satisfied with his comfortable competeney and freedom from the great business cares by which his brothers have amassed great wealth. As the business grew the other brothers were drawn into it, and Peter, having been a merchant and trader, seemed to infuse a speculative spirit his brother did not possess, and began at once planning to branch out and widen the field of their operations. One of the first things he did was to open a branch office at St. Joseph, Mo., " then the outfitting station for parties crossing the plains." And from here Peter sent in almost innumerable orders for Studebaker wagons.

The contracted, ill-fitted wooden building gave way to fine, large brick structures. From this time on, business and buildings alike rapidly grew apace until immense two, three, four and five-story buildings covered several squares. But still eramped for room they found that they must extend the wagon-making department beyond the town limits " that no pent-up Utica might contract its powers." It is near the depot, and upon the line of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern railroad, from which side tracks run into the grounds, delivering iron, coal, lumber, right at the doors of the factories, and taking the finished work from the warerooms. In 1874 these buildings and a great amount of finished stock was burned. Chicago, Cincinnati and many other cities made large bids to attract the firm to locate the new buildings, but their social and business ties and large property interests, together with all the memories of their business career and successes here, respectfully declined all the tempting offers from abroad.

THE EXTENT OF THE NEW WORKS.

The works were rebuilt upon even a more extensive scale than before. Upon entering South Bend the traveler will notice a great number of very large and really beautiful buildings, bearing the immense sign, "Studebaker Brothers' Manufacturing Company- Established 1852-Labor omnia vincit." These buildings, with an average height of three stories, cover, together with lumber- sheds, stacks, ete., 27 acres. It takes three miles of belting to run the vast combination of machinery. The two main driving belts, on two Brown engines of 400-horse power each, are of double leather

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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.

thirty-six inches wide, and contain the hides of forty-four oxen. Last year there were 20,000 vehicles built in these works, thus averaging one turned out every nine minutes, calculating ten hours for each day's work. For these, 12,500,000 feet of lumber has been used, loading 2,083 cars, to haul which would require fifty locomo- tives with over forty cars each; 3,000 tons-300 car-loads-of iron; and in varnish 15,000 gallons alone were used. Seventy-five differ- ent styles of vehicles are built here, and there is a finished assort- ment equal to two thousand complete wagons kept in stock, with a capacity to turn out 100 wagons in a single day. It is claimed that already has the Studebaker Company made enough wagons "to stretch with their teams across the continent and back again- from New York to San Francisco." They have repositories in the leading cities of the West, and agents in every city and town in the land. As one has well said, " There appears to be no limit to their production, and no end to the demand."

In no way can be given a briefer or more comprehensive view of the gradual and steady development and growth of this great house than by presenting the following table, showing the production of farm and freight wagons from 1868 to 1879 inclusive:

Wagons.

1868

3,955

1874

.11,050

1869.

5,115

1875.

.15,000

1870 ..

6,505

1876.

16,250

1871

6,835

1877

17,500

1872.

6,950

1878.

.18,000

1873.

10,380

1879

20,000

Total

137,440

The number of hands have increased in the same proportion, from 190 in 1868 to 800 in 1879.

COQUILLARD'S WAGON WORKS.

In 1865 A. Coquillard established here a factory of modest pre- tensions, with a capacity for manufacturing one hundred wagons per year. He had at the outset to meet with competition from houses long established and with agencies scattered throughout the country. In the face of competition and in spite of the gradually increasing stringency of the times, the business has been successfully prose- cuted, and by degrees the annual production has swelled until now the capacity of the works is not less than 3,500 vehicles per year, employing in their construction 125 hands. The product of the factory now goes throughout the whole country, North, South, East and West. In 1875 Mr. Coquillard completed one of the finest fac- tories in the city. The building is of wood, four stories high, strong and convenient, with an attractive exterior. It has a frontage of 78 feet on Market and 66 feet on Mill street. It is devoted en- tirely to the manufacture of the wooden portions of the wagons and

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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.

other vehicles. The motive power here used is an American turbine water-wheel, 66 inches in diameter, and of 110-horse power. On the corner of Water and Lafayette streets, Mr. Coquil- lard occupies three quarters of an acre, on which are located smith, paint and finishing shops, offices, repository, storerooms and sheds. The main structure is of brick, with a frontage 66 feet on Lafayette and 78 feet on Water street. A sketch of Mr. Coquillard is found elsewhere in this work.

SOUTH BEND CHILLED-PLOW COMPANY.

The St. Joseph Reaper and Machine Company of South Bend commenced the manufacture of the South Bend chilled plow in 1876, and in that year distributed only 650, which were considered little more than specimens to advertise among farmers their merits. The business of the second year, notwithstanding they suffered the disaster of a fire, was quite large, the company selling 4,672 plows, an increase of over 700 per cent., and leaving many orders unfilled. On the first day of July, 1878, the company was re-organized under the name of the South Bend Chilled-Plow Company, witlı Adam S. Baker, President; J. C. Knoblock, Treasurer; George W. Baker, Secretary. This year the sales of the company were over 10,000. In 1879 there were sold 35,000. In 1880 will be manufactured 50,000. The works of this company are located on Washington street, one mile west of the court-house, on the site of the old Northern Indiana College. One hundred and fifty men are now in the employ of this company.

OLIVER CHILLED-PLOW WORKS.

From an interview with James Oliver, the inventor of the chilled plow, as published in the Inter-Ocean, the following ex- tract is taken:

" I was born on the 28th day of August, 1823, at the family homestead 'of Whitehaugh, Lidisdale Parish, Roxburgshire, Scot- land. While yet a mere boy my parents decided to try their for- tunes in the New World, and the year 1835 found ns located in Seneca county, New York. I found employment with a neighbor- ing farmer, at the wages of fifty cents a week, and I remained with him until the fall of 1836, when the family came West, and I with them, and settled at Mishawaka. I soon found work as a chore boy for Mr. Philo Hurd, besides sawing wood for him and two other families, and earned that winter $15. In the summer of 1838 I became an apprentice to Mr. A. Sandiland, who was build- ing Fox threshing-machines. From there I went to work in a blast foundry in Mishawaka, owned by the South Bend Iron Works of that day, and superintended by Mr. Richard Inwood, who is now a resident of this city. This company wound up its affairs in 1840, and now, at the age of 17, I was once more thrown upon my own

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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.

resources. That fall I took a job of ditching to lay water pipes for a distillery, then building by the Lee Brothers, of Mishawaka, and I continued with them at $15 a month (boarding myself) until I could see a better opening, meantime learning the cooper's trade."

But even here Mr. Oliver had to stop and pay a tribute to his wife, whom he alluded to as "the noble little woman who has sym- pathized with and cheered me in my troubles, and rejoiced with me in my successes. I can truly say, that choice was the crowning success of my life. All honor to my wife. After marrying, my own house being rented, I paid $12 to a fellow workman for a small shanty which he had built on the bank of the river on some land belonging to Eastern parties. I spent $18 in improvements. My wife borrowed a loom and made a rag-carpet for our new home. Although I have lived in better houses since then, I often look back to that time as the happiest of my life."

Owing to the dullness of the coopering business, Mr. Oliver de- termined to learn the trade of a molder, and accordingly went to work for the St. Joseph Iron Company. In 1853 he was given a difficult contract for making cast chairs for the Michigan Central Road, and carried it through successfully. In 1855 he began the manufacture of plows on a small scale at South Bend. The success of this enterprise is better described in his own words :

"We were now fairly launched in business and I had accom- plished a part of my long-cherished idea, yet very soon found out it was not all glory doing business for one's self. True, we did all of our own work, but at the best, that was not much. Our casts ran but three heats a week, and only amounted to from 1,500 pounds to one ton. Our money was soon exhausted, and our surroundings not being of that inviting character to induce capitalists to invest, we were truly in a most unenviable state of affairs, when to crown all our misfortunes, a tremendous freshet swept the dam away and flooded the furnace."

But he managed to weather this misfortune, and soon afterward bought a horse and wagon, that he might sell and deliver plows outside of South Bend. Of this Mr. Oliver said: " I found it up- hill work delivering all my plows and repairs personally; still I kept at it, and by dint of liard labor very soon had eighty agencies established within a radius of fifty miles. We worked hard, and did all in our power to make it pay, yet the cost of delivery and the commission paid to agents left our margin of profits very small indeed."

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History of St. Joseph County, Indiana, Part 86

Author: Chapman, Chas. C., & co., Chicago, pub Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Chicago : C.C. Chapman & co. Number of Pages: 986

Author: Chapman, Chas. C., & co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago : C.C. Chapman & co.
Number of Pages: 986