USA > Minnesota > Washington County > History of Washington County and the St. Croix Valley, including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota > Part 90
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THE C. N. NELSON LUMBER COMPANY'S MILL.
This mill was built in 1873 by Seymour, Sabin and Company. It contained at that time one rotary, with the necessary edgers, trimmers, etc., and had a capacity of fifty thousand feet per day. It also contained a shingle and lath machine, and was considered at that time one of the best
mills in the valley. This company operated the mill until 1878, when the property was leased to D. M. Sabin and C. N. Nelson under the firm name of C. N. Nelson and Company. About this time the mill was greatly improved, and among other additions was a twenty-seven saw gang, which is said to be the "fastest" gang in the state, attaining a speed of two hundred and sixty strokes per minute. An addition to the mill building was also made at this time, and the shingle and lath machines moved thereto. The above-mentioned lease was for a term of two years, at the expiration of which time a new or- ganization was effected by the consolidation of the "St. Louis River Lumber Company" and the "C. N. Nelson and Company." The name of new firm is the "C. N. Nelson Lumber Company," and was incorporated in September, 1880. The "St. Louis River Lumber Company" was an or- ganization in which D. M. Sabin and C. N. Nel- son were largely interested, their scene of opera- tions being on the St. Louis river, with a saw- mill in process of erection at the time of consol- idation, located at "Knife Falls."
The officers of the "C. N. Nelson Lumber Com- pany" are: C. N. Nelson, president; C. H. Graves, of Duluth, vice-president; P. M. Ranney, Knife Falls, secretary, and W. R. Merriam, St. Paul, treasurer.
The mill at Stillwater is 36x150 feet and con- tains one twenty-one-saw gang and one rotary, with a capacity of ninety thousand per day; one shingle machine, forty thousand; and one lath machine of thirty-five thousand daily capacity. Eighty-five men are employed in and about the mill and yards during the season, and the annual capacity is fourteen million feet of lumber, seven million shingles, and five million lath. The lum- ber manufactured at this mill is shipped almost exclusively by rail to southern and western markets. There are two engines used in driving the machinery; one is a twenty inch cylinder and thirty inch stroke; and the other is a fourteen inch cylinder and twenty-two inch stroke; the combined power of the two is one hundred and fifty horse. There are five boilers, twenty feet long and forty-two inch shell each.
The C. N. Nelson Lumber Company have also a large logging business in operation; their camps are located as follows: six on Ground House
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CITY OF STILLWATER-FLOUR MILLS.
river, one on Main Snake river, one on Hanging Horn lake, one on Sand creek in Minnesota, one on South fork of Clam river, two on Apple river, and one on Upper Namekagon river, making in all thirteen camps, at which are employed about three hundred men, ninety horses, and thirty-six oxen. The supplies to these camps are shipped over the St. Paul and Duluth railroad, and toted from the various stations. During the past win- ter upwards of twenty-six million feet of logs were banked at these camps, all for the company's own use at their mills in this city and Lakeland, at which latter point the firm has recently com- pleted a very fine mill, a description of which ap- pears in the Lakeland chapter. In addition to the above logging operations about twenty mil- lion feet of logs were banked this year by them on the St. Louis river, which of course required nearly as large a force of men and teams in the woods as above detailed. This company also owns some sixty or seventy acres of land in the city of St. Paul, on which they have located a planing mill and three lumber yards.
MCKUSICK, ANDERSON AND COMPANY'S MILL.
This mill is located on the Wisconsin side of the river, at the east end of the bridge, directly opposite Stillwater. . It was built in the spring of 1870, and is 32x124 feet, two stories high. During the first four years it was a circular mill, but the increase of business necessitated additional ma- chinery, and in the spring of 1874, a twenty-four- saw gang and a shingle machine were added A new engine was put in with an eighteen inch cylinder and twenty-four inch stroke, and in 1878 two more boilers were added, making four in all.
In 1879 a lath machine, planer and tongue and grooving machine were added. Eighty-five men are employed in this mill, yard and on the rafts. The daily capacity of the mill is fifty thousand feet of lumber, thirty thousand shingles and twenty thousand lath.
This firm does quite an extensive logging busi- ness in the winter season. They had six camps in operation during the winter of 1880-1, located as follows: three on Pokeguma river, one on Chesley brook, one on upper Snake river and one on Hay creek. In these camps are engaged two hundred and twenty-five men, seventy-five horses
and ninety oxen; this includes those engaged in hanling supplies to the camps. About twenty million feet of logs were banked this season.
In addition to the above firms engaged in log- ging are the following:
DURANT, WHEELER AND COMPANY.
This company does not manufacture, but has twenty camps in the woods, viz. four on Snake river, one on Kettle river, one on Yellow river, two on the West Wisconsin railroad, one on Toto- gaticonce river, four on Apple river, six on Toto- gatic river, and one on Namekagon river, five hundred men and one hundred and eighty horses and oxen are employed; thirty-five millions were banked during the winter of 1880-'81.
JORDAN AND MATHEWS.
This company does not manufacture, but like Durant, Wheeler and Company, put their logs in for sale. They have four camps located as fol- lows: two on Totogatic river, one on Clam river, and one on Chibonazie river; sixty-five men and seventy-two horses and oxen are employed; eight millions were banked last winter.
STILLWATER FLOUR MILLS.
The proprietors of this mill are a company formed under the state laws for the purpose of conducting a general flour and feed business. This company was formed in the fall of 1877, and the officers are: D. Bronson, president; R. F. Her- sey, secretary; and L. Hospes, treasurer. The board of directors consists of the officers above mentioned, and D. M. Sabin, Henry Westing, Smith Ellison and Dr. P. H. Millard. The mill was built during the winter of 1877-'78, and commenced running in May of the latter year. It is 50x70 feet, and five stories high above the basement. To the left of the mill proper, is a brick addition 20x70 feet, the basement of which contains the engine and boilers, and the first floor, the mill office. The engine which furnishes the motive power is a Reynolds-Corliss condensing engine of one hundred and seventy-five horse- power, with a twenty inch cylinder, forty-two inch stroke, making seventy-eight revolutions per minute and is propelled by two boilers four- teen feet long and sixty inch shell. In the rear of the boiler room is the stone base upon which stands the circular brick smoke stack one hun-
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dred and one feet high. Ample provisions have been made, to guard against a surprise by fire. On the left of the engine stands a Knowles pump, and near by it as well as on each floor of the mill is a hose carriage, containing sufficient hose to flood the whole mill in a very short space of time; a three inch stand pipe runs from the pump to the top of the mill with a hose attach- ment on each floor ready for nse at a moments warning, as well as a number of Babcock extin- guishers at various points in the mill.
The mill basement contains the line of shaft- ing which runs the stones, and one Becker brush machine.
The first floor contains eight run of stone, three flour packers, one Beardslee scourer; the line of shafting that runs the corrugated rolls, and also a counter line which runs the porcelain rolls.
The second floor contains twelve sets of corru- gated rolls, ten sets of porcelain rolls, six Ad- vance middlings purifiers, and one cockle ma- chine.
The third floor contains two Sturtevant fans, used for blowing shorts to the ware-house, six Advance middlings purifiers, one wheat grader and one set of chilled iron rolls.
The fourth floor contains one wheat heater, four aspirators, twenty-one flour bolts, one set of porcelain and one set of chilled iron rolls, one Barnard and Lea's separator, and two Ad- vance middlings purifiers.
The fifth floor contains, besides dust rooms and elevator heads, one Richmond bran duster, one rolling screen and one grading reel. A steam coil for heating the mill is conveniently arranged on each floor. This was the second mill in the state, built on the Hungarian system of gradual reduction with porcelain rolls, for making patent flour, and is continually adding new machinery to enable it to keep its position as a first-class mill. The improvements for 1880-81 amount to nearly $20,000, which brings the aggregate cost of the mill to about $100,000. Thirty men are employed in this mill which runs day and night, and produces 400 barrels every twenty-four hours. The popular shipping brands are known as, "Bronson's Select," "Porcelain Roller," "Bun Hersey," and "Billy Boy."
TOWNSHEND ROLLER MILL.
This mill was built in the fall of the year 1872, by the Messrs. W. F. Cahill and J. H. Townshend. The mill was originally 40x50 feet, two stories high, and furnished with three run of stone, with a capacity of fifty barrels per day. The motive power was an overshot wheel. forty- four feet in diameter, probably the largest wheel of the kind ever built in the state. Water was drawn from the old McKnsick brook. In 1873 the firm became Cahill, Townshend and Com- pany, Barron Proctor becoming a partner. In 1875, Townshend bought out Cahill and the fol- lowing year Townshend and Proctor built an ad- dition on the north side of the original mill, 30x56 feet and four stories high, at the same time add- ing to and improving the older property, both be- ing brick veneered. Six run of stone besides the feed mill, now responded to the force of the water- fall, upon the old wheel. The Hungarian system having proved satisfactory, this concern placed in '78, eight sets of smooth rollers, and in '79 and '80, added nine more sets. To make room for this improvement, the stones were all removed, with the exception of one run, which is still in use. Besides this, there is one run of stone used for grinding feed for use in the pineries. During the same year the roller system was introduced, the firm purchased a Corliss engine of one hun- dred horse power, which they enclosed in a room 30x42 feet, distinct from the boiler room, that contains the three boilers. In 1880 Mr. Proctor disposed of his interest to Mr. Townshend and the latter formed a partnership with D. M. Sabin, under the firm name of Townshend and Com- pany. Facilities for handling the product of the mill were increased that year, by building a spur track from the St. Paul and Duluth railroad, with yard room for ten cars. They also fitted up com- modious offices and flour rooms. The capacity of this. mill is three hundred barrels per day, the principal brands manufactured being "Butterfly," "Crusade,""Baker's Extra," and "Standard," all well known in the market. The mill furnishes employment to twenty men, under the supervision of Henry Drews, head miller, who has been with this mill for the past seven years.
ST. CROIX FLOURING MILL.
This mill was built by Isaac Staples, in 1877.
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CITY OF STILLWATER-MANUFACTURES.
It is 40x50 feet, and four stories high above the basement.
The first floor contains five run of stones, three sets of smooth rolls, one wheat separator, one feed run and two flour packers.
The second floor contains flour, wheat, corn, oat and bran bins, dust room, brush and magnet machines, two middlings purifiers, three two-reel bolting chests and seven sets of corrugated rolls.
The third floor contains one brush machine, one "Beardslee" scourer, eight middlings purifiers and five two-reel chests.
The fourth floor contains all the elevator heads, dust room, suction fan, flour mixer, graham cool- er, etc. In the basement is the line of shafting that runs the stones, and one cobble machine.
On the first floor is the main driving pulley, six feet in diameter, with a twenty-two inch face, on the end of an iron shaft running direct to the engine, two hundred and thirty-five feet distant. The engine room is built by the side of that which contains the saw-mill engine, already de- scribed, and separated from it by a stone partition wall. It is also built of stone, 42x44 feet and six- teen feet high. The engine is an "Atlas Corliss,', and has two boilers fourteen feet long and fifty inch shell, and each containing seventy-two three. inch flues. The engine is of one hundred and sixty horse-power, and the water is supplied by a pump of the same pattern as that described in the saw-mill article.
Twenty men are constantly employed, and the capacity is two hundred and fifty barrels per day. The principal brands are "Snow Flake," "Minne- sota" and "Hiawatha."
AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS.
Seymour, Sabin and Company. The manufac- turing interests of this company, conducted in the state prison, have grown to mammoth proportions. The first contractors for the convict labor, were Seymour and Willim, at a time when the inmates of the institution numbered but seventeen.
In the spring of 1868, they were succeeded by Seymour, Sabin and Company, the firm consist- ing of George M. Seymour, one of the early set- tlers of Stillwater, and also one of the first con- tractors for the convict labor, and D. M. and J. II. Sabin, who had recently arrived from one of the eastern states and settled in Minnesota.
The firm at this time employed about forty convicts and an equal number of citizen help in the manufacture of doors, sash, blinds, tubs, buckets and cooperage.
The partnership continued, the business in the meantime steadily increasing, until July, 1874, when the company felt the necessities of more capital to meet the demands of their growing trade, and formed a joint stock company, incor- porating under the name of Seymour, Sabin and Company. They soon after commenced the man- ufacture of the threshing-machine, which, under their management, has become so justly cele- brated, and has taken the front rank in the thresher family, until to-day the "Minnesota Chief" has a world-wide reputation, and its manufacturers have placed on the market more machines in a single year than any other manufactory in the world.
In addition to this extensive industry, they also do an aggregate business of over a quarter of a million dollars annually in doors, sash, cooperage, general office and bank fixtures, and furniture of all kinds in that line.
They have also established an extensive ma- chine and boiler-shop, for the manufacture of portable farm engines, of which three hundred are being placed on the market the present year.
The firm has on its pay-rolls upward of six hundred men, being the largest of any single corporation in the state of Minnesota or the North-west.
In 1876, J. H. Sabin, the junior member and secretary of the company, was removed by death, the firm thus sustaining an irreparable loss by being deprived of the assistance and counsel of one of the brightest and most promising young men of the West. Although but twenty-seven years of age, he had acquired a standing and reputation in the business world, achieved by but few men of greater age.
He was succeeded in the concern by W. S. Goodhue, of Polo, Illinois, who has since been secretary, of the company, and takes entire charge of the general and field agents, of whom there is a multitude, in the interest of the "Min- nesota Chief " thresher and other manufactures.
Major J. H. Elward, formerly of the St. Paul Harvester Works, holds the position of general superintendent of the machine department, and
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is also the patentee of a number of valuable im- provements on the threshing machine and horse- powers, likewise a traction and straw-burning engine which seems destined to go to the front and prove a profitable investment for the com- pany, as well as a boon to the wheat raisers on the boundless prairies, where wood and coal is so expensive and difficult to obtain, and straw, which is a burden, is better and easier used for fuel than any other method of disposition.
George M. Seymour holds the office of vice- president and takes general charge of their build- ing and outside operations, of which the com- pany has enough to make a very large business of itself.
The president, D. M. Sabin, has held this re- sponsible position from the time the company was organized, succeeding from the old firm to the same position in the corporation, involving the general and financial management of a con- cern whose monthly pay-roll may be counted by a score of thousands, and whose annual business far exceeds a million dollars.
This company until last year has been largely interested in the lumber business, having one of the most efficient and best appointed saw-mills on the St. Croix river. This, however, has been sold to the "C. N. Nelson Lumber Company," one of the most extensive lumber corporations in the Northwest, in which Mr. Sabin is one of the leading spirits. We here give a description of each department in these extensive works:
Office. On the first floor of the prison build- ing, and to the right of the main entrance, is lo- cated Seymour, Sabin & Co.'s offices, in which a large force of book-keepers and accountants are constantly employed.
Foundry. This building is 85x120 feet, and contains two sixty inch cupolas,in which are melted twelve tons of iron per day. A forty horse-power engine adjoins the foundry, which furnishes power to run the cupola, fans and other machinery. In addition to the necessary amount of casting for the works, a large amount of job- work is done for parties in the city. Sixty-two men are on the pay-roll in this department.
Machine shops. This department occupies a room 48x112 feet and two stories. Eighty-five men are here employed, who operate the follow- ing described machinery: two planers, four bolt-
cutters, four longitudinal boring machines, eight upright drill presses, one boring bar, manufac- tured in the shop, and used for boring cylinders, one gang-drill machine, used for drilling cylinder bars; it drills eleven holes at once, and is one of the most useful machines in the establishment; one fifteen-inch stamping machine, fourteen vises, one full set of steel shell reamers, and guage rings, ranging in size from tive-eighths, to two and a half inches, one single and two double milling machines, one punching machine, three key-seat- ing machines, and thirty-four turning-lathes. New machinery is being constantly added to this department.
Blacksmith shop. This building is 40x80 feet. Fourteen forges are in constant use, and about thirty men are employed. The shop contains one trip-hammer, one bolt-heading machine, capable of making six thousand bolts per day, large punches, shears, and all other necessary ma- chinery. .
Hard and soft wood shops. In these shops are prepared all the wood work for the "separators" and horse-powers.
There is one double surfacing machine, one tongue and grooving machine, one "Daniels" planer, one gang boring machine, circular saws, and a large amount of heavy machinery such as is generally used in working hard wood. From fifty-five to sixty men are employed in the two shops, which adjoin each other.
Wagon shop. In this building is made all the running gear for the separators, horse-powers and farm engines. It is 40x80 feet, and is well fitted up with all the latest improvements for setting axle skeins, turning spokes, guage lathes, etc. About fifteen men are employed in this depart- ment.
Setting-up room. This room is 65x104 feet, and twenty-five men are employed in the different de- partments. Here all the separators and horse- powers are set up, the material being all prepared in the other departments and delivered here in bulk. The labor of setting up the separators is ingeniously divided into seven departments, the machine being moved along as fast as each set of men complete their part of the work. When they are finished, both separators and horse-powers are run from a half an hour to an hour, so that any inaccuracy in the mechanism may be detected
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before leaving this room. They are then run on an elevator and hoisted to the paint shop, which is directly over the setting-up room, and where the machines are made ready for market. Up- wards of thirty men are employed in this de- partment.
Farm engine shop. This building is 40x112 feet. Twenty-five men are employed in the vari- ous departments of this shop, which is well sup- plied with flexible drills, forges, and all other ma- chinery necessary to complete the machines with neatness and dispatch.
Belt shop. This adjoins the paint shop and gives employment to ten men, who manufacture the conveyancer, stacker, and all other belts used on the various machines manufactured, and also for use in the works.
Planing mill. This department gives employ- ment to eight men, and contains all the ma- chinery, such as surfacing, moulding, flooring machines, etc., usually found in a well appointed planing mill.
The carpenter and cabinet shop occupies a room 64x210 feet and furnishes employment to eighty-six men. Here are manufactured sash, doors, blinds, and all kinds of bank and office furniture, besides a large amount of brackets, scrolls and other builders' furnishings. One hundred and fifty thousand dollars worth of goods are manufactured in this department annually.
Pattern shop. Eight men are employed here in the preparation of patterns for the horse- powers, separators and other machinery in pro- cess of construction. The shop is 30x40 feet.
Cooper shop. These shops occupy two floors of a building 24x150 feet. The manufactures are principally pork and flour flarrels. About forty men are employed, and six hundred barrels per day are turned out of the shops.
Fire department. Extensive precautionary measures have been taken to guard against a seri- ous conflagration in the works. On the hill which overlooks the prison yard, a reservoir has been built with a capacity of four thousand five hun- dred barrels, which is supplied by a Blake's du- plex direct acting pump. This reservoir affords a pressure of seventy-five pounds to the square inch. Located at different points in the works are upwards of fifty hose-valves, to each of which are attached from fifty to one hundred feet of
hose, in condition for use at a moments warning. The city water works are also attached to these pipes, by which, at a moments notice, by the sim- ple opening of a valve, the entire supply and pressure of an inexhaustable supply of water can be turned on.
Engine and boiler room. The vast field of ma- chinery described in the foregoing article is kept in motion by two engines, located in an engine room 30x45 feet. The larger of the two is an Allis-Corliss, with a twenty-six inch cylinder and forty-eight inch stroke, and three hundred and fifty horse-power.
The fly-wheel is twenty feet in diameter, with a forty inch face, and weighs forty thousand pounds. The smaller engine has a twenty-four inch cylinder and thirty inch stroke, and one hundred and fifty horse-power. The boiler room is 30x40 feet and contains six tubular boilers of five hundred and fifty horse-power.
Besides the above mentioned working force, a large number of men are employed in the capa- cities of engineers, firemen, night-watchmen, re- pairers, teamsters, loaders, etc.
IRON MANUFACTURES.
Swain's machine-shop, D. M. Swain, proprietor. This establishment, which has grown to con- siderable proportions during the past decade, had for its corner-stone a very small beginning. D. M. Swain, the present proprietor, began his bus- iness in 1873, in an old warehouse on Main street. . He soon took for a partner a Mr. Gray, but at the end of the first season he withdrew from the business, which has since been conducted by Mr. Swain. In 1874 he erected his present establish- ment, which is located on Third street between Myrtle and Chestnut; it is built of brick, 28x50 feet, and two stories high.
The machinery used consists of five iron turn- ing-lathes and one wood lathe, one bolt cutter, one upright drill, one brass finishing lathe, one iron planer, one stationary engine of his own manufacture, one emery wheel, and a large amount of other machinery, necessary for a fully-equipped machine-shop.
His manufactures consist of portable, station- ary and marine engines, mill machinery and all kinds of job work in his line. Twenty men are
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
employed in the works, and the business amounts to $60,000 annually.
Swain's foundry, George Swain, proprietor. This establishment is located directly in the rear of D. M. Swain's machine-shop. It was started by George Swain, the present propri- etor, in 1874. The building is 40x40 feet, two stories high, and although not making a very great show, yet a large amount of work is turned out annually. His manufactures consist chiefly of engine-work, and in addition a considerable amount of mill-casting, farm-machinery, etc., is done.
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