History of Cayuga County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 32

Author: Storke, Elliot G., 1811-1879. cn
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 762

USA > New York > Cayuga County > History of Cayuga County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 32

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he assures us, warranting the employment of an additional hundred hands. When we reflect that this business has been wholly built up during the prevalence of an almost unprecedented financial crisis and business depression, its results are simply astounding, and challenge the annals of manufacturing enterprise for a parallel. Mr. Woodruff is erecting on Logan street, a three story brick building, with basement, 132 feet front, with a wing running back 75 feet, and an independent boiler house 20 by 30 feet. His monthly pay roll exceeds $2,500 ; and the pro- duct of his factory 5,000 gross per month, all of which are shipped to a distant market. The pro- cess of manufacture is an interesting one, but the limits of this work will not admit of a descrip- tion of it.

THE AUBURN GLOVE AND MITTEN COMPANY, No. 80 Genesee street. The proprietor is Ed- win R. Fay, who, in 1869, commenced the manu- facture of all kinds of gloves and mittens. He employs thirty persons, about two-thirds of whom are women. The average sales are about $45,- 000 per annum.

THROOP'S GRAIN CLEANER COMPANY, was in- corporated in 1867, and the business established in Syracuse in that year with a capital of $100,- 000, which has been reduced to $35,000. In 1869, G. E. Throop, the present proprietor, ac- quired the whole interest, and in 1875 he removed the works to their present location, in the rear of Barber's south factory, by means of a shaft from which the motive power is furnished. Ten men are employed, and from 150 to 400 grain cleaners for flouring mills made per annum, besides con- siderable custom work in perforating sheet metal.

CALVIN W. CONKLIN, boiler maker, No. 38 Water street, commenced business in 1872. He employs nine men, and makes about thirty boil- ers per annum, besides repair work. He was associated as partner with Alex. Forbes during the first two years. Mr. Conklin is reputed to be one of the best boiler makers in the State.

CONNIFF & YANTCH, manufacturers of agri- cultural implements, 43 State street. This busi- ness was established some twenty-five years since by Milton Alden & Son, who carried it on about fifteen years, till the death of the elder Alden, when it was sold to Merrill & Wilder, who con- tinued it for two or three years, and sold to S. D. Wackman & Co., by whom it was conducted two

and a half years, till January 27th, 1876, and sold to the present proprietors, John Conniff and Godfried Yantch, who employ a capital of about $ 10,000, give employment to ten men, and make a specialty of Alden's patent horse-hoe and cul- tivator, of which about 400 are made per annum.

THE STONE MILL, at the junction of Genesee and E. Genesee streets, is owned and occupied by Orlando Lewis, who, in company with E. C. Hall, bought the property of Wm. Hills, May Ist, 1865, for $32,500. In 1870, Mr. Lewis bought his partner's interest, and has since been alone in the management. He came here from Spen- cer, Tioga county, in 1857, and was engaged in the lumber business previous to purchasing the mill property. The present mill was built in 1825-'6, by John H. Hardenbergh, son of Col. John L. Hardenbergh, the first settler in Auburn. It occupies the site of the old log mill built by the latter soon after his settlement here, and the plank mill, with which that was soon after replaced. The log mill was twenty-one feet square, and is variously stated to have contained one and two run of stones. Its attendant was accustomed, it is said, to gauge his grists, and leave the mill to do its own grinding, allowing it to run in this manner night and day. The second and third mills on this site were each built to meet the increased demands which were in excess of the capability of their predecessors. The pres- ent mill contains six run of stones, four for wheat and two for feed, which are propelled by water from the Outlet, with a fall of twelve and a half feet. It gives employment to eight men. Its capacity is 110 to 120 barrels of flour per day of twenty-four hours. Mr. Lewis has twice rebuilt the interior, the last time in 1875, when $10,000 were expended in supplying the most improved modern mill machinery and adapting it to the manufacture of flour by the new process. It is both a custom and flouring mill, about one-third of its business being custom work.

THE AUBURN CITY MILLS, on Mechanic street, were built in 1838, by Sherman Beardsley, who run them several years. In 1870, Chas. P. Burr bought a half interest of John Y. Selover, who had run them some five or six years. In 1871, Mr. Burr bought Mr. Selover's remaining interest, and formed a cöpartnership with Chas. E. Thorne, under the name of Burr & Thorne. The mill is a substantial stone structure, containing four

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stories besides basement. The main part is strictly a flouring mill, and was provided in 1873 with an entire new set of machinery, with espe- cial reference to the manufacture of flour by the new process. It contains five run of stones, which are capable of grinding about 200 barrels of new process flour per day of twenty-four hours; flour made by the new process requiring about double the time consumed in its manufacture by the ordinary process. In 1875, the addition formerly used as a wheel-house, when an over- shot wheel was employed, was converted into a grist-mill, and two run of stones put in, one for flour and one for feed, the former with a capacity of converting 100 bushels of wheat into flour, and the latter of grinding 400 bushels of feed per day. The motive power is furnished by means of a race, which draws water from the " big dam," and gives a fall of twenty-six feet. Five men and a capital of about $75,000 are employed in operat- ing the mills. This firm were the first to do a strictly flouring business in Auburn. They started that enterprise in 1873, when their mill was supplied with new machinery, and have suc- ceeded in placing Auburn flour in markets in which it was previously unknown. They have thus been instrumental in largely improving the local wheat market. They are buying about 100,000 bushels of wheat per annum ; and made in 1877 a little over 20,000 barrels of flour.

THE AURELIUS AVENUE MILLS, owned by John S. Bristol, who acquired possession in April, 1878, consist of a grist and flouring mill, with four run of stones, and a saw mill, containing one muley saw, which are operated by water from the Outlet. They occupy the site of the mills erected by Jehial. Clark, in 1798; indeed the massive timbers used in the frame-work of those struc- tures enter into the composition of the present ones, they having been used in the construction of the " Mayflower Mills," by which name they were formerly known. This property has passed through the hands of several different owners, among whom are Edward Allen, Llewellyn and James Davis and Messrs. Coe & Slee.

FRANCIS DITTON, tanner and currier and har- ness maker and dealer, Nos. 16 and 18 Mechanic street, commenced the harness business in 1858. In June, 1877, he formed a cöpartnership with his nephew Thomas Ditton, and in that year they erected the building now occupied as a tannery,

at a cost of $2,000, and commenced the manu- facture of harness leather to be used by them in the manufacture of harness. The tannery con- tains thirteen vats and turns out about six hun- dred sides per annum. Two men are employed in the tannery and ten in the manufacture of harness and trunks. In July, 1878, Francis Ditton bought his nephew's interest. He pur- poses soon to enlarge the capacity of the tan- nery.

S. W. PALMER & Co., manufacturers of snow shovels and laundry machines, the latter consist- ing of washer, wringer and mangle combined, are located on Mechanic street, near the Auburn City Mills. In 1855, S. W. & J. F. Palmer com- menced the manufacture of bench planes. In 1863, J. F. Palmer sold his interest to Charles Coventry. In 1871 the partnership was dis- solved, S. W. Palmer continuing the business in company with C. M. Palmer, who compose the present firm. Their capital is about $10,000. They usually employ ten hands, but have em- ployed twenty during the larger portion of the past year. In 1877 they made 30,000 snow shovels and 10,000 ash sieves. They made during the year 1878, 20,000 wash boards and 1,000 churns. They have made about 50,000 washing machines. They occupy the building erected by Sherman Beardsley, shortly previous to 1840, for a distillery, for which purpose it was used till soon after the beginning of the war, when Wil- liam H. Halladay converted it into a machine shop and erected the addition now occupied by Isaac W. Quick, and C. J. Schweinfurth.

D. P. G. & W. O. EVERTS & Co., contractors and builders, and proprietors of the sash, door and blind factory, at the " big dam." The busi- ness was commenced in 1864, by D. P. G. & W. O. Everts, in the old Selover building, which stood on the site of the brick block now occu- pied by Sartwell, Hough & Co., on Genesee St. After two or three years they formed a copart- nership with Joshua Burt, David Simpson, James E. Tyler, Israel Shoemaker, Josiah Douglass and Adam Miller, under the name of Burt, Simpson & Co., and took a prison contract for the manu- facture of sash, doors and blinds, which business was continued under various names till 1873. In the winter of 1868-9, the Everts withdrew from the firm and bought the property formerly owned by the Auburn Tool Company. In August,

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1870, the building was burned and their present brick structure, 56 by 45 feet, two stories and basement, with an engine room 28 by 40 feet, was erected the same year at a cost of about $5,000. In 1869, William S. Everts was ad- mitted to partnership and the firm name was changed to D. P. G. & W. O. Everts & Co. They give employment to nine men. They draw water from the " big dam," and have a fall of twenty-one feet.

JOHN L. SELOVER, proprietor of the planing mill on East Genesee street, opposite Seminary Avenue, commenced business in 1874. The capital invested is about $2,000. Three men are employed. The motive power is furnished by a twenty horse-power engine.

ANDERSON & DYER, proprietors of the planing mill at 18 Market street, commenced business in 1866, on the site of Sartwell, Hough & Co.'s shoe factory, where they were burned out the same year. They then bought the site they now occu- py of Robert Peat, paying therefor $1,500, and erected the two story brick building the same year. They have a capital of about $6,000, and employ four men. The motor is a twenty horse- power engine.

H. G. THORNTON, proprietor of the file factory, at 19 Market street, commenced business in 1865. He occupies a brick building 22 by 120 feet, the front half being two stories and the rear half, one story high, erected by him in 1866. He has a capital of $25,000 invested in the business, employs 25 hands, and makes about 25,000 files of all sizes per annum.

REYNOLDS & Co., manufacturers of steel cul- tivator teeth and workers in all kinds of sheet metal, are located on Washington street near Barber's mills. The business was established in 1861, on Mechanic street, near the Auburn City Mills, by Asa R. Reynolds and his sons Samuel F., Mark and Napoleon. Mark died in 1862. The business was continued till 1868, when their father withdrew, and C. Eugene and William C. Barber were admitted to partnership, the name was changed to Reynolds, Barber & Co., and the manufacture of the clover leaf planc-irons was added to the business and continued till 1871. In 1869, Samuel F. Reynolds and C. Eugene Barber bought the interest of Napoleon Rey- nolds, and the following year that of William C. Barber. In 1871 the partnership was dissolved, 30-2

and Barber went to Europe as agent for the Champion reaper, of Springfield, Ohio, in which business he is still engaged. Samuel F. Rey- nolds resumed the business in 1875, and in 1877, C. C. Trowbridge became his partner, and the business has since been conducted under the name of Reynolds & Co. In the latter year they removed to their present location. They em- ploy a capital of about $10,000, and give employ- ment to some ten men during the winter.

CHARLES F. GUION, manufacturer of sash, doors and blinds, corner of Aurelius avenue and Wadsworth street, commenced business in 1866, in company with C. G. Milk, under the name of C. G. Milk & Co., who carried on the business till the death of Milk in 1870, when Guion bought his interest. He employs a capital of about $15,- 000, and generally about twenty persons. The motive power is furnished by the Outlet, which has a fall of eleven feet.

THOMAS PEACOCK, wood worker, at 20, 22 and 24 Dill street, commenced business in April, 1877, at which time he took a prison contract for one year. At the expiration of that time he removed to his present location. He bought the building of the heirs of the late John H. Chedell, paying therefor a little less than $4,000. The capital invested is about $10,000. He employs twenty hands, and manufactures 10,000 children's sleds, 15,000 snow shovels, 60,000 wash-boards, and 100,000 fork, hoe and rake handles per annum.

CHARLES H. SHAPLEY, pattern maker, 25 Wa- ter street, came to Auburn in the spring of 1865, having served nearly four years in the army, where he was wounded at Winchester, Va., by a rifle shot in the hip, and left unattended upon the field under the supposition that he could not live. After working four years under instructions with Merrill Brothers and B. B. Snow & Co., he com- menced business for himself at his present loca- tion, February Ist, 1874. He employs one man besides himself and occasionally two.

CHARLES J. SCHWEINFURTH, carver, turner and pattern maker, on Mechanic street, com- menced business in 1858, at 89 State street, and in 1866 removed to his present location. He employs three men, and is largely engaged in making pulpits, church furniture, baptismal fonts, &c.

WM. SUTCLIFFE, brewer and maltster, 88 and 90 Clark street, commenced business in 1860, in

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CITY OF AUBURN.

company with his father, Henry C. Sutcliffe, and his brother, John, under the name of Sutcliffe & Sons. Henry C. Sutcliffe died January Ist, 1876, and John, in October of the same year, since which time the business has been conducted in the above name. The brewery and malt house is 200 by 60 feet, three stories, and built of brick. The capacity of the brewery is forty barrels per day ; and of the malt house 15,000 bushels. This building was erected in 1868, on the site of the one erected in 1860, which had become too small to meet the demands of the increased business. A brick beer vault, sixty feet square, two stories high, was erected in 1874. An addition 86 by 30 feet is now being built to the malt house, which will increase its' capacity to 20,000 bushels. Eight men are employed, and about 5,000 barrels of ale and lager made per annum, requiring a capital of $70,000.

BURTIS & SON, brewers and maltsters, 32 and 34 Water street. The business was started some thirty years ago by Thomas W. Cornell and Cary S. Burtis, under the name of Cornell & Co., who carried on the business some ten years, when Robert Syme bought Cornell's interest and the name was changed to Burtis & Co. After four or five years Burtis bought Syme's interest, and in 1867 admitted his son Edwin C. to part- nership. The brewery is 40 by 140 feet, and the malt house 30 by 100 feet, with a capacity of about 20,000 bushels ; both are two stories high. Eight men and a capital of $40,000 are employed, and 2,000 to 3,000 barrels of ale and 'lager made per annum.

G. S. FANNING, brewer and maltster, 3 and 5 Garden street, commenced business in 1864, in company with Norman H. Kennedy, whose in- terest he bought in 1868. He employs a capital of $65,000, and thirteen men. The brewery is 88 by 35 feet, with three stories and basement ; and its capacity 7,000 barrels of ale per annum. An addition of 82 by 35 feet is being built for the manufacture of lager, with a capacity of 10,- 000 barrels per annum. The malt house is 119 by 55 feet, with two stories and basement, and is provided with patent iron kilns. Its capacity is 50,000 bushels. He is now making twenty-five barrels of ale per week.

WM. KOENIG, brewer and maltster, corner of State and Grant streets, commenced business in 1868, in which year his brewery was erected.

He employs three men, and makes about twenty barrels of lager per day.

EDWIN B. PARMELEE, maltster, Barber street, near Washington, erected his malt house in 1875. It is a large stone structure, with a capacity of about 40,000 bushels per annum.

MRS. M. J. SCHICHT, manufacturer of paper and cigar boxes, 13 Hoffman street, office 76 Genesee street, 2d floor. The business was commenced in 1868, by R. Schicht & Co., and conducted by them about six years, when it came into the hands of the present proprietor. The capital invested is about $4,000. Fifteen to twenty-five persons are employed, mostly girls, and about 1,000 boxes made daily.

THE AUBURN OIL WORKS, Corner of Clark and Monroe streets, J. A. Cook, proprietor. The works were erected in 1864, for an oil refinery, by Burgess Bros., who failed in 1868. In 1869, Mr. Cook leased the property, in company with Enos Laney, whose interest in the stock and fixtures he bought in the fall of that year. In April, 1875, he bought the buildings; and has since increased the capacity of the works four- fold by the introduction of additional machinery. Mr. Cook is also a dealer in oils of various kinds, and is handling about 8,000 barrels per annum. For the last eight years, with but two or three exceptions, each month's business shows an in- crease as compared with the corresponding months of previous years, and during the whole period has increased from 2,200 to 8,000 barrels per annum. The capital invested is about $15,- 000 ; the number of men employed, four.

COVENTRY & Co., (P. V. R. Coventry and N. H. Kennedy,) cigar manufacturers, Genesee street. This firm commenced business in July, 1874, Mr. Coventry having been engaged in the business some thirty-five years, a part of the time in company with his uncle, Chas. Coventry. They give employment to nineteen persons, and make 200,000 cigars per annum.

THE CENTENNIAL FILE WORKS, 15 Garden street, were established in 1876, by Wm. A. Dolphin and Frederick Tesh, the present pro- prietors. They employ three persons and make about $60 worth of files per week. Their prin- cipal business is rëcutting

JOIN ELLIOTT, proprietor of soap and candle factory, 27 Garden street, commenced the busi- ness in 1854. He employs three persons, and is

[Photo by Ernsberger & Ray.]

ROBERT WHITE.

MR. ROBERT WHITE was born in Aurelius, Cayuga County, N. Y., June 27th, 1829, and is the eldest son of William and Elizabeth White, who had six children, of whom but three are now living. Robert, during his boyhood days, worked on the farm a large portion of each year, attend- ing district school in the winter until arriving at the age of nineteen, when he apprenticed himself to Mr. S. S. Worden of Skaneateles, to learn the carriage and sleigh business. He remained with him for two years and then completed his trade under other instructors. He then came to Au- burn and engaged with the firm of J. & G. Clapp, remaining with them for three years. In the

spring of 1855 he purchased the business of Ap- plegate & Seymour, and took his brother William as partner, continuing the business under the firm name of R. & W. H. White. In 1858, the business not being successful, the firm dissolved, W. H. retiring. Robert continued the business alone until 1878, when R. G. Rowe entered into partnership with him under the firm name of White & Rowe, located at No. 22 Dill street, Auburn, N. Y.

In 1862, he married Mary A. Dougall, daughter of George and Margaret Dougall, of Fleming. They have had four children, Gertrude E., Mary E., Margaret and George Robert.

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making about 8,000 pounds of soap and 60,000 pounds of candles per annum.

The manufacture of wagons and carriages en- gages the attention of several individuals and firms, prominent among whom are :

CHARLES E. MILLS, 20 East Genesee street. JAMES A. STEVENS, I Seminary avenue.

B. COOK & Co., 22 and 24 Dill street.

S. WARBURTON, State street, opposite the Prison.

WHITE & ROWE, 22 Dill street.

HORNE & SLAYTON, 20 Water street.

Although the business consists largely in re- pairing, the capital invested aggregates about $12,000; about thirty men find employment, and over one hundred wagons and carriages are made yearly.

Some twenty-six individuals find employment in the manufacture of cigars under various proprie- tors, among whom are :

EDWIN D. PARKER, 14 State street.

VANDERBOSCH BROS., 21 Dill strect.

JOHN E. PERCY, 82 State street. JNO. B. RICHARDSON, 69} Genesee street.

W. H. ZEPP, 5 North street.

H. B. FAY, 5 Exchange street.

W. H. S. HURLBERT, 121 Genesee street.

MARTIN BRICKS, State street, near Water.

Some $20,000 capital is used in this business, and 77,000 cigars made per month.

A. Mc CREA, 12 State street, employs nine persons in the manufacture of confectionery, of which from $35.000 to $40,000 worth are made per annum.

TROWBRIDGE & JENNINGS and SENTER & CAR- PENTER, the former at 9 Exchange street, and the latter at 127 Genesee street, each employ two men in the manufacture of frames, in which business some $18,000 are invested.

JOHN B. GAYLORD, iron founder, at the head of Mann street, is agent for his daughter, Mary Ann Gaylord, in the manufacture of plows and all kinds of job castings, which business he com- menced the latter part of February, 1878, the building he occupies having been erected the preceding January. Mr. Gaylord first com- menced the foundry business in 1839, in the buildings now occupied by W. W. Crane, which were erected by him, and rented in 1862, to Merrill, Wilder & Co. He did an extensive busi- ness there, and in 1872-'4 built the Gaylord

House. He lost a handsome property by ex- tending pecuniary accommodations to his friends.

CHAPTER XXVI.

HISTORY OF AUBURN, (CONTINUED.)

WHOLESALE DEALERS - BANK OF AUBURN- JAMES S. SEYMOUR-CAYUGA COUNTY BANK- AUBURN SAVINGS BANK - NATIONAL EX- CHANGE BANK OF AUBURN-WM. H. SEWARD & Co.'s BANKING HOUSE-FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF AUBURN - CAYUGA CO. SAVINGS BANK.

T HE wholesale business of Auburn is not extensive, aside from that which is inci- dental to its manufacturing interests, and which has been noticed in that connection.

DUNNING & Co., are the most prominent whole- sale dealers. They deal in hardware and mer- chant, bar and pig iron, and are located at 102 and 104 Genesec street, corner of Exchange. The business was established in 1836, by I. F. Terrill, who conducted the business till 1850, when A. W. Johnson was admitted to partner- ship, and the business was carried on under the name of Terrill & Johnson, till 1864, when F. M .. Terrill, son of I. F. Terrill, became a partner and the firm name was changed to Terrill, John- son & Co. In 1867 J. W. Dunning, who had been with the concern since 1860, was admitted to partnership, without any change in the firm name. In 1871, Mr. Johnson retired from the business, but the name was retained till the ex- piration of the partnership in 1873, when a new partnership was formed under the style of Ter- rill & Dunning, the parties interested being F. M. Terrill and J. W. Dunning, general partners, and S. J. Terrill, special partner. This partnership was renewed by the same parties at its expiration March 1st, 1876, for three years. At the death of F. M. Terrill, June 5th, 1877, a new partnership was formed by J. W. Dunning and A. W. John- son, general partners, and S. J. Terrill, special partner, under the name of Dunning & Co., to last for five years from March 1st, 1877. The business was first begun in the Exchange Block, in the store now occupied by A. T. Miller. In

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1869-'70 their present fine four-story brick build- ing was erected and occupied by them in Novem- ber of the latter year. They employ a capital of $60,000. The business rapidly increased from $60,000 in 1860 to $500,000 in 1866, and con- tinued at the latter figures two or three years ; but as prices declined it diminished to about $300,000 per year, which it averaged till 1877, when, by the addition of some lines, it increased to $400,000.

They occupy the entire four floors of their large store, besides a large adjoining iron warehouse on Exchange street.

EDWARD D. PARKER, wholesale liquor dealer, 7 State street, commenced business in 1870, in company with Wm. M. Thomas, under the name of Thomas & Co. At the death of Mr. Thomas, April 15th, 1878, Mr. Parker acquired his interest. The capital invested is about $25,000. The an- nual sales are about $48,000, but the business has declined as compared with former years.

ADAM ECKERT, wholesale liquor dealer, 27 Genesee street, commenced business in the spring of 1871, in company with his brother, Francis Eckert Jr., whose interest he bought in August, 1875, since which time he has conducted the business alone. He employs a capital of $8,000. The sales, which were between $19,000 and $20,000 the first year, increased till 1873, since which time they have diminished to about what they were the first year, by reason of the necessity for a more rigid scrutiny of the con- dition of those to whom credits are extended.

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History of Cayuga County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 32

Author: Storke, Elliot G., 1811-1879. cn Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason Number of Pages: 762

Author: Storke, Elliot G., 1811-1879. cn
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 762