USA > Ohio > Clark County > The history of Clark County, Ohio, containing a history of the county; its cities, towns, etc.; general and local statistics; portraits of early settlers and prominent men, V. 2 > Part 1
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GENEALOGY 977.101 C54H V.2
M. L
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 00827 0453
GENEALOGY 977.101 C54H V. 2
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016
https://archive.org/details/historyofclarkco02stee
THE
HISTORY
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OF
CLARK COUNTY
OHIO 1 . . .
CONTAINING
A History of the County; its Cities, Tovins, etc .; General and Local Statistics; Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Mon; History of the Northwest Territory; History of Ohio ; Map of Clark County; Constitution of the United States, Miscellaneous Matters,
ete., etc. v . 2
1
ICAUSTRATED.
CHICAGO: W. H. BEERS & CO. 1881.
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CITY OF SPRINGFIELD.
1634130
James Leffel started a saw-mill and foundry. Soon after, he and Andrew Richards built and run a cotton-mill and machine-shop, which passed through several different hands, until now it forms part of the great Buckeye Works. Richard Rodgers re-sold his power to James Barnett, who built a linseed-oil mill, which he sold to John Foos. This mill is also part of the Buckeve shops. In 1847, the Barnetts leased land and power to Christie, Muzzy and Andrews, who operated a planing-mill, afterward conducted by Kindleberger, and now also part of the Buckeye shops.
In 1847, the Barnetts sold Rabbitts and Olds the land and power for woolen- mills, which they and others operated with good success until 1874, when the power was sold to Warder and Barnett, and the mill property is now used by Blount & Wilson for the manufacture of agricultural implements. In 1842, John A. Pitts, inventor of the Pitts separator, removed from Rochester here, and bought land and power from the Barnetis, and built shops for manufacturing the Pitts separator. After his death, his sons came into possession of the shops, which have passed through different owners. until the present time. They are now operated by the heirs of James W. Rinehart and Charles P. Bal- lard and L. H. Pursell, under the firm name of Rinehart. Ballard & Co. Mr. Pursell, the only living member of the firm, is a young man of ability, and to his special attention is due much of their prosperity. This firm manufacture very largely of threshing machines. The shops of the company are situated on the southeast corner of Limestone and Warder streets, and are well adapted for the manufacture of these machines. The Pitts separator, as made by them with their modern improvements, speaks in many a farmer's yard of the great manufacturing genius of our city.
In 1846, the Barnetts leased land and power to Olly Taylor, who built a lin- seed-oil mill, which passed to Smith & Dew, then to Smith & Boucher, then to Steel, Lebman & Co, then through John Foos to the Buckeye Works. Henry Croft, Sr., one of the pioneers of Clark County, claims to have been the first inventor of the county, and, while his manufacturing ventures have been in a small way, his inventions are quito a credit to him. In 1546, be built a corn- sheller that would shell large amounts of corn per day, separating the grain and cobs. This was run by horse-power, and was such a success that he was called upon to make some for his neighbors. The same year, Mr. Croft mado a separator, and, as he had never seen one before. the credit of the invention in his case was not small. This machine he put on wheels, and was the very first ever in this county on wheels. This one Mr. Pitts saw. and it is claimed by Mr. Croft that from his machine Pitts got the notion, aul ever afterward put bis separators on wheels. Mr. Croft also made razor-strops, watch keys and book combined, and, in 1870, he manufactured the Croft Windmill, which is now iu the hands of E. C. Leffel, the youngest son of James Leffel, who intends in the near future to erect large shops and push the manufacture of these engines with his best energy and ability.
In 1829, Henry Bretney, started the manufacturing of leather, which has been carried on by himself and son, at 116 East Main street, ever since 1530, the time Mr. Brotney established bimself. Mr. Bretney gave the business his special attention up to the time of his death, in 1969. At that time, the busi- ness passed into the hands of his son Charles, who still rans the tanuery and general supply business.
The pioneer carriage manufacturer is David West. He built the first bug. gies and carriages, in 1837, at or near where his present factory stands, ou West High street, between Market and Center streets.
He has pushed every point, and now has factory room for 100 hands. The business of this concern grew from manufacturing old-style vehicles to the
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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.
present style of phætons, side-bar buggies, carriages and coaches, which are finished in the best quality of workmanship. Close behind Mr. West came the Driscol brothers, Elias and James, who started at the carriage manufacturing in 1817, James having been connected with John Beal some two years before in the same business, about one block west of their present shop, No. 45 West Main street. The business of Elias and James Driscol has been carried on by them and their sons since 1847, with the exception of three years. In the year 1870, Asa Whitehead and W. D. Cushman bought the business and ran it for three years. During part of that time, George and John Driscol, sous of James, carried on business some three blocks west of the present factory. In 1573, James Driscol and his sons bought the old business and returned to their starting-ground. Since that time, their business has grown so large that it is now considered one of the great interests of Springfield. In connection with their carriage manufactory. they run a planing-mill, and are manufacturers of carriage wood-work of all kinds. The building of vehicles for the road is very extensively carried on at this time in our city. H. Fehl & Co., of West Main street. Ot-tot and the Lawrence Brothers on East Main street, are engaged in the same business, besides many other small interests, to add their work to the busy life of this mechanical city.
The number and value of mills, factories and little shops that dot our town can only be understood when it is known that there are over one hundred of them within our city limits that can lay claim to be manufacturing some par- ticular article of daily use. To mention all of these in chronological order would be almost impossible. from the fact that we have been unable, in many cases. to procure dates and other information regarding them. At the extreme west end are the old furniture factories, used for a long time for making furniture, now used to make the wood-work of the Royal St. John Sewing Machine. On Main street. near Shaffer, is the factory of Evans & Foos Manufacturing Com- pany, formerly the Evans Manufacturing Company, established in IST bi J. M. Evans and three brothers, and run by them to September, 1850, when G. S. Robert and W. F. Foos were added to the firm, and renewed efforts were put forth in the manufacture of corn planters, corn drills and harrows. Near them are the shops of Woliston, Chambers & Burnett. Mr. Woliston formerly man- ufactured the Whitelly plow, but in 1876 the present firm began operations for the manufacture of sash, doors, blinds, etc. Up to 1880, they also made the I X E plow, but have discontinmed that for the present. The Springfield Mal- leable Iron Company was incorporated in ISTS by S. C. Warner and eight asso- ciates, and their foundry was built in the western part of the city, where that company has very fine shops, and are well equipped for manufacturing mallea- ble castings. They now make some two hundred tous per month. Mr. S. C. Warner was one of the very first to make malleable iron in this country, first starting in Connecticut. and then at Cleveland, where he started large malloa- ble foundries. From there he came to Springfield, where he started two.con- cerns. He was one of the few who have made the manufacturing of malleable iron a life study, and. while equipping his last venture, was taken away by death from his friends, with whom he had spent so many busy days. The Eureka Foundry. J. R. Ambrose, proprietor, is one of the busy places of which this city is so full, running continually, mamifacturing parts of the Eclipse engine and doing general job work. This foundry was started by its preseut owner some two years ago. who, after working as molder and foreman of foun- dries since 1549, started on Washington. east of Limestone street, in 1975. From this point he removed two squares west to his present foundry, between Market and Center, on Washington street.
The Common Sense Engine Company was started by H. J. Creighton in
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CITY OF SPRINGFIELD.
1878, in the alley between High and Washington, Market and Center streets, as a general job shop. A new shop is now completed, and will soon be occupied by Yakey & Byers, who succeeded Creighton. It is situated on East street, just south of Mound.
Near Main street, in the alley above mentioned, is the Champion Brass Foundry of J. J. Fawcett. It was first established on Limestone street in 1873. by Kelly & Fawcett, and carried on by thein some two years, when Mr. Fawcett bought the business and removed it to the present site.
Many years ago, where the St. John shops now stand, Mr. David L. Croft had a silver-plating shop. From this point he removed to High street, and, after many changes, he is now established west of Center street, in the electro plate, belt clamp and blackboard-eraser business.
The early light of our city, furnished by candles, was made by Mr. Robert Thompson, who had. in 1859, bought from James Bean the candle factory which he had started some two years before. The factory stood on East Main street, at the foot of what was known as Brewery Hill. For twenty years this business was carried on in a large way, until 1879, when it had to succumb to the more civilized blaze of coal oil.
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The firm of Peel & Elster began the manufacturing of dash moldings at 132 West Main street in 1873, and removed from there to 7S South Limestone street in October, 1978, where they now make dash moldings, neck-yokes, Buek- eye wringers and halters. At the same place. T. R. Way makes mill picks, a business he began in 1872, at 65 South Market street, in connection with a · general job shop.
After many years of activity in the tinware and spouting business, Mr. T. B. Peet took as partner C. A. Schuster, and started, in 1874, at 28 South Mar- ket street, second floor. a shop for making galvanized iron cornice, window-caps and finials, which business has grown to very large dimensions, and is to-day one of our important branches of industry.
The Springfield Cracker Works, started in 1872 by Stafford & Miller, have passed from hand to hand until Cartmell & Erter, the present owners, purchased the business iu 1878, and removed from No. 46 West Washington street to No. 14 South Center street, where they now have works of the capacity of baking three and a half barrels of flour per hour.
In 1817, Griffith Foos had a small oil mill on the corner of what is now Linden avenue and Monroe street. This mill is said to have been removed to East street, about where the Common Sense Engine Works now stand, and then used as a cotton-factory, and afterward as a flax-mill. In 1834, the flouring- mill known as the Fillar Mill was built on the ground where the Foos oil-mill stood, on the corner of Linden avenue and Monroe street. It was run by an overshot wheel, and was operated for many years, until, in 1871, it was bought by E. R. Hotsenpeller & Co., and used by them for a hominy-mill. In 1878. the mill was destroyed by fire. The ground was bought of E. R. Hotsenpeller & Co., by the Champion Bar & Knife Company, in 1874, and the present shops of this company erected on it.
These shops are now under the management of Charles A. Bauer as Super intendent, who has proved his ability as a mechanical expert in the present perfection of the work done in these shops. No one can fully appreciate his skill, or the excellence of these works, without personal inspection.
Since 1572. L. Patrick & Co., 12 South Couter street, have manufactured the Patrick hot-air furnace, for heating dwellings. churches, storerooms and halls, the Star wind-mill, force pumps and lever spring beds. This business is carried on by L. Patrick and I. W. Rodgers. The planing mill of T. L. Arthur was built by Voorhis & Arthur in 1867, and operated by them until 1870, when
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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.
John H. Voorhis bought the interest of his partuer. In 1871, it was Voorhis. Hayward & Co .; in 1872, Voorhis & Spencer; in 1878, Arthur & Lightfoot : and in 1874, Thomas L. Arthur took full control, and is now operating it as a sash, door and blind factory.
A. G. Bethard's planing-mill and job factory, in alley west of Market square, has been operated since 1872 by him.
William H. Bauroth, general job shop, on west side of Fisher's alley. between Main and High streets, has been run by him since 1874, manufacuring pulley, shafting and hangers. Ou North street, between Spring and Factory streets, the cement, drain and sewer-pipe factory was built by A. W. Eichelber- ger in 1875, where many necessities in house building are made, besides drain and sewer piping.
Springfield has had a book-bindery since 1844. At that time, J. D. Smith started in this business on Trapper's Corner. This establishment was sold to a Cincinnati man, who removed the tools to Cincinnati, Ohio. J. W. Kills & Son commenced same business in 1860, and took the place of the one removed. In 1869, the Smith concern, which had again started. in the building known as the old Protestant building, just south of High street, on Limestone, was re- moved to the Republic building, where it was carried on by different firms until 1880, when J. D. Smith & Co. withdrew and started a bindery at the corner of Main and Limestone streets, and the Republic Printing Company continued the same business in their building.
There are in this city two breweries-Vorce & Blee, on Fast Columbia street, and Engert & Dinkle, corner of Penn and Section streets. Both are very large concerns, and have been in operation for many years. The Vorce & Blee brewery was established in 1840: that of Engert & Dinkle in 1849.
W. Burns' distillery, on East Main street, has been in operation since 1857, doing a very large business for so small a concern. It now has a bonded warehouse in connection with the stillhouse.
James Lowry & Co. (consisting of James Lowry, J. W. Kills and Dr. Am- brose Blount, father of A. A. Blount, dentist) commenced building a paper-mill in the fall of 1527, on Mill Run, between Columbia and North streets, just northeast of the Columbia street burying-ground. This mill was finished and put into operation on June 21, 1828, as a hand paper-mill, and was run as such until 1836. when it was changed into a machine-mill, with a wet machine only, and in 1840 a drier was added, and so run until May, 1861, making all kinds of paper. In 1836, the mill changed hands, and J. W. Kills & Sos operated it until May. 1861, at which time they made an assignment to William D. Hill.
Baker W. Peck laid the stone foundation of the above mill. In 1564. Marshfield Steel purchased this mill property and remodeled it into a tobacco factory, which was run by M. Steel & Co. up to 1867, when J. L. Kidder took possession and manufactured tobacco until 1869. Since then it has been used as a foundry, machine-shop and general job-shop, up to ISSO, when it was re- built and occupied by J. V. Elster, who manufactures the Wright extension table. This business was started by Wright & Elster at the Stringtown shops. now used by the St. John Company for the manufacture of the wood-work of their sewing machines. The unoccupied shops of the Taylor Paint Company on South Limestone street were built in 1877. by Caleb Taylor and William Pinilott, and used in the manufacturing of dry paints by them and their sie. cessors, Taylor & Judson, who had worked up a thrifty business, but which was suddenly stopped by the death of Mr. Taylor on April 15. 1578, and who had been the manufacturing chemist of the firm. In 1889, Thomas Roberts pur- chased of Thompson & Kingsbury, boiler-makers, their business on Limestone
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street, just south of the United Presbyterian Church, which he removed to Monroe and Gallagher streets, and with his brother, B. F. Roberts, carried on the boiler-making business until 1876, when the brothers parted, each starting separate shops -- one on Washington street, the other at the new shop on Bridge street, between Spring and Gallagher streets. Thomas now has the Bridge street shop, also a shop near James Leffel & Co.'s works in East Springfield. B. F. Roberts has a shop at No. 30 West Washington street. The Springfield File Works, on Bridge street, near Spring, was started by A. Noelp, at 155 Lime- stone street, and afterward removed to 331 East Main street. when C. Unglaub became owner, in 1875, and removed to present place in 1879.
The Springfield Brass Foundry was started by MeLaughlin & Shilling, at 68 South Limestone street, in June, 1880, and bids fair to be a business of some proportion.
The Ludlow Soap Manufacturing Company started business in the fall of ISSO, on Washington street, between Spring and Limestone streets. This bus- iness is the outgrowth of a small concern started many years ago by James W. Ludlow, of this city. Mr. Ludlow was with the Proctor & Gamble soap estab- lishment, of Cincinnati, a number of years ago, and then became enamored with the business-so much so as to follow it in an intermittent way ever since. Nearly two years ago he determined to devote his entire attention to making a first-class soap. and out of that determination has developed the Ludlow Soap Manufacturing Company of Springfield, a combination that unites an abundance of capital with the energy and skill requisite to a large business. The firm is now A. R. Ludlow, J. W. Ludlow, J. S. Ludlow and T. W. Ludlow. J. S. , Ludlow and T. W. Ldulow are sons of A. R. Ludlow, who is a member of the firm of Thomas, Ludlow & Rodgers, of this city. This company manufactures laundry and toilet soaps of various kinds.
The soap-factory of Mark Smith & Sons, was started in 1861 at their pres- ent place of business, on Buck Creek, just west of Market street. They first made potash and a small amount of soap until 1868, when they started to make both toilet and laundry soap in large quantities. They have now in hand the erection of a large three-story brick building, so as to enable them to meet the large-increased demand for their various productions of soap.
The saw-inill of I. B. Rawlins & Son, erected by them in 1875, is the only mill of this kind within the city limits. It is used to saw all kinds of hard lumber, and has a capacity of many thousand feet per day.
The Springfield Curved Elbow Company, on Washington street, started in 1573 by James Brand, as the Curved Elbow Company, and by MI. L. Rice, its present owner, changed to the Springfield Curved Elbow Company in 1876. This concern manufactures curved stovepipe elbows in large quantities, and ship them for sale to all parts of the United States.
The collar-factory of S. T. Irvin, 64 Main street, was started by him in 1862. All kinds of horse-collars are made at this place, and in large quantities, for shipment.
In 1870, Deardorff, Mellen & Co., manufacturers of coffins and caskets, beyan business at 116 and 118 South Spring street. They manufacture and ship to all parts of the United States many thousand coffins, and caskets of all kinds, from the cheapest painted to the most costly rosewood.
Boyd Hotsenpiller & Co., the pioneer manufacturers of cloth-covered cask- ets in the West, started on Washington street, east of Limestone street, in 1876, in the mill formerly used by Hotsenpiller & Co. for making hominy. This company make cloth-covered caskets of the very finest quality.
Boyd's burglar-proof grave-vault is manufactured by a company organized for that purpose. Its buildings are on Washington street, along the railroad.
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' The company have placed considerable capital in the concern, and propose to push the vault with vim. As it is a new thing, it needs presentation to the people, but it will soon win public favor.
The Champion City Manufacturing Company, John A. Blount and .1. Me Wilson, proprietors, was started in 1875, by Kissell, Blount & Co., in the old woolen-mills on Warder street. This concern is now doing a thrifty busi- ness in manufacturing cultivators, hay-rakes, double-shovel plows, post bole diggers and garden tools of various kinds. They also have, in connection with the agricultural implement business, a number of knitting machines, making large quantities of woolen stockings of all kinds, which they furuish to large dealers in woolen goods.
The Robbins & Myers Foundry was removed by them from the old Kills paper-mill property, in 1879, to their new foundry, on East Springfield, near the shops of James Leffel & Co. They began in 1877 to do foundry and machine job work. This increased so fast that they had to build new shops of large size to be able to meet the demand on them. They are now melting from eight to teu tons of iron per day, and the superior quality of their castings and work brings them large custom from abroad.
In 1861, Mr. John Foos purchased the Barnett oil-mill, which they had built in 1842 on Warder street, and in 1863 he bought the Steel, Lehman & Co. oil-mill, which was built by Olly Tayler in 1846, also located on Warder street. The machinery in the mills he removed, in 1870, to his present place of busi- ness, on the cliffs overlooking Buck Creek, just above Plum street. This is one of the most successful industries of our city, and one of the leading oil-mill> of the West.
The St. John Sewing Machine Company, organized in 1875, is also one of Mr. John Foos' projects. This company made for some time the St. John Few- ing machine, which has been improved into the Royal St. John, the name it now justly bears. The extensive shops of this company are situated at the cor- ner of Main and Center streets, and are fully equipped with the very best of tools for special work. The cabinet work of the machines is done at their wood-shop, west of Stringtown, just north of the National Road. Mr. John Foos is President of this company, and E. W. Mullikin Secretary, and F. W. Foos Treasurer. The Directors are John H. Thomas, S. A. Bowman, J. S. Goode, C. H. Bacon and John Foos.
The Cottage Color Paint Company also belongs to Mr. John Foos. It was established in 1865 by Henry C. Barnett, Henry E. Folger, T. B. Peet and Leander Mudge, and removed in 1870 to its present place in the Foos oil-mill.
The Republic Printing Company, whose building occupies the site of the old National Hotel on Main street, is a joint-stock company, with a capital of $125,000. It not only publishes a daily, tri-weekly and weekly paper, has an extensive bindery, large job and press rooms, with all the facilities for accu- rate and modern work, but it also has a paper-mill at Enon, Ohio, of large capacity, which is in constant operation. Its job room has five cylinder presses, three jobbers, and three ruling machines in bindery. Its legal blanks have long had an extensive reputation throughout the State for accuracy and adaptability. In addition to its own publication, it prints the Live Potron, the Wittenberger. Evangelist, etc. It does a business of $150,000 per annum.
The Transcript Printing Company. composed of B. O. Elifritz, C. E. Win- ters and J. P. Winters, have a capital of $75,000, invested in real estate. machinery, etc., in their business. Their building on High street has a front- age of fifty feet, including an ell recently added, and extends back 220 feet. The firm have one of the largest job rooms in the State, and a press room which has seven cylinder presses, three power jobbers, folder, paster and coverer for
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the book department, and a wire stitcher for pamphlets. Their printing arrangements are unequaled. None of the late improvements are wanting. They employ sixty-two persons regularly, and have a force of thirty-five girls for the folding and other rooms. Their business amounts to $100,000 per an- mun, and includes large contracts in many parts of this and other States.
The very large and thrifty concern now known as the Springfield Agricultural Works grew out of an old establishnnent by the same name, carried on by the firm of Ferrell & Ludlow, the partners being Mr. Alphonso Ferrell and Mr. Abram R. Ludlow. Afterward, the firm was known as Ferrell, Ludlow & Co., and afterward as Ferrell. Ludlow & Rodgers-Messrs. R. H. and I. W. Rodgers being the junior partners. In January, 1872, the firm of Thomas, Ludlow & Rodgers was organized, Mr. Ferrell retiring and the Thomas brothers supplying his place. Mr. I. W. Rodgers also retired, and went into another branch of manufacturing. In 1$73, the firm was organized, under its present manage- ment, into a joint-stock company, with a capital of $200,000. The buildings are very extensive, occupying the greater portion of an entire square, embracing 80,000 feet of floor. besides the foundry. Here, also, next the smith-shop, is the American Tire-Setter, which fits cold tire to the wheels with such exactness and rapidity as to be really astonishing.
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