Century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens 20th, Part 43

Author: Rockel, William M. (William Mahlon), 1855-1930, ed
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Biographical publishing co.
Number of Pages: 1086

USA > Ohio > Clark County > Springfield > Century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens 20th > Part 43

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

MERCHANTS AND MECHANICS BUILDING & LOAN ASSOCIATION.

This association was organized in 1892 and E. C. Gwyn* chosen as its first presi- dent, H. S. Bradley being its secretary ; the board of directors consisting of E. C. Gwyn, M. M. McConkey, D. H. Olds, P. M. Cartmell, Welden Warder, Am. Win- ger, George H. Brain, A. J. Beckley, W. A. Martin, Meyer Weixelbaum, John C. Clippinger and T. J. Kirkpatrick.

Soon after the organization of this in-

403

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.

stitution they leased the building vacated by the First National Bank, situated im- mediately north of the first alley on the west side of Limestone Street, opposite to their present quarters in the Gotwald Building.

The last statement (July, 1907) shows this institution to have as resources and liabilities $1,220,678.46, with surplus of $38,622.20. E. C. Gwyn* is the present president ; Edgar A. Fay, secretary ; board of directors being E. C. Gwyn*, W. A. Martin, George W. Netts, Oliver C. Clarke, George K. Sharpe, J. H. Rab- bitts, Rodney Moffet, Willard Brain, J. Building & Loan Association was estab- B. North.

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS.

The Clark County Building and Sav- ings Society has an office in Room 8, Got- wald Building. It was incorporated Sep- tember 28, 1900, with a capital of $400,000. David F. Snyder is president, J. M. Good, vice-president, F. E. Hosterman, treas- urer, and T. J. McCormick secretary and attorney. The office is not opened daily, but only on Thursdays of each week. While not a large institution, it is doing very well.

The Springfield Co-operative Building Association has its office in Room 3, Got- wald Building., It was incorporated in November, 1904, with a capital stock of $25,000. James L. Harris is president, Marshall Jackson, vice-president, S. E. Huffman, secretary, and William Johnson cashier. Meets Tuesday and Saturday evenings.

About 1887 or '88 an association was organized called the Citizens Building &

Loan Association. The directors gave the management of affairs very largely to Charles E. Morris, who was attorney of the association and at one time police judge of the city. Mr. Morris appro- priated a considerable amount of the funds to his own use and afterwards served a term in the penitentiary for the same. The association went into liquida- tion and the assets were purchased or taken over by the Springfield Building & Loan Association. So the actual amount of loss to depositors was not very large.

About 1903, a branch of the Indemnity lished in this city, doing business on Market Street, on the east side about mid- way between High and Main Streets. It seems that the management of branch in- stitutions in building and loan associa- tions has not been generally a success, and the head institution which is located at Cleveland became involved and went into liquidation. It was finally taken over by some other association and the business wound up. E. G. Banta of Urbana was manager largely of this institution.

Other loan associations have at times transacted business in this county, some successfully and others unsuccessfully. It would seem that people having money to deposit should place the same in the care of those whom they know, and as- sociations managed by local people ought to afford more security than those man- aged elsewhere.

AMERICAN TRUST & SAVINGS COMPANY.

This institution is the most recent of a financial character to be organized in the city of Springfield and was first

*Now deceased.

404

HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY

opened for business on January 5, 1907, with a capital stock of $200,000, and sur- plus of $50,000. The last statement (Sept., 1907) showed deposits of $369,- 299, the assets and liabilities of this concern at this time being $626,861. It is located in the new Fairbanks Building on the northwest corner of Main Street and Fountain Avenue. N. H. Fairbanks is president and H. E. Freeman, secretary and treasurer. The following constitute the board of directors: Stacy B. Rankin, Chase Stewart, Lee B. Corry, Edward P. Holman, H. S. Kissell, P. E. O'Brien, Paul A. Staley, N. H. Fairbanks, Louis M. Levy, George C. Lynch, Dr. Charles G. Heckert, Jacob Koblegard, M. L. Milligan, and W. H. McCord.

MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES.

In the chapter on mills we have noted the large number of industries that were established on Mad River, Buck Creek and Mill Run. At the time these mills were put into operation the age of steam had not arrived, water-power furnishing the necessary force to propel machinery. To the excellent water-power supplied by these streams is no doubt attributable the fact of Springfield's later growth as a great manufacturing center.

It was the water-power of Buck Creek that induced the building of the Barnett Mill, and the oil mills that were erected in its vicinity. These other mills brought to our town men of a manufacturing spirit. It was the water-power of Buck Creek no doubt that induced Pitts in 1842 to locate in Springfield and manufacture his afterward celebrated Pitts Threshing Machine.

The growing industry of manufactur- ing oil from flax seed induced John Foos to purchase mills previously erected on this creek, and it was the water supplied by Buck Creek that induced John H. Thomas and P. P. Mast in 1856 to lay the foundation of the P. P. Mast Co.

Farther up, at what now is the suburb of Lagonda, the water-power of this stream again played an important part in the establishment of the manufacturing industries of the city. Here Simon Ken- ton, in the beginning of the century, con- structed his rude mill. Others followed, until in 1830 the entire then existing vil- lage was purchased by Mr. Jeremiah War- der, the father of Benjamin and William Warder, who were afterwards prominent in the industrial affairs of Springfield. As time went on, the demands of the peo- ple for manufactured products changed, and the progress of agriculture created a desire and a demand for machinery in the agricultural field. While there were es- tablishments along other lines that have remained to this day, yet the manufac- ture of agricultural implements has seemed at all times to be the leading in- dustry. It was in the decade from '55 to '65, or thereabouts, that the manufacture of these implements took on a wonderful impetus in our city. Previous to this, in 1837, David West, who died about 1904, commenced the manufacture of buggies, and for a half century continued in that business, and finally erected what is known as the West Block, immediately north of the market-house.

In 1840 William Whiteley, an old time resident of this county, began the manu- facturing of the celebrated Whiteley plow, which for along time was considered the

405

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.

best on the market. Mr. Whiteley was the menced manufacturing various kinds of uncle of Amos and William N. Whiteley, afterwards prominent in the industrial af- fairs of our city. He died about 1890.

About the same time that William Whiteley commenced manufacturing his plows James Leffel entered upon his in- dustrial career in the City of Springfield. Previous to this he had erected the Hertz- ler Mills. In 1840 he built his foundry be- tween the National Road and the Big Four Railway near Buck Creek, west of the city. Afterwards, having invented the celebrat- ed Leffel Water Wheel, he and his son- in-law, John W. Bookwalter, became the owners of the old shop located where the Grand Opera House now stands, and on the ground north of the railroad.

Mr. Leffel died in the prime of life in 1866. In 1845 Mr. Leffel and William Blakeley erected a brick foundry on the north side of Buck Creek, a little east of Limestone Street. There they afterwards made the Buckeye Cooking Stoves. Mr. Leffel was no doubt the most distin- guished manufacturer of his time, he hav- ing been connected in other manufactur- ing enterprises.

In 1847 James Driscoll began the manu- facture of carriages and established a business in that line that was second to none. For a long time the business of this firm was carried on in a building on the north side of Main street, situated about half way between the First Pres- byterian Church and Factory Street. His sons and successors afterwards built the main part of the building located on the north-east corner of Center and Columbia Streets, now used as a place for the manu- facture of grave vaults, etc.

In 1850 Mr. Benjamin Warder com-

machines and in 1856 Ross Mitchell be- came associated with him in the manufac- ture of Ketchuin Mowers, Densmore Self- raker, New York Reaper, Ohio Harvester, the Buckeye Mower, Marsh Harvester, etc.

The Marsh Harvester was the reaping machine that was first used in elevating the grain. It was provided with a plat- form upon which two men stood, who tied the wheat as it was elevated up to them.

In 1855 Mr. William N. Whiteley made the first successful "Champion machine." In the next year he associated with him Mr. Jerome Fassler and in the following year Mr. O. S. Kelly. This firm was the precursor of the great industry that after- wards followed in the manufacturing of Champion machines. So great had be- come the popularity of and the demand for the Champion machines, that in 1868 the firm of Warder, Mitchell & Co. aban- doned the manufacture of all other ma- chines and under an arrangement with Whiteley, Fassler & Kelly manufactured thereafter only the Champion. In the pre- vious year, 1867, the "Champion Machine Company" was formed for the express purpose of manufacturing the Champion machine for the Southern and Western territories. In the establishment of this last company, Amos Whiteley, Robert Johnson, W. W. Wilson and others en- tered the manufacturing field, so up un- til 1887 and '88 we had these three large establishments manufacturing the Cham- pion machines. So far did this industry take precedence over all others in our city that the town itself received the sobriquet of the "Champion City."

In 1867 Gov. Asa S. Bushnell entered

406

HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY

the Lagonda firm while this industry was showing such great evidence of prosperity. In 1882, the old firm of Whiteley, Fassler and Kelly dissolved, and Mr. Whiteley became the sole proprietor and began the erection of the celebrated East Street Shops. Along in '85 or '86 Mr. Whiteley having indorsed paper for Mr. E. L. Har- per of Cincinnati, became financially em- barrassed and with him Amos Whiteley, who was president of the Champion Ma- chine Company, so after a while the firm of Warder, Mitchell & Co. became the sole manufacturers of these celebrated ma- chines.

The East Street Shops were afterwards sold and various other industries there established. The Champion Machine Company's shop became the property of the Superior Drill Company, which in time was absorbed by the American Seed- ing Company. And the firm of Warder, Mitchell & Company, Mr. Mitchell hav- ing retired and Mr. Glessner having been taken in to the firm, became the firm of Warder, Bushnell & Glessner. In 1902 this establishment became a member of the International Harvester Company and today manufactures reapers and mowers with a diversified line of other agricultural implements.

In 1856, as indicated heretofore, John H. Thomas and P. P. Mast began the man- ufacture of cider mills and grain drills. This industry was continued by them un- til 1871, when Mr. John H. Thomas with- drew and established the Thomas Manu- facturing Company. This latter firm was largely for a time engaged in the making of hay-rakes, cider-presses and articles of that kind. P. P. Mast continued to be the moving spirit in the old company un-

til his death. After Mr. John H. Thomas retired from the firm of Thomas and Mast, Mr. C. A. Gardiner, W. C. Downey and A. W. Butt became members of this firm.

In the latter part of the sixties the firm of Ferrell, Ludlow & Co., composed of Mr. Alphonso Ferrell and Mr. Abraham Lud- low, were engaged in the manufacture of cider-presses. Later on this firm became Ferrell, Ludlow & Rodgers, and in 1872, Thomas, Ludlow and Rodgers, there hav- ing come into the firm besides Mr. Lud- low, Mr. I. W. Rodgers, Joseph W. Thomas and Charles E. Thomas, they en- tering into the manufacture of what after- wards developed into the Superior Drill. This company was afterwards reorgan- ized into the Superior Drill Company, with Captain A. M. Winger, E. L. Buch- walter, Charles S. Kay and others as the moving spirits. The Superior Drill Com- pany in 1897 having sold their shop, which was located on the east side of Limestone Street between the Big Four and Penn- sylvania Railroads, to the Pennsylvania Company, entered into negotiations for the purchase of the shop which formerly was the property of the Champion Ma- chine Company, and afterwards became the owner, and there, with very great suc- cess, manufactured the Superior Drill un- til the American Seeding Company was formed, when it was taken into that large corporation.

In 1884 Gustavus Foos, having in pre- vious years, by an unfortunate turn of the wool trade, lost the greater part of his fortune in which he was engaged, with his sons W. S. and Robert formed the Foos Manufacturing Company and began the manufacture of corn grinders and articles of that kind. This shop was lo-

409

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.

cated in the eastern part of the city south. of the Leffel Water Wheel Works, and the of the Big Four Railway. It is now con- ducted by the Bauer Brothers.

The oldest establishment in our city that has continued in the same family is that of the H. V. Bretney Company, engaged in the manufacture of leather, etc. This firm was established in 1829 by Harry Bretney at its present location on East Main Street. It was afterwards con- ducted by Charles, his son, who continued the business until his death, when the grandson of the original founder, Harry V. Bretney, took it in charge.

FIRST LEFFEL WHEEL.

The first Leffel Turbine Water Wheel manufactured in Springfield, was only about ten inches in diameter, and was first installed under seven foot fall in a flume in the basement of the Methodist Protest- ant building (now the Grand Opera House). It was used for furnishing power for a large Adams' book press to print the "Methodist Protestant," and the "Penny Telegram" and "American Ruralist."

The "Penny Telegram" was purchased by Hastings and Nichols and combined with the "News" and later the "Repub- lic," requiring four presses for the com- bined establishment. Under normal con- ditions this little wheel could do the work; but Mill Run on which the power depend- ed, like some men, had the habit of get- ting high and low, which in either case diminished the fall. And sometimes a fish would attempt suicide by entering the wheel and partially closing the gates thus shutting off the power. Back water from obstructions to the Mill Run at one time flooded the press-room and the basement

Congregational church with three feet of water, doing great damage.

This caused the building of the Mill Run sewer, insuring immunity from all such trouble in the future. The water power became so unreliable that it was found necessary to get power for the printing establishment by a shaft from the Leffel Water Wheel Works located on the south side of Mill Run.

This shaft was protected except where it passed over Mill Run. But one cold winter night Mill Run froze over and the school children were playing upon the ice when the writer was horrified to see a little ten-year-old girl revolving around the shaft, her feet with every revolution striking the hard ice.

As soon as possible the engine was stopped and the little girl removed to an express wagon which was passing when it was found one of her legs was broken. Her first recovery from the shock was manifested by the exclamation, "Where is my shawl?"

DEFUNCT INDUSTRIES.

PAPER MILL.

While the city has been constantly add- ing new industries, yet in our progress we have lost several that in other places have developed into extensive establish- ments. The first of these was a paper mill which was established in 1827 on Buck Creek by Ambrose Blount, James Lowry and Jacob Kills. This mill was put in operation in 1828 and for a time was operated as a hand paper mill, and continued adding new methods until 1861,

410

HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY

when it was making all kinds of paper. sted & Burk. It was conducted with suc- From 1836-1861 it was operated by J. W. cess until 1874, when the power was sold to Warder & Barnett and this industry ceased to be a factor in the business life of our city. Kills & Son. They made an assignment and the mill was afterwards adapted to other industries. The nearest thing that we have had to an industry of this char- CAR SHOPS. acter since that time was the one some years ago conducted by J. W. Hanes and Frank J. Webb, at Enon Station.

OIL MILLS.

As early as 1817 Griffith Foos had an oil-mill on the corner of Linden Avenue and Monroe Street. This mill was after- wards moved to where the Herb Bitters Establishment now is, on East Street, and used as a cotton factory and flax-mill. Mr. John Foos at one time was extensive- ly engaged in this business.

In 1861 he purchased the oil-mill built by James Barnett in 1842 on Warder Street, and in 1863 he bought the Steele, Layman & Co., oil-mill which was built by Olly Taylor in 1846, and also located on Warder Street. These industries were moved to a mill on the cliffs immediately west of the Factory Street bridge on Buck Creek. It was a considerable industry in its time, but went out of existence some fifteen years ago.

WOOLEN MILLS.

About 1814 Ira Paige and Jacob Wood- ward had a woolen factory near where the old paper-mill was located on Mill Run. There is some dispute as to whether Mad- dox Fisher conducted a cotton mill in 1814 near the same location.

In 1847 Rabbitts & Olds established their woolen mill on the power purchased of the Barnetts. This mill was immediate- ly east of the present grist mills of An-

It may be interesting to know that at one time Springfield had fair prospects of becoming the center of the car manufact- uring industry. Perhaps if it had been continued we might have had the very ex- tensive shops of Barney & Smith, now lo- cated at Dayton.

In 1852 Jacob Winger and Anderson built a shop immediately south of the Grand Opera House, where for a time they built box and flat cars, and it may be also interesting to know that, as early as 1852, this firm built a number of what were then called Jackson Cook Reapers, the first reapers ever built in this city. These shops were sold to Mr. Leffel and con- verted into shops for the manufacture of his water-wheel.

THRESHING MACHINES.

In 1842 John A. Pitts the inventor of the Pitts Threshing Machine, moved to Springfield from Rochester, New York, and established a manufactory immediate- ly east of Limestone Street and north of the bridge. This was a very prominent manufacturing establishment in its time, as the "Pitts" was a machine known all over the country. It was conducted after his death by his sons.

In 1866 and '67 the property passed in- to the hands of Charles P. Ballard and James W. Reinhart, and afterwards it was operated by the heirs of these two parties, and Mr. L. H. Pursell, under the

411

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.

firm name of Reinhart, Ballard & Co. Along in the eighties Oliver S. Kelly be- came interested and finally purchased the entire plant and devoted it to other in- dustries.

SEWING MACHINES.

For some time after the invention of sewing machines, and while they were pro- tected by patents, there was very great profit in their manufacture. In 1875 a company was organized by Mr. John Foos and others for the manufacture of the sewing machines that had been patented by Mr. St. John of Bellefontaine. This manufacturing establishment was located on the northeast corner of Center and Main Streets, and some of our leading citizens were interested in its success. It was however never a very prosperous con- cern, as the patents on the general prin- ciple had expired, and as this cheapened sewing machines very much on the market the profits were not as large as they had been, and the older firms were better able to meet the competition of the new firms that had thus come into existence. Final- ly the industry was abandoned after hav- ing had an existence of some ten or fifteen years. Other establishments for the man- ufacture of various machines have come and gone, but the above are the principal ones that manufactured articles that might, under more favorable conditions, have caused their development into great and prosperous establishments.

WHITELEY, FASSLER & KELLY.

While this firm has gone out of exist- ence, or become merged into others and thus becomes one of our defunct establish- ments, the "Champion" machines are still

made by the International Harvester Com- pany. This firm was composed of Will- iam N. Whiteley, a native of Clark Coun- ty, Jerome Fassler, a native of Germany, and Oliver S. Kelly, another native of Clark County. The latter two are de- ceased. The former still is engaged in manufacturing enterprises in our city. Mr. Whiteley has been given the credit, and with a great degree of justice, for establishing the manufacture of reapers in our city on a large scale. To his in- ventive genius the "Champion" reaper owed its existence. It has been said of Mr. Whiteley, by those who were com- petent judges, that he was not only a great inventor but the greatest collector of inventions that our country has known. The financial success of this firm was no doubt due largely to Oliver S. Kelly. The firm began operation in '56 and '57, and continued until 1882, when Mr. Whiteley bought out Kelly and Fassler and moved the shops to the gigantic structure just erected known as East Street. This firm had its shops where the Arcade Building is now located. The part used for an of- fice is now occupied by the When Cloth- ing Store, in the northwest corner of the Arcade Building. In its palmiest days this firm employed from 700 to 800 men. Mr. O. S. Kelly after his retirement built the Arcade and with his son Oliver pur- chased the threshing machine works form- erly belonging to the Pitts and afterwards to Reinhardt, Ballard & Co. Mr. Fassler retired from business altogether.

CHAMPION MACHINE COMPANY.

So popular did the Champion machine become and the demand for it so great that in 1867 Amos Whiteley with a few

412

HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY

other men-Robert Johnston, W. W. Wil- son, D. P. Jeffries and others-organ- ized a company to be devoted specially to the manufacture of the Champion ma- chine. This firm erected buildings on Monroe and Gallagher Streets, and con- tinued actively in the manufacture of this machine until Mr. Amos Whiteley. became embarrassed in 1884. In the meantime Robert Johnson had retired and become engaged in other manufacturing enter- prises ; likewise D. P. Jeffries, who was largely instrumental in organizing the Lagonda Bank and who for many years was its cashier, also retired, and contracts were made by Mr. Whiteley for the inter- ests of other stock-holders. However, up- on Mr. Whiteley's embarrassment the shop began to go down and finally ceased operations. The stock for a time was held by a syndicate and the shops finally sold to the Superior Drill Company. This firm at one time employed from 800 to 1,000 men.

THE A. C. EVANS COMPANY.

In 1876 J. M. Evans and three brothers established what was known as the Evans Manufacturing Company. Afterwards a new corporation was organized called the A. C. Evans Company and a factory was built on Dibert Street west of the Pan- handle Railway. This shop showed great prosperity during the life time of Mr. A. C. Evans and was used for the manu- facture of corn planters, harrows, potato diggers, and implements of that char- acter. Mr. Evans died about 1894, and the business began to decline. Afterwards the shop and business were sold to the American Seeding Company, who trans-

ferred the business to their other houses and sold the plant to the Patric Furnace Company.

COMMON SENSE ENGINE COMPANY.

In 1878 H. J. Creighton began the man- ufacture of the Common Sense Engine in an alley between High and Washington and Market and Center Streets. This establishment was afterwards sold to Yakey & Byers, who built a shop on the corner of Mound & East Streets, now oc- cupied by the Herb Medicine Company. The property afterwards passed into the hands of Mr. Janey and finally was aban- doned as a manufacturing establishment. Yakey and Byers were attorneys. C. F. Yakey died and A. T. Byers went to Texas, where he is still living.

CHAMPION CITY MANUFACTURING COMPANY.

This was a company incorporated in 1875 as Kissell, Blount & Co. which pur- chased the building formerly occupied by the Rabbitts and Olds woolen mill on Warder Street. The firm was engaged in the manufacture of cultivators, hay rakes, double shovel plows, and implements of that kind. It continued in operation for about ten years when it was abandoned.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens 20th, Part 43

Author: Rockel, William M. (William Mahlon), 1855-1930, ed Publication date: 1908 Publisher: Chicago, Biographical publishing co. Number of Pages: 1086

Author: Rockel, William M. (William Mahlon), 1855-1930, ed
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Biographical publishing co.
Number of Pages: 1086