Fifty years and over of Akron and Summit County : embellished by nearly six hundred engravings--portraits of pioneer settlers, prominent citizens, business, official and professional--ancient and modern views, etc.; nine-tenth's of a century of solid local history--pioneer incidents, interesting events--industrial, commercial, financial and educational progress, biographies, etc., Part 58

Author: Lane, Samuel A. (Samuel Alanson), 1815-1905
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: Akron, Ohio : Beacon Job Department
Number of Pages: 1228

USA > Ohio > Summit County > Akron > Fifty years and over of Akron and Summit County : embellished by nearly six hundred engravings--portraits of pioneer settlers, prominent citizens, business, official and professional--ancient and modern views, etc.; nine-tenth's of a century of solid local history--pioneer incidents, interesting events--industrial, commercial, financial and educational progress, biographies, etc. > Part 58

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).

THE AKRON COLD SPRING COMPANY .- In the early forties the Akron Cold Spring Company was incorporated and organized, for the purpose of bringing the waters of a large spring, known as "Cold Spring," from the eastern slope of what is now called "Spring Hill," on the Portage road, about a mile and a half along what is now Aqueduct street, and West Market street, in four-inch cast-iron mains, with lead service pipes to the several residences along the route, these cast-iron mains, after nearly half a century's service, being replaced by wrought-iron pipes in 1891.

"This is the very softest and purest water in the city, and is still used for domestic purposes by many of the inhabitants of that portion of the city, even among those who patronize the City Water Works for stable, lawn and street sprinkling purposes. The present officers of the company are: Directors: J. A. Long,

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AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY.

Lorenzo Hall, S. E. Phinney, George A. Kempel, A. M. Armstrong; president, A. M. Armstrong; secretary, Philander D. Hall, Jr.

HOWARD STRRET WATER COMPANY .- There was orginally a superb spring of water, on the premises of the late George W. Bloom, where the office of the Schumacher Milling Company now stands, corner of Broadway and Mill streets. March 14, 1865, Morrill T. Cutter, Hiram Viele, William G. Raymond, James M. Hale and Lorenzo Hall, directors of the duly incorporated Howard Street Water Company, by a grant from council, were permitted to lay pipes through the streets of Akron, and did so use a part of Mill, Howard and Market streets,

These works were quite convenient to those interested for several years, but paving, sewering, etc., at length so interfered with a free flow of water and the extension of the system, that the project was abandoned.

CITY WATER WORKS .- Sometime in the latter sixties, the question of city water works for fire protection and for manufactur- ing and domestic purposes, began to be agitated, and on December 27, 1871, an ordinance was passed as follows:

SECTION 1. Be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Akron, That water works for the purpose of furnishing said city and the inhabitants thereof, with a supply of water, are hereby ordered to be built and con- structed.

This was supplemented by an ordinance passed January 8, 1872, authorizing the election of a board of three water works trustees, and at the ensuing April election a non-partisan board was elected as follows: John R. Buchtel, Alexander H. Commins and Charles Cranz. Expert hydraulic engineers, were employed, and estimates made from various points of possible supply, but various hindrances intervened, and the scheme was never con- summated, the ordinance being repealed March 29, 1876.

AKRON WATER WORKS COMPANY .- July 1, 1880, an ordinance was passed granting to M. S. Frost & Son, and their associates, thie privilege of using the streets, alleys and public grounds of the city for the laying of pipes, etc., for the purpose of supplying the people of the city with water in accordance with certain proposi- tions which had been made by said company.

The works were accordingly built, the supply being obtained from a large well upon the Mal- lison farm, on Wooster avenue, with a reservoir upon Sherbondy Hill in the west part of the city. The works were completed and put in operation early in 1881, but as the years passed by the supply Akron Water Works Pumping Station -1891. from the well was found to be inadequate to meet the increas- ing demand, and the small Lake to the southward, known as Manning's pond, was purchased and utilized, and subsequently an arrangement made with the State by which the waters of

453

CHANGES IN A THIRD OF A CENTURY.

Summit Lake, still further south, are used as occasion requires, and with other more recently added wells, both in point of quantity and quality Akron's water supply is equal to that of any other city in Ohio; its fire protection being almost perfect, its waters also being quite largely used as the motive power for driving ele- vators, church organs, coffee grinders, printing presses, pumps, etc.

STOVES

HARNESS SHOP.

PHOTO

THE

West Market Street, from Howard, showing old City Mill, old Wooden Bridge over Canal, and the original and then only Sidewalk on West Hill .- From photo by S. J. Miller, 1858.

West Market Street, from Howard, 1891 .- Fromn photo by George E. Hitchcock.

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AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY.

The present officers of the Akron Water Works Company are: President, Frank Adams; vice president, George W. Crouse; secre- tary and treasurer, Horace C. Starr; mechanical engineer and superintendent, Edward A. Lawton; civil engineer, Joseph Flannery. Capital stock, $250,000. The company has now about 30 miles of street mains, 1,600 private and public takers, and about 200 street hydrants, or fire plugs, and the system is being rapidly extended.

CEREAL OPERATIONS .- It will be remembered that in its earlier history, milling was Akron's chief industry, which, while not very materially augmenting the industrial population, yet by furnish- ing a ready market to the surrounding farmers for their grain, greatly enhanced the commercial and financial interests of the village and county. The famous Old Stone Mill, built by Dr, Crosby and others in 1832, was the pioneer, followed by the Ætna, by William B. Mitchell and Samuel A. Wheeler in 1838; the Center Mill, by Joseph A. Beebe and William E. Wright, in 1839; the Cascade Mill, by William B. Mitchell, in 1840, and a few years later by the City Mill, by Gen. Geo. W. McNeil and others; the Ayliffe Mill, (afterwards the Carter & Steward Oatmeal Mill); the Pearl Mill, by William G. Raymond, Abraham Fulton, A. M. Barber and others, (now the Hower Oatmeal Mill); the Perkins Mill, (now the Allen Mill), etc., Akron flour, both under the old and new pro- cesses, ever having maintained a high standing in New York and other Eastern markets.

A TRULY "LIVE DUTCHMAN."-But it was reserved to Fred. Schumacher,to bring to Akron its chief renown as a milling center. Coming hither in 1851, Mr. Schumacher, in company with Mr. Theodore Weibezahn, opened a small notion store in Hall's block, fronting on West Market street. Withdrawing from that business in August, 1852, Mr. S. started a small family supply store, where the First National Bank now stands, afterwards removing to the larger room across the street, next to Empire House, where, for a number of years he did a profitable business, with Mr. Charles W. Bonstedt as his chief clerk.

In 1859, Mr. S. commenced the manufacture of oatmeal, on a small scale, in a frame building at the foot of Howard street, which had originally been used for a woolen factory, but later by ex-Sheriff Thomas Wilson, in the manufacture of mineral paint. This, undoubtedly the pioneer oatmeal mill in America, was appropriately named "The German Mill." Its products finding a ready sale, Mr. S. soon added the manufacture of pearl barley, for which, in 1863, a separate extensive mill was built on South Sum- mit street, near the Union depot, which was named the "Empire Barley Mill." In 1872 the orginial German Mill was destroyed by fire, a new German Mill being built near the Empire Mill on Summit street. Sundry additions were made from time to time, a large elevator for the storage of grain having been erected in 1879, Mr. S. having in the meantime bought and refitted with modern machinery, the Cascade Mill, near Lock Fourteen, Ohio Canal, originally built by Mr. William B. Mitchell; in 1840.

TERRIBLE CALAMITY .- Other mills were added to the original plant on Summit street, including the celebrated eight story "Jumbo" mill, a large drying house, fronting on Broadway, and the splendid office building on the corner of Mill and Broadway,

455

IMMENSE MILLING OPERATIONS.

the whole with several small dwelling houses, mostly owned by Mr. S., covering the entire square, bounded by Summit street upon the east, Mill street upon the north, Broadway street upon the west, and Quarry street upon the south. These immense mills, filled throughout with expensive machinery, were being driven to their fullest capacity to meet the demands of the wonderful busi- ness which the energetic push of Mr. S. had thus built up, when, on the night of March 6, 1886, the entire plant, except the original Empire Barley Mill, with their valuable contents, were destroyed by fire, involving a loss to Mr. S., over and above insurance, of $600,000, besides a prospective serious interruption to his business.

A LEXANDER H. COMMINS,-eld- est son of Dr. Jedediah D. Com- mins, was born at Lima, Livingston county, N. Y., June 21, 1815; removed with parents to Akron in 1832, enter- ing Western Reserve College, at Hudson; on leaving college, entered his father's drug store in Akron, following that business until 1845, when, with Col. Simon Perkins, Jesse Allen and others, he became a mem- ber of the Perkins Company, erecting the brick building on Canal street, now known as the Allen Mill, and engaged in the manufacture of woolen cloths, satinets, etc., some ten years later converting it into a flouring mill. In 1867, in company with Albert Allen, purchased the old stone mill-Akron's pioneer manufacturing plant-now owned by the American Cereal Com- pany. The firm of Commins & Allen was phenomenally successful, and so harmonious that by will Mr. C. gave Mr. A. control of his entire business and estate, and in case of the death of his wife, the guardianship of their children, without bond or appraisal. October 8, 1860, Mr. Commins was married to Miss Addie H. Starks, of Buffalo, N. Y., who bore him nine children, seven of whom-five daugh- ters and two sons, are still. living-

A. H. COMMINS.

Cora, Catharine B., now Mrs. H. F. Smithers, Gertrude P., Addie H., A. Daisy, Alexander H., and Augustus J. Mr. Commins died August 17, 1880, aged 65 years, one month and 26 days, Mrs. Commins dying June 29, 1884, aged 48 years, 4 months and 12 days.

THE F. SCHUMACHER MILLING COMPANY .- In the meantime, so popular had become the oatmeal and other cereal products manu- factured by Mr. S., other similar mills had been started in Akron and elsewhere, one of the largest of which, that of the Akron Milling Company, in connection with the old stone mill, was just fairly getting into operation.

Between this company and Mr. Schumacher, a consolidation was effected, by which the several milling properties of both were brought together under one corporation-The F. Schumacher Mill- ing Company-with an authorized capital stock of two millions of dollars, the business thus being carried right along with but a comparatively slight interruption; the officers of the company being Ferd. Schumacher, president; Louis Schumacher, vice- president; F. Adolph Schumacher, secretary; Hugo Schumacher, treasurer.

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AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY.

A LBERT ALLEN,-son of Levi and Phæbe (Spicer) Allen, was born in Coventry, March 12, 1827; raised on farm with common school education; on attaining his majority learned the millwrighting trade at which he worked about nine years, in 1856 con- verting the Perkins Woolen Mill, on Canal street, into a flouring mill for J. & J. Allen & Co., on its completion assuming the management of the inill, and ably filling the position for about ten years. In 1867, in connec- tion with Mr. Alexander H. Com- mins, he purchased the Stone Mill, the firm of Commins & Allen doing a phenomenally successful business until the death of of Mr. C., in 1880, the firm name continuing, with Mr. Allen as executor of Mr. Commins' large estate, until it was merged in The F. Schumacher Milling Company, April 5, 1886, of which company Mr. Allen was a director and the vice pres- ident until the time of his death, Sep- tember 25, 1888, at the age of 61 years, 6 months and 13 days. Mr. Allen, though never married, enjoyed the comforts of a fine home on Bowery street, with his sister, Miss Cynthia Allen, as his housekeeper, rearing and educating his niece, Miss Minnie E. Allen, now wife of Henry M. Stone, Esq., of Denver, Col. Mr. Allen was an ardent Republican and a zealous member of the Disciple church, in

MINER J ALLEN.

CHI.

ALBERT ALLEN,

his will, after devising 20 per cent of his large estate to his sister, Cyn- thia, bequeathing 10 per cent of the residue (about $10,000) to Hiram College; 10 per cent to Christian Foreign Missionary Society, and 10 per cent jointly to the General Chris- tian Home Missionary Society and the First Disciple church, of Akron, besides having pledged the payment of $1,000 to Buchtel College.

INER J. ALLEN,son of Levi

M and Phæbe (Spicer) Allen, was born in Coventry, November 11, 1829; educated in township district schools; worked at farming until 1867, when he moved to Akron, as traveling and local grain buyer for Commins & Allen, in 1884 taking a one-fifth interest in the Akron Mill- ing Company, which in 1886, was merged into The F. Schumacher Milling Company, of which he was a stockholder and director. June 1, 1876, Mr. Allen was married to Miss Frances C. DeWolf, daughter of Samuel and Margaret (King) DeWolf, of Vernon, Trumbull county, who has borne him four children-Albert Mark, born August 26, 1877, Miner Wicliffe, February 24, 1879; Margaret Phæbe, February 11, 1882, and Chris- tina Cynthia, August 22, 1883. Politi- cally, Mr. Allen has been a life-long Republican, and active in public affairs, but not an office seeker, though, while a resident of Coventry was several years a member and clerk of local school board. Both Mr. and Mrs. Allen are devoted mem- bers of the First Disciple church, of Akron.

457

THE AMERICAN CEREAL COMPANY.

The German mill, the elevator and the drying house, together with the office building, have been rebuilt, a second larger elevator erected, and it is confidently expected that the entire burned plant will be rehabilitated in the near future, and the cereal works of the Schumacher Milling Company maintain their standing as the very largest and best establishment of their kind in the world.

JOHN H. HOWER,-born in Stark county, February 22, 1822; educat- ed in common schools ; from 18 to 30 working on farm summers and teach- ing winters ; five years in trade and two years in pottery business in Doylestown, Wayne county ; original member of Excelsior mower and reaper firm at Doylestown, retaining his interest therein until 1875 ; one of the organizers and vice-president of the J. F. Seiberling Company, of Akron, in 1865; in 1879 bought an interest in the Turner Oat Meal Mill, purchasing Mr. Turner's interest in 1881, and, with his three sons, forming the Hower Company, (fully described elsewhere), officered as follows: John H. Hower, president Harvey Y. Hower, vice president ; M. Otis Hower, secretary ; Charles H. Hower, treasurer. Mr. Hower is also one of the corporators and president of the newly organized Reed and Rat- tan Company, and also largely interested in several of the other lead- ing industries of the city. Married, in 1852, to Miss Susan Youngker, of Doylestown, three children, only, as above, having been born to theni. In early manhood a Democrat in pol- itics, Mr H. has been an ardent Republican since the organization of that party, the family being zealous members of the English Lutheran Church, of Akron, of which Mr. H. has officiated as trustee for many years.

JOHN H. HOWER.

THE HOWER OATMEAL MILLS .- What was formerly the Pearl Mill, corner of Canal and Cherry streets, was converted into an oatmeal mill, in the latter seventies, by Mr. Robert Turner, a prac- tical miller, the present proprietors, the Hower Company, succeed- ing to the business in 1880. The officers of this corporation are : John H. Hower, president; Harvey Y. Hower, vice president; M. Otis Hower, secretary, and Charles H. Hower, treasurer, the three latter being sons of the former. Large additions have been made to the works, increasing the capacity from about 2,000 pounds, in 1880, to nearly 30,000 pounds of bulk and package cereal goods, in 1888, for which a rapidly increasing sale is being found in every portion of the United States.

AMERICAN CEREAL COMPANY .- Since the foregoing was pub- lished in serial form, most of the principal oatmeal mills of the

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AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY. .

United States, in June, 1891, united in the organization of The American Cereal Company, with a capital of $3,400,000, the F. Schumacher Milling Company and the Hower Company selling their entire plants to, and the several members thereof becoming stockholders of, the new company, with Mr. Ferd. Schumacher as- its president, and its principal office in Akron.

SALE STABLE

Fifty-Fourth Battalion, O. N. G., starting for the defense of Washington, May, 1864. View of North side of Market Street, from Main to High, the Sale Stable, beyond the bridge of the old P. and O. Canal, on present site of Academy of Music.

North side Market Street, from Main to High, 1891 .- Photo by Walter B. Manning. Entirely destroyed by fire July 1897. Rebuilt

459

THE MATCH INDUSTRY.

THE ALLEN MILLS .- In the middle forties a substantial brick mill was erected on Canal street, south of Cherry, for the manu- facture of satinets, by the Perkins Company, composed of the late Simon Perkins, Jedediah D. and Alexander H. Commins, Jesse, Jacob and Hiram Allen, etc. Some years later this plant was con- verted into a flouring mill by the Perkins Company, and is 110W owned and operated by Allen & Co., composed of Frank H. Allen, of New York, and Victor J. Allen and William A. Palmer, of Akron. Supplied with the very best of modern machinery and processes, the various grades of family and bakers' flour manufactured by this firm, find a ready and extensive sale both at home and in New York and other eastern markets.

MARTIN HOUSTON CRUMRINE, -born in Gettysburg, Pa., May 16, 1824, when six months old removing with parents to Carroll county, Ohio; educated in district schools; com- menced to learn trade of marble cutter at Cadiz, Harrison county; in September, 1851, going to Massillon and finishing his trade with Uhl, Myers & Co. In September, 1853, went to Wheeling, Va., and in Janu- ary, 1854, to Salisbury, N. C., and later to Milton, where he did the carving and lettering on the Patrick Henry monument. In 1857 he re- turned to Massillon, and with Mr. Quincy W. Reeves, bought out his old employers, the firm of Reeves & Crumrine, continuing until June, 1863, when Mr. C. sold his interest to his partner, in September establishing the extensive marble and granite works in Akron, which he has since so successfully conducted. January 27, 1868, he was married to Miss Olive C. Henry, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Milton W. Henry, of Akron. They have five children-Harriet G., Josephine, Henry C., Walter R. and Ralph Milton. Mr. Crumrine has

MARTIN HOUSTON CRUMRINE. .

filled the position of Master, in Akron Lodge, No. 83, F. and A. M., and various offices, including two terms as Eminent Commander of Akron Commandery, No. 25, Knights Templar.

THE SEIBERLING MILLING COMPANY .- Capital $200,000, five-story brick mill, located in the Sixth ward, on the site of the old Cuya- hoga blast furnace, erected in 1817. It is first-class throughout, with a capacity of 1,000 barrels of flour per day. The officers of the com- pany are: President, John F. Seiberling; secretary, Lucius C. Miles; treasurer, Frank A. Seiberling.

SOUTH AKRON FLOURING MILL .- This mill, together with a sawmill, at the head of the canal basin, in South Akron, is now owned and operated by the Brewster Coal Company, as a custom feed mill, the new process appliances, for manufacturing flour, never having been introduced. It is nevertheless, capable of doing good work in the particular line of grinding indicated, and is a very great convenience to its patrons.

FRICTION MATCHES .- In the boyhood days of the writer, the only mode of striking light for candle, pipe or cigar, was from a live coal plucked from the domestic hearthstone, or from a splinter or paper lighter ignited therefrom, while the "raking up" of the

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AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY.

...

PARNI

MOR

EDIET & COCHI.

South side of East Market Street, between Main and High, Tappan Hall, Trussell Block, etc,, 1855 .- From photo by Akron's pioneer photographer, Samuel J. Miller.

JOINWOLF AY

GODS

NI TIONS

CLOAKS

BENT Quand DE CHI-

South side of Market Street, Main to High, 1891 .- Photo by Walter B. Manning.

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THE IMPROVEMENTS OF HALF A CENTURY.

embers in the old-fashioned fire-place, on retiring to bed, was tlie only assurance of a warm breakfast in the morning. And the writer well remembers the first device in the match line ever invented, which consisted of slips of pine about three inches long and one-eighth of an inch square, one end coated with brimstone and other chemicals, and ignited by thrusting the prepared end into a small bottle of aqua-fortis, the price of the little round box containing the bottle, and twenty-five matches, being twenty-five cents-one cent a-piece.

Next came "Lucifer" matches, thin basswood slips, coated at one end with composition to be ignited by drawing through a folded piece of sand-paper. These, about fifty in a box, retailed at about twelve and a half cents.

. Loco-Foco MATCHES .- Next, about fifty-five years ago, came the "Loco-Foco" match, for the manufacture of which, in Akron, the writer claims to be the pioneer, the following advertisement appearing, under date of May 19, 1838, in the little paper published by him at that time:

"Loco-Foco MATCHES, manufactured by S. A. Lane & Co., for sale by the gross, dozen or single bunches. Inquire at the Buzzard office."

The operative force of the concern was one man, and the " works" were in a dismantled 12x15 blacksmith shop, where Assembly Hall now stands, the "Co." being Dr. James R. Milti- more, who, with his wife, was drowned in Lake Erie, on the occa- sion of the burning of the steamer Erie on the afternoon of August 9,1841.

As a contrast to the present lightning mode of manufacture, a brief description of the process then in vogue will be in order. It being deemed unsafe for any two matches to come in contact with each other, they were made in cards or combs in this wise: First, straight-grained two-inch pine plank, after being smoothly planed by hand, (there were no planing machines in those days), were sawed into lengths of five inches. Then, by a fine single-blade cir- cular saw, they were sliced up into cards, scant eighth of an inch thick. Then by a gang of eleven fine, nicely adjusted saws, the ends of the cards in question, a dozen or so at a time, were slit into- the form of a comb, with twelve teeth each, about two inches in length. Then the cards were sawed in two in the center, leaving a half inch back to each comb. Then the combs, a dozen at a time,. were dipped into melted brimstone, and afterwards, each separately, into the phosphorus composition. Now for the packing. Placing a long strip of paper, three inches wide, upon the packing table, one card of twelve matches was placed thereon and a turn made, then another card and so on until twelve cards, or 144 matches,. were included in the package. Carefully folding down the ends,. the package, called a "bunch," was inclosed in a printed wrapper; twelve bunches, or one gross of matches, placed in another printed wrapper; and twelve of those, or a great gross, in still another printed wrapper, when the matches were ready for the market.

The matches thus prepared sold at the following prices: Great gross, 144 bunches, of 144 matches each, $7.00; small gross, 12 bunches of 144 each, $1.00; single bunch, 144 matches, one- shilling.

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AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY.

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199 19 1111

DENTIST P DHALLACO.

BENEDICT OF COCHI.

West side of Howard Street, from Market to Stone Mill Barn, present site of Cereal Mills,-From photo by B. F. BatteIs, 1870.

HALL BROTHERS

CITY METIN) MIT IN

West side Howard Street, from Market to Mill. 1891. From photo by Geo. E. Hitchcock.

463

SOME EARLY MERCHANTS.

MORRILL T. CUTTER,-born in Jeffrey, N. H., October 6, 1826; raised on farm; educated in com- mon schools; came to Akron in November, 1844, engaging in the shoe business with his uncle, John M. Cutler, Akron's pioneer ready- made boot and shoe dealer; a year later becoming a partner ; in 1853 formed a partnership with the late Charles R. Howe, which continued 17 years, the firm of Cut- ter & Howe, in 1865, erecting the three story brick block on Howard street, now occupied by Mr. C .; in 1873, as a member of the firm of Whitney, Glasser & Co., engaged in the manufacture of boots and shoes in Cleveland; in 1880, returned to Akron and resumed business at the old stand, where he still con- tinues. Mr. Cutter is a fine instru- mental musician, not only playing with several of the earlier bands, but also for many years, conducting that most excellent orchestra known as "Cutter's Quadrille Band." As a member of Co. F, 164th, O. V. I., Mr. C. served 100 days before Washington, in 1864, at the request of Col. John C. Lec, while in Cleveland, organizing a regi- mental band from members of the several companies, and is now a member of Buckley Post, No. 12, G. A. R. In June, 1847, Mr. Cutter

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Author: Lane, Samuel A. (Samuel Alanson), 1815-1905 Publication date: 1892 Publisher: Akron, Ohio : Beacon Job Department Number of Pages: 1228

Author: Lane, Samuel A. (Samuel Alanson), 1815-1905
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: Akron, Ohio : Beacon Job Department
Number of Pages: 1228