History of Champaign County, Ohio, Its People, Industries and Institutions, Volume I, Part 98

Author: Middleton, Evan P., editor
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Indianapolis, B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1196

USA > Ohio > Champaign County > History of Champaign County, Ohio, Its People, Industries and Institutions, Volume I > Part 98

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).

Aker, Joseph, saloon; Allbright, M. I., dry goods; Ambrose. F. M. meat market ; Ambrose, Newton, glue factory ; Anderson, John J., town marshal; Anderson & Tappan. druggists; Aughinbaugh & McComb, carriage manufacturers; Ayers, J. II., physician ; Bailey, Edwin, saw-mill; Baker, W. M., agricultural implements; Barber, E. C., grocer ; Barber, O. H., grocer; Barry, Thomas, blacksmith; Bechtolt, George, plow manufne- turer ; Benjamin, HI. N. & Company, grocers; Bennett, Edwin M., Jr., elevator; Bennett, P. R., Jr., jeweler ; Berry, T. H. & Son, grocers; Bethel, George, night watchman ; Blose & Edmondson, produce and commission merchants; Blose, E. T., grain dealer: Birkin- meier. F., saloon ; Boal, R. H., dentist ; Borger & Raugh, plow manufacturers; Branashan, John, tailor; Bremer, Louis, blacksmith; Brennan, Mary, dressmaker : Breslin, John, saloon ; Broadwell, A. M. & Company, hardware; Brown, J. C., physician; Brown & Wilson, boots and shoes; Brusman, Emma, dressmaker; Budge, William, grocer : Bun- nell, D. M., marble works; Busser, William T., cigar manufacturer: Butcher, J. C .. physician ; Butcher, J. M., physician ; Byrd, Peter, dairy ; Carpenter, B. W., grocer ; Car- roll, Catherine, seamstress; Carter, J. S., physician: Champaign Building and Loan Association ; Champaign National Bank; Christopher, H. W., saloon and restaurant ; Church, H. A., agricultural implements ; Citizens National Bank ; City Loan and Build- . ing Association ; Collins, G. A., taflor ; Collins, John, tailor: Converse. Charles, deutist ; Converse, I .. D., dentist ; Coulson, J. C., groceries; Cowan, Mrs. E., seamstress; Ferron, John, restaurant ; Fisher, Ella, dressmaker; Fisher, Joseph & Company, clothiers; Fisler & Chance, druggists; Fitzpatrick. James, saloon; Fitzpatrick, P., grocery ; Foulk. Stephen A., stock dealer; Fox, Henry & Company, woolen factory : Frank, T. J .. attorney ; Ful- wider & Ward, grocer; Fulwider. Henry, saloon: Garber. Samuel. blacksmith; Garber & Taylor, flour mill; Geiger & Russell, attorneys; Gerhardt. Scott, blacksmith; Gilbreath, Mrs. I. A., milliner; Goldsmith, A., clothier: Graney, T. J., tailor: Gribble. W. II ..

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editor Daily News; Gugenham & Gardner, saloon and billlard hall; Gulick & Hayward, proprietors of daily and semi-weekly Union Democrat; Guy, Dye & Company, boots and shoes; Happersett & Brothers, boots and shoes; Happersett & Hovey, grocers; Happer- sett, John, boots and shoes; Happersett, J. B., boots and shoes; Hazard, C. R., hardware; Hedges, Samuel, drayman; Heiserman, Aaron, carriage manufacturer; Helmick, John M., stoves and tinware; Hennessey, Patrick, blacksmith; Herman, J. P., cigar manufac- turer ; Hill, Anna, seamstress; Hill, E. A., blacksmith; Hitt, T. S., physician; Hitt, White & Mitchell, general store; Hollinger, William, photographer ; Holloway, Joseph H., physician ; Holloway, W. H., physician; Hopkins, Louisa, seamstress; Holacher, Isaac, tallor; Horn, Jacob, blacksmith ; Horr, R. C., attorney ; Houston, F. & Company, grocers; Houston, W. M. & H. C., homeopathic physicians; Hovey, D. H., meat and vegetable market ; Howard, J. W., blacksmith ; Hoyt & Friedrick, dry goods and millinery ; Hughes, W. W., musical Instruments; Humphreys, George H., undertaker; Humphreys, Thomas Sr., pump maker ; Hurd & Company, boots and shoes; Industry Loan and Building Asso- ciation; James, John H., attorney ; Jones, Carrie and Francis, dressmakers; Jordan, William, tallor; Keeffe, T. O., cigar manufacturer; Kenaga & Baker, livery; Kiefer, C. C. & Son, coal dealers; Kimber, E., coal dealer; Kinney & Bro., blacksmiths; Knight & Gibbard, plumbers; Kulencamp & Son, confectionery and bakery; Kuntz, Jacob, tailor; Ladking, James T., tailor; Leonard, Chris, physician; Lewis, Jonathan, manufacturer washington machines; Linville, Howard, agricultural implements; Long. J. W .. ment market ; Lyons, Margaret, seamstress; Madden, C. J. & Company, books and stationery ; Marquardt, A., flour mill; Marsh & Rhodes, manufacturer of lawn mowers; Marsh, T. W., cigar manufacturer ; Martz, B. F., attorney ; Marvin, S. H., Hvery; Maurer. Mary. milliner; MeCarthy, Charles, proprietor Washington House; MeCarthy, E., grocer ; MeCarthy, J. J., merchant tailor ; McCauley, John C., saddles and harness; McDonald & Rock, general store; Mclain & Company, druggists; McLnin, J. L., physician ; McRob- erts, J. W., fruit stand; Miller, C. A. & Brothers, manufacturers Climax wind mills; Miller, E. C., manufacturer spring beds; Miller, J. F., boots and shoes; Miller & Thomas, dealers In coal; Moore, G. N., grocer : Morrow & Wissinger, dealers in coal and coke; Mosgrove, James M., physician ; Mosgrove, William A., physician ; Murphey, C. H., florist and nursery ; Murphy, Michael, proprietor Murphy House; Myers & Boyd, blacksmiths; Nelson & Conwell, druggists; Niles, Henry T., attorney ; Nolan, James, grocer ; Oberlin, Simon, tallor; O'Brien, Dennis, drayman; O'Conner & Son, grocers; Oettinger. Fred. manufacturer mineral and seltzer waters; O'Gara, Thomas, drayman; Osmun, Hattie. milliner ; Patton, Maria, milliner: Pence, John M., grocer; Perrin, W. H., saddles and harness; Perry Brothers, manufacturers brooms and brushes; Pierce. Mrs. J., milliner : Purtlebaugh & Poland, attorneys; Rector, Eliza, seamstress; Roberts, James R., notions: Robinson. J. J. & Sons, manufacturers of brooms; Rods, A. P., dealer in marble and monuments; St. Mary's Academy, Rev. M. W. Walsh, principal; Sayre, M. M .. attorney : Sayre, Samuel, proprietor Hamilton House; Scott, T. W., dentist ; Shaul. John M., dry goods; Skeen & Pence, ments and vegetables; Smith, Charles G., tanner and manufac- turer of leather goods: Sowles, D. W., proprietor Exchange Hotel ; Sowles, F. V .. attor- ney ; Stadler. Moses, clothier ; Stayman, Conwell & O'Neal, planing mill and lumber yard ; Stevenson, Albert and Irwin, undertakers; Steward. J. G., coal dealer: Stockert. C. & Sons, grocers; Stough, C. L., proprietor Weaver House; Sullivan, William J., physician : Sweet & Pendleton, planing-mill and lumber yard: Swinnerton, 8. F., milliner: Taylor & Leedom, attorneys; Third National Bank of Urbana; Todd & McDonald, attorneys; Tudor, Mary and Julia, dressmakers; Urbana Citizen and Gazette. Saxton & Brand, proprietors; Urbana Gas Company. Joseph Light, superintendent : Urbana I'niversity. Rev. Frank Sewall, president ; Urbana Water works. L. C. Hovey, superintendent : Wal-

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lace. J. G., boots and shoes; Warnock, W. R., attorney ; Warren & Gaumer. carriage manufacturers; Williams, Judd, Jeweler; Wilson, George W., stoves and tinware; Wis- singer, Oscar, coal dealer; Young, Chance & Gowey, attorneys,

OTHER FEATURES OF CITY, 1868-1890.

The year 1878 saw the introduction of the first waterworks plant in the city. It was privately owned until 1910, when it was taken over by the city from one Venner. The latter part of this period witnessed the first effort of the city to indulge in municipal ownership. This was the entry of the city into the natural-gas business in 1889, but it was not until two years later that the gas was ready to use. The same year the city started into the gas busi- ness it began the construction of the present city building.

This same period witnessed the building of new school buildings, new churches, and many of the present fine residences. There was an extensive addition made to the old court house which was erected in 1840, and the present jail was completed. But to the uninitiated the city looked practically the same in 1890 as it did in 1870.

URBANA, 1890-1917.

The historian who attempts to make a birds-eye picture of the city as it appears in 1917 finds a wide variety of things forcing themselves to his attention. In the matter of public buildings the following may be noted : Present high school and ward school buildings and the Catholic school build- ing. Clifford theatre, Masonic Temple, Childrens Home, City Building and the Curry Institute, while a number of other buildings, residences and busi- ness blocks have been built since 1800. The Western Mutual Fire Insurance Company and the Home Loan Company have erected handsome buildings, while at least a dozen large brick factory buildings have come into existence.

The electric line reached the city in 1901 and has been of great benefit to the city. It now has direct connection with Springfield on the south and Bellefontaine on the north. The railroads increased their trackage, enlarged their freight departments and in other ways improved their facilities in the city. Along with these improvements may be mentioned the improved roads leading from the county seat to the various parts of the county. The city itself undertook the paving of its main streets and now has the main streets, north and south, and east and west, through the public square, paved within the corporation limits. Court and Reynolds streets are also partially paved.

The several public utilities of the city have all been introduced since

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1890. The electric light, telephone, sewerage system, disposal plant, etc., are matters of recent history. They are treated in detail in the latter part of this chapter. It is these public utilities which give the city its metropolitan appearance today.

INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT.

The outstanding feature of the city's growth during the past two decades is its industrial development. While there have been several enterprises which have proved disastrous, there have been at least a score which have been of distinct value to the city. The only thing which makes a city grow is its industrial enterprises. Take away the factories of Urbana and the city would soon become what is known as a "dead" town; take away half a dozen of the factories which now give employment to as many hundred men and the population will be decreased at least two thousand five hundred. According to the best data available the factories of the city employ about one thousand five hundred men and women. At least two of these plants are seasonal, the two canning factories, and this reduces the total of employed to one thousand two hundred and fifty. A conservative estimate would indicate a population of at least twice this number, that is, two thousand five hun- dred, which may be classed as dependent on the factories. This gives a fairly definite idea of the importance of the industrial establishments of Urbana. The following pages attempt to sum up the industrial life of the city since its beginning in 1805. Not every industry has been listed, but an attempt has been made to mention the more important industries which have appeared during the past one hundred and twelve years.

URBANA INDUSTRIES, 1805-1917.

The artist would find himself involved in a maze of historical facts and traditions who would attempt to paint a series of pictures of Urbana as it has appeared at each decade of its history since William Ward arrived on the site of the future county seat in 1805 with a corps of surveyors to lay it off. Nothing is quite so treacherous as the human memory and he who tries to reconstruct a scene from memory must do so at the risk of distorting facts and allowing tradition to supply the details of the scene.

There are certain facts which remain fixed longer in the memory than others. It is probable that a series of pictures depicting the industrial life of the city since the first industry located in the village could be drawn with

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more exactness than anything else. The files of the newspapers furnish the best basis for a review of the industries of the city and since they are avail- able since 1849 down to the present day it is comparatively easy to follow the growth of the industrial life of the city from year to year for the past sixty-eight years. The industries of the period from 1805 to 1849 have been recorded by local writers of former years, some of whom lived in the village from the time the first industries made their appearance. William Patrick arrived in the village in 1811 and several years later he wrote an article summing up all of the industries which were in existence in that year. He also catalogued most of the industries of the following decade and his summary of the industrial life of the growing town, supplemented by summaries of other local historians of the first half century of the city's life, furnish sufficient data to reconstruct a fairly complete picture of the industrial life of the city for the one hundred and twelve years of its ex- istence.

If William Ward could return in 1917 to the city which he laid out in 1805 he would be more surprised at the transformation which the years had wrought than Rip Van Winkle was when he awoke from his long slumber. His town site of two hundred and twelve lots is now in the center of a flourishing city of eight thousand happy people: the Indians who watched his surveyors with their chains and poles, walking up and down and across the one hundred and sixty acres which composed the townsite. have long since been gathered to their Happy Hunting Ground.

If William Patrick could return to the city in 1917 and attempt to write as full a description of it as he did in 1811, he would have the same task confronting him which faces the present historian. His forty-odd fam- ilies composing the embryonic village of two hundred have given way to about twenty-two hundred and fifty families and a population of approx- imately eight thousand. The industrial life of the city up to the time of the Civil War was confined to a very few industries and these employed only a very few men. A summary of the industries in 1917 shows a total of twenty-six industrial plants employing more than five men, with a total of fifteen hundred employes.

BEGINNING OF TOWN'S INDUSTRIAL LIFE.

The early history of all villages is very much the same. Each has its saw-mill, grist-mill. tannery, blacksmith shop, wagon and carriage shop and many had a woolen mill. There is hardly a city of Ohio which did not

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have these same industries in its infancy. The first two were universally found; likewise the tannery and blacksmith shop. The wagon shop and woolen-mill were not so common. Oftentimes these industries were com- bined in one establishment, this being particularly true of the saw- and grist-mills.

The first influx of settlers to Urbana included several artisans of dif- ferent trades. There were carpenters and cabinet-makers; masons and brickmakers; blacksmiths and wagon-makers; weavers and hatters; tanners and shoemakers. Practically all of these had learned their trade as appren- tices, many of them as indentured apprentices, and undoubtedly many of them had traveled as journeymen mechanics. The opening of a new county in Ohio was duly noticed in the newspapers of the state and there were always adventurous spirits ready to try their fortunes in a new county seat. Hence Urbana within a very few years had a full complement of mechanics rep- resenting the ordinary trades of the time.

The first decade of the town's career saw the beginning of most of the industries that flourished down to the time of the Civil War. One thing which, more than anything else, stimulated the industrial life of the village during the first decade was the War of 1812. Urbana was an im- portant center of military activity from 1811 to 1815 and it is undoubtedly true that the presence of troops in the village greatly stimulated its growth. There was a constant demand for artisans of all kinds, and blacksmiths, carpenters, shoemakers, wagonmakers, etc., found plenty of work to do during the years of the war. Many of these men became permanent citizens of the town and their descendants are still to be found in the county.

GROWTH OF THE "INFANT INDUSTRIES."

A summary of the industrial life of the village in 1811 as given by William Patrick shows the following artisans: George Hite, wheelwright; David Helmick, cabinet-maker; John Huston, carpenter; Isaac Robinson, brickmason ; Frederick Ambrose, potter: Lawrence Niles, hatter; William and John Glenn, tanners. It is not definitely established who opened the first grist-mill, but in 1814 John Reynolds and Elisha C. Berry had a flour- mill in the southeastern part of the city, near the site of the later flour-mill. The fact that the townsite was not on a stream of a sufficient size to turn a water-wheel accounts for the fact that there were many mills within a radius of a few miles of Urbana before there was one in the town. There

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were three mills on Kings creek before 1808 and one of them was in oper- ation as early as 1803. The mills were scattered along the creek within the distance of a mile. Arthur Thomas and Joseph Petty both had what were known as tub-mills, while John Taylor had an overshot mill.

The first steam flouring-mill of the town was started by John H. James on the west side of Russell street in the thirties. In 1858 Wiley, Winslow & Company established a steam flouring-mill on Miami street and the following year the mill passed into the hands of Weaver, Magrew & Company. J. H. Woodward later bought the mill and put in Hungarian- process machinery. A second steam flouring-mill was established in 1858 on North Russell street by Bowers, Igou & Hitt, but this mill only ran a short time. It was dismantled and a part of the machinery was sent to Minneapolis. Hitt later bought the hominy-mill of E. C. Morris on West Court street. Later Hitt bought a flour-mill on the site of the present waterworks.

The beginning of the present Woodward mill, usually referred to as the Urbana City Mills, dates from 1870. In that year J. T. Woodward, W. B. Woodward and George Baldwin established a flour-mill in the Brown building on Miami street. S. M. Michael succeeded this firm in this mill when the present mill was built on its present site in 1886. The new mill was started out under the firm name of J. T. Woodward & Company. Later J. T. Woodward retired from the firm and the mill was operated by W. B. Woodward & Son until June 27, 1910, when W. B. Woodward re- tired and was succeeded by his son, W. A. Woodward. The mill has a capacity of seventy-five barrels daily. This is the only flour-mill in the city and is one of the most prosperous industries in the city.

HAZY HISTORY OF SAW-MILLS.

The first saw-mill was probably located on the site of the present city waterworks plant shortly after the town was laid out. The history of the saw-mills of the town is rather hazy, but it is known that Lewis Hunter (known as "Luby" Hunter) had a mill on this site in the fifties. In 1859 Joseph Wiley and James Brown started the first planing-mill under the name of Wiley & Company. Robert Colwell and Henry B. Stayman later joined the firm. In 1877 Barton O'Neal bought Colwell's interest and the firm became known as Stayman, Colwell & O'Neal, C. F. Colwell being one of the members of the firm. O'Neal sold his interest in the mill in 1886 to H. M. Hubbell and the firm with many changes continued business until

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the plant was sold to Joseph Murphy in 1902, the Colwell Lumber Com- pany selling to Murphy in that year. H. M. Hubbell owned a saw-mill which likewise passed into the control of Murphy. Another saw-mill of a past generation was the Parshley & Walker mill which occupied the site later used by the Urbana Bridge Works. Strayer & Stafford bought the mill in 1865 and later Gearhart & Breedlove were added to the firm and this quartet was in charge of the mill when it burned down in the seventies. The mill was rebuilt by Ackerman, Mcclellan & Quein, but Mcclellan soon sold his interest to William Bisbee and later Bisbee bought the interests of his part- ners and continued it for a number of years. . The last first-class saw-mill to be established in Urbana was started in 1889 by C. O. Taylor, W. W. Downs and Frank A. Downs. Their mill was located on North Russell street and they did a flourishing business for several years. The Murphy Lumber Company operates a planing-mill at the present time, and this is the nearest approach to. a saw-mill.

RAILROADS VS. INDUSTRIAL LIFE.

Returning to a discussion of the industries of the city prior to the Civil War, it may be noted that a turning point in the city's industrial life was brought about by the appearance of the first railroad in 1848. In that year direct connection was opened with Sandusky on the north and, two years later, with Cincinnati on the south. Within the next ten years the present Pennsylvania railroad put the city in direct touch with Columbus on the east and with Indianapolis on the west. With the building of the Erie railroad through the county a few years later, Urbana was given three railroads and placed in a position where it could compete with the best cities in this section of the state. There have been attempts to build a road direct from Columbus through Mechanicsburg, but there is little probability that such a road will ever be built, or, if it is, it will be an electric line. The electric line which was built through the county in 1901 connects the county seat with Springfield and points to the south, and with points north to Lima. An increasing amount of freight is being carried on the electric line, particularly milk, garden produce and articles of small bulk.

This discussion of the railroads is introduced at this point to show the importance of the railroad in the development of the industrial life of the county seat. There is no need to enter in any argument to show that without the railroad. Urbana would not have any industries worth men- tioning. The railroad and industrial development go hand in hand, and

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Urbana in 1917 would be an unimportant town if the railroad had never reached it; not even the fact that it was the county seat would have saved it from industrial oblivion.

THE WOOLEN INDUSTRY.

To return to a discussion of the early industries of the town. Within the past few years there has disappeared from Urbana an industry which was practically a century old; an industry which flourished for upwards of a hundred years, and then collapsed. It has had its day; its whole story is told as far as Urbana is concerned. Nothing is left for the chronicler to do but sketch its career. The following account of the woolen industry attempts to give only a brief summary of the industry as it flourished in Urbana.

The beginning of the woolen industry in Urbana dates from 1816, when a small tract of land containing five acres was bought by John Rey- nolds from the Ward brothers. John and William, Jr., "for the express purpose, use and convenience of establishing a manufactory for wool and cotton." For nearly one hundred years the woolen industry was kept up, but changing conditions finally brought about the downfall of an industry which was for many years the most important in the town.

A volume might be written concerning the old woolen-mill. The per- son who visits the southeastern part of the town will find on the edge of the old millpond a large three-story building where once thousands of spindles hummed their merry tunes from morn till night. To follow through the complexities of the changing ownership of the mill would be a fruitless task. For years the name of Fox suggested to every farmer in Champaign county the old woolen-mill and long after he severed his connection with the mill it was spoken of as the Fox mill. Among the many owners, man- agers, lessees or superintendents of the mill who will be remembered by the okler generation may be mentioned J. G. Johnson, T. Cook, Enos Coulson, Elisha Berry, Edmond Hovey, Ephraim Stuart, J. M. Johnson, P. B. Ross. S. W. Hitt, Henry Fox. John Hume, and Major E. B. Hall.

The shifting ownership of the earlier period of the mill's history be- came more settled in the fifties. . In 1851. Philander B. Ross became asso- ciated with John Reynolds, the original owner, and in 1864 S. W. Hitt became a member of the firm. In 1866 Ross was the sole owner and in that year he sold it to Henry Fox and John Hume, who operated it under the firm name of Henry Fox & Company. At the death of Mr. Henry Fox,

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December 26, 1891, Mr. John Hume took over the Fox interest and became sole owner of the factory. The factory was managed by him until Mr. George E. Batchelder took charge in the fall of 1895 and continued in charge until his death in July, 1899. In the spring of 1900 Major E. B. Hall moved to Urbana and assumed the management, continuing until 1906, when he returned to New York, where he remained until the time of his death within a year. In 1907 the Urbana Mills Company was incorporated for the pur- chase of the property and for the purpose of manufacturing worsted cloth. The officers of this company were: Joseph Fisher, president ; S. A. Scheuer, vice-president ; W. E. Brown, secretary and treasurer. This company was in business from 1907 until 1913, when it was decided to abandon the manu- facturing of worsted cloth, and the mill was closed down.

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History of Champaign County, Ohio, Its People, Industries and Institutions, Volume I, Part 98

Author: Middleton, Evan P., editor Publication date: 1917 Publisher: Indianapolis, B.F. Bowen Number of Pages: 1196

Author: Middleton, Evan P., editor
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Indianapolis, B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1196