USA > Ohio > Champaign County > History of Champaign County, Ohio, Its People, Industries and Institutions, Volume I > Part 99
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The first building, a frame structure, was replaced by the present brick structure in 1881, while the stone addition was added in 1883. In 1889 the stone addition was enlarged and the mill was overhauled and put in a good state of operation. During its years of greatest prosperity it em- ployed from seventy-five to one hundred people, and during the first five years of this century was employing sixty people every working hour and every day in the year. Its chief products were fancy cassimeres, worsteds, cheviots, covercloths and whipcords for overcoating and carriage goods.
THE TANNING INDUSTRY.
Another of the first industries of the village more than a hundred years ago was the tanning industry. In the days when all shoes and boots, mostly boots, were made by hand, every community had a tannery. There were several in Champaign county, and for half a century there were always two in the county seat. The business continued in the county seat until about 1900, although the tanneries throughout the county had disappeared many years previously.
The local tanning industry is as old as the city of Urbana. Scarcely had the town been laid out before Zephaniah Luce had established a tan- nery on Miami street, on lots 51 and 52. Luce lived until the fifties and at his death the plant passed to the hands of his son, Douglas, who kept it going until 1852.
The second tannery in the little village appeared in 1809 and was the property of the Glenn brothers, William and John. It was located on East Water street on lots 124, 125, 126 and 127. The Glenns made the raw leather, engaging extensively in the manufacture of all kinds of harness
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and saddlery leather. They built up a big plant for a place the size of Urbana and at one time in their career gave steady employment to about fifteen men. At the height of their prosperity they had no fewer than forty vats in use. The Glenns retired about 1863 in favor of a man named Davis, who later disposed of the plant to Thomas J. O'Roark and Parker and John Bryan. The new firm set out to enlarge the plant and proceeded to install new vats and several important improvements. They had hardly got started after reopening than a flood (June 16, 1868) swept down the Town branch and practically put the tannery out of business. Several of the new vats were destroyed and the destruction was so complete that the owners decided to make no effort to continue in business.
A short time before the Glenns retired from the business the first steam tannery was erected in the town. It was probably the steam tannery of Winslow & Company, which was put into operation about 1850, which lead the Glenns to dispose of their plant, and also was the cause of Douglas Luce closing up his tannery on Miami street. The steam tannery stood on Water street. The new company was composed of S. A. Winslow, William S. Jamison, and Albert and Asa Whitehead, but for some reason it was dis- solved in 1853. The business was evidently not very profitable, if frequent changes in ownership is indicative of anything concerning its prosperity. In 1863 it was being operated by I. O. Runkle and a short time later the busi- ness was under charge of Runkle. Davis & Company. Four years later the firm was known as Runkle & Johnson and two years later Jacob Johnson appeared as full owner. Johnson seemed to have made a distinct success of the business if his long ownership may be taken to prove that it was financially profitable. He manufactured shoe and harness leather under the Keith & Eyler method of tanning.
Johnson continued the tannery until he disposed of it to Charles G. Smith. Sometime later the plant passed under the control of the Oak Sad- dilery Leather Company, an incorporated company composed of C. N. Couf- fer. president : F. F. Stone, vice-president : W. W. Wilson, treasurer: F. McC. Couffer, secretary. The company was incorporated for fifty thousand dollars and intended to operate on a larger scale than any of the preceding owners of the tannery. The company sold the entire plant to William M. Killen in 1895, who operated it only a few years. This last tannery in the city was located on the site of the original Glenn tannery.
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BREWERIES AND DISTILLERIES.
Industries change as rapidly as the character of a city changes, and many once flourishing industries of early Urbana have long since been gath- ered to the world of departed spirits-the industrial Valhalla. Concerning many of the minor industries of former years, especially those of half a century ago, there is very little remembered by the present generation. Most of the facts concerning these industries of other days have been gleaned from the newspapers and from interviews with the older citizens of the city.
About the middle of the last century there were three separate attempts to operate a brewery in Urbana. While data is very meager it is well estab- lished that Thomas Humphreys had a brewery on Scioto street near Kenton, where he manufactured a light brew about the middle of the fifties. What became of Humphreys or how long his plant was in operation is not now known. About the middle of the sixties George Schaffer started a small brewery in the southern part of the city and operated it for a number of years-not over ten years. There is also evidence to show that some one, whose name passed with his brewery, started a small plant on the site now occupied by the electric-light plant. Evidently the brewing industry was never profitable in Urbana, or at least these abortive attempts would seem to indicate as much. History has failed to preserve the record of a single distillery in the city, although there was a flourishing distillery about three miles north of the town. Other distilleries were found scattered over the county, but for some reason none was ever established in Urbana.
CARPET AND RUG WEAVING.
Few of the first settlers had any carpets. Many of the first cabins even had dirt floors. and the great majority of them had puncheon floors which did not invite the use of a carpet. There were, of course, many houses with plank floors and within a few years after the county was organized most of the better class of settlers had at least one room which was carpeted.
Hence there arose the carpet-weaving industry. It is not known how many looms were scattered throughout the county in the earlier days, but they undoubtedly numbered two to three to a township. In Urbana a factory was established in the forties to weave carpet. Harvey Stump started the factory at the corner of Market and Kenton streets, but it is impossible to trace the history of his little factory. It is known that he conducted it for
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several years, and the presumption is that he quit only when it became un- profitable. Strange as it may seem, there was a revival of the carpet industry about ten years ago. Rather the new industry was engaged in carpet and rug cleaning rather than in the manufacture of carpets and rugs. This firm, known as the Urbana Carpet Cleaning and Rug works, was established at 133 South Locust street in 1906 by F. L. Reynolds, who manufactured what was known as the "foreign Vassar rug" for a time, but his stay in the city was short lived.
THE FURNITURE INDUSTRY.
The furniture industry of Urbana goes back to the year 1811, when Anthony Patrick located in Urbana. He was a cabinet-maker and at once began the making of furniture on a small scale, finding a ready market for all he could produce. He was soon well established in a shop which stood on the corner of Scioto and Kenton streets. For three-quarters of a century the word furniture in Champaign county would recall the name Patrick, so well identified was the name of Patrick with the furniture business.
Anthony Patrick took his son, William Patrick (later judge), in as his partner as soon as the latter grew to manhood and later (1841) William Patrick became associated with his son, E. B. Patrick, in the business. William R. Patrick, another son of the Judge, later joined the firm and in 1857 Judge Patrick turned the entire business over to his sons, E. B. and W. R. Patrick. The two sons, starting in together in 1857, remained part- ners for upwards of half a century. They built the three-story building on the site now occupied by the establishment of the Mammoth Furniture Company. For many years before they quit the business they had ceased manufacturing furniture, but today there are still remaining hundreds of pieces of furniture in Champaign county which are the handiwork of one or more of the three generations of Patricks who made furniture in Urbana. Johnson & Rock became owners of the store in 1899 and the present Mam- moth Furnishing Company was incorporated in 1907.
The Barlow-Kent Furniture Company came to Urbana following the destruction of its plant at Plain City by fire. November 23. 1890. The com- pany had been a valuable asset to Plain City and after it burned out there a delegation of citizens from Urbana conferred with the owners relative to the removal of the plant to this city. The result of these negotiations was followed by the removal of the plant to Urbana and a new factory building was at once erected. The factory had just about completed one year of successful operation in Urbana when it was totally destroyed by fire, March
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14, 1891. Notwithstanding their loss the owners at once began to rebuild, and soon had two buildings, one building two hundred and thirty feet in length, and the other one hundred and fifty feet in length. The plant was soon in operation and employing a hundred men. Other buildings were later. added and the plant gave every evidence of being one of the most substan- tial institutions of the city. It gave most of its attention to medium-priced wardrobes and cupboards, although it manufactured other kinds of furni- ture. On February 14, 1907, the company suffered a fire loss of fifty thou- sand dollars, but it continued in business with a decreasing output until 1915, when it went into the hands of a receiver. Other enterprises undertook to establish themselves in the plant, but none of these proved successful. At one time an attempt was made to start the manufacture of cigar-boxes in one of the buildings.
In the spring of 1917 the Urbana Furniture Company was organized to take over the buildings and machinery of the defunct Barlow-Kent con- cern and was duly incorporated with a capital stock of fifty thousand dol- lars. The factory now gives employment to eight people and the articles manufactured consist of toys and juvenile furniture. The present organ- ization consists of the following: F. C. Gaumer, president ; J. C. Thackery, vice-president : J. H. Brown, treasurer : H. S. Earsom, secretary.
IRON AND STEEL INDUSTRIES.
The followers of Tubal Cain were the first artificers in metal in Ur- bana, and naturally the first interested in the iron and steel industry. Their manufactured output was more important than we of the present genera- tion imagine ; they made nearly all the metal tools and implements used by the settlers-axes, hoes, scythes, sickles, plows-and made their own horse- shoes (few of which were in use) and all blacksmiths put in their spare time making chains, nails, open-rings, clevises, etc. Thus it may be seen that the pioneer blacksmith was much more of a manufacturer than he is usually credited with being.
The present tool-and-die factories are of recent establishment, but more than eighty years ago there were prominent foundrymen in Urbana. In the fore part of the thirties the first foundry made its appearance and in 1833 David Parry was well established in his foundry on Miami street. He was engaged in the casting of a variety of products; in fact, he would undertake anything if there was enough money in it-and he was able to make the molds for the casting. This factory passed through a number of
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hands before the Cranes got hold of it during the Civil War. Parker & Sheldon were the proprietors in 1839; Sheldon & Winslow in 1845; French, Sanderson & Company in 1852; French, Rigdon & Guthridge in 1853; Whitehead, Moore & Morrow in 1858; Moore & Crane in 1862.
The beginning of the real prosperity of this foundry dates from the time Crane secured an interest in it. In 1864 Crane bought out the interest of his partner, and a few years later the firm became Morris & Crane, fol- lowed still later by the firm of M. H. Crane & Company. One of the main products of the Crane company was stoves and they made hundreds of the early stoves of Champaign county.
The success which attended the efforts of David Parry led to the estab- lishment of a second foundry in 1830 by Tutton & Scorah, six years after Parry had ventured into the field. This firm made turning-lathes, parts for machines of all kinds, hot-air stoves for large buildings ( furnaces), and mis- cellaneous castings of all kinds. This firm was in existence for a number of years.
MANUFACTURE OF REAPERS.
During the latter part of the forties there were two firms in Urbana engaged in the manufacture of reapers. McCormick had startled the world with his reaper and within ten years there were more than a dozen different kinds of reapers on the market. Of this number Urbana had two and at one time it promised to rival Springfield in the manufacture of reapers. Between 1845 and 1850 the firm of Goble & Stuart had a shop on Market street, near the present city building, and were making Cook's patent reap- ing-machine. This machine was not a pronounced success, at least, not as successful as the improved Huzzey reaping-machine, which was manufac- tured in Urbana by Minturn & Allen. About 1848 this firm, backed by Kauffman & Nelson, began to manufacture this machine on an extensive scale. They also manufactured the Gatling grain-drill. The Huzzey ma- chine was a very ponderous affair and required four horses to pull it, but Kauffman & Nelson were firm believers in the future of the machine and advanced the machinists, Minturn & Allen, money to make experiments to improve the machine. In the course of their experiments they really pro- duced a very superior machine, but just about the time they had it where it was giving satisfaction another firm claimed that the Urbana firm had infringed on their patent. A lawsuit was threatened, and, after looking into the matter, the financial backers of the concern were convinced that such an action would ruin them. Consequently they withdrew their support and the factory closed down at once.
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THE GWYNNE INDUSTRIES.
With two factories and two machine-shops running in the fifties Ur- bana was assuming the importance of an industrial center, but these four establishments did not deter D. & T. M. Gywnne from starting another factory. Their first attempt in the industrial line does not come under the class of an iron-and-steel industry, but was a forerunner of what they at- tempted to do later in that industry. In the early fifties they started a large steam cooperage shop on Russell street and later installed machinery for the manufacture of stave-making machinery. Shortly after they became interested in this line of work they became associated with Cyprian and Henry A. Wilcox, the latter being a skilled mechanic. They soon had one of the most successful machine shops and foundries in this part of the state. By 1854 this concern was manufacturing steam engines, and the merit of these engines was such that they were awarded first prizes at the state fair in 1854 and again in 1855. Sixty men found employment in the Gwynne foundry and machine-shop and everything pointed to a prosperous career for the concern. After Wilcox died the firm became known as Gwynne's Urbana Machine Company, with S. B. Whiting as superintendent. Every- thing was moving along smoothly until the panic of 1857 swept over the country and the crash which ruined thousands of industrial plants in the country played havoc with the little concern in Urbana. It failed and never again reopened on its former scale.
The Gwynne shops were closed down for nearly a year and then re- opened with a voluntary association, not an incorporation, composed of a number of mechanics and business men of Urbana, among whom were William Scanlon, Jacob Lisle, Conrad Marshall, David Tough, and William Purdon : but whether it was from lack of capital, lack of management or for some other reason, this intangible sort of a company soon suspended oper- ations.
The valuable machinery and prestige of the old company was such that it was easy to get up another company to take charge of the plant. The next firm, known as the Barnett-Franklin Company, took up the burden, but they were handicapped by a lack of capital and for a third time the plant was shut down. A firm from Piqua took charge of the plant in 1869. This firm was known as the Eldridge, Borger, Fritz & Balzart Company. all members of which were experienced mechanics. This firm gave such evidence of their ability to give the city an industrial establishment of worth
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that a year later (1870) it was possible to organize the largest company Urbana had ever had up to that time. This company was known as the Urbana Machine Company, and for many years the plant was known as the Urbana Machine Works.
URBANA MACHINE WORKS.
This group of about thirty citizens of Urbana and vicinity organized a company in 1870 known as the Urbana Machine Works for the manu- facture of the Excelsior steel plow, the Dougherty waterwheel and the Excelsior grain-drill. It was capitalized at fifty thousand dollars. The waterwheel did not prove a successful affair and its manufacture was dis- continued, and shortly afterward the company turned its attention to the manufacture of a turbine wheel, designed and patented by E. S. Small of Urbana. From the start the plow was their best product and in 1872 and 1873 the company turned out nearly two hundred for the market. In 1874 the output amounted to nine hundred and in 1875 it rose to fourteen hun- dred. By the time of the distressing period of 1877-79 the company was doing a good business, but it was compelled to curtail its output along all lines because of the financial stringency which confronted industries all over the country. The company added the manufacture of Burns' corn-planter, a sulky breaking-plow, and mill-gearing, shafting and pulleys, and also had a foundry in connection for the casting of the special machinery which they used in the manufacture of their products.
The company might even have weathered the panic of 1877 if it had not wasted so much money on the water-wheel, and paid more attention to the grain-drill and the Excelsior plow. The drill soon fell into the hands of a Springfield company, which made a fortune out of it. When the local plant went into insolvency in 1877 it ruined several business men of Ur- bana. This disaster, however, was not so disheartening, for the reason that such financial catastrophies were occurring all over the United States at that time.
When the shops closed down during the panic of 1877 it seemed that there was little hope of finding a company to take them over. The United States Rolling-Stock Company was in a flourishing condition and bid fair to be the biggest industry the city had had up to that time. Nevertheless, a firm known as the Valequette. Anderson Company. established a foundry in one of the buildings in 1880, but they soon suspended operations and were succeeded in turn by Russell. Anderson & Company. This company
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had only a brief career and it was none too prosperous. The big new indus- try in the north end of town proved too strong for competition in getting the best machinists.
URBANA BRIDGE COMPANY.
It is somewhat of a mystery why there was such an influx of iron and steel industrial plants trying to get established in Urbana during the seven- ties. The city is not close to the coal fields and it is certainly much farther from the iron fields than many other cities. The answer is found in the business men of Urbana. They were a progressive set of men, intent upon building up the city and willing to expend not only their time, but also their money in order to bring enterprises to the city. The citizens in 1879 se- cured a firm known as the Black & Motherwell Machine Works Company, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, but from the comment in the local papers in 1880, it seems that there must have been a serious misunderstanding be- tween the company and the business men of Urbana regarding the amount of financial aid which the latter were to give the company. The company was forced to operate on a much smaller scale than it had originally con- templated. but it managed to weather the storm. This company made a number of changes and eventually· became merged into the Urbana Bridge Company. The bridge company was a prosperous establishment for a num- ber of years and continued operation down into the nineties.
UNITED STATES ROLLING-STOCK COMPANY.
The fifth large industrial plant to find a home in Urbana during the seventies was the United States Rolling-Stock Company, which reached here in 1875. This company, with changes, exists to the present day and the shops put up forty years ago are still standing and in use throughout the ycar. The history of this company dates from 1871, when it was organized in the state of New York for the purpose of manufacturing, selling, and leas- ing. locomotives, freight and passenger cars, etc. Four years after it was organized the company made an effort to secure a location farther to the West and with this end in view came to Urbana in May of that year. The president of the company, J. W. Hodgskin, and C. F. Jauriet, the master mechanic of the company, came to Urbana to confer with the business men relative to moving their shops to this city. A mass meeting of business men was called for Tuesday evening. May 25, 1875, the call for the meeting
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being signed by such men as John H. Young. James Taylor, R. H. Cheatham, Lemuel Weaver, John B. Smith, H. T. Niles, E. W. Stafford, W. R. War- nock. J. H. Patrick. John Kirby, H. H. Thompson, H. N. Benjamin, Matthew Weaver, John S. Leedom, C. G. Smith, H. McDonald, Edward Jennings, and Dr. J. H. Ayers. A committee was appointed to interview citizens and see whether they would be willing to buy stock in the company and on the following day this committee of fifteen received such encouragement from the business men of the city that the president of the company decided to move the shops to this city. By June 15, 1875, there had been a large amount of stock subscribed and the stockholders held a meeting and elected E. W. Stafford. C. G. Smith and Matthew Weaver as trustees of the sub- scribed funds and authorized them to find a location for the shops. Several tracts of land were examined, and it was decided to buy forty-seven and one-half acres east of North Main street and between the street and what is now the Pennsylvania tracks. The sum of twelve thousand dollars was paid for the land and on Monday. August 16, 1875. the company broke ground and began to construct the buildings. The original buildings con- sisted of two buildings thirty by seven hundred and fifty feet, one building sixty by seven hundred and fifty feet, one thirty by eight hundred feet, a . blacksmith shop forty by one hundred and fifty feet, and a storehouse thirty by one hundred and fifty feet.
Within a year the shops were opened and doing a good business, mostly repairing of all kinds of railroad rolling-stock. The number of men em- ployed during the early career of the company ranged from two hundred and fifty to four hundred. In the early nineties financial distress nearly caused a suspension of business, but the company managed to keep from going into bankruptcy. The company was reorganized under the name of the Illinois Car and Equipment Company, and has since operated under that name. The first president of the reorganized company was David Cornfoot, an Englishman. J. M. Maris, of Chicago, was general manager: S. H. Dick. of Chicago, secretary-treasurer ; T. A. Edmonson, of Urbana, chief clerk. Twenty years have elapsed since this change was made and now T. A. Edmonson is the secretary and general manager of the company, hav- ing been connected with it for upwards of a quarter of a century. Alfred E. McCord is president and treasurer of the company. During 1916 the company enjoyed one of its most prosperous seasons and with the increased demand for rolling-stock there seems to be a good reason for a new lease of life of the company.
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URBANA TOOL AND DIE COMPANY.
The Urbana Tool and Die Company was organized by James K. Cheetham in August, 1912, for the purpose of manufacturing tools, dies and automobile parts. On January 19, 1913, Cheetham became the sole owner. The present officers are James K. Cheetham, president ; R. C. McDonald, manager; Joe Cheetham, treasurer. The company occupies the building of the old woolen-mill on East Water street, and has. excellent quarters for the particular business in which it is engaged. During the past year the com- pany has doubled its output and in the spring of 1917 employed one hundred and twenty-five hands. Its output for 1916 amounted to two hundred thou- sand dollars, and the indications so far in 1917 point to a much larger out- put for the current year.
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