USA > Ohio > Montgomery County > Dayton > History of Dayton, Ohio. With portraits and biographical sketches of some of its pioneer and prominent citizens Vol. 2 > Part 7
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The officers of this company at the present time are as follows: E. J. Barney, president; J. D. Platt, vice-president and treasurer; A. M. Kittredge, superintendent; A. C. Barney and E. E. Barney, directors, and F. E. Smith, secretary.
The Dayton Manufacturing Company was incorporated February 3, 1883, with a capital of one hundred thousand dollars. The incorporators were as follows: E. J. Barney, president; J. D. Platt, F. E. Smith, J. Kirby, Jr., Thomas A. Bissell, A. C. Barucy, and Charles U. Raymond. The officers first elected, and who still retain the positions to which they were elected, were E. J. Barney, president; J. D. Platt, vice-president; F. E. Smith, treasurer; J. Kirby, Jr., general manager; Charles U. Ray- mond, secretary. Immediately after their incorporation the company purchased a lot on the corner of East Third and Garfield streets, upon which they erected a fine, two-story brick factory building, 80x200 fect in size, and since then they have added a foundry, 75x100 feet, in the rear of the main building. In these buildings the company employ about one hundred and fifty men, and manufacture about one hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars' worth of products per annum. Their line of manufactures includes all kinds of car-furnishings, switch and car-locks, railroad lamps, locomotive headlights, and fine brass and bronze goods. They have recently added the manufacture of household orna- ments and bronze statuary in the form of statuettes, something entirely new in this part of the country. One of the last orders filled in this line was for several statuettes of Morton MeMichael, formerly a distinguished journalist of Philadelphia and also one of the early mayors of that city. None but the finest castings are made at these works, and their work in the line of car-findings is found in the finest passenger cars in this country, notably in those manufactured by the Barney & Smith Manufac- turing Company.
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J. R. Johnston commenced business in Dayton in 1851, in connection with the Buckeye Foundry. In 1852, he became a partner in the same company, and in 1862, he and Mr. Fraim purchased the foundry depart- ment and ran it under the firm name of J. R. Johnston & Company until 1869 when Mr. Fraim died. From that time until 1872 Mr. Johns- ton carried on the business alone at the same location, when he moved to his present location, No. 32 South Wayne Avenue. In 1877, he took into partnership his son, L. M. Johnston, and since that time the firm has been J. R. Johnston & Son. The business is that of a foundry and machine shop, and from twenty-five to thirty men are given employment.
Broadrup & Company commenced business as MeMillin & Company ' in the fall of 1854, the firm being then composed of G. M. L. MeMillin, William Broadrup, and John Broadrup. They were engaged in the man- ufacture of woolen machinery, and continued as MeMillin & Company about two years. Their manufactory was then located where the factory of D. L. Bates & Brother, on the southeast corner of Third Street and the canal, in the rear of Joseph R. Gebhart & Son's flouring mill, now stands. In 1856, Mr. MeMillin sold his interest in the business to George Raymond, and the firm thereupon became Broadrup, Raymond & Company, this firm lasting until 1862, when it was dissolved, Mr. Raymond retiring and the brothers Broadrup continuing the business under the firm name of Broadrup & Company, which name has been retained until the present time. In 1864, the company purchased some property on South Perry Street, just south of Bayard Street, upon which they erected a large brick building, consisting of a main building and a wing. In this building the firm carried on the manufacture of woolen machinery until 1870, when they found it advisable to change their line of manufactures. This they did by changing their machinery, and engaging in the manufacture of school furniture, in which occupation they have continued up to the pres- ent time. There has been no change in the personnel of the firm since it has been Broadrup & Company. The machinery used in this factory is propelled by steam. About twenty men are employed on an average, and the annual product of the factory is about forty thousand dollars. This company manufacture the " Celebrated Champion School Furniture and Opera Seats." The school furniture consists of seats for pupils, recitation seats, teachers' desks, efe., and besides these various articles they manu- facture most kinds of office furniture, and a modified form of the opera seat, which is very convenient and popular for church pews. They also manufacture seats suitable for parks, lawns, cemeteries and croquet grounds, and in fact all kinds of furniture for which they can find ready sale.
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In 1855, Ernest Zwick established himself in the manufacture of carriage wheels, and continued the business until 1865, when A. W. Pinneo purchased an interest in the concern. In March, 1866, E. A. Daniels purchased an interest, and the firm name became Zwick, Pinnco & Daniels, as it remained until 1875, when Messrs. Pinnco and Daniels purchased the interest of Mr. Zwick and changed the firm name to Pinneo & Daniels. The business of the company was carried on for twenty years at Number 216 East Third Street, but in 1881 the firm moved to their present location at the southwest corner of First and Madison streets. Here their buildings cover a space 208x248 feet in size, and are three stories high. They employ from seventy-five to one hundred skilled workmen. The main energies of the company are directed to the production of the "Dayton Patent Compressed Band Hub and Tenon Wheel," which is one of the best wheels in the market. The bands are made from the best quality of Norway iron, welded and rolled, and having a continuons well, cannot slip. The hub is not weakened by cutting grooves for bands to rest in, but the entire surface is strengthened by applying the band over all and compressing it into the wood flush. The spokes have grooves ent in both sides of the tenon next to the shoulder, making the thickness of the tenon where the groove is ent just what is required when it is ready to drive, the lower end of the tenon being an eighth of an inch thicker. This is reduced by compression to the required thickness. Besides this celebrated wheel, the firm of Pinneo & Daniels, or the Dayton Wheel Company, as they are otherwise known, manu- facture the celebrated "Sarven" wheel, as well as all other kinds of wheels. The firm is at present composed of A. W. Pinnco and E. A. Daniels.
E. H. Brownell started in business in Dayton in 1855 in a small shop, located on Cooper Street, at the corner of Foundry Street. His business was that of building and repairing boilers. His shop was 15x35 feet in size, and he employed but two men, besides himself. He continued without a partner until 1865, when he associated with himself James II. Brownell and Thomas J. Driscoll, under the firm name of Brownell & Company. This firm lasted until 1877, when, upon the death of James HI. Brownell, the partnership was dissolved and Mr. Driscoll went to Columbus. E. II. Brownell continued the business under the old firm name until 1880, when it became necessary to change it because of there being another Brownell & Company in the city, and E. IL. was placed before the old name, making it E. HI. Brownell & Company. This arrangement continued until 1888, when Mr. Brownell sold to Graves & Marshall, a firm being composed of Henry C. Graves and George M.
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Marshall. This firm has greatly enlarged and increased the facilities of the works, which are located at Numbers 403 to 407 East First Street. They now employ about seventy men, having doubled their force in the past two years. They now intend creceting a large two-story building, covering their entire grounds, which shall be equipped with every modern improvement and convenience. They manufacture marine, locomotive, stationary, and house-heating boilers, rotaries, tanks, smoke- stacks, and general sheet iron work, and have a very large trade in all parts of the country.
John Dodds commenced bis carcer as a manufacturer in 1856, as a member of the firm of Bomberger, Wight & Co. This firm began the manufacture of agricultural implements in the shops now owned by the Woodsum Machine Company, at No. 201 North Keowee Street. They continued in business here until the close of the war, when they sold the buildings and machinery to the Pitts Threshing Machine Com- pany, and moved to what was then known as the Dayton & Western Railroad Shops. After several years, Mr. Dodds, having been out of business one year, bought out the firm of Bomberger, Wight & Company and began the manufacture of the Hollingsworth rake exclusively, having as partners in the business at the time A. G. Smith and A. W. Beall, the firm name being Smith, Dodds & Company. At the end of one year Mr. Dodds bought the interests of his partners and became sole proprietor. Some time afterward he surrendered the lease of the Dayton & Western Shops and erected new buildings on the corner of East Third and Bain- bridge streets, the present location of the Stoddard Manufacturing Company's Works. At the expiration of three years from this time he disposed of a one-half interest to John W. Stoddard and remained in partnership with him five years, when he sold the rest of the business to Mr. Stoddard and purchased the latter's interest in the Miami City shops, where farm cultivators had been made about four years. At this time the only buildings at this point were a two-story frame structure and a brick engine-house. Other buildings were, however, erected and the plant had grown to be a very large one, when, in 1882, the old buildings were destroyed by fire. Since this time still other buildings have been added, until now the buildings themselves cover three aeres of ground, and two aeres are occupied with piles of lumber. Mr. Dodds manufactures six different kinds of rakes-the Hollingsworth, Reindeer, Surprise, Taylor Number 1 and Number 4, and the Redbird. He turns out about eleven thousand rakes each year, aggregating in valne about two hundred thousand dollars, and employs about one hundred and forty men. The rakes are shipped to all parts of the United States, Europe, Australia,
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and New Zealand, and sustain the high reputation of Dayton manu- factures wherever they are used.
The project of establishing a tub and bucket factory in Dayton was put in practice by N. E. Leaman, in 1857, in a small frame building on Third Street, near Wayne. The manufacture of hollow wooden ware was carried on with varying success until 1860, when the business passed into the hands of Pritz & Dorsey, who, after putting it in good shape, disposed of it to Pritz & Simmons. Shortly after this change, the firm became Starkey & Pritz, and still later Pritz & Company. In the latter part of 1860, Thomas Brown & Son purchased the factory and removed it to the building, afterward occupied by the "City Mills," at . the head of Fourth Street. When Mr. Brown took hold of this business it was estimated that fifteen thousand feet of white pine lumber would be sufficient for the season's work, while toward the latter part of 1863 the business bad so expanded that from fifteen to twenty thousand feet per week were required. In the spring of 1862, Clegg & Wood succeeded Brown & Son. They immediately made preparations for a large business, erecting a manufactory on the lot adjoining the City Mills, three stories high and 40x74 feet in dimensions. In this building they put new and improved machinery, and their business soon so increased that they needed double the room they had. This necessity was supplied, and by the close of 1863 they were again cramped for room. The articles manufactured by this firm consisted of tubs, water pails, churns, keclers, butter firkins, salt buckets, and, in fact, all hollow wooden ware. The same firm also at the same time carried on the manufacture of flour.
The original inception of the Simon Gebhart & Sons' Flour Company took place in about 1857, the members of the present company acquiring the property in 7865. The mills are located on East Third Street, and consist of a four-story brick building 100x120 feet in dimensions. A full complement of the latest improved machinery and appliances is used in these mills, the full roller system being used in the manufacture of flour. The capacity of the mills is about six hundred barrels of flour per day. None but winter wheat is ground at these mills, the best grades of flour being produced, and the prodnet finding a market in New England and New York, where it is in great demand. The officers of the company at the present time are Simon Gebhart, president; George F. Gebhart, secretary, and W. F. Gebhart, manager.
There was a flouring mill ereeted, in 1840, by Horace Pease on the site now occupied by the mammoth establishment of Joseph R. Geb- hart & Son. Although there had been flouring mills in Dayton before that time, these mills, on account of their being the oldest of any now
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in existence, are sometimes known as the Pioneer Mills. They were purchased in 1875 by Gebhart, Polk & Company, and in 1879 by Joseph R. Gebhart, who soon afterward admitted his son, Harry C. Gebhart, to partnership, the firm name becoming Joseph R. Gebhart & Son.
The business of manufacturing cornice was commenced in 1857 by W. F. Gebhart, at 263 East Third Street. This was the first attempt to make cornice west of the Allegheny Mountains. Mr. Gebhart continued in the business with great success until 1868, when he started a branch house in Chicago, the first establishment of the kind in that city. He continued his business in this city at the okl location, 263 East Third Street, until 1869, when he creeted a building at the corner of Third and St. Clair streets, and moved into it. On account of increasing business, he admitted to partnership, in 1872, Charles Wuichet, who had been his book-keeper for the preceding six years, the firm name becoming W. F. Gebhart & Company. In 1878, this firm opened a branch house in Washington, D. C., the first house of the kind ever established there. This branch house they sold in 1877, and continued the partnership in Dayton until March, 1880, at which time occurred the death of Mr. Gebhart. At this time Robert C. Schenck, Jr., became a partner with Mr. Wuichet, the firm name being changed to Charles Wuichet & Company, as it remains to the present time. In 1888, the old quarters becoming too small for the increasing business, a change of location was made to the Gebhart Power Building, where the firm remain at the present time. They employ from forty-five to fifty hands, and transact an annual business amounting to about one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars. At the present time, they have under contract government buildings at Abingdon, Virginia; Springfield, Massachusetts; Charleston, West Virginia; Augusta, Georgia; Chatta- nooga, Tennessee; and the inside finish of the state house at Columbia, South Carolina.
Lambert and Morris Woodhull came to Dayton in 1858 and estab- lished themselves in the agricultural implement and seed business, in which they were engaged until 1878, when they entered upon the manu- facture of buggies and carriages in a four-story brick building on Kenton Street, 25x75 feet in size. At first they employed a force of twenty men, and on account of the increase of their business they were compelled to seek more commodious quarters. They, therefore, moved to the old Dayton & Western shops, which had been used for some time by B. C. Taylor for the manufacture of the Taylor hay rake. The plant occupied at the present time by this company is on Fifth Street, just west of the river. The buildings comprise two five-story brick structures, each one
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having a wing, or L. The larger building fronts one hundred feet ou Home Avenue, and the one in the rear has a fifty-foot front and extends back one hundred feet. The wing extension to this building is 45x50 feet. The floor area of all the buildings is equal to eighty thousand square feet. The works are equipped with the best machinery, which is propelled by a fifty horse-power automatic cut-off engine. There are employed on the average in these works about one hundred and sixty men, and the products of the house comprise everything in the way of surreys, carriages, and buggies, the demand for which extends to all parts of the United States, and they are also shipped to Mexico, South America, and Australia. The capacity of the works is fifteen finished `carriages per day. The works are generally known as the Dayton Buggy Works.
The enterprise now carried on by the Stilwell & Bierce Manufactur- ing Company was inaugurated in 1866, by Messrs. E. R. Stilwell and G. N. Bierce, in a single rented room on the corner of Pine and Short streets. They manufactured at first only the "Stilwell Heater," but have since then added various other articles to their lines. They remained at the location first .selected until 1870, when they purchased a piece of property on the Dayton View hydraulic, and erceted a portion of their present plant at a cost of over thirty thousand dollars. Since then the plant has been enlarged, until it is now composed of several buildings, each devoted to some special purpose. The main building is two stories high, and 300x60 feet in size. The roller machine shop is also two stories high and 200x40 feet, and the wood-working shop is the same height and 140x10 feet. The foundry is 130x80 feet, and the smith shop 100x40 feet. The machinery is operated by water power and about three hundred and fifty skilled workmen. The principal products of the work are divided into three classes-heaters, roller mills, and Turbine water wheels. They have recently commenced the manufacture of improved mining machinery for crushing ores containing the precious metals. The trade of the company extends all over the United States, and is increasing in all parts of the civilized world. In 1870, the firm became an incorpo- rated company, with a capital of two hundred thousand dollars. The officers at the time of incorporation were E. R. Stilwell, president, and G. N. Bierce, vice-president and secretary. The officers at the present time are E. R. Stilwell, president; R. W. King, vice-president and treasurer, and G. N. Bierce, secretary.
In 1852, William Clarke and C. L. Hawes erected paper-mills at Kneisly, and operated them there until 1861, under the firm name of Clarke & Hawes. In September, 1862, they began operating their mills at
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Dayton, built on the present site of the C. L. Hawes Company's Aqueduct Mills, running both mills until the Kneisly mills were closed in January, 1864. The firm continued the same until C. L. Hawes purchased Mr. Clarke's interest in 1872, after which the business was conducted in his name till the C. L. Hawes Company was organized in 1886, with a capital of three hundred thousand dollars. C. L. Hawes was president; Charles Wheeler, vice-president and general manager, and E. E. Hawes, secretary · and treasurer. The death of C. L. Hawes occurred October 13, 1888, and at the next meeting of the board of directors, held January 1, 1889, A. W. Pinneo was elected to the vacancy. At that time-there was a surplus of eighty thousand dollars. In July, 1886, branch houses were purchased in Cincinnati and Chicago, through which their line of manufactured goods and book-binders' and box-makers' materials are handled. They employ about one hundred and fifteen operatives at their mills in Dayton, and about twenty-five employes in their branch houses. The product of the mills amounts to about twenty-five tons per day. These mills were sold to the American Straw Board Company July 3, 1889.
In 1859, G. Stomps and two other gentlemen began the manufacture of chairs of every variety, locating their works at the present site of G. Stomps & Company, 229 to 233 East First Street. Mr. Stomps soon purchased the interests of his partners, and in 1874 took into partnership R. P. Burckhardt. C. Vogel came in in 1880, J. M. Kramer in 1883, and G. Stomps, Jr., in 1887. At first the chairs were made by hand, fifty to seventy-five dozen per week being the capacity of the factory. But sinec the introduction of machinery the output has increased to from three hundred and fifty to four hundred dozen per week. The prices have decreased about one-half. All varieties of chairs are made by this firm, and the trade extends throughout a large portion of the United States.
The City Brewery was erected by Heury Ferneding in 1859. It is located at the junction of Brown and Warren streets. After passing through several changes, it was purchased by Jacob Stickle at public sale in 1868. At that time the building was of briek, two stories high, and 54x150 feet in size. It remained in that shape until the summer of 1881, when it was burned down and afterward enlarged at an expense of eight thousand dollars. It is now a three-and-a-half-story brick, and well adapted in every way to the uses to which it is devoted. The first. year Mr. Stickle was in business here he made four thousand barrels of beer, and the business has since been greatly increased. The trade of the firm is now very large, and is in charge of William Stickle, son of the proprietor.
The Wayne Street Brewery was created in 1852, by John and 29
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Michael Schinil at the corner of Wayne and Hickory streets. In 1858, John Sehim! died, and Michacl Schiml has condneted the business over since. At this point was made the first lager beer in Montgomery County, the stock Yeast used for making it having been brought from Boston, Massachusetts. The brewery was then two stories high and 28x50 feet in size, but in 1881, Mr. Sebiml enlarged the plant so that at this time the building is three stories high and 38x140 feet in size. At first the brewery made twelve hundred barrels of beer per year, but in the season of 1879- 1880 the amount made was four thousand and four hundred barrels. Since then the amount has remained at about the same figure.
The business now carried on by the North Star Tobacco Works, was established in 1863 under the firm name of Cotterill & Wolf. This firm was succeeded in 1866 by Cotterill & Fenner, consisting of S. T. Cotterill and A. C. Fenner. During the early part of the history of the firm the business was very small. The demand for fine cut tobacco was limited, and was supplied by the pioneers' in this branch of trade who were located in New York and Detroit. The new process of manufacturing fine cut tobacco was introduced by firats in the two cities named above in about 1855. The quality of the material was totally different from that now manufactured. The discovery of " White Burley" was destined to work a revolution in the process of manufacturing, and also in the relative consumption of plug and fine cut. This revolution has been effected by the bright color, sweet chew, and fine flavor of the " White . Burley." On January 1, 1866, A. C. Marshall became a member of the firm, and the name was changed to Cotterill, Fenner & Company. The first tobacco factory belonging to the firm of Cotterill, Fenner & Company was located in the old Horace Pease mill building, near Third Street and the canal, but in 1869 they removed to the Beaver & Butt building. With the increased capacity thus acquired, the business grew rapidly, and soon they were compelled to move to the property on Second Street, where they are now located. On the death of Mr. Cotterill in 1886, A. C. Marshall purchased the interest of the estate, and also that of the other partner, Mr. Fenner, and associated with himself as partners G. IL. Gorman and H. Z. Marshall, the old firm name, Cotterill, Fenner & Company, being retained from business considerations.
In the latter part of 1863 there were three or four manufactories in Dayton engaged in reducing the forests to habitations for men, making flooring, sash, doors, moldings, and all other integral parts of houses, and employing at least five hundred men. These firms were: M. Bur- rous & Company, Beaver & Butt, Baird & Company, John Rouzer, Waymire, and a few other smaller establishments. The entire number of
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people supported by these various establishments was about fifteen hundred.
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In this connection it may not be useless or uninteresting to briefly review the history of the invention of the planing mill. The first machine that deserves the appellation planing mill, and this hardly does, was invented by General Bentham, of England, in 1791. This machine merely enabled the mechanic to apply the circular or crank motion to the operation of the plane, but did not enable him to perform more work than before, or to use less skill. In 1802, a Mr. Bramah, of Yorkshire, England, who was a kind of universal genius, and who was the inventor of the hydraulic press, invented a planing machine of improved construction which at the same time that it reduced the amount of labor required to perform a given amount of work, reduced the amount of skill required to do the work. This was a positive advance in the invention of labor saving machinery. In 1803, Mr. Bevans obtained a patent for a machine which would plane out all kinds of moldings, grooves, rebates, etc. This was as far as inventions had gone in England before the same line of improvements were taken up in New England, where'the next decided improvement was made by a Mr. Hill, and his improvement was still further improved upon in 1850 by N. G. Norcross. The most useful machine was, however, invented by Woodworth, of New England, by means of which the plank to be planed remained on top of the carriage and ran under the planer.
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