USA > Ohio > History of Ohio; the rise and progress of an American state, Volume Five > Part 23
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Other early citizens manifested a commendable activity in starting manufacturing ventures. Emory, Houghton, and Company erected in 1821 a nail factory which produced nails of the best quality. The manu- facture of hats was begun in 1823 by Samuel Shoup, and in the same year William H. Brown engaged in the business of gunsmithing, manufacturing his own gun-barrels. Thomas Clegg was a man of varied energies and affairs. He built the Washington Cotton Factory in 1824-the first of its kind in Dayton,- and, in conjunction with Mr. McElwee, started the first iron foundry in 1828. At this establishment "castings of nearly all kinds" were made, and from it was developed one of the largest iron works of after years. Mr. Clegg also set in operation the first brass foundry.
In 1837 some of the manufacturing concerns were four cotton factories, a carpet factory, the Clegg iron foundry (which was then turning out two hundred tons of castings a year and employed ten hands), two gun- barrel factories, and several machine-shops. One of the shops made steam engines and cotton and wool carding machinery, some of which was shipped "as far away as Mexico." There was a clock factory, said to be the largest in the West, having a product of
CHARLES E. PEASE
Born in Carrollton (now West Carrollton), Montgomery county, Ohio, August 20, 1836; manufacturer of Dayton; organized the Buckeye Iron and BrassWorks in 1876, and was its president until his death; served in the Civil War.
THE RISE AND PROGRI
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ctor and the destruction a large quantity wf cloth and wool belonging to his ci Tomar. The Patronen mills were promptly rebull
Umier didy oliems manifested a commendah any in surlog manufacturing ventures. Emo Houghton, wal Company erected in 1821 a nail factor Which po fonod walls of the best quality. The man fachum of harx war begun in 1823 by Samuel Shou amal in the same year William H. Brown engaged the business of gunsmithing, manufacturing his ow gun-hurrel Themuss Clegg was a man of varie energies and asfans. He built the Washington Cotton Factory in 19:4- 1hw. Best of its kind in Dayton, and, in amyamtem wnh Mr. McElwee, started th first iron forno IXAR At this establishment "passing of mars of Laws" were made, and from www developed one of the urgest iron works of after years MEL kBits when in operation the first bra foundky.
Lu 1837 some of the manufacturing concerns wer fout cotton factoner, a pet factory, the Clegg iro foundry (which was des turning out two hundred tons of martings a year and employed ten hands), two gui- barrel factories, and wemal machine-shops. One of the shops made steam engines and cotton and wood cardlog machinery, some of which was shipped "an far away as Mexico." There was a clock factory Fail to be the largest in the West, having a product of
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twenty-five hundred clocks annually. A chair factory had a yearly output of two thousand chairs, and a soap and candle factory made yearly a hundred thou- sand pounds of soap and thirty thousand candles.
The iron business flourished, other foundries being opened, and many branches of industry were gradually developed. The production of agricultural machinery received considerable attention in Dayton from an early period. The building of railroad cars, for which the city has since become so noted, was begun in 1849 by E. Thresher and E. E. Barney, with a capital of twelve thousand dollars, under the firm style of Thresher and Barney-changed eighteen years later to the Barney and Smith Manufacturing Company, with a capital of half a million.
In 1849 "there were two excellent hydraulic powers in Dayton, termed the upper and lower hydraulics, and for a distance of some seventy-five rods along the canal the ground was covered with buildings from three to four stories high, filled with machinery and giving employment to from three to four hundred mechanics and laborers." Five iron foundries were producing annually nine hundred tons of pig iron; four flouring mills ground from a hundred and fifty thousand to a hundred and seventy-five thousand bushels of wheat; there were three paper mills which manufactured five hundred tons of paper; and five oil mills consumed a hundred and sixty thousand bushels of flaxseed and had an output of three hundred and forty thousand barrels of oil and four hundred thousand pounds of oil cake.
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By the middle of the nineteenth century, Dayton, though having a population not much exceeding ten thousand, had developed a quite comprehensive manu- facturing situation. A striking feature of the great subsequent progress is the expansion of the early estab- lishments. The city has thus been peculiarly noted at all times for the solidity of its enterprises, and this reputation has attracted new industries, capital, and the best classes of artisans from afar. For the relative thrift and prosperity of its workers Dayton enjoys a high rank. The most noticeable single interest which has acquired development in the last thirty years is the manufacture of cash registers. This business, like the car industry, was begun on a very modest investment, only fifteen thousand dollars of paid-up capital having been at the command of the present company when it began operations in 1884. Its growth is one of the amazing facts in the history of American industry, and the energy displayed in dis- tributing its products, not only to practically every community of the United States, but throughout the civilized world, is fairly comparable to that which has so distinguished the Standard Oil Company. Mention must not be omitted of the most recent line of Dayton manufacture, aviation machines-also of world-wide celebrity and request, and originated, like the cash register business, by Daytonians.
The census for 1910 gives these figures for all Dayton industries :- value of products, $60,378,000; capital, $61,316,000; number of establishments, 513; persons engaged, 24,790; wage-earners, 21,549; primary horse- power, 31,501; wages, $12,451,000. The detailed sta-
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tistics at hand for specific industries are very imperfect, a value of $34,006,000 not being analyzed. The follow- ing are some of the items, which, it will be observed, do not include cash registers, cars, or agricultural imple- ments :-
Foundry and machine-shop products (sixty-nine concerns), $6,778,000; slaughtering and meat packing (ten concerns), $3,171,000; coffee and spice, roasting and grinding (five concerns), $2,245,000; tobacco (fifty- six concerns), $1,893,000; printing and publishing (forty-five concerns), $1,552,000; bread and other bakery products (sixty-five concerns), $1,531,000; lum- ber and timber products (eleven concerns), $1,417,000; soap (six concerns), $1,306,000; malt liquors (three concerns), $1,218,000; fancy and paper boxes (five hundred and ninety-four concerns), $932,000; carriages and wagons and materials (seventeen concerns), $802,- 000; furniture and refrigerators (ten concerns), $744,- 000; flour mill and gristmill products (six concerns), $669,000; brass and bronze products (seven concerns), $481,000; men's clothing, including shirts (four con- cerns), $354,000; confectionery (eleven concerns), $339,- 000; electrical machinery, apparatus, and supplies (seven concerns), $235,000.
6. Youngstown, sixth city. Population :- 1860, 2,759; 1870, 8,075; 1880, 15,435; 1890, 33,220; 1900, 44,885; 1910, 79,066.
Though but sixth in population, Youngstown is third of Ohio cities for manufacturing enterprise. With less than half the population of Columbus, the value of its manufactured products is more than one and one-half times that of the capital city; and it
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far outranks both Cincinnati and Cleveland for the value produced in ratio to inhabitants. In 1910, Youngstown had the extraordinary record-for a large city-of more than a thousand dollars' worth of manufactures to every man, woman, and child within its limits.
Of overshadowing importance in Youngstown, at all periods, has been the iron industry. Many accounts have been published of its origin and early aspects. The following is taken from the "History of Trumbull and Mahoning counties," published by H. Z. Williams and Brother (Cleveland, 1882), pages 370-71: "Iron ore and limestone were known to be among the mineral deposits of the Mahoning valley even before the settle- ment of the Reserve. In 1803, Daniel Eaton made arrangements, by obtaining right to dig ore and make charcoal on and near the banks of Yellow Creek, a small stream which flows into the Mahoning River from the south, to build a furnace on that creek, availing himself of its waterpower to drive his machinery. In that and the following year (1804) he built the Hope- well furnace, which was the first furnace in Ohio or north of the Ohio River and west of Pennsylvania. This pioneer furnace was erected in the then township of Youngstown, although the site on which it stood, and where its ruins may be seen, is in the now township of Poland. * In 1805, Robert Montgomery, who had explored the mineral resources of the Mahoning valley before its survey into townships, and John Struthers commenced building a second furnace on Yellow Creek, a short distance below the Hopewell on the land of Mr. Struthers. Robert Alexander,
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James Mackey, and David Clendenin became interested in it as partners while it was building, or soon after. In 1807, Montgomery and Company bought from Eaton the Hopewell furnace, and all the ore, wood, and charcoal rights. It was run but a short time after they bought it. The second furnace was run until about 1812, when it went out of blast, and was never opened afterwards. They were both charcoal furnaces. * * Thomas Struthers, son of John Stru- thers above named, in 1875, then seventy-two years of age, in a communication to the Mahoning Valley Historical Society, says: 'These furnaces were of about equal capacity and would yield about two and a half or three tons each per day. The metal was principally run into moulds for kettles, bake-ovens, stoves, flatirons, handirons, and such other articles as the needs of a new settlement required, and any surplus into pigs and sent to the Pittsburg market.' These two old furnaces-the Hopewell, erected in the early days of Youngstown, and the Montgomery erected in Poland shortly after it was detached from Youngstown-were the forerunners of the great and constantly growing iron industry of the Mahoning valley, of which the Youngstown of to-day is the center, and to Dan Eaton, Robert Montgomery, John Stru- thers, James Mackey, Robert Alexander, and David Clendenin should be accorded the high honor of being the pioneers of that industry."
About 1826 Daniel Eaton built the first furnace in Youngstown as now organized, and in this also charcoal was used. He was joined in partnership by John Kirk and Edward Rockwell, merchants of Youngs-
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town. The property was sold to Pittsburg parties, who about 1846 or 1847 reconstructed it to use bitumi- nous coal, but the expense of transporting the materials to the furnace and the product from it left no profit, and it was abandoned.
In 1845-46 there was built in Lowellville, five miles southeast of Youngstown, by Wilkenson, Wilkes, and Company, the first "stone coal" furnace in Ohio, and this was followed in 1846 by the Eagle furnace, estab- lished in Youngstown by William Philpot, Jonathan Warner, David Morris, and Harvey Sawyer, which also utilized the native coal of the Mahoning valley for smelting the ore. The Eagle furnace was the first permanently successful iron manufacturing concern of the city. Another furnace, called the Brier Hill, was started in Youngstown, in 1847, by James Wood and Company, of Pittsburg, and was later purchased by David Tod.
"In 1846 the Youngstown Iron Company erected the first rolling mill in Youngstown or on the Reserve, and perhaps the first in Ohio, in which bituminous coal was used as the fuel. It was located on the north side of what is termed the 'Flat,' on the north side of the Mahoning River in the southwest part of the city, on the north side of and adjoining the canal. The stockholders of the company were Henry Manning, William Rice, Henry Heasley, Hugh B. Wick, Henry Wick, Jr., Caleb B. Wick, Paul Wick, James Danger- field, Harvey Fuller, Robert W. Taylor, Isaac Powers, and James McEwen, only one of whom had been engaged in the iron business previously, or was practi- cally acquainted with it. * * The second rolling-mill
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was built in 1863 in the northwest part of the city, and ad- joining and on the east of the canal, by Shedd, Clark, and Company, a firm composed of Samuel K. Shedd, William Clark, Edward Clark, James Cartwright, and Richard Lundy, who named it the Enterprise rolling mill."
From these pioneer institutions have been developed the great industries which have built up a city now approaching a hundred thousand in population. The iron and steel business at the present day produces five-eighths of the manufactures of Youngstown. The city is also a principal seat of the rubber industry, ranking next to Akron in that department.
Census of 1910, all Youngstown industries :- value of products, $81,271,000; capital, $87,160,000; number of establishments, 115; persons engaged, 11,851; wage- workers, 10,498; primary horsepower, 140,907; wages, $7,835,000.
Under the head of "iron and steel, steel works and rolling mills," the census gives total products valued at $50,175,000, seven concerns being represented, engaging 7,128 persons (of whom 6,650 were wage- workers), having a capital of $50,516,000, and paying wages of $5,204,000.
There were fifteen foundry and machine-shops, with products of $4,865,000 values.
Among other Youngstown industries specified are :- lumber and timber products (eight concerns), $953,000; printing and publishing (thirteen concerns), $454,000; bread and other bakery products (twenty-two concerns), $249,000; carriages and wagons and materials (three concerns), $146,000. No figures are given for the rubber business.
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7. Akron, seventh city. Population :- 1850, 3,266; 1860, 3,477; 1870, 10,006; 1880, 16,512; 1890, 27,601; 1900, 42,728; 1910, 69,067.
Akron owes its existence to the Ohio Canal, the town having been laid out by General Simon Perkins in 1825 soon after the location of the route for that water- way. Before that event, however, the iron industry had been started in the vicinity. In 1817 Asaph Whittlesey, of Tallmadge, and Aaron Norton and William Laird, of Middlebury, established a mill for the manufacture of wrought iron in the locality known as the "Old Forge" district, now a part of Akron city. In 1843, when Horace Greeley visited the town, it had five woolen factories, an extensive blast furnace, a machine-shop, a card manufactory, and four large flouring mills. Abundant waterpower was derived from the canal. The early industries showed the diversity to be expected in a small but enterprising com- munity developing on general lines. In 1859, Ferdi- nand Schumacher began the production of oatmeal on a small scale in his "German Mill." This was the foundation of the cereal business, which is to-day one of the foremost interests of the city. Dr. Benjamin Franklin Goodrich, Harvey W. Tew, and others, com- menced making fire hose and various rubber goods in 1869.
Akron is now the largest rubber manufacturing center in the world. There are sixteen concerns engaged in this business, employing about twenty thousand per- sons and having products which embrace every line of rubber goods. Their total capitalization, according to information furnished us by Vincent S. Stevens,
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secretary of the Akron Chamber of Commerce, is now (July 1912), $113,940,000. The pioneer company of 1869 gradually enlarged its operations, and in April, 1912, consolidated with another company, their joint capital then established being $90,000,000; this is the largest rubber manufacturing enterprise of the world.
The city also boasts of the largest sewer pipe plants and cereal mills in the United States. Rolled oats were first manufactured in Akron, the process being started in the seventies in a mill operated by water- power. The burning of sewer pipe and other clay products was the earliest industry developed in the place. Akron has two of the largest publishing houses in the country.
Among other principal articles of manufacture are automobiles, furnaces, stoves, rubber working machin- ery, electrical apparatus, agricultural implements, fishing tackle, salt, and printing ink.
The adjacent city of Barberton (population in 1910, 9,410) is the seat of the vast match industry, with ramifications throughout the United States, and also has other extensive manufacturing plants.
A recent writer says of the manufacturing activities of Akron and vicinity: "Barberton is one of the most thriving manufacturing towns of Summit county, although the territory between its corporate limits and those of Akron is so thickly interspersed with manu- factories that to all outward appearance the two places comprise one great busy and prosperous community. In the opposite direction, toward the north, one passes from Akron into the village of Cuyahoga Falls, and it is equally difficult to determine when one leaves the
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corporate territory of the one for the other. For miles around Akron the country is but one vast hive of industry, and recalls the observation made by an enthusiastic pioneer of the city, who had returned to his home place after journeying through all the noted industrial sections of the world. 'I came back to Akron,' he said, with great satisfaction, 'firm in the belief that nowhere on the face of the earth is there so remarkable a manifestation of industrialism as in the territory surrounding this city for a dozen miles; for here you find not only every form of modern industry fully developed, but also populous and profitable markets right at the door of the manufactories.'" ("History of the Western Reserve," by Harriet Taylor Upton, Vol. I., p. 357.)
8. Canton, eighth city. Population :- 1850, 2,603; 1860, 4,041; 1870, 8,660; 1880, 12,258; 1890, 26,189; 1900, 30,667; 1910, 50,217.
The completion of the Ohio Canal, which brought prosperity and progress to so many towns, had just the reverse effects on Canton, then a rising community and the hopeful center of a rich but undeveloped coun- try. The canal ignored Canton, ran eight miles away, and, to intensify the local discouragement, a new town, Massillon, sprang up on its banks and proceeded to absorb the business of that section. An attempt was made to offset the disadvantage by a canal to connect Canton with the Sandy and Beaver, but capital failed and the depression deepened.
In 1851, the line of the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne, and Chicago Railroad was located to pass through Canton, and this was the beginning of a remarkable change for
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the place. It happened that there was in operation in Greentown, a rural village some nine miles north of Canton, an infant agricultural implement industry under the firm style of Ball, Aultman, and Company. In 1848, Cornelius Aultman, a young machinist of Greentown, made the patterns for, and constructed on his own account, five of the old Hussey reapers- the first machines of the kind built in Ohio, except a few made the year before at Martin's Ferry. Mr. Aultman, with an associate, removed in 1849 to Illinois, but soon returned to Greentown and entered into part- nership with Ephraim Ball and others. During the sea- son of 1851 twelve Hussey reapers and six threshing machines were manufactured in Greentown by the new concern and sold to farmers of the vicinity. Desiring expansion for the business, which of course could never be gained without shipping facilities, the plant was transferred to Canton soon after the coming of the rail- road was a certainty. At that time (December, 1851) the firm consisted of Ephraim Ball, Cornelius Aultman, George Cook, Lewis Miller, and Jacob Miller, and its total capital was four thousand, five hundred dollars. For the harvest of 1852 it turned out twenty-five Hussey machines, which were intended to be used as combined reapers and mowers, but the mowing adjust- ment did not work satisfactorily. Up to that time, indeed, no practical mowing machine had been put on the market, and the firm decided to produce one of entire originality. After several years of effort the Buckeye mower was perfected and offered to the public. Its superiority was approved in various tests through- out the country, notably at the famous field trial held
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at Syracuse, New York, in July, 1857, under the auspices of the United States Agricultural Society. These successes led to very active manufacturing opera- tions by the Canton company, which in 1859 changed its name to C. Aultman and Company. Its develop- ment proceeded rapidly, attended by large augmenta- tions of capital.
The progress of Canton from a town of little enter- prise to an important manufacturing center is intimately associated with the activities of the Aultman concern. Other works in the department of agricultural machin- ery were established at an early period, and there came a steady enlargement of industrial operations generally. Among the industries which had attained very substantial proportions by the year 1880 were (in addition to farm machinery) those producing engines, safes, iron and steel, vehicle springs, carriages, and soap. The decade 1880 to 1890 marks the begin- ning of the later period of expansion. Through the efforts of public spirited citizens, special inducements were offered to companies engaged in the manufacture of watches and watch cases to bring their plants to Canton, lands and money being donated and exemption from taxation for a certain time guaranteed, altogether to the value of $175,000. The resulting accessions proved of immense advantage to the city. Since 1890 Canton has doubled in population.
Manufacturing operations for all Canton industries, 1910 :- value of products, $28,583,000; capital, $25,342,- 000; establishments, 204; persons engaged, 11,313; wage-earners,9,964; primary horsepower, 27,016; wages, $5,719,000.
WILLIAM N. WHITELEY
Notable inventor, of Springfield, and long a prominent manufacturer, his firm being Whiteley, Fassler and Kelly; died February 7, 19II.
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at Syracuse, NewYaJaTiHWiOn MAKNIw57, under the auspices Inosimona s ghol basl bfsagntitge id gotasyhitaldstosociety. These successes lcd to ver cions by the Canton company, which in 1859 changed jis name to C. Aultman and Company. Its develop mint proceeded rapidly, attended by large augmenta tions of capital.
The progress of Canton from a town of little enter- prise to an important manufacturing center is intimatel associated with the activities of the Aultman concern Other works in the department of agricultural machin- ety were established at an early period, and there came a steady enlargement .of industrial operation generally. Among the industries which had attained very substantial proportions by the year 1880 wer (in addition to farm machinery) those producin engines, safes, iron and steel, vehicle springs, carriage. and soåp. The decade 1880 to 1890 marks the begin- ning of the Ister period of expansion. Through the Efforts of public mirited citizens, special inducements wie offered to companies engaged in the manufacture of watches pod wwich cases to bring their plants to Canton, lands and money being donated and exemption from taxation for a certain time guaranteed, altogether to the value of $175,000. The resulting accession proved of immense advantage to the city. Since 1890 Canton has doubled in population.
Manufacturing operations for all Canton industrie IQ10: - value of products, $28,583,000; capital, $25,342,- 000; establishments, 204; persons engaged, 11,313: wage-earners,9,964; primary horsepower, 27,016; waged .. $5.719,000.
ـجـهــ
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9. Springfield, ninth city. Population :- 1830, 1,080; 1840, 2,062; 1850, 5,108; 1860, 7,002; 1870, 12,652; 1880, 20,730; 1890, 31,895; 1900, 38,253; 1910, 46,921.
As early as 1820 Springfield had flour, lumber, woolen, cotton, and powder mills, and in 1827 a large paper mill was built. The Bretney tannery was started in 1830. With the decade beginning 1890 the agricul- tural implement business had its origin. The pioneer in this distinctive Springfield industry was William Whiteley, who in 1840 engaged in the manufacture of plows in a small shop on the west side of Limestone Street near the railroad. It was there that William N. Whiteley, the inventor of the Champion reaper and mower, learned the trade of machinist. He was born on a farm near Springfield, and at an early age manifested remarkable mechanical ability. "In the year 1852 an exhibition of reaping and mowing ma- chines was held, under the auspices of the State, on the farm of J. T. Warder, near Springfield, and all of the reaping and mowing machines then manufac- tured were represented. It may safely be said that no one present at that exhibition, not even the inventors or manufacturers of the respective machines, took more interest in the exhibition than did Mr. Whiteley. Immediately thereafter he began a series of experi- ments, which were continued through the years 1852, 1853, and 1854, during which time the different factors of the machine were conceived, machines made, placed in the field, and tried, improvements made and further tested; and in the year 1855 the first successful cham- pion machine was produced." ("History of Clark County," published by W. H. Beers and Company,
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