USA > Ohio > Shelby County > History of Shelby County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 22
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THE TUCKER WOODWORK COMPANY
The Tucker Woodwork Company, occupying capacious buildings on North Main street, Sidney, was organized January 18, 1903, with a capital stock of $50,000, for the purpose of manufacturing bent wood work, such as single piece wood rims for bicycles and other wire wheeled vehicles, invalid chair hand rims, automobile steering wheel rims and various other products from complete circle bending; also, the production of bendings for carriage and automobile seats. To employ the waste products of the company, a depart- ment was added a few years ago for the production of folding porch and lawn furniture and children's blackboards. Owing to the rapid growth of the business, the capitalization was increased, in April, 1907, to $150,000. The company enjoys a very active demand for its various products and is one of the most important and substantial manufacturing concerns in Sidney. James B. Tucker is president.
THE FARMERS GRAIN AND MILLING COMPANY
The Farmers Grain and Milling Company is a recently established con- cern, operating the old Stone Bridge grain elevator and mill and is successor to The Sidney Grain and Milling Company. The business was established some years before the Civil war by McGrew & Co., who were succeeded several years later by J. F. Frazer; it was then sold to a Mr. Levering of Piqua and from him passed into the hands of Joseph DeFreese. The next proprietors were Forsythe & Co., who sold out to J. N., J. M. and E. E. Nutt. who conducted it for awhile. Later J. N. Nutt dropped of the concern and it was conducted by J. M. and E. E. Nutt until July, 1887, when the business passed into the hands of E. J. and W. A. Griffis, the firm being known as Griffis Bros. In June, 1897, the style became E. J. Griffis & Co., and it was thus conducted until December 4, 1904, at which time Capt. E. E. Nutt bought the plant back. After his death it was conducted by the administrators under the name of The Sidney Grain and Milling Company until it came into the hands of its present proprietors, J. M. Blake, F. J. Russell and F. M. Sayre, Mr. Blake being active manager of the concern. The present elevator was built in 1895, the flouring mill being added to the plant in 1898. The concern deals in grain, seeds, salt, coal, cement, plaster. hay, tile, straw, etc., and is doing a prosperous business.
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THE PEERLESS BREAD MACHINE COMPANY
The Peerless Bread Machine Company, a newly established concern, is the successor to the Standard Clutch Company, which was established in 1905 by William Harmony and Frank Lucas, who for two years conducted a general repair shop. They then added a foundry and subsequently conducted the business until April, 1912, when it was taken over by E. J. Griffis and W. E. Wenger, who conducted the plant as a general machine shop until October 1st, at which time they opened up a foundry and began to make and market the Peerless bread moulding machine, in which business they are now engaged. The company was incorporated in 1897 at $30,000, which capitalization has not since been changed. The present style was assumed early in January, 1913. The officers of the company are: E. J. Griffis, president; William Piper, vice-president, and F. X. Lauterber, secretary and treasurer. The company has good prospects of doing a successful business.
THE MIAMI VALLEY GRAIN COMPANY
The Miami Valley Grain Company was incorporated May 20, 1907, and succeeded to the business of J. E. Wells & Co. The following well-known business men are identified officially with the enterprise : E. T. Custenborder, president : J. W. Allinger, vice-president; W. H. Persinger, secretary, and George Allinger, treasurer and manager. These gentlemen have had experi- ence in the business in hand, knowing its every detail, and able at all times to afford their customers the best information as to the grain market. The company operates one of the largest elevators in the county, having a capacity of 40,000 bushels and equipped with the latest appliances. A modern grist mill is also operated and all kinds of feed and meal are, sold or ground for customers. Mill feed and flour always on hand and at the lowest prices. The company is on the market at all times for the purchase of grain and seed. The Miami Valley Grain Company has a large trade which grows con- tinually and the gentlemen connected with it have in the largest measure the confidence of all with whom they do business.
THE WILLIAM KLIPSTINE LUMBER COMPANY
The William Klipstine Lumber Company is one of the largest and most conveniently arranged lumber yards in the state. This industry was formerly the George H. Worch Lumber Company and about 1909 became the property of the new company .. Wm. Klipstine, who for so many years was manager of the company, remains in charge of the new company. The new building erected several years ago enables them to keep much of their lumber in the dry. There are two buildings 48 by 132 feet connected by a building running along Walnut avenue 48 by 70 feet, all three stories high; also a brick stable in rear, 30 by 70 feet, giving them over 60,000 square feet of floor space. All kinds of lumber and builder's hardware is handled, also coal, lime, cement, locust posts and composition roofing. The plan of the new buildings give three drive ways which facilitate the easy loading and unloading of goods.
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
JONES GRAIN COMPANY
The elevator conducted by this concern was built about eighteen years ago by Emory C. Nutt, who was proprietor of the business for about ten years. It then passed into the hands of R. V. Jones and E. S. Sheets, who operated the plant for six years, or until recently, when R. V. Jones became principal proprietor, being associated in the ownership with J. C. Wagner and W. B. Jackson. The mill is located at West avenue and North street, close to the Big Four tracks and a prosperous business is being conducted in grain, seeds, etc.
11. B. HOLE, POULTRY, EGGS AND BUTTER
This business was established in April, 1907 by H. B. Hole, of Ver- sailles, the Sidney plant, located in the northeast part of the town, near the Big Four tracks, being a branch concern. Mr. Hole is the sole proprietor. About $50,000 to $60,000 worth of produce is shipped per annum to the New York and New Jersey markets.
SIDNEY CEMENT STONE COMPANY
Sidney Cement Stone Company was established in March, 1906, by C B. DeWeese, the present proprietor, and is one of the pioneer plants of the kind in the state. The concern manufactures and deals in cement, building blocks, water table, caps, sills, brick, chimney blocks, pedestal blocks, porch columns, porch trimmings, coping and garden furniture. The output is con- siderable, being equal to that of most of the largest plants elsewhere. They have the most modern machinery for the manufacture of their product and are doing a successful business.
THE PIONEER POLE AND SHAFT COMPANY
The Pioneer Pole and Shaft Company, with plant corner of Park street and the C. H. & D. Railroad, was established in Sidney some years ago as a branch concern, the main offices being located at Piqua, Ohio. As the name of the company indicated, it is engaged in the manufacture of poles and shafts for vehicles of various kinds. A. R. Friedman is president and gen- eral manager ; C. C. Carey, local manager.
THE CHERRY CHEER COMPANY
This business was established in 1908 by W. R. and J. C. Carothers, and was first conducted in a small way under the name of the Cherry-ola Com- pany. In the fall of 1909 the concern adopted its present style and incorpo- rated with a capital stock of $25,000, the officers being: Wilson Carothers, president ; W. R. Carothers, vice-president and manager; J. C. Carothers, treasurer ; F. K. Carothers, secretary ; and E. J. Carothers. The above men- tioned officers, with the addition of E. J. Carothers, are the directors. The company is engaged in the manufacture of soda fountain sirups, including cherry cheer, zolakone, orangeade, grapall, mint-fire and coco-cheer, the
PLANT OF AMERICAN STEEL SCRAPER CO., SIDNEY, O.
CHERRY GHEER CA
CHERRY . CHEER.
PLANT OF CHERRY CHEER CO .. SIDNEY, O.
ANGHER IRON & ALVIMNAC MOI LOW WARE
WAGNER MANUFACTURING CO. 'S PLANT, SIDNEY, O.
BUCKEYE CHURN CO.
BUCKEYE CHURN COMPANY'S PLANT, SIDNEY. O.
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product being shipped all over the United States and to foreign countries. The present plant, built in 1910, is located in the west end of Sidney, near the C. H. & D. railroad station. About 16 people are employed in the plant, while the company has forty travelling men, besides employing a number of house to house canvassers and demonstrators. Distilled water is used in the manufacture of the sirups.
THE W. M. TOY COMPANY, SIDNEY, OHIO
The W. M. Toy Company, Sidney, O., is engaged in the manufacture of plows, street scrapers, etc. The business was started more than 50 years ago by Daniel Toy-Sr., who was the originator of the Toy plow and who made the plows used in the construction of the C. H. & D. Railroad. At his death he was succeeded by his son, W. M. Toy, who has since conducted the busi- ness successfully. The latter's son, Hugh Toy, is associated with him. Im- portant improvements in the plant are contemplated in the near future.
C. R. BENJAMIN & SON
C. R. Benjamin & Son, are engaged in the manufacture of handles, and are also dealers in coal, cement, etc. The business was established by C. R. Benjamin about thirty years ago and has been in continuous operation since, Charles W. Benjamin being the junior member of the firm. June 17, 1912 the plant was destroyed by fire but is now being rebuilt and will employ about 40 people.
THE CROFT LAUNDRY
The Croft Laundry on West avenue is one of the best laundries in the state. Mr. Croft has been in the laundry busines's for more than twenty- three years and his cement stone building houses the latest and most improved equipment, which is arranged for the careful and successful handling of rough and fine work. In addition to keeping things clean for the people of Sidney he has numerous agencies established in the surrounding towns which bring considerable laundry work to Sidney. With competent help and prompt deliveries the work speaks for itself. Mr. Croft takes pride in giv- ing the people the best in laundry work. He is popular with all, prominent as an Eagle, Elk and K. of C. and takes a lively interest in affairs generally.
THE HARRISON M. POTTS' SAWMILL
The Harrison M. Potts' Sawmill, located on Miami avenue close to the canal, was established in Sidney a number of years ago by its present pro- prietor, Mr. H. M. Potts who is an experienced lumberman.
In addition to the manufacturing industries mentioned, Sidney is well provided with a goodly number of mercantile enterprises, most of which are doing a prosperous business.
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
THE MARY L. POULTRY PLANT
The Mary L. Poultry Plant, once an important industry of Sidney, was founded in 1895 by John Loughlin, and is said to have been the largest poultry plant in the world. It included a number of buildings, the egg house being 40 by 537 feet and the hatchery 20 by 840 feet. Three hundred chick- ens were hatched daily and 9.000 eggs were constantly in incubation. The plant attracted large numbers of visitors from all over the country. The business, however, resulted in failure: Mr. Loughlin left Sidney and is now deceased.
THE SIDNEY MARBLE AND GRANITE WORKS
The Sidney Marble and Granite Works, now conducted by James J. Shea, were established by William Shea in 1881, who acquired a wide reputation for the tastefulness of his designs and the thoroughness of his workmanship. This reputation has in no wise suffered since the business past into the hands of the present proprietor.
CHAPTER IX TRANSPORTATION
Construction of Roads and Highways-Taverns-The Canal-Railroads and Electric Lines-The Mails
TRANSPORTATION
In no way can we see the century's progress better than to turn to our splendid system of turnpikes, steam and electric lines and compare them with early days of transportation and travel in the county. For a long time there were no roads at all, only the buffalo trails and Indian paths, and these zig-zagged in every direction. They were at first used by the men who opened the wilderness and were followed by the blazed ways from one settlement or town to another. As the various settlements grew and the people increased in numbers, better roads became necessary, and the settlers began to construct them. Long before the days of the turnpike came corduroy roads, which were constructed by the men and boys of the neighborhood with their axes and oxen. The men would cut down trees, split the large ones into rails and haul them with the ox teams to the worst places in the road. They would first lay brush in the road to support the logs and prevent them from sinking too deep in the mire, then place the logs and rails on top of the brush and shovel mud over them. The lack of good roads was a detriment to the settle- ment of the county. While neighbors were few and far between yet milling had to be done, and this necessity, to some extent, brought about the construc- tion of better roads than the first primitive ones but many years elapsed before these rude country roads gave way to the magnificent turnpikes which 110W reach in every direction.
As early as 1806 congress took a hand on road building in Ohio for in this year it passed an act making a road from Cumberland, in the state of Mary- land, to the state of Ohio, and it was this act which enabled Thomas Jeffer- son to become the official father of the national road.
While this famous thoroughfare did not touch Shelby county it passed through a portion of Miami and Montgomery and was the first great highway from the east to the west and did much to open up the Miami valley and its adjacent territory. It was conceived in the brain of Albert Gallatin, a Swiss, who was secretary of the treasury under Jefferson. It was to cost $7,000,000 and to reach from the Potomac to the Mississippi. It passed through the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois and was one of the most important steps in that movement of national expansion which followed this
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
www, test wi the West. The eastern division of the road at a cost of $3.000 per m'le was finished in 1817. Travel across the Alleghany mountains into the Ohio basin began and in 1825 congress authorized the extension of this great roall int ) the state. As this highway stretched westward travel ver it became tremendous anl 'n a short time vehicles of every descrip- tion crowded the new thoroughfare and its opening gave rise to many stage Tines which compete l with une an ther for the traffic. These cumbersome vehicles usually had three seats isille and could comfortably carry nine passengers. Many were .ec rate | an ] richly painted, the linings being often vi s & plush. Some were lung. unsightly affairs without springs or braces and the harness was hea y and une uth. There were fifteen-inch back bands that high bands wi ten inches and the braces were little less than loads of chams.
As to speed ten miles an hour was considere 1 ordinary and competition stage line travel was always at fever heat Toll was charged all along the 1.at. nal real ir h the first. The gate keepers were appointed by the gli'emn r and! rsrally receive l a salary of $30 a monthi.
Kyle taverns sprang into being every few miles with gaudily painted g. en ting entertamment for man and beast, and in short everywhere 2. ng the road the scenes were lively and unceasing.
Ar ol road house which may be recalled by some of the older people as thor known as Murford's tavern on the Wajakoneta pike at Anna. selen tolles birth i Sidney. It was kept by a genial cll man of the name vi Muni nl ant : in time became the place of entertainment for Sidney parties who journeyed thither to partake of his famous chicken suppers.
Shelly county now has 720 miles of turnpike roads constructed at a cost bi about $4.000 a mile. which, of course varies in different localities. The material for the making of good pikes has had to be brought from incon- venient distances for this county does not furnish good gravel enough for such uses as its gravel is commingled with too much clay to make it available.
For the year ending AAugust 31. 1911. the total expenditures on pikes was $30.396.04. nn new ones being constructed. About three miles are being constructed this summer of 1912 in Jackson and McLean townships at a cost of $12,000. The width of these pikes is forty feet much narrower than ilte ones constructel years ago. The cost is met by the county paying 50 per cent and the township and property owners 25 per cent each.
The pride i Shelby county was for many years the "St. Mary's pike" At the line bi an old road formerly projected to connect Sidney with St. Marys. This road, of excellent width, was carried on a perfectly straight line for a distance which falls short by but a few rods of thirteen miles, wholly in this county. The engineer who constructed most of the pikes in Shelby county was Davil W. Pampel, who was a useful and prominent citi- zen. became a director in the German American bank and met a tragic death in the nineties of the Big Four station as he was alighting from the cars. being crushed between the train and the platform.
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THE CANAL
The canal is older than the Christian era and has always been recog- nized as a great aid to civilization. It was employed as a means of navi- gation and communication by the Assyrians. Egyptians, Hindus and Chinese and the Royal Canal of Babylon was built more than 600 years before Christ. The first canal in the United States of any consequence was the Erie canal, 336 miles long connecting the Hudson river at Albany and Troy with Lake Erie at Buffalo. It was begun in 1817 and opened with great ceremony in 1825 at a cost of $ ;. 602.000.
The great success of the Erie canal induced the people of Ohio to begin the work of canal building for this state and the history of the struggle is one ui long continuous effort.
During the period of settlement in the Northwest. roads such as we know them now were quite as little known to the widely separated communities in Ohin as were railroads. With very few exceptions they were only widened bridle paths. improved in swampy places Wy patches of corduroy construc- tion. but almost impassable in the spring and fall. Thus in the absence of roads. overland transportation ic: trade was impracticable and productions ni any kind were of no value so long as they could not be shipped cheaply to the consumer by water. The need of cheaper communication was keenly realized from the time of the first settlement west of the great barrier. the Alleghanies. an most keenly by those situated some distance from any river Ir stream cut off from the usual modes of transportation by canoe. flatboat. "keel-boat" or "ark."
In 1817 the first resolution relating to Ohio canals was introduced into the state assembly. and the friends of the project entered. actively into the fall campaign th elect men pledgel to vote for internal improvements. and : t without success. As years went by interest in canals increased and in :830 congress debate! the Question ci granting government lands in Ohio for canal mirposes Nut all the states could view this internal improvement in Ohio as one ti national interest and Webster in his famous reply to Hayne leclared this very question. What interest has South Carolina in a canal .11 Ohio? is full of significance This was nineteen months after congress hal granted the landls to aid the Ohio and Indiana canals.
February 4. 1825. the legislature decided to construct the Ohio and Erie canal. following the oll Sci-to-Muskingum route from Cleveland to Ports- auth and the Miami canal. following the Great Miami river from Dayton to Cincinnati. It also promised to extend the Miami canal to Toledo in a few years.
The work on the Ohio and Erie commenced at once and the pay for laborers was 30 cents a day. with plain board, and a "jiggerfull of whiskey." The work on the Miami canal was not to be begun until December 1. 1831. hy legislative enactment and did not commence until 1833. The cost of this work was paid in part by land grants from the government and from Ohio and Indiana. Congress by an act approved May 24. 1828. granted to the
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state of Ohio a quantity of land equal to one-half of five sections in width on each side of the canal from Dayton to the Maumee river at the mouth of the Auglaize so far as the canal should traverse public land. The act reserved to the United States such alternate section of the land unsold, with the provision that such reserved land should not be sold at less than $2.50 per acre. The number of acres included in his grant was 438,301.32.
Indiana then conveyed land granted to her by congress for canal con- struction, March 2, 1827. as lay within Ohio, if the latter would build the Wabash and Erie canal from the Indiana state line to Lake Erie. Ohio then received further grants from congress by act of May 24, 1828, of 500,000 acres of government land for canal purposes. These three land grants gave to Ohio a total of 1.230.521.95 acres of land to be sold for the aid of her canals. The state has sold most of these lands for $2,257,487.32 and has remaining, principally within the limits of the Grand Reservoir, land worth perhaps $100,000.
The Wabash and Erie canal was completed in 1842, being 67.75 miles long from its junction with the Miami extension canal to Toledo and having a water surface width of 60 feet, a bottom width of 46 feet, and a depth of 6 feet.
The Miami Extension canal was completed three years later, 1845, and was 114 miles long. 5 feet deep, 36 feet wide at the bottom, and 5 feet wide at the top.
A little later navigation also began on the Miami canal and on November 28, 1837, three boats crowded with citizens, left the basin six miles north of Cincinnati and proceeded to Middletown with the most perfect success. The progress of the boats was about three miles an hour, including locks and other detentions.
In 1841 the Miami and Erie canal was completed to Dayton, which. place remained the head of navigation six years when the canal was completed to Piqua. This afforded cheap transportation to Cincinnati. It was found to be the very thing the people needed and they were not slow to take advan- tage of it.
By an act of the legislature March 14, 1849, the three canals previously known as the Miami canal, the Miami Extension canal, and the Wabash and Erie became known as the Miami and Erie canal, and so it has remained to this day. It is impossible to state the value of this canal to the country through which it passes. The whole length of the Miami and Erie canal, including 32 miles of feeders, is about 300 miles and cost $8,062,680.80.
The gifts of land by the state greatly reduced the cost to the taxpayers.
The income from canals in Ohio is about $130,000 annually and in 1912 it will amount to $150,000.
It was not until the completion of reservoirs or feeders that the canal entered upon the era of its greatest prosperity. For many years it was the means of transportation and travel. The worth of the canal was soon appar- ent to every one. Shortly after it was put in operation wheat advanced in price and before 1840 merchandise was brought from New York City to
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Dayton by the all water route of 1, 100 miles in 20 days at a cost of $17.25 a ton.
The route followed the Erie canal to Buffalo, the lake to Cleveland, the Ohio canal to Portsmouth, the Ohio river to Cincinnati, and the Miami canal to Dayton. The "canal counties" at once took the lead in industrial and agricultural growth, a lead they never lost as today these thirty of the eighty- eight counties contain fifty-two per cent of the state's population.
A dam was constructed in Logan county across the Miami river and a reservoir of several thousand acres formed and another dam at Port Jeffer- son across the Miami turning a part of the water into a feeder, nine miles long, which runs through Sidney and enters the main canal at Lockington, being entirely within Shelby county. Port Jefferson, at the head of the feeder, cherished bright prospects and saw in mind's eye a flourishing city but the advent of railways dissipated its hopes.
THE MAILS
The transportation of the mails in the early days of Shelby county was poor and primitive. When one considers the mail service of the present day, the fast mail trains, the free rural delivery, the commodious postoffices and other mail faculties enjoyed by the people, a comparison with the old mail service provokes a smile.
There was but little correspondence before the introduction of steam for it required days to get a letter through to its destinations; postage stamps had not come into use, but the amount of postage due was written on the outside of the letter. The old fashioned letters were written on a single sheet and so folded as to form the envelope. The address, was placed on the blank page, a stick of red sealing wax held over the flame of a candle and a bit of the heated substance dropped upon the fold and allowed to cool. Now and then the writer if she were a young lady, would stamp the impres- sion of her ring on the wax and the letter was ready to post. Mucilage then was unknown. If two sheets of paper were used the postage was doubled. Thus you can see how necessary it was to have the power to condense.
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