History of Stark County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 59

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1060

USA > Ohio > Stark County > History of Stark County, with an outline sketch of Ohio > Part 59

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The well known concern. the Canton Cutlery Company, is busily at work turning out the fine eutlery for the production of which it is desery- edly so widely noted. The line of goods here made embraces a great variety of pocket cutlery of approved styles and the most perfect finish. While so many other establishments have retro-

graded in the quality of their product and food- ed the market with cheap and well-nigh worth- less goods, the company under notice have strictly adhered to their original standard quali- ty, using only the best Jessup's steel and em- ploying the most skillful workmen. Hence they can safely warrant all their goods to be of uni- form and superior quality. These works have been in operation since 1872. and are now pro- ducing about $35,000 worth of goods annually. employing thirty five hands and three traveling salesmen.

One of the prominent and thriving indus- tries of Canton is the manufacture of soap, which business is prosecuted on a large scale by Mr. Joseph Biechele, successor to the firm of (. Biechele & Bro. This establishment was founded by (. Biechele, in 1847, and the busi- ness was carried on in a small way until 1858. Meanwhile, the reputation of the fine quality of Biechele's soaps had rapidly spread. and the steadily increasing demand therefor necessi- tated the enlargement of the works and the improvement of their manufacturing facilities. Consequently, in 1858, a larger factory was erected, modern appliances were introduced. and at the same time the present proprietor became a partner in the concern. The works were successfully operated for about ten years by C. Biechele & Bro., when, in 1868, Joseph bought out the interest of his brother, thus becoming sole proprietor. The constantly growing popularity and sale of his product called for another enlargement of the works, which was accomplished in the year following. New kettles, steam boilers and all other ap- proved conveniences were adopted, having in view the rapid and economical production of the several famous brands of soap made here. By this means, Mr. Biechele found himself able to successfully compete, in regard to both quality and price, with the largest soap manu- facturers of Chicago, Cincinnati, Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia, and his trade expanded steadily over a wide area of territory, both East and West. It has been his undeviating aim and purpose to make the best soap that can be produced by the exercise of constant care, skill and long practical experience, and hence he uses only the best selected materials to be obtained, employs thoroughly trained workmen, and conduets every manufacturing operation under painstaking personal super-

340

HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY.

vision. Herein lies the secret of his marked success. Mr. Biechele is not content with hay- ing established a far-reaching reputation for the excellence of his goods, and then, as is too often the case, gradually deteriorating the quality, with the vain expectation that former fame will serve in lieu of present merit ; but, on the contrary. his laudable endeavor is to produce better soap to-day than it was possible for him to make yesterday, and thus to main- tain for all time the credit his goods have so honorably achieved.

Mr. Biechele is now manufacturing some twenty different brands of laundry soaps, the leading of which are the California, Pure White, White Laundry, Pearl, Best Family and Banner. These well-known brands find ready sale throughout the country, and, indeed, the demand so rapidly increases as to render the present capacity of the works too small to meet it. This being the situation, arrange- ments are making to enlarge the factory next spring, whereby its producing capacity will be materially increased. The present dimensions of the building are 150 by 52 feet, and it will he enlarged to 175 by 100 feet. two stories high. Biechele's Pure White Soap is strictly pure, and manufactured chiefly from vegetable oils, giving it medicinal properties. It is ex- cellent for both toilet and laundry purposes. His Magie Soap is highly commended, and will do its work well without the use of a wash- board, if directions are followed. The toilet soaps made at this establishment are noted for their fine quality and delicate perfume. Among these are the Palm, Domestic White and Mot- tled Castile, Magnolia. White Lily, Turkish Bath, Glycerine, etc. Four traveling agents are constantly employed in selling Biechele's soaps, which have become the favorite of every good housekeeper over a vast area of territory.

Canton boasts, also, of two woolen mills, which, though not so pretentious as some of the larger mills in the East, do a domestic busi- ness quite as important for people in this part of the country. The Canton City Woolen Fac- tory of L. Alexander & Son is one of these. They manufacture cassimeres, satinets, cloths, jeans, flannels, blankets, stocking yarn and all kinds of woolen goods. They use a thirty horse- power engine in propelling their machinery ; ten hands are regularly employed at a weekly expense of $100. Their trade, already large,

is constantly on the increase, and is derived mainly from Stark and the adjoining counties. The other is the Eagle Woolen Mill of Robbins Brothers, which furnishes employment to some twenty persons, whose aggregate wages is about $300 per month. This firm works two sets of machinery, and use the self-acting spinning mules. They manufacture goods about like the other mill. and, besides a large home trade, they find good sale for their goods in the West, to which part of the country they ship a good many of them.

There are also two box factories here in active operation. The one run by Mr. J. C. Lantz, with a force of twelve workmen. They manu facture wooden boxes, largely for the Bieehele Soap Works, bec-hives and faucets. This estab- lishment is in a flourishing condition. The other establishment, of Mr. Charles E. Wrigley, manufactures paper boxes exclusively, in mak- ing which they are now consuming about a ton of paper a week. lle employs seven hands. lle makes all the packing boxes for the mal- leable iron works in Canton, and one thousand every week for a druggist firm in Louisville, Ohio. The malleable iron works just referred to is a new concern, but recently located in Canton. These works are under the firm of Ebel, Gilliom & Co., and do an extensive busi- ness. They already employ, though in oper- ation here only a few months, over one hundred and fifty hands, and are continually increasing their force. When they get into full operation. they will employ two hundred and fifty. They are at present paying their hands about $1,500 a week. This establishment manufactures all kinds of saddlery hardware, which they sell im- mediately to wholesale jobbers.

Among Canton industries, prominent and well established, is the paper mill of Bachert. Silk & Co. This mill has been in existence for about a quarter of a century, and has been un- der its present management for seventeen years past. The original structure, which was a two- story brick building, 33x100 feet, has been en- larged. until now it covers an area of 150 feet square, and contains two stories and a basement. They manufacture every kind of manila, wrap- ping, tea and tissue paper. The capacity of the works is about three tons per day. They employ thirty-five hands, with a monthly pay roll of $1.200 per month. Their paper goes to the Cleveland Paper Company at Cleveland and

CANTON TOWNSHIP.

Chicago. This firm stands among the most re- liable in Canton, and is doing a very satisfact- ory and successful business.

There are many other branches of business carried on in Canton, which, though apparently small when viewed in detail, do a great part toward promoting the success of Canton's in- dustries. As a sample we may here remark. that not less than fifty hands are employed in making cigars by the different manufacturers in the city. So too, it is in many other branches of trade.

From the above exhibit of the multiplicity and varied character of the manufacturing in- terests in this city, growing up and strengthen- ing themselves under many adverse prospects in the past, there now appears glorious promise for rapid growth and increase in future, inas- much as Canton, naturally so well situated for building up and fostering manufacturing inter- ests, will soon be in commercial communication with all parts of the country by means of the several railroads about centering in this city.

But the business importance of Canton, even at this time, is not to be seen alone in her varied manufacturing interests. Her wholesale and retail establishments, in every line of trade, are worthy also of consideration. Our space will not permit us to notice them all in detail, and we will. therefore, be compelled to notice only a few of the older establishments in different branches of business. There are several wholesale houses doing each of them an extensive trade. Promi- nent among them is the wholesale grocery house of B. Dannemiller & Sons. There are few houses in any large metropolis which for extent, con- venience and fullness of stock are superior to that of this enterprising firm, as the following sketch will set forth : This business was origi- nally founded by Kimball Brothers; and, in 1869, the present firm succeeded them. at 36 South Market street, and subsequently removed to the corner of Market and Tuscarawas streets. Their trade steadily increased in volume, until it was found necessary to secure more commno- dious quarters. Accordingly, last year the firm erected the present elegant and spacious brick building on Market and Fifth streets, very eligibly located, having a frontage of 30 feet on Market street, 140 feet on Fifth street, and a wing 50 feet deep in the rear. There are four floors in one department and five in the other. fitted up with every convenience for the storage

and handling of the immense stock of goods here carried. One of Crane Brothers' (Chicago) improved elevators, with a capacity of 3,000 pounds, 6x7 feet in size, runs from the base ment to the top floor, rendering each depart- ment equally accessible. Having windows on three sides, ample light is admitted to all the rooms, so that not a single gas jet is needed until some time after sunset.

There are entrances on both streets into the fine, large office and sample room, measuring 28x30 feet. tastefully fitted up, and lighted by six French plate-glass windows. The stock comprises a full line of general groceries, wooden ware, brooms, cigars, tobaccos, teas, coffees, canned goods, sugars, sirups, oils, soaps, fish, candies, crackers, and everything else usually carried in an establishment of this character.

W. A. McCrea's wholesale house of small wares, the only one of the kind between Pitts- burgh and Chicago, does, perhaps, the next busi- ness to Dannemillers, in Canton. This estah- lishment is in the Herbruck and Kaufman block. on East Tuscarawas street. Mr. McCrea's trade lies principally in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and five traveling salesmen are regularly employed by him. He carries a stock of about $35,000 and his annual sales aggregate $120,000. with a healthy increase from year to year. Besides these wholesale establishments, there are three wholesale liquor stores in Canton, all doing a good business, viz. : the stores of L. J. Miday & Co., in their own handsome three-story brick building erected last year on North Market street, with annual sales amounting to $65.000 : of Schalm Brothers, on north side of East Tus- carawas street, with annual sales amounting to $75,000 ; and of Mr. S. Bear, who opened his store in the Wernet Building, south side of East Tuscarawas street, and is also doing a thriving business. The retail business in dry goods. groceries, clothing, drugs, furniture, boots and shoes, ete., is also fully represented in the city. Among the many only a few can be noticed briefly here : As far back as the year 1815. Mr. Jacob Rex started a tailor shop in the pres- ent Rex Building, corner of Tuscarawas and Rex streets. Mr. John P. Rex learned the trade with his father, and in 1840 succeeded him in the business, which has been continued on the old site ever since. The boot and shoe firm of J. C. Bockius' Sons is one of the oklest estah. lished houses of the kind in Ohio, perhaps the

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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY.

very oldest. Mr. J. C. Bockius, the father of the present proprietors, opened a shoe shop on the 5th of May. 1820, in an old frame building which stood on the site of the court house. This building was removed, with the shop, in 1822. to the site of the Bockins property on South Market street. In 1836. it was moved one lot north, and in 1845 back again, where the brick building now stands. In 1836, the first stock of Eastern machine-made boots and shoes were brought to Canton by Mr. Bockius, and these goods were then quite a novelty. Previous to that time. men would go to the tannery, buy their own leather and then have shoes made for the whole family by the shoemaker. Shoemak- ers were then scarce, and as all the work was done by hand it was necessarily slow : some- times there would so many orders on the books that families would have to wait as long as four or five months for their shoes. To avoid such delay, many persons were accustomed to order a supply some months before they were actually needed. The introduction of shoes from the East already made. therefore. wrought quite a revolution in the business. In 1851. Mr. Bockius bought the ground upon which the store is now located. on the east side of the pub- lie square and erected the three-story brick build- ing in which it is. In October. 1848. Mr. L. V. Bockius, and in 1870. Mr. Ed. Bockius became members of the firm, and after their father's death only a few years since. they continued the business. Mr. E. Bockins' death, this spring, left the elder brother. L. V. Bockius, as sole surviv- ing partner. Three persons are given constant employment on custom work, and four are em- ployed as clerks in the store. The stock car- ried along varies from $8,000 to $10,000, and about $25,000 worth of goods are sold annually. In the dry goods line, John Schilling, identified with the business in Canton since 1846 ; Zollars & Co .. of which firm Mr. Zollars has been en- gaged in this line of trade for some thirty years and more, and A. Herbruck. for twenty years associated with Mr. Schilling. and since 1874 doing business in his own name, deserve hon- orable mention. Zollar's store was for many years before 1846. and afterward on its present site, conducted by Mr. Isaac Harter, deceased, a man of great business capacity, administra- tive ability and the strictest integrity. Mr. Zollars, a young man of limited means, entered his store in 1846; in the year 1852, he was

taken into the business as a partner ; Mr. Har- ter sold out his interest to Samuel Bard in 1862, who only remained eighteen months in the new firm, when Mr. Zollars succeeded to the entire business. In 1865, Mr. Peter Barlet was taken in as a partner, and he has been in the firm ever since. Mr. Harter, soon after re- tiring from the dry goods business, went into the banking business, and was the founder of one of the safest and best conducted banking institutions in the State of Ohio. Strict in tegrity and honorable dealing made Mr. Har- ter's name respected and his bank a trusted one far and wide. To his credit he it said, no trust reposed in him was over betrayed. His sons, since his death, have continued the banking business upon the same substantial basis, as that upon which their honored father built up an established business and a fair fortune. Zol- lars & Co's, store employs seven clerks, and they do an immense business, which is yearly increasing. Besides dealing in dry goods and carpets, in which his sales amount to $30,000 annually, Mr. A. Herbruck also engages in wholesaling timothy and clover seed, of which he handles about $30.000 worth every year. Mr. Schilling carries a full line of dry goods, is widely and favorably known all over Stark County and is doing a thriving business. He is a safe business man, and from an humble clerk in V. R. Kimball's thirty-five years ago, he has gone gradually onward and upward. un- til now he ranks among the best and most suc- cessful business men of the city. The jewelry establishment of Mr. Joseph A. Meyer's is one of the oldest business houses now remaining in Canton. Mr. Meyer himself is of old pioneer stock. and is highly respected by all who know him socially or in business. His establishment was originally started in 1837, by Mr Samuel ( Fry, who sold out to Mr. Meyer in 1858. Ile carries a full assortment of watches, clocks, solid and plated ware, spectacles and jewelry of all kinds. Mr. M. Ruhman, still doing business in the Harter Block, is the pioneer merchant in ready-made clothing. Ile com- menced his business in Canton, nearly on his present site, in the year 1851, and in his thirty years' residence in Canton has built up a char- acter for honesty and fair dealing among a wide circle of friends and customers. These are brief sketches only of some of the estab- lishments which started business in Canton

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CANTON TOWNSHIP.

when it was yet a village, and before it began to put on the habiliments and airs of a city. With the development of the rich resources of the surrounding country, and the growth of the town, business has multiplied an hundred-fold, and Canton's trade in every branch of mercan- tile business has kept pace with the demands of the times. There is probably not a city of the same size in the West. whose business is in every respect upon so sound and firm a basis ; and when. in panieky times, business houses all over the land have been going by the board by the thousands, searcely a ripple of the wave of destruction has been felt among the business firms of l'anton.

As the manufacturing and mercantile inter- ests have become so varied and so extensive, exchange and banking facilities were naturally demanded by the business interests of the growing town. Notice has already been taken of the first bank in primitive times. This was re- suscitated in after years, and served the public necessity for a long period. Incidentally also the starting of the First National Bank and of Mr. Isaac Harter's Savings Deposit Bank has been mentioned. For many years the Stark County Bank of Mr. James A. Saxton did a good work in meeting the needs of the public, with these other banks. In later years. Mr. George D. Harter started his bank, on Tuscara- was street, east of the public square, which from the first received the confidence of the people. The Farmers' Bank was started a few years ago, and is also upon a substantial fonn- dation, and doing a good business. A year or two since, the City Bank of Canton, which had done business a little while, and then dissolved by the mutual agreement of the stockholders. was again started up under a new management. as the City National Bank, with Dr. P. H. Barr, the popular druggist in the old and well-estab- lished drug store of Dr. C. J. Geiger, deceased, as President, and Henry C. Ellison, a former Auditor of Stark County. as Cashier. Thus Canton is supplied with five banks at this time, all in good condition, and doing an extensive business.

From 1852 until within the past two or three years, the only shipping facilities enjoyed by the merchants and manufacturers of this city were furnished by the Pittsburgh. Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad, which were for the most part not as liberal to her interests, nor. as one

would think, to the interests of the company itself, as the good of a growing city, with well- established and successfully conducted busi- ness, and in the midst of resources which gave promise of much grander development and in- creased importance, seemed to demand. Com- petition is said to be the life of trade, and probably railroads, as well as other branches of business, are all the better for a little healthy competition. But the dawn of a better day in this regard also, is breaking upon the business interests of Canton. She already enjoys the advantages of cheap coal and cheap living, and the chief remaining factor to secure increased success to her industries, in the way of cheap transportation. is rapidly being provided. Already the effect of the opening of the Valley Railroad to Akron and Cleveland, in the begin- ning of the year 1880, is favorably felt. This road had been projected several years before, and was pushed chiefly by capitalists of Cleve- land; but the citizens of Akron and Canton did not fail to appreciate the benefits which would accrue to themselves in its construction, and they, in company with the people of other smaller towns along the line of the road, gave a helping hand. until at last it was, after the usual delays, trials and tribulations, an accom- plished fact. Since its operation, it has been doing good business, much better, indeed, than most new roads at so early a period in their history. What it needs now to insure its greater benefit to both stockholders and the people on the line of the road is an extension southward from Canton to bring it into connec- tion with the coal and iron of the southern por- tion of the State. This undoubtedly will soon also be accomplished. So far as Canton is concerned, the Valley road has already brought the business transportation of the city away from the monopoly of the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad Company, and this last-named corporation now gives better terms to shippers than ever before. The Valley Rail- road has located the main passenger and freight depots near the crossing of the Fort Wayne road, in the southwestern part of the city, but recently. for the convenience of passengers, a meat and commodious passenger depot has been fitted up on West Tuscarawas street, which makes it more convenient for passengers from the hotels and the greater part of town than the main depot. The Connotton Valley Rail-

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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY.

way Company continued its road last year to Canton, and it has been completed this year already to Kent, and before the end of the sea- son will probably be in full running order to Cleveland. But the railroad history is more fully given in another chapter of this work.

A late writer says of the people's social life : The citizens of Canton are not given to dis- play. They are a quiet, order-loving people. None of them have a boastful spirit. It might be well for the town if some of its people were : given to " blowing their own horn." But they do not seem to be so inclined. Hence we feel assured that the subjoined statisties of indus- trial enterprise here for the year 1879 are within proper limits :

Employes. Product.

C. Aultman & Co ..

.550

$2,000,000

Diebold Safe & Lock fo ..

.250

1,000.000

Wrought Iron Bridge Co.

150

500,000

Canton Steel Works

140 400.000

(. Russell & Co.

275,000

J. Biechele. .

180,000

Canton Spring Works,

135,000

Bucher. Gibbs & Co

125.000

Whitman & Barnes Mfg Co.

70,000

Novelty Iron Works.

65,000

A. Ball & Co ..

50,000

E. E. Miller & Co.

50,000

Canton Cutlery Co.

35,000

John Danner.

30,000

H. W. Werts & Co.

30,000

Canton Saw Works.

30,000

J Dick & Bro.

10,000

Ftouring Mills.

900,000

Woolen Mills.

350.000

Brewery interest.

100.000

Minor Establishments

995

275,000

Lumber yards

225.000

Grand total. .2058 $6.830,000

We may add that upon personal inquiry we find the above figures far below the actnal facts, at this present time, in many of these establish- ments, as they are probably in nearly all of them. In the above table, for instance, the Peerless Reaper Company, which appears as C. Russell & Co., in 1879, employed only seventy , hands, and put out $275,000 worth of work. Last year, they had eighty hands, and built over fifteen hundred of their popular machines, and were unable to supply the demand. This year, their working force has been increased to 125 hands ; they intend making, the present season, 2,500 machines, and the value of their production will not fall short of $375.000, an increase in two years of nearly 50 per cent.

A very large increase of working force and of manufactured material has also been made the present year, by the Aultman Co., by the Diebold Lock & Safe Co., by the Bucher & Gibbs Plow shops, and doubtless in nearly all the other establishments. In few or none, on the other hand, has there been any decrease, showing a constantly increasing demand for Canton manufactures.

A very satisfactory test of the business im- portance of a place to those who are interested in statistics and figures is furnished by the post office transactions. For the following facts in this line we are indebted to Mr. Charles S. Cock, Deputy Postmaster of Canton. The money order department of this office amount- ed to over $50,000, and the postal receipts to more than $20.000, leaving a net revenue to the Postal Department of the country of $15,000. This shows an increase over the previous year of nearly 25 per cent. Thirty thousand, or thereabouts, three-cent stamps and stamped envelopes are sold now per month, 12,000 or 15,000 postal cards and 20,000 one-cent envel- opes are also sold each month, mainly to the business and manufacturing firms of the city ; the demand is constantly increasing. It is es- timated that the receipts in the post office bus- iness of the city proper will be this year sev- eral thousand dollars in advance of last year. This is certainly a good showing, and will secure for the city a free delivery within a very short period of time.

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History of Stark County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 59

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey Number of Pages: 1060

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1060