USA > Ohio > Montgomery County > Dayton > History of the city of Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio, Volume I > Part 65
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98
But the 3Ist was the great day of the celebration. General Thomas J. Wood was the commander-in-chief. The procession formed about ten o'clock, and the line of march was as follows: Commencing at the intersection of Main and Fifth streets, proceeding north on Main to Water street, west on Water to Wilkinson. south to Fifth, east to Bainbridge, north to Third, west to Jefferson, north to First, west to Main, north to the monument, and countermarch to Fifth, where the column was dismissed.
This parade was a grand affair. The Seventh Regiment band marched at its head, and was followed by the Veteran Old Guard and the Junior Old Guard. commanded by Colonel Patrick O'Connell. Next came General Thomas J. Wood, commander-in-chief, and staff, and accompanied by Governor Hoadly and staff. Following them the G. A. R. posts, commanded by Vice-Department-Commander Brown; then the regimental organizations, commanded by Colonel E. A. Parrott ; then the various societies in full dress, uniformed rank of the Knights of Pythias, Dayton, Iola, and Humboldt divisions, commanded by Captain Peter Weidner; Knights of St. George, of Emanual and Trinity churches ; the Catholic Cadets, 'A. O. H., and labor organizations; a line of infantry and carriages. followed by ex-President Hayes, General J. R. Hawley, Hon. G. W. Houk, Hon. Samuel Craighead, Judge Henderson Elliott, Hon. John A. McMahon, W. D. Bickham, Colonel C. Williams, Justice Stanley Matthews, General W. S. Rosecrans, General R. P. Kennedy, Captain Earnshaw, and John W. Stoddard.
The speeches were made in the afternoon. The grand stand contained the above-named persons and others. Hon. S. Craighead introduced the Hon. G. W. Houk, who delivered the monument to the people. Governor Hoadly followed in
608
DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY
a response, accepting the monument. A song was sung entitled "Peace to their ashes, their graves are our pride." This song was composed by Mrs. John Hancock, and the music was composed by Professor Blumenschein, both espe- cially for the occasion. Colonel E. A. Parrott then delivered an oration, and the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" was sung. Then followed the oration of the day by General Joseph R. Hawley. General Hawley spoke of the virtues that are or may be promoted by the military life. Other speeches were made by General Rose- crans, ex-President Hayes, Hon. John Sherman, and General Robert P. Kennedy, and the exercises closed with the singing of the song "America."
An unpleasant incident of the occasion was the refusal of the veil to be lifted from its place about the statue. A steeple climber was soon secured who by throwing ropes about the shaft was able to climb to the place of difficulty and free the veil, which he did amid the cheers of the assembled multitude.
The foregoing account of the monument is largely condensed from Mr. Steele's excellent description.
CHAPTER XIX.
MANUFACTURES.
THE BARNEY AND SMITH CAR COMPANY-THE GLOBE IRON WORKS-THE BUCKEYE IRON AND BRASS WORKS-THE THRESHER VARNISH COMPANY-THE BROWNELL COMPANY-CRAWFORD, MC GREGOR AND CANBY COMPANY-THE W. P. CALLAHAN COMPANY-THE CHARLES A. P. BARRETT COMPANY-THE LOWE BROTHERS COM- PANY-THE KUHNS BROTHERS FOUNDRY-THE OHIO RAKE COMPANY-THE DAY- TON SUPPLY COMPANY-THE CANBY, ACH AND CANBY COMPANY-THE OHIO FOUNDRY COMPANY-THE GEM CITY STOVE COMPANY-THE COFFIELD MOTOR WASHER COMPANY-THE OHMER FARE REGISTER COMPANY-THE REYNOLDS AND REYNOLDS COMPANY-THE DAVIS SEWING MACHINE COMPANY-THE DAYTON MALLEABLE IRON COMPANY-THE F. A. REQUARTH COMPANY-THE DAYTON BREWERIES COMPANY-THE SEYBOLD MACHINE COMPANY-THE COOPER HEATER COMPANY-THE PASTEUR-CHAMBERLAND COMPANY-THE KINNARD MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY-THE DAYTON FRICTION TOY WORKS-THE JOYCE-CRIDLAND COMPANY-THE MORRIS WOODHULL COMPANY-THE EGRY REGISTER COMPANY- THE NATIONAL CASH REGISTER COMPANY-THE PLATT IRON WORKS COMPANY- THE C. W. RAYMOND COMPANY-THE DAYTON MANUFACTURING COMPANY-THE BEAVER SOAP COMPANY- THE NEW ERA GAS ENGINE COMPANY- THE DAYTON RUBBER MANUFACTURING COMPANY-THE KRAMER BROTHERS FOUNDRY COM- PANY-THE COMPUTING SCALE COMPANY-THE AETNA PAPER COMPANY-THE REYNOLDS "AERTITE" CARTON COMPANY-THE MERCANTILE CORPORATION-THE RICE ELECTRIC DISPLAY COMPANY-THE SPEEDWELL MOTOR CAR COMPANY-THE DAYTON MOTOR CAR COMPANY-MANUFACTURING AND MECHANICAL TRADES- WORLD LEADERS-INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATIONS.
Dayton as a manufacturing city ranks in the state of Ohio next after Cleveland and Cincinnati. In no city of the country is the tradition of manufacturing deeper and stronger. The account of manufacturing from its beginnings forward has been given in connection with the account of the general growth of the city. It remains here to give sketches of some of the manufacturing establishments of the city from the standpoint of their present developed condition and propor- tions, with glimpses of their early beginnings.
One who examines the great and manifold industries of the city will be surprised at the extent to which they are indigenous to the city-the product of
609
610
DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Dayton ideas. promoted by Dayton enterprise and sustained by the solid character, as well as by the capital, of Dayton people. Some large establishments that were in operation elsewhere have relocated in Dayton and have grown and prospered in their new location, but the most of the factories of the city have been built upon new ideas and have grown, with the growth of the city, from small begin- nings to their present proportions.
The extent of the manufacture of machinery to be used in equipping fac- tories elsewhere is a special matter of surprise, making prominent as it does the invention and initiative side in the life and activities of the people.
The historical sketches that follow have been largely influenced by the general aim to bring out as much as possible of the history of the city rather than to describe manufacturing establishments for their own sake. In some cases the failure to secure necessary data has led to the passing by of manufactories merit- ing prominent recognition.
THE BARNEY AND SMITH CAR COMPANY.
The history of the Barney and Smith Car Company is one full of interesting detail dating, as it does, from the advent of the steam railroad into the territory west of the Alleghenies, and its progress was contemporaneous with that of the steam railroad.
To undertake a detailed narrative of the company through its wonderful career of almost sixty years, would fill volumes and would be beyond the object of this sketch which is intended to be only a brief narrative of the establishment of the company and the continuity of the personnel from the inception down to the present time.
It is interesting to note that at the time the car works was established, Dayton was a town of ten thousand inhabitants. Today authentic reports place it at one hundred and twenty-five thousand. In 1849 there was no steam railroad en- tering the town of Dayton. The Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad has been built between Sandusky and Springfield and the grading of the road was in prog- ress between Springfield and Dayton but it was not until two years later-1851- that the road was open for operation to Dayton.
The question naturally arises, how did it happen that a car works was located at Dayton, a town without a railroad ?
Dayton has always been noted for its industrial advantages, which were made possible by its excellent water power furnished by its hydraulic canals, and the founders of the institution foreseeing the future development of the railroads and perceiving their need of car equipment, determined to enter into the car manufacturing business, and concluded that Dayton with its facilities for water power, and its central location must of necessity, prove an advantageous point for a car factory.
It is also of some interest to note that the first cars built in this institution, there being no railroad entering the town, were loaded on canal boats and taken down to the Ohio river and by means of barges and steam boats, transported to the nearest rail connection to their destination.
BARNEY & SMITH CAR WORKS
613
DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY
By honest and conscientious work, careful attention to details and liberality of spirit in dealing with railroads, the company early acquired a reputation which it enjoys to this day.
The car works were established in 1849, by Eliam E. Barney and Ebenezer Thresher, both mutually interested in the enterprise.
A sketch of the life of Mr. Barney will be found in the second volume. In Dayton, Mr. Barney was employed in teaching first in the old Dayton academy, and then in a private school. He then operated a sawmill, and afterward had charge of the Dayton female academy, before entering on his career as a manu- facturer.
Ebenezer Thresher was born in Stafford, Connecticut, August 31, 1798. He came west in 1845 by way of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, as far as Cumber- land, Maryland, thence over the mountains by stage to the Ohio river,-thence by boat to Cincinnati. At Covington, Kentucky, across the river opposite Cincinnati, he found an old friend in Dr. R. E. Pattison, whom he had known in Providence, Rhode Island. After visiting there, he was induced by some reason to go to Day- ton, Ohio, located on the Miami and Erie canal. As he approached the town of Dayton, he fell into conversation with a fellow traveler, Mr. Samuel Forrer, who . was well known at that time as an engineer of public works, and who resided in Dayton, from whom Mr. Thresher obtained a favorable impression of Dayton as a good town in which to locate. The town had been incorporated as a city four years before (1841). The hydraulic canal for water purposes was completed the same year (1845) in which Mr. Thresher came to Dayton. Mr. Thresher, whose health was impaired, hoping by physical and open air exercise to recover it, purchased from Mr. Barney, in 1845, his sawmill on Wayne avenue. About four years after coming to Dayton (1849), Mr. Thresher purchased from the Cooper estate, some land on the northeastern border of the city, east of Keowee street and opposite the head of Monument avenue. In the meantime, Mr. Thresher had retired from the sawmill business, and Mr. Barney, who was thinking of re- tiring from the work of teaching, formed a co-partnership for carrying on a manufacturing business, with a capital of ten thousand dollars. Thus in the year 1849, was established the business of the present The Barney and Smith Car Company.
The style of the firm name was "Thresher, Packard & Company." Mr. Barney was a partner from the outset, but having a year yet to serve at the Cooper Aca- demy, it was agreed for the time being he should be a silent partner. At the end of Mr. Barney's term with the seminary, his silent partnership in the firm became an active one and about this time (1850), Mr. Packard retired and re- turned east. The firm name was then changed to "E. Thresher & Company."
About this time the firm had brought from the east, four men who were skilled mechanics in their respective lines, Messrs. Woodsum, Tenney, Leland and Tower-Mr. Woodsum having charge of the wood working shops; Mr. Tenney having charge of the blacksmith shop; Mr. Leland having charge of the machine shop and Mr. Tower having charge of the paint shop. The first two mentioned, Messrs. Woodsum and Tenney, while their names do not appear in the firm name, were in later years financially interested in the establishment.
614
DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY
In 1854, Mr. Thresher's health having again failed, he sold out his interest to Caleb Parker, whom he had known well in Roxbury, Massachusetts, and retired. Mr. Thresher died January 12, 1886. The firm name then became "Barney, Parker & Company." and so continued for ten years, until 1864, when Mr. Par- ker retired, selling his interest to Preserved Smith; the firm nanie then being changed to "Barney, Smith and Company" and continued so until May 16, 1865, when it became incorporated as "The Barney and Smith Manufacturing Com- pany" with an authorized capital stock of five hundred thousand dollars. The directors of the company were: E. E. Barney, Preserved Smith, J. D. Platt, E. J. Barney and A. F. Stevens. The officers were : President, Eliam E. Barney ; Vice-President and Treasurer, Preserved Smith; Secretary, J. D. Platt : Su- perintendent, Eugene J. Barney.
On June 20, 1872, the capital stock of the company was increased to seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
Following 1872 and before 1906, changes were made at intervals in the board directors and in the officers of the company, but the management was kept for the most part within the original circle of owners or operators or their natural successors. In 1900 E. J. Barney retired as president and was succeeded by J. D. Platt, who continued as president until 1908, when he was succeeded by A. M. Kittredge, who had been vice-president since 1900.
On April 10, 1906, a special meeting of stockholders was held and a resolu- tion adopted increasing the capital stock of the company to four million, five hun - dred thousand dollars, divided into two million, five hundred thousand preferred and two million dollars common stock.
At the annual stockholders' meeting of June 5, 1906, H. M. Estabrook was elected a director, the board of directors then consisting of E. J. Barney, J. D. Platt, A. M. Kittredge, H. M. Estabrook, George B. Cox, Joseph Rawson, W. H. Doane, Walter St. John Jones and Vachel W. Anderson.
The following officers were elected: President, J. D. Platt; Vice-President, A. M. Kittredge ; Second Vice-President and General Superintendent, H. M. Esta- brook; Secretary and Treasurer, J. F. Kiefaber; Assistant Secretary and Treas- urer, E. A. Oblinger ; Assistant Superintendent, P. W. Klinger and Purchasing Agent, H. R. Viot. The present board of directors is the same as in 1906 with the exception that George B. Cox retired and his place as a director was taken by H. M. Wilson, who is also one of the two vice-presidents.
Following the general plan to notice the men prominent in shaping the history of the city we may notice the careers of two additional persons connected with the car works.
Caleb Parker was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, September 19, 1803. He enjoyed the simple advantages offered by the district school. He taught school at West Roxbury, but in 1828 became a grocer and later was elected to the house of representatives, where he served one term.
In 1854 he came west to Ohio and located in Dayton and became associated with Mr. E. E. Barney in the car business, the name of the firm then being "Bar- ney, Parker and Company." In 1864 he retired from the firm selling his in- terest to Mr. Preserved Smith. Mr. Parker served without compensation as
615
DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY
superintendent of schools in Dayton from July, 1866, to April, 1868. Mr. Parker died November 29, 1885.
When the handsome new school building was erected in 1904, on the south- west corner of First and St. Clair streets, the board of education paid fitting tribute to his memory as well as to that of Mr. F. W. Parker of the Normal school by designating this building as "Parker School," by which name it is now known.
Preserved Smith was born in Warwick, Massachusetts, April 17, 1820, being the son of Rev. Preserved Smith, an Episcopal rector. Mr. Smith was educated in the common schools with one year of the academy, and at the age of fifteen years he became a dry goods clerk in Boston, remaining in that position for four years. Mr. Smith came to Ohio in 1839, first locating at Cincinnati, and then he went to Troy, Ohio, as a merchant. In 1856 he located in Dayton as the finan- cial manager of the Dayton and Michigan railroad. He held this position during the panic of 1857 and largely by his efforts the road was finally completed. In 1864 the road was leased to the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railway Com- pany, at which time Mr. Smith retired. Upon leaving the railroad Mr. Smith bought, in 1864, the interest of Caleb Parker in the car works and the firm name was changed to "Barney, Smith and Company." On January 22, 1877, Mr. Smith retired from the company, selling a portion of his interest to Frederick E. Smith.
Mr. Preserved Smith died January 21, 1887.
The main part of the great plant is located on Keowee street south of the canal and running east to Findlay street. The plant now covers fifty-eight acres. The buildings inclose nineteen and fifty-five hundredths acres and twenty-six and sixty- one hundredths acres of floor space. On the grounds are eight miles of railroad track. In the works three thousand five hundred men are employed. In 1907, seven thousand car loads of inbound freight were received. To secure a sure sup- ply of lumber the company purchased in 1905 about fifty thousand acres of timber land at Milltown, Georgia. A sawmill and planing mill and an equipped railroad were included in the purchase. In 1907 an adjoining tract of thirty-six thousand acres was purchased.
The number of departments is bewildering, and yet they unfolded slowly from a simple beginning. Water power from the canal was first used, then stream, then electricity and compressed air. Wood, coal, coke made by the company, and then oil and gas have constituted the fuel used. Passenger and freight cars have been the staples manufactured. Yet sleeping cars were early manufactured, many of them for Pullman before he began to manufacture for himself. Sleeping cars from that time to the present have been a large part of the company's production.
In 1852 an agricultural department was given a home in the buildings of the company. In 1855 the company manufactured four hundred McCormick reapers for McCormick of Chicago. The company also built horse rakes. Street cars and traction cars are now manufactured in great numbers.
A large extension of the work of the company was provided for by the erec- tion in 1905 of a plant for constructing all kinds of steel composite and wood freight cars. The first buildings erected for the steel plant consisted of the main erecting shop, seven hundred and thirty-eight feet long and one hundred and eighty feet wide; the paint and dry lumber storage building seven hundred and thirty-eight feet long and seventy-five feet wide and the wood planing mills
616
DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY
two hundred and eighty-eight feet long and one hundred feet wide-all of steel frame and hollow concrete block construction-and a brick power house. In 1908 a forge shop was added to the steel plant.
The car works did not reach their present large proportions without passing through serious crises. The great flood of 1866 did immense damage to lumber and buildings. A fire soon afterward occasioned serious loss. A very heavy fire loss came in 1905. At the beginning of the Civil war, in consequence of loss of claims from southern creditors the company was compelled to use extreme de- vices to enable it to continue in business. But after every trial and struggle a bet- ter and surer basis was secured.
When the steel plant was put in operation it became necessary to employ a large percentage of foreign labor, and to insure a steady supply of this character of labor it became evident that special provisions would have to be made for tak- ing care of their domestic and social needs. Accordingly on August 5, 1905, au- thority was given for the organization of the Dayton Realty Company, formed for the establishment of a Hungarian colony. Twelve acres of land were purchased for this purpose on Leo street in North Dayton, on which were erected eighty houses and a central club house and general store, the club house and store being owned and operated by an outside party, who also had control of the entire colony called the "Kossuth Colony."
January 1, 1868, the Barney and Smith Manufacturing Company opened a savings account and offered its employees the opportunity to deposit such sums as they might wish to save. The company engaged to pay six per cent on all deposits, and announced liberal terms as to withdrawals. The savings depart- ment has had a successful history down to the present.
THE GLOBE IRON WORKS.
Among what might be called the pioneer manufacturers of this gem city are perhaps but few that enjoy as prominent a position in the business world of today as the Dayton Globe Iron Works Company. This company was established over a half century ago, or to be more explicit, in 1853, and was known at that time as the Stout, Mills & Temple Company, which name still lingers in the memory of the early residents of this city. The last named company was the successor of the firm of McElwee and Clegg, established in the foundry busi- ness in 1828.
The company was formerly located at Middletown Ohio, and moved to Day- ton in 1853, where they purchased factory sites on South Ludlow street, which location is still held by the present company. Until 1890 the company operated under its former name of Stout, Mills & Temple, at which time the new com- pany was organized, and assumed the name of the Dayton Globe Iron Works Company, which name it still retains.
This company from the time of its organization was engaged in a general mill machinery business including flour mill machinery and water wheel machinery. In 1859 the company took out its first patents for water wheel machinery, and has steadily developed its plans along this line, keeping in line with the requirements of up-to-date water wheel developments.
617
DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY
The company has, from time to time, branched out in other lines, including such products as gas engines, beet sugar machinery and paper mill machinery. The principal products at the present time, however, are limited to water power machinery and paper mill machinery, the other lines having been abandoned to make room for the more profitable branches. The water power department covers the manufacture of the New American Turbine water wheel which has met the requirements of water power development during the past fifty years and which has been improved upon from time to time in order to meet the needs of up-to- date and modern power plants in which water power is used. Neither time nor ex- pense has been saved to make this turbine the highest capacity, and the most efficient water wheel on the market, and the extreme simplicity of its design, as well as the high grade of material and the manner in which it is finished has placed it in the front rank. Shipments of New American Turbine machinery are made to every known section of the civilized world, and last year's orders in- cluded work to be shipped to Canada, Alaska, Mexico, New Zealand and Japan, in addition to the vast quantity of work which was built and shipped to various parts of the United States. In addition to the turbine machinery itself, such appurtenances to a power plant as head gates, waste gates and suitable hoisting mechanisms for same, also trash rack for head races, gate valves and steel feeder pipe are supplied by this company.
The paper mill machinery consists of bearing engines for paper mill stock, including such varieties as wood pulp stock, strawboard stock, rags, rope and such other materials as are now used in the manufacture of paper. This company also builds a line of wood pulp grinders which are connected in a way with paper machinery, being used to grind up spruce wood into pulp for the making of pa- per. The present plant, although occupying the same site as the original factory, is thoroughly modern in all its departments and its equipment for the manufacture and handling of heavy machinery is first class in every respect.
The company at the present time is employing between one hundred and fifty and two hundred men in its various departments. The board of directors consists of R. R. Dickey. E. M. Thacker, H. C. Graves, C. P. Folsom, F. W. Huber, A. G. Daugherty and D. C. DeVine.
The officers of the company are: President and Treasurer, C. P. Folsom; Vice-President, F. W. Huber; and Secretary, A. G. Daugherty, under whose di- rection a corps of competent designers and mechanics is employed in the manu- facture of products above described.
THE BUCKEYE IRON AND BRASS WORKS.
THE BUCKEYE IRON AND BRASS WORKS, located at the corner of Third and Wyandotte streets, and extending from Wyandotte street to Wayne avenue, was first established on a small scale in 1844, by H. L. Shepherd and W. H. P'ease. Because of the rapid growth of the business it became necessary to in- crease the resources of the firm and in June, 1876, the company was incorporated under the present name with a capital stock of seventy-five thousand dollars. The firm manufactures linseed and cottonseed oil machinery, tobacco cutting ma- chinery, iron goods, brass goods, gas and steam fitters. These products are now
618
DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY
sold all over the world. The company has two hundred and seventy-five em- ployees and occupies a floor space of approximately five thousand square feet. The present officers are: President, Charles E. Pease; Vice-President, Henry G. Pease; Secretary and Treasurer, W. B. Anderson.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.