USA > Ohio > Lucas County > Toledo > History of the city of Toledo and Lucas County, Ohio > Part 159
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No. 4857-Advance. No. 9779-Fortschritt (German, Ladies). No. 9966-(Polish.) No. 10062-Joan of Arc (English, Ladies).
TRADES-UNIONS OF TOLEDO.
Bakers' Union. Bricklayers' Union. Carpenters' and Joiners' Union. Cigar Makers' Union. Grain Trimmers' Union.
Horseshoers' Union. Iron Moulders's Union. Longshoremen's Union. Plasterers' Union. Painters' Union. Plumbers', Gas and Steam-Fitters' Union. Seamen's Union. Toledo Typographical Union. Tinners' and Sheet-Metal Workers.
PETER GENDRON was born at St. Ours, Canada, February 23, 1844. He is the son of John B. Gendron, who was born at Contre Coeur, Canada, Jannary 30, 1800, and died in 1878. His mother, Lucie Dudvoir, was born in Sorel, Canada, in 1818, and died in 1880. Peter remained in his native Village until 1854, when his family moved to Southbridge, Massachu- setts. At the age of 11 years, he commenced working in a Woolen Mill, and continued there until he was 15 years old. In 1859, his
father moved to Coaticooke, Canada, where he purchased a large farm. Having a family of 10 children, of whom five were boys, with the assistance of the latter, he also engaged in man- nfacturing and repairing wagons, such being his trade. Here Peter began to develop his inventive skill, and even at this early age in- troduced improvements in the work on which he was engaged, which characteristic was so notaldy marked in his after life. At the age of 21 (in 1865), he was married with Delima Trudeau, who was born at St. Michael, Canada, September 28, 1845. In the same year of his marriage he moved to Toledo. Here he was employed as Pattern-maker by Russell & Thayer, proprietors of the Toledo Novelty Works, in whose service he continued for six years. In 1871 he moved his family to Detroit, where he was also engaged as a Pattern-maker by the Detroit Safe Company. While there, he invented his first wire wheel. He then removed to Toledo and put his invention in operation by introducing it on children's ear- riages, and in so doing he was the first manu- facturer of children's carriages with wire wheels. In 1877, with three other workmen, he started a factory at North Toledo ; but through lack of capital the enterprise failed of snecess. Financial disaster did not shake the confidence of Mr. Gendron in his patents, but with energy and perseverance, he commenced alone the manufacture of carriages in the upper part of his dwelling, assuming the debts of the dissolved firm. After nearly three years, by hard labor against insurmountable obstacles, he succeeded in establishing a market for his goods, and placed the business on a paying basis. In the Fall of 1880 he organized the stock Company, now known as the Gendron Iron Wheel Company, and for three years the business was carried on at 218 Summit Street. In 1883 the works were moved to their present quarters, corner Superior and Orange Streets, in a four-story building, 100x100 feet, ereeted expressly for them. The progress during the first five years of the Company's existence was slow, owing to the mountainous obstacles that had to be overcome. First, it was necessary to contend against the powerful competition of old and wealthy manufacturers of wooden wheel carriages in the Eastern States, who had their scores of salesmen and their trade estab- lished for years. In order to meet this com- petition, Mr. Gendron was compelled to aban- don his first wheel, because it was too expensive in construction ; and in 1882 he invented and obtained a patent on his present wheel, which is cheaper, lighter and more durable. Even then the growth of the business was not satis- factory, nor did the Company obtain a high position with the trade, until Mr. Gendron be- eame associated in the management of the business with men of push and energy like himself. These associates are George H. Fisher
P. Gendron
& Fontaine
793
MANUFACTURES.
and Joshua F. Vogel. Mr. Fisher is a native of Ohio, born at Piqua, Miami County, in 1847, and came to Toledo in 1875; for 10 years he was one of the leading Druggists of the City. Through his intimate acquaintance with Mr. Gendron, his name headed the list of subseri- bers to the capital stock of the Gendron Iron Wheel Company. Mr. Vogel is also a native of Ohio, born at Sidney, Shelby County, in 1858, and came to Toledo in his 14th year. After graduating in the Toledo Public Schools, he attended the Ohio Wesleyan University. For nine years he was prominently connected with one of the leading Grain Commission houses of Toledo. He was also one of the orig- inal subscribers to the capital stock of the Company. During the past few years through the present management, the business of the Company has grown to such an extent, that it has recently become necessary to erect another substantial building adjoining their old quar- ters, which now gives them a building with a frontage on Superior Street of 220x100 feet, four stories. They give employment to 275 hands the year round. The Company has a paid up capital of $300,000. The officers are G. HI. Fisher, President; E. D. Scheble, Viec President ; J. F. Vogel, Secretary and Treasu- rer ; and Peter Gendron, Superintendent. The latter position Mr. Gendron has held from the start. During the last few years he has ob- tained no less than 25 valuable patents on ma- chines used and articles manufactured by this Company, to whom these patents are assigned. Messrs. Gendron, Fisher and Vogel, together with Alfred Gendron and L. V. Dusseau, have established a large factory in Toronto, Ontario, where they are manufacturing the same line of goods under the same patents obtained in Can- ada. This Company is known as the Gendron Manufacturing Company, of which Peter Gen- dron is President. Mr. Gendron has passed a remarkably busy career in Toledo, and while his reputation as a progressive business man has been gained by hard personal toils, he holds an equally good place in the opinion of all who know him as a good citizen, ready to assist worthy enterprises. Mr. Gendron is a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church, of which he is a Trustee. He has a family of two children- a daughter, Delima, born June 6, 1870, and a son, Adolph, born August 28, 1877.
MILBURN WAGON WORKS .- In 1873 the Mil- burn Wagon Co. of Mishawaka, Indiana, one of the most successful establishments, proposed to remove its works and transfer its business to To- ledo, provided a local subscription of stock to the amount of $300,000 be added to a like amount to be represented by the existing property and business. The matter received prompt atten- tion from prominent citizens, who met May 2, 1873, and appointed a committee, consisting of Wesley J. Wells, F. J. King and C. P. Griffin, 51
to solicit subscriptions to the proposed capital stock. At four P. M. the same day, at an ad- journed meeting, the committee reported the total amount of $300,000 subscribed or guar- anteed. Whereupon, one committee was ap- pointed to select a site for the Works, and another to prepare the necessary papers, in- cluding articles of incorporation.
June 14th, the Milburn Wagon Company of Tolodo was organized by the election of George Milburn, John Milburn, Geo. R. Hudson, John II. Whitaker, W. W. Griffith, A. L. Kelsey and Wm. Baker, as Directors, who chose Geo. Mil- burn, as President; J. Il. Whitaker, as Vice President; and G. R. Hudson, as Secretary and Treasurer. June 24th the Directors de- cided upon the site for the Works, consisting of 32 acres of land, on Monroe Street and the De- troit Branch of the Lake Shore Railway, of which eight acres was donated by Amasa Bishop, five acres purchased of same, and 19 acres purchased of T. P. Whitney, for which 24 acres $30,000 was paid. Steps were at once taken toward the provision of the necessary buildings. Ground was broken September 9, 1873, and operations in the factory commenced in the Spring of 1875. September 29, 1876, a disastrous fire destroyed one of the largest build - ings, at a loss of $167,954, with 884,000 of insurance. In December, 1877, another fire destroyed half of tho same building. Up to 1877 the Company manufactured only farm Wagons. In that year spring Wagons and Buggies were added, and in 1878 this branch of the business was largely increased. This extension in operations has continued to this time, and the Company now manufactures full lines of farm, freight and general teaming Wagons; buggies, carriages and spring Wagons; together with delivery and express Wagons, Trucks and Drays. Its trade extends to all parts of the United States, and to some foreign countries. It has prosperous branches at Albany, Minneapolis, Omaha, Des Moines, Chi- cago, Austin and San Antonio, Texas; with depots at Atlanta, Ga., Kansas City, Denver, San Francisco, St. Louis, and Peoria, Ilinois.
The chief officers of this Company have been as follows:
President, Geo. Milburn, 1873-80; J. B. Baldy, 1880-88; Vice President, J. H. Whitaker, 1873-82, and Bernard Meilink, 1882-88; Secretary and Treasurer, Geo. R. Hudson, 1873-77 (when the two offices were separated ); Treasurer, Geo. R. Hudson, 1877-88; Secretary, J. K. Milburn, 1877-8; Frank D. Suydam, 1878-88.
EUGENE FONTAINE was born near Que- bec, Canada, in 1834. He is of French paren- tage. llis childhood passed without even ordinary educational privileges, and with very limited advantages of other kinds necessary to qualify one for life's struggle. At the age of 16 years, he left home, with scarcely a rudi-
--
1
794
HISTORY OF TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY.
mentary education, and able to speak the Eng- lish langnage to but limited extent. Going to Rouse's Point, New York, he engaged as an apprentice in the machine shop of the Ogdens- burg Railroad, where his native mechanical genius was soon developed. At the end of three years, he left that establishment, and spent an equal length of time in travel, visiting Califor- nia, Australia, China and South America. Re- turning, he visited New Orleans, and soon took charge of a machine shop at Algiers, remaining there one year. He then went to Montreal, Canada, where he remained for a year in a state of health unfitting him for work of any kind. In the Fall of 1858, he began running a loco- motive between Montreal and Rouse's Point, that being the first steam engine he ever had seen, on the occasion of his first visit there eight years previously. Serving in that capac- ity for two years, he found employment as Foreman in the machine shops of the Pitts- burgh, Ft. Wayne and Chicago Railroad, at Ft. Wayne. In 1859 he took charge of an Express engine on that road, and continued in like ser- vice for 14 years, with success, being specially assigned to the most important trains, and during the period named traveling over 600,000 miles, with remarkable exemption from accident to his trains and without injury to himself. His leisure hours during all this period were largely spent in studying ont and devising inventions which were subsequently matured, and have given him prominence in the mechanical world. His first results consisted of improvements in locomotives and cars. In 1866 he invented a locomotive smoke-stack for wood burning, which was extensively used and known as the Fontaine Stack. In 1866 he had patented a live stock car, with movable floors for making two decks, which was sold to the Montgomery Palace Stock-Car Company of New York for a large sum. He had then invented an automatic fire-alarm, which came into extensive use. Then he devised a wood machine for the manufacture of pins ; and in 1872 he organized a Pin Factory at Valparaiso, Indiana, with a capital of $100,- 000, he acting as President for two years. He then went to Detroit, and there organized the National Pin Company (yet in existence), of which he was the Superintendent until 1882. Nearly all the valuable machinery of this es- tablishment was the product of his inventive skill. Early in his Railroad experience, he be- came impressed with the importance of pro- vision for increased Railway speed. Such object he provided for in 1880, by the applica- tion of power to an upper driver wheel, to act by friction upon one below. With the financial aid of others, this plan was developed at the Grant Locomotive Works, Paterson, New Jersey, under his personal supervision, in the construction of a Fontaine engine, which at once commanded the attention of Railway managers, while the press made known to the
world the extraordinary qualities of the ma- chine. Its chief peculiarity consisted in the fact, that by it the power was applied by a single rod on each side, running from the cylinder to a large drive-wheel located imme- diately above the front driver of an ordinary locomotive. The upper drive-wheel was of the same dimensions as of the lower one, and thus applied the principle of large and small pulleys. Trial trips with this appliance demonstrated its capacity for making faster time than had been attained. The passage between Amherst- burg and St. Thomas, Canada (111 miles), was made in the unparalleled space of 98 minutes. Subsequently, a single mile was made in 42 seconds, which yet stands as the fastest move- ment on record. The Scientific American, of November 5, 1881, spoke of the improvement as one that " could not fail to give a notable impetus to the advancement of Railway engi- neering, and to the social and commercial changes incident to increased facilities for rapid transit." Two other like engines were manu- factured and successfully used. While the work performed by the Fontaine engine, as measured by speed, weight of train, fuel consumed and economy in maintenance, excelled all other like machines, the inventor and those interested with him, failed to convince Railway managers and mechanical experts of its durability, or that greater power was supplied by the appli- cation of one driving-wheel npon another, than that received through the piston. Mr. Fontaine has never yielded his belief that thorough trial would have more fully vindicated his theory. While at Detroit, he invented a needle-making machine of complicated construction, capable of making 60 perfect needles ready for temper- ing per minute, an entirely new operation. In 1882 he was instrumental in organizing in New York the American Needle Company, with a capital of $500,000, of which he was the Superintendent for 18 months, when, for lack of financial management, the enterprise was discontinued. In 1883, Mr. Fontaine came to Toledo, and organized the Great Western Pin Company, whose establishment is located near the Milburn Wagon Works, and whose opera- tions have been attended with success. All the machinery there employed is of his invention. Each machine makes 400 pins per minute, being nearly double the capacity of any other machine ; while another contrivance sticks in paper 2,700 pins per minute. Mr. Fontaine's latest invention consists of a contrivance for making a continnous rail where one track crosses another. The crossing consists of four short pieces of rail, mounted on iron posts, firmly resting on stone foundations. One posi- tion of these rails makes a continnous line over one of the Roads, and by a simple contrivance they can be turned in quadrant, making rail for the intersecting track. These four pieces are also connected with a signal indicating their
795
1860.
BUSINESS.
No. Establishments.
Capital Invested.
No. Hands Employed.
Av. Yearly Wages.
Value Products.
All Industries
100 $660,700
885
$288,024
$1,508,390
Boots and Shoes
14
17,200
77
25,896
60,325
Book Binding
2
3,000
2.610
12.000
Breweries
4
81,000
31
10,950
121,500
Brick Yards
4
12,000
80
23,100
28,800
Boat Yards.
800
3.210
6.000
Bridge Building.
1
3,000
7
2,400
25,000
Carriage and Bl'cksm'g
5
14,700
29
11,184
28,000
Cooper Shops
5
2,500
17
4,560
14,900
Furniture
1
11,600
21
6.900
29,800
Foundry & Mach.Shop
50.000
48
17,100
51,000
Flouriog Mills
3
98,000
20
8.316
407,000
Gas Fitters
2
2,500
5
2,100
23,000
Lime Kilns.
9
3,800
12
3,480
27,500
Marble Works
3
2,300
3-4
3.408
14,500
Orn. Iron Works
1
500
3
720
2.850
4
57,000
46
13,680
208,000
5
22,200
47
15,552
10,040
5
60,500
64
17,880
100,300
Sash Factories
25.000
36
12,000
4.1,000
Shingles and Staves.
3,000
1,680
12,000
Saddlery, etc.
4,500
12
3,756
15,625
Soap and Candles
6,000
5
1,560
27,000
Tin, Sheet Iron, etc.
25,500
37
17,904
112,100
Tobacco and Cigars ...
58,000
109
21.840
180,000
Vinegar Factory
I
500
2
480
4,000
1880.
INDUSTRIES.
Total Number.
: Total Capital.
No. Hands Employed.
Av. Yearly Wages.
Materials.
Products.
All Industries.
140 $5,534,285 6738 $2,260,456 $6,355,317
30
33,565
65
30,875
24 205
69,043
26
41,750
124
57,203
94,672
1×1.488
19
100,300
129
43,980
182,274
277,960
Brick and Tile
3
30,000
112
24,000
12,950
17,000
Brooms, Brushes.
2,610
206
14,050
14,740
36.000
Carpentering
90.800
263
90,005
227,520
356,770
Clothing, Men's __
16
205,200
367
99,260
248,690
409,5-0
Clothing, Women
51,000
279
49,180
143,000
225,000
Coffee and Spices.
3
69,000
42
17.475
201.000
210,000
Cooperage_
72,700
142
42,045
65,695
139,731
Drugs, Chemicals. Flour, Grist Mills
129,500
50
23,000
562,500
619,720
chine Shops __
13
267,000
272
104,667
227.036
447,750
Hlats and Caps
3
17,000
124
14,920
11,006
33,740
Liquors, Malt
450,000
245
107,351
463,200
$27,161
Bakery.
1
2
$1,052 Bread, etc
$7,000
Boot & Shoe Mak'g
6
2,150
36
9,420 Boots and Shoes
19,200
Book Binding
1
400
720 Blank Books
2,000
Brick Making
1
1,000
14
2,400 Bricks
3.500
Cabinet and Fur'te
4
3,850
24
7,920 Furniture, etc.
14,300
Cooper Shops.
2
1,150
12
3,600 Barrels.
3,500
Works ...
9
52,750
67
20,500
36,300
$6,500
Clothing
5
10,300|
51
9,592 Clothing.
22,000
Distillery
1
16,000
15
4,416 Whiskey
76,600
1
7.500
14
5,820 Castings, etc.
10,000
Flouring
1
22,000
2,160 Flour
75,000
Marble Yard
1
2,000
2,400 Dressed Marble.
4,000
Planing Mill
1
7,500
2,520 Dressed Lumber
11,550
Saw Mills
4
8,800
93
7,260 Lumber
29,500
1
1,200
5
1,680'Sash, Doors, etc.
2,200
5
24,8 0
38
141,322
40,359
66,325
Shingles.
1
300
480 Shingles
1,315
Sail Loft
1
1,000
480 Sails, etc.
1,500
16
353,700
331
7,725
180,169
401,616
Tin. Sheet Iron,&c
2
6,500
10
4,080 Tin Ware, etc .....
11,500
smith Work
2
5,500
25
7,800
13,000
Totals
38|$98,200 263 $70,80S
304,525
Shipbuilding.
6
53,050
29
17,200
46,450
100,300
1
15.000
18
10,500
75,000
Clothing Manufac'ing.
11
74,400
323
72,9%S
292,000
Planing Mills, etc.
1
3
INDUSTRIAL STATISTICS.
We give below a tabular statement of the Industries of the City of Toledo for the years 1850, 1860, and 1880, comprising the different kinds of business, the number of establishments of each, the capital invested, the average num- ber of hands employed, the average yearly wages paid and the value of the product. Also, the cost of the material is included in the state- ment for 1880.
1850.
BUSINESS.
ANNUAL PRODUCT.
4
43,000
7,550
71,925
101,069
Foundry and Ma-
Looking
Glasses
Picture Frames.
6
104,900
110
34,419
82,142'
138,189
3
18,500
7,205
16,550
32,500
Lumber, sawed
5
428,000
219
83,900
457,000
622,150
Marble and Stone
Masonry, Brick &
Stone.
26,600
66
8,354
26,500
55,160
Mineral and Soda Waters
1
30,000
37
31,635
15,010
31,800
Painting and Pa-
17
17,200
82
11,373
27.470
72,875
per lianging ... Photographing ... Plumbing andGas Fitting
Roofing and Rool- ing Materials
9,000
19
23,055
9,300
20,000
Wagon and Black-
Saddlery, Harness
11
25,250
51
178,549
12,375
77,975
Sash, Doors and
Blinds, e
336,300
539
48,850
841,000
621,519
No. Establishments.
Capital Invested.
No. Hands Employed.
Av. Yearly Wages.
Kind.
Value.
Furniture, c ..
0
158,000
147
45,490
77,450
152,100
Foundry & Mach. Shop
14,100
32
16,014
5,780
20,810
Sash Factory
Printing and Pub- lishing
Saddle and Harn's 1
1,000
1,080 Saddlery, etc
2,500
Wagons, Black. smiths, etc.
VALUE.
10,600,074
Blacksmithing, a. Boots and Shoes,b Bakeries
3
32
$250
1
STATISTICS.
positions. The Fontaino Crossing and Signal Company has been organized for the manufac- ture in Toledo of these appliances. Beside the inventious already named, is the nail ma- chine recently perfected. It makes 500 nails per minute, against 200 heretofore produced. Machines are made for making nails from five- eighths of an inch to three inches in length, each being adjusted for four different sizes. No less than 41 patents have been granted to Mr. Fon- taine, a record rarely attained. Though com- paratively a new citizen of Toledo, the special prominence gained by him in the great field of mechanical and useful invention, and especially his identification with local enterprises, entitle him to recognition in this volume. Mr. Fontaine was married in 1851 with Catharine Waite, of Rouse's Point, New York. They have five ehil- dren-Eugene Henry, born Jnne 20, 1854, now studying mechanical engineering in Europe ; Georgie, the wife of George A. Fry, of Fort Wayne, born June 26, 1860; Lillie, wife of D. M. Stewart, of Chicago, born January 22, 1863; Eugenie, born September 6, 1865, and William Alfred, born May 12, 1872.
Cal Factory
Printing, etc
Saw Mills
Lumber, planed,d
796
HISTORY OF TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY.
1880-Continued.
VALUE.
Total Number.
Total Capital.
No. Hands Employed.
Av. Ycarly Wages.
Materials.
Products.
Slaughtering and Packing. f
86,000
46
40,255
278,393
333,600
Tin, Copper, Sheet Tron Ware.
58,400
119
118,942
95,780
171,270
Tobacco, Chewing and Smoking, g
240,0001
251
59 417
384,383
751,000
Tobacco, Cigars, Cigarettes, h __
22
11,950
176
7,450
61,195
196,223
Upholstering. i ...
4
8,200
23
8,975
28,400
41,141
Watch and Clock Repairing -
6,200
18
5,750
20,700
Wheelwright, j _.
14,600
27
10,300
7,650
22,050
Wire Works
7,600
95
8,200
10,000
22,200
All other Indust's
1.780,250 1715
582,505
1,524,598
2,519,25៛
a See also Wheelwrighting.
৳ See also Boots and Shoes.
c See also Furniture.
d See also Lumber, planed.
« See also Saslı, Doors and Blinds.
f See also Slaughtering and Packing.
g See also Tobacco, Cigars and Cigarettes.
A See also Tobacco, Chewing and Smoking.
¿ See also Furniture.
j See also Blacksmithing.
STRIKES.
The most extensive and serious "strike" in this country (to that time) was that of Railway employees in the summer of 1877. Beginning on the Baltimore and Ohio Railway in West Vir- ginia, about the 20th of July. the outbreak extended throughont that line, and very soon reached the Pennsylvania Road. Pittsburgh was the scene of the most deadly contest be- tween the riotons "strikers" and their em- plovers and the civi authorities. July 21st, a conflict occurred in which 20 persons were killed and a large number wounded. Among the former was the Sheriff of Allegheny County, and of the latter General Pearson, commanding the State troops called out to pre- serve order. The rioters at one time held the entire Eastern portion of the City. Special efforts were made for the destruction of the Railroad Company's property, by burning cars, freight, and buildings. It was estimated that the loss from this cause amounted to several millions of dollars.
The New York Central and Lake Shore line soon became involved, as did most of the roads in the North and West. The movement was inaugurated at Toledo at 1 o'clock P. M. of July 23d, when, under the lead of parties from Cleveland. about 100 men entered the Railroad Shops at Air Line Junction, shut down the engine and ordered the workmen to quit, which they did. Very soon the employees in the ware- houses, yards and freight-houses joined the movement, and operations in every department were suspended.
The prime cause of this uprising was the reduction of 10 per cent. in wages. The freight-house and track men received $1.00 per
day, and switchmen $34 per month. It was also said that passes had been denied to em- ployees, for special trips while on the line, and the doubling-up of trains, whereby some were thrown out of employment while others were required to do additional service. The Engi- neers chiefly complained of a new classification system adopted, which they claimed would operate unjustly on them.
On the part of the employees, it was de- manded :
First-That the classification of engineers be abolished forever. Second-That the rate of pay for engineers be $3.50 for 100 miles or less. Third-that the rate of pay for firemen be $1.75 per 100 miles. Fourth-that firemen and brakemen be furnished passes on the division where they work. Fifth-that trainmen be paid overtime for all detentions of 10 hours on the Erie Division, and of 12 hours on the Toledo Division, at the regular rate per day. Sixth -that the 10 per cent. rednetion be restored to all employees. Seventh-That the Erie Division work- men receive $1.75 per 100 miles or less. Eighth- that no men be discharged for participating in this movement. That yard conductors receive $2.50 per day ; yard day brakemen $2.00; and night brake- men $2.15. That Toledo Division conductors and brakemen receive pay as previous to June 1, 1877. Eleventh-that any deviation in part from these terms, be considered a deviation in the whole.
A large meeting of strikers and sympathizers was held in the Fifth Ward July 23d, which was addressed by different persons in spirit and terms calculated to justify the movement and inflame passion to greater lawlessness. The main result of the meeting was the adop- tion of the following resolution :
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