USA > Ohio > Montgomery County > Memoirs of the Miami valley > Part 79
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The Ohio Marble Company. The evolution of the Ohio Marble company of today from its small beginning as an organization in 1894 is due to A. Acton Hall. Primarily the officers of the company were H. G. Foulds, president, and John T. Nielson, secretary and treasurer, and the manufacture of marble dust from the product of a small quarry in Shawnee was the object of the organization. Mr. Hall came up from Cincinnati to wind up the affairs of this com- pany that were not prospering, but seeing the possibilities and find- ing Piqua a charming place for residence, he decided to keep the business alive.
Manufacturers of mineral waters, of paints, putty and soap all use quantities of marble dust. In the spring of 1897 Mr. Hall took over the business, and moved his family here where they have enjoyed an enviable position in the life of the community. Under the new management development of the scope of business prog- ressed until in 1907 quarrying on a most extensive scale was under way. Crushed stone for roadways and for concrete construction became an important product. Today fluxing stone is being shipped in great quantities to the blast furnaces and to the manufacturers of pig iron to take the impurities out of the ore. The company now controls 325 acres in Shawnee, from Bridge street for a mile and an
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eighth down the Miami river on one side and back to the old Troy Pike. Mills were built and most modern machinery installed. The crushing plant turns out the stone in shape for roadways. When this crushed stone is required to be ground to various degrees of fineness it undergoes a drying process.
A number of by-products are now being manufactured, includ- ing ground agricultural limestone for fertilizing. This fertilizer, it is claimed, could be used to advantage in Ohio alone to the amount of ten million tons a year. Grit for poultry is shipped in quantities and the manufacturing of cement bricks out of the limestone is a successful experiment.
The capitalization of the company has increased from $20,000 to $40,000 and its offices are in the building owned by Mr. Hall, on the corner of Ash and Wayne streets. During the war, marble dust from its quarries was required in bulk in the manufacture of gases and chemical compounds. The present board of officers in- cludes : A. Acton Hall, president ; M. F. Hall, vice-president; M. B. Miller, secretary ; C. Suesseman, treasurer.
The Cron Kills Company occupies ten acres on First, Staunton, Cleveland and Second streets, their factories having over six acres of floor space. The lumber yards have siding connections with the railroads. Wardrobes, chifforobes, ladies' desks and dining room furniture are manufactured and 275 men are employed. Cron, Kills & company established this manufacturing business in 1880 with the following partners: A. J. Cron, Robert B. Kills, Henry Flesh and Samuel Zollinger. Early in 1892 a most destructive fire oc- curred, completely destroying the entire plant. Buildings were re- constructed only to be two-thirds destroyed November 21 of that same year.
In 1904, the Cron Kills company was incorporated and when, some time later the death of Henry Flesh occurred the board was reorganized as follows: President, J. P. Spiker; vice-president, J. W. Flesh; secretary, W. Elgin Davis; W. R. Bamber, treasurer and general manager.
The Val Decker Packing Company was originally established by Val Decker in 1875 at the east end of Ash street, but was not incorporated as the Val Decker Packing company until 1914. The capital stock is $50,000 and the officers are: President, Val Decker ; vice-president, L. F. Decker ; secretary, Walter Decker, and treas- urer, George Decker. Modern equipment has been installed from time to time and a most up-to-date brick and concrete cold storage warehouse is now under construction. Sixty to sixty-five men are employed. From 100 to 150 head of cattle and as high as 800 hogs per week are killed. Lard made by this company is all pure kettle rendered, and the capacity of their plant is 300 fifty-pound cans a week.
C. L. Wood Planing Mill. Charles L. Wood is the owner and manager of the planing mill and lumber yards established in 1879 by C. A. and W. L. Wood on West Water street. The mill build- ing was originally put up by John O'Ferrall and company in 1874 as a railroad car factory. Additions have been made from time to time until now the plant occupies more than a city block back to the
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railroad with their own track connections. Sash, door and blinds, frames and interior wood work are manufactured for local market. Government contracts for packing cases for trench shovels were filled expeditiously during the war.
R. Kugelman & Company. The packing plant of this company is located at the extreme east end of Ash street and in the course of a year 150 hogs, 50 cattle, 50 calves and 50 lambs on an average a week are killed. Pure open kettle rendered lard is put out under their own label.
Jacob and Henry Kugelman established the business in 1907 under the firm name of Kugelman Brothers Packing company. On the death of Henry Kugelman in 1912 the partnership was dissolved and Jacob Kugelman and his sons took over the business.
At present the company is owned by Edward J. Kugelman, since his brother, Raymond R., withdrew from the firm last January.
The Cron Company. This furniture manufacturing company has its factory buildings and yards on East Main and Cleveland streets. Many years ago the business came into existence through the firm of Cron & Schneyer. In 1864 L. C. & W. L. Cron succeeded this firm and manufactured bed room suites and sideboards, finally becoming incorporated as the L. C. & W. L. Cron company. The Cron company is at present producing high grade bed room furni- ture only. Factory buildings and yards occupy fully ten acres and the yards have direct siding connection with the Baltimore & Ohio railroad. In the factory lumber yards, dry kilns and veneer rooms 110 men are employed. The company is capitalized at $150,000 and the officers are: President, H. C. Jeffrys; vice-president, H. Gold- enson, W. A. McNulty, secretary and treasurer.
The Piqua Milling Company. This company is noted for the manufacture of "White Foam Flour." Their present plant is lo- cated on Main street with buildings both north and south of the Pennsylvania railroad elevation. The grain warehouse on the west side of Main below the elevation was purchased from Spencer Fur- row & company in 1916, and the old W. P. Linseed Oil Mills' build- ing was remodelled when they took possession of it, and used for offices and storage. North of this building is the flour mill proper, setting back from the street, having a capacity of 200 barrels per day. This mill was rebuilt by Chamberlain and William Boyer, who were the important members of the company at that time, after the old mill was burned in the spring of 1900. The Piqua Milling company was incorporated March 24, 1884, with a capital stock of $40,000, and the first officers were: Edward Farrington, Richard Slauson, Clarence Langdon, W. W. Wood and H. K. Wood. They bought the flour mill from Amendt and Son who had constructed it.
The present mill has a capacity of 200 barrels a day, and 15 to 20 men are employed in the operations of the company and during the war the Government took a big percentage of its output. This company also operates the old Spencer & Furrow elevator at Far- rington and has a distributing warehouse in Dayton. Capital stock is $40,000 and the officers are: President, William Boyer; vice- president and treasurer, L. W. Pool; secretary, J. F. Stuart.
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The Magee Bros. Company, located on Ash street between Wayne and Downing, is one of the most completely equipped print- ing establishments in this part of Ohio, specializes in catalogue work and now has 40 employees. Charles W. and Edward R. Magee started in a small way in one room in the old Postoffice building in 1896 doing job printing. Four more rooms were taken in this building and the firm of Charles W. Magee & Bros. became Magee Bros. The business increasing the plant was moved into the build- ing afterwards occupied by The Leader Dispatch on West Ash street. Expansion of business requiring larger quarters the present building was put up to fill their special requirements. Later the Magee Bros. company was incorporated April 13, 1909, with a capi- tal stock of $50,000, the officers being: President, C. W. Magee; vice-president and secretary, E. R. Magee; treasurer, Otto Simon. Reorganizing April 4, 1911, Otto Simon left the company and the officers elected were: President, C. W. Magee; vice-president, W. A. Snyder; secretary, John T. Nielson ; treasurer, Edwin R. Magee. At this date the capital stock was increased to $100,000. At the death of Edwin R. Magee, October 14, 1913, John T. Nielson became treasurer as well as secretary and Andrew G. Snyder was made assistant treasurer. John T. Nielson leaving Piqua to become secre- tary and treasurer of The Greater Dayton association, A. G. Sny- der became secretary and treasurer.
The Piqua Paper Box Company. Raphael and Meyer Louis, members of a prominent Jewish family in Piqua, started in the man- ufacturing of paper boxes in 1908. William Howland had rented the old three-story Wood Linseed Oil mill at College street and Covington avenue and in a small way was turning out boxes. This business the Louis brothers purchased and formed a company that has always been just a partnership affair. The factory building and land was later bought from the American Linseed Oil company, which had absorbed the Wood company. Additions and improve- ments in the building were made until the factory occupies a mod- ern six-story building, each floor with a space of 80 by 80 feet and a two-story addition with floors of 20 by 80 feet.
Most efficient machinery is used, the newest type machine covers the cardboard forms with the white paper in an almost human way. A printing press is in use and the boxes are printed ready for the individual consumer. The output today is 2,500,000 boxes a year with a force of fifty employees, 50 per cent women. As their trade is principally confined to western Ohio, the com- pany maintains its own motor truck service and has two big motor trucks and trailers in constant use, delivering their goods direct to Columbus, Findlay, Lima, Richmond, Ind., and other cities en- route.
The Piqua Ice Company. The arduous although picturesque ice cutting of older days is no longer seen in Piqua. Rossville originally found the winter cutting of the blocks of ice from the Miami river almost an annual pastime. There was no great quan- tity of impurities in the river at that time as would be now.
Francis Jarvis was among the first to engage in the business, his ice house being in connection with his tallow factory on the
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bank of the Miami river near the old dam. A number of concerns engaged in the business from time to time and ice houses were built on Echo lake and other locations. Fifteen years ago found George Hager and George Roeser cutting ice and storing it in their ice houses on Echo lake. The Peckham Coal & Ice company built the first artificial plant in Shawnee, since absorbed by the Piqua Ice company, who are now manufacturing 55 tons of ice a day. The officers of this company are William Roeser, president; Thomas Ginn, vice-president; L. R. Hager, secretary and treasurer.
Wright & Kuntz Lumber Company. In the South end of Piqua are the lumber yards and millwork plant of the Wright & Kuntz Lumber yard, an original branch of the Peter Kuntz company, hav- ing its main office in the Commercial building at Dayton. This com- pany now occupies a solid block bounded by South avenue, South, Commercial and Grant streets. Mr. J. A. Shade was sent to Piqua from Greenville in 1889 to establish this plant and has directed the active management ever since. In 1896, a fire, one of the most de- structive in the history of Piqua, completely destroyed the plant and the big piles of lumber in the yards. The present mill work fac- tory was then constructed, having a floor space of 60,000 square feet for mill work, turning out frame, sash and doors to supply the ever growing demand. During war time boxes were turned out for shipping tools overseas.
Piqua Cap Company has been manufacturing caps for milk bottles since 1909 when the present partners of The Piqua Cap Bottle company, William McDowell Freshour, C. H. Loeffler and Forest L. Schmidlapp bought the Piqua Packer company from A. C. Licklider. The Piqua Packer company, located at the extreme west end of Water street, was manufacturing a patented egg case filler that was very good in its way, but could not be marketed to the big packing companies of Chicago owing to the fact that it took longer to pack these fillers than those already in use. Egg case fillers were abandoned and the manufacture of caps was started in the old location on Water street. The business increased to such importance that in 1915 modern concrete buildings were erected on the corner of Washington avenue and Boone street. These two buildings are connected by runways and a protection of two fire- proof doors is given. The storeroom occupies a space of 60 by 100 feet and the manufacturing space in the other building is 80 by 100 feet.
A capacity of two million caps a day will give some idea of the number of milk bottles supplying the needs of families, when the fact is known that there are but fourteen manufactories of this article in the United States. Everything in the turning out of the caps is automatic, and they are not touched by hand. Only eight men, including the firm, are necessary for putting out this product. Rolls of paper weighing 300 pounds with a 7-inch core and 13 inches wide are used. Printing, punching and paraffining are all done at the plant by machinery that is automatic.
During the recent war an order from Borden, the big eastern milk dealer, was shipped to Montreal, Canada. Piqua "caps" are now being exported to England, Scotland, and Canada.
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The Champion Cutter Manufacturing Company. In May of 1919 The Champion Paper Manufacturing company, with a capital- ization of $30,000 bought the plants of The Champion Paper Cutter Company and The Piqua Bracket company. The official board consists of James E. Bryan, president ; Armotte Boyer, vice-presi- dent; Charles Hinsch, secretary and treasurer. These plants had their origin from the time Charles E. Stuart purchased from William Van Horne his patent for the invention of the paper cutter, and the bracket patent invention from John Bain. Mr. Stuart began manu- facturing these articles in one of the old buildings on part of the site where the Superior Underwear company was built later. The first quarters being too small, the second floor of the old J. Boni Hemsteger building that formerly stood on the northwest corner of Spring and Water streets was rented. In 1895, Theodore Royer and John Kirk formed a partnership and purchased the manufacturing rights of these articles from Mr. Stuart and established their factory in the three-story and basement building at the corner of Wayne and Sycamore that runs back to the Piqua Malt House. This building, formerly a linseed oil mill, had been improved for factory purposes after it had been partially destroyed by fire. A large number of the paper cutters were used at the cantonments here and abroad during the world war. The death of Theodore Royer, Au- gust, 1917, and of John Kirk in May, 1918, led to the present com- pany's purchase of the property.
The Rundle Medicine Company. In 1886. George H. Rundle came here from Fletcher and organized the Rundle Medicine com- pany for the manufacture of Porter's Pain Cure, a patent medicine of which he had bought the formula for a small sum. The original offices of the company and place for compounding the medicine were on North Main street. Porter's Pain King became a house- hold name to conjure pain away. It was kept on many farmers' shelves and administered by the housewife for all pains and aches. Millions of bottles have been sold and the business grew to such pro- portions as to justify a handsome new structure in the residence part of the city, on Caldwell street. True to his promise, Mr. Rundle de- signed a handsome building of pressed brick in keeping with the lo- cation that did not detract from the residential neighborhood. This structure is of pressed brick, two stories, with mezzanine floor, set well back from the street with lawn and shrubbery. Offices occupy the front of the first sory and the factory space is 70 by 70 feet.
Porter's Pain King is also made at Windsor, Canada, by The George H. Rundle and Son Company, Ltd., for Canadian use and this plant is managed by George Klosterman, sent from here to Windsor. George H. Rundle was president of the company from its inception until his death, December 28, 1917, when his only son, Allen D. Rundle, became president, and Logan Frazier, secre- tary. Allen D. Hance was general manager for a number of years, until he severed his connection with the company on account of his new interests as an official of the Imperial Underwear company.
At the time of his death Mr. George H. Rundle was not only president of The Rundle company, but had the honor of being presi- dent of the Y. M. C. A., was a member of the Memorial Hospital
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Board, president of The Piqua National bank, City treasurer and vice-president of The Imperial Underwear company. He was also for many years a trustee of the Presbyterian church.
The Piqua Amusement Company was incorporated in 1916 with a capital stock of $30,000 and the officers are H. W. Kress, president and general manager ; J. C. Hughes, secretary and Walter F. Henne, treasurer. They control all the amusement houses in Piqua except the small Favorite moving picture house. May's Opera House has been owned by the company since last May and they have the Strand Theatre and the Bijou under lease. May's Opera House is the largest theatre between Dayton and Columbus having a seating capacity of 1,400 and was built by Charles H. May on the corner of Wayne and Water streets, in 1902. May's Opera House was the successor to Conover's Opera House, built in 1872, at the corner of Main street and Market square, and destroyed by fire in 1892. The Bijou theatre on Ash street was built in 1903 especially for a vaudeville house and is owned by Stanhope Boal. The Strand was built in 1915 by John H. Young and C. F. Adlard, especially for moving pictures and is an extremely up-to-date and attractive theatre. The aim of this company has always been to give Piqua the best plays, operas, moving pictures and vaudeville that can be obtained.
Bradford
Midway between Columbus and Indianapolis is Bradford junc- tion, the heavy traffic of the Pan Handle making it one of the really big division points of the Pennsylvania Railway company. Brad- ford, incorporated in 1870, is distinctly a railroad village. In 1862 the Richmond & Covington Railroad company was incorporated, who staked their junction with the Columbus, Piqua & Indiana railway on John Sowers' land, September 5, 1864, the Richmond & Covington road was sold to the Columbus & Indianapolis Railroad company and the next month, October 17, this company was con- solidated with the Indianapolis Central Railway company taking the name of the Columbus & Indianapolis Central Railway company. In 1867 the Columbus & Indianapolis Central Railway company be- came part of the Columbus & Indiana Central Railway company. February 12, 1868, this company consolidated with the Columbus, Chicago & Indiana Central Railway company. This company then began building their roundhouse which was the starting point of Bradford.
The village lies northwest of Covington on higher ground and is ten miles southwest of Piqua. Partly in Newberry and partly in Adams township, it was incorporated in Darke county, but pays taxes in Miami county. Bradford junction was so named by Thomas Bradford, a mail clerk. The little hamlet at this point had been called Richmond and the junction was first called Union City junction. Employees of the railroad company purchased lots and came here to live and so helped build up the village.
William Romans, a master mechanic; Daniel Rice, first foreman of the roundhouse; Christian Sears, Moses Wise, and Wade Steele were among those buying land and laying out lots, as well as the
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railroad company itself. A grain warehouse was put up by W. H. Sowers in 1868 and J. H. Sowers & company engaged in the grain business being the first firm of importance. The depot was built in 1869, replacing the box cars used for years. In 1870 the Iddings turnpike, on which Main street was laid out, was extended to Cov- ington and the Darke county line piked at the same time. Nathan Iddings, the only pioneer now living in Bradford, has always con- tributed to the prosperity of Bradford. In 1870 he had a general merchandise store in east Bradford. He organized the first bank and he purchased and improved more property than any other man there. His confidence in Bradford is evidenced by the fact that he holds two hundred distinct pieces of property in and near the village.
By his efforts Klinger's turnpike crossed by sixteen railroad tracks was closed in 1917 and given over to the railroad company that now occupies the erstwhile pike and has 40 tracks crossing it. Bradford is a scattered village. The streets, narrow but compen- sated by beautiful shade trees in the residence portion, and all the streets are being well paved.
A black broad-breasted yard, with a track mileage of sixty miles, puffing engines, a smoky atmosphere, roundhouse, repair and storage buildings forms the scene staged in coming into Bradford station on the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Columbus & St. Louis railroad. When traffic runs high, as many as seventy-five trains are handled in a day, crews and caboose changed, engines and cars shifted. The first land appropriated for these yards consisted of two hundred acres, which has been increased to three hundred acres. Sixteen engine stalls was the capacity of the first roundhouse.
In 1917, extensive improvements of their terminal facilities at this point were made by the railroad company with an expenditure of $2,500,000 that incidentally greatly increased Bradford's pros- perity. The roundhouse now has fifty stalls, new machine shops and an office annex has been built. The big powerhouse has three sterling boilers, with 800 horsepower total and one 1,500 cubic foot and one 500 cubic foot air compressors. The oil handling house has a storage capacity of 100,000 gallons with the most up-to-date equipment for handling oil. A sand house has twenty carload ca- pacity. The stores department for the Columbus division is also maintained here, for which four new buildings were erected this year. All the cars and locomotives running on the Columbus & Logansport division of the P. C. C. & St. L. are now taken care of and repaired at these yards.
Eight hundred men are employed, forty per cent making their homes in Bradford, this includes fifty men working out from Brad- ford on bridges and fences.
Founded in 1906 under the International Committee of the Rail- road Department of the Young Men's Christian Association, the Railway Y. M. C. A. at Bradford is one of the best in the country. It has been written up in The Saturday Evening Post and in railroad periodicals ; its fame has spread abroad as the railway companies of England have sent for information as to the plans it pursues. The big comfortable two and a half story frame building with basement is on the grounds, forming a "Y" between the two divisions of the
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railroad, opposite the little depot. On the broad and shady porch that runs the whole width of the building a rocking chair fleet of railroad men may be seen any summer afternoon, some of them having been in the employ of the Pennsylvania company a quarter of a century and more. It has a membership of eight hundred and 365,000 railroad men enjoyed its privileges in 1919. There are 75 sleeping rooms, reading room with one of the best libraries in the state. and fifty current periodicals.
A large, well kept cafeteria, serving six to eight hundred a day, is under the direction of Mrs. Elizabeth Heffner for the last sixteen years, and known for her kindliness and skillful catering as "Mother Heffner." A billiard room is also on the ground floor and the shower baths and boys' club room are in the basement. It is offi- cered and directed solely by railroad employees. The first presi- dent was C. A. Skeele. At present the official board consists of President, J. T. Allen, a conductor ; vice-president, J. E. Paul ; treas- urer, W. O. Terry; A. L. Lincoln, recording secretary; the three last named officers are engineers. The first secretary was J. E. Baldridge and the present one is J. E. Conley, whose efforts have so efficiently improved the standards of this organization in every way.
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