USA > Ohio > Clark County > Springfield > The centennial celebration of Springfield, Ohio, held August 4th to 10th, 1901 > Part 8
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One hundred years ago there was nothing but nature where now stands the city of Springfield. There is nothing .peculiar about Springfield's origin and growth. To a house or two on what afterward became the famous National Road, were added a house or two, and then another or two, and finally enough to be something of a settlement. Springfield became incorporated as a village in 1834, although an organization had been effected in 1827, with the usual six trustees and with Edward H. Cumming
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as President, and James S. Halsey as Recorder. She ran on under this form of government until 1850, when, by an act of the Legislature, Springfield became a city of the second class. The first Mayor was James M. Hunt, and the first City 'Clerk was S. Parsons. From 1850 to 1891, when the present form of govern- ment was adopted, the city cannot be said to have had any depart- ments ; in fact, it has none now legally so designated.
I conceived it might be of interest to name in order the Presidents and Mayors of the city from 1834 down, and they are as follows :
PRESIDENTS WHILE A VILLAGE.
Edward H. Cumming 1834.
W. V. A. Cushing
1835.
Samson Hubble 1836.
Reuben Miller
1837, '38, '39, '40.
John Murdock 1841.
William Moore
1842, '43, '44.
Steven Bell
1845.
William Moore (again)
1846, '47, '48, '49.
MAYORS OF CITY.
James M. Hunt.
1850, '51,'52,'53.
James S. Goode.
1854, '55,'56.
A. G. Burnett.
1857, '58, '59, '60.
John C. Miller
1861.
W. D. Hill.
1862.
T. J. Snyder.
1863. '64. '65.
Tames Fleming
1866.
T. J. Snyder (again)
1867.'68.
Jacob R. McGarry
1850. '70.
J. J. Hanna.
1871. '72. 73. '74.
Milton Cole
1875. '76. '77, '78, '79
Edward S. Wallace
1880.
E. G. Coffin.
1881. '82.
Charles W. Constantine
1883. '84.
James P. Goodwin
1885. '86.
O. S. Kelly. 1887.'88.
W. R. Burnett.
1880. '90. '91. '92.
Tames Tohnson. Tr
1803. '94.
P. P. Mast.
1805. 96.
John, M. Good
1897.'98.
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Charles J. Bowlus 1899, '00. M. L. Milligan. 1901.
There were two or three instances in which the regularly elected Mayor, for one reason or another, did not serve out his term, and temporary appointments were made, the last being that of T. J. Kirkpatrick in 1898.
It appears from the foregoing list that most of the Mayors have been our most prominent business men.
I will give the names of the legal advisers of the city in their order, designating the years in which they were elected, be-, ginning in 1853 with George Spence :
SOLICITORS.
George Spence 1853
A. G. Burnett. 1855
James M. Hunt. 1857
D. M. Cochran
J. K. Mower. 1859
1867
John C. Miller
1871
A. T. Bvers
1876
F. M. Hagan.
1879
M. T. Burnham.
1881
F. M. Hagan (again)
1883
A. N. Summers
1885
A. H. Kunkle. 1891
D. Z. Gardner 1899
V. Y. Smith.
1901
There is one instance of a City Solicitor resigning, that of D. M. Cochran in 1866.
TREASURER. '
In 1862 the office of City Treasurer was abolished, and since then the County Treasurer has been treasurer of the city.
The incumbents of the City Clerk's office since 1850 have been as follows :
CITY CLERKS.
S. Parsons 1850
William Anderson 1855
G. H. Frey 1856
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T. P. Clarke. 1858
W. F. Cummings.
1861
James W. Cummings 1862
T. P. Clarke (again)
1867
Charles R. Miller.
1869
John S. Shewalter.
1870
Thomas D. Wallace. 1890
S. J. Wilkerson 1892
Philip Huonker
1898
R. N. Lantz
1900
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
The steam fire department was organized in 1865 with A. R. Ludlow as first Fire Marshal. The position was held by him until 1871, when R. Q. King was elected and served till 1880. J. C. Holloway was elected in the latter year and was succeeded in 1882 by William E. Moore, Jr., who served till December 2, 1884, when E. W. Simpson was elected and served till September I, 1895. when the present Chief. George Follrath, was appointed. During all its life our Fire Department has been an honor to the city, and, while we have had some destructive fires, the sta- tistics of the United States show, I believe, only one or two cities of our size that have averaged a lower fire loss. There are now seven regular fire department houses, operated by a force of thirty-five officers and men. The department is well equipped with the most modern machinery for fighting fire.
The fire alarm system is under control of the department, and is kept in first-class order by M. M. Duffy and his assistants.
POLICE DEPARTMENT.
The present system of police management came in with the new form of government in 1891. It consists at present of thirty- six officers and men. The efficiency of this department. especially since it came under the new form of management. cannot be questioned. It has attained an enviable reputation throughout the country. The control of the station and patrol houses is in this department. The Chiefs of the Department have been as follows :
James Cushman John McKenna 1893
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W. H. Van Tassel. 1895
Stewart Black 1897
R. E. O'Brien. 1899
The Police and Fire Departments are naturally somewhat connected and interdependent, and hence are under control of one board, designated the Board of Police and Fire Commissioners. Let me remark here, in passing, that I am not to be construed as speaking for or against the present form of government ; I may refer to some parts of it in such manner later on, in this paper.
COUNCIL AND BOARD OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS.
Under our present form of government, Council is relieved of some of the duties it had under the former system of manage- ment, and some have hastily assumed that it has been entirely shorn of its power and influence ; but this is a grave mistake, and arises from having failed to study the situation. The powers and duties really and truly belonging to such a body still remain to it ; in fact, all the important legislative functions of the city remain in Council. If we except a few minor matters, only executive functions have been taken from Council and lodged in the Board of Public Affairs. In a city the size and importance of Spring- field, the executive duties become so great and complex, requiring at times quick and immediate action, that a number of men with something like original authority are required to give all their time and attention to them; hence the necessity of some such arrangement as the Board of Public Affairs. This board, in addi- . tion to its executive power, has legislative power over only small matters, and such as might be expected to require immediate action, and such as may arise from day to day and require more speedy action than could be obtained from Council. This par- takes somewhat of the nature of the management of private cor- porations and in them such arrangement of power has been found suitable and necessary.
There is always danger of friction between these two bodies, naturally somewhat jealous of each other. By careful, skillful management. however, this has usually been avoided. A careful laying down of the duties and authority of each will always avoid dangerous clash. These duties and powers are very clearly de-
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fined in the law, and each body should accept what belongs to it and not try to usurp the rights and authority of the other.
In the matter of conducting the executive affairs of a city. we may borrow some from the experience of the past. I do not know where the framers of the present city government obtained their ideas, or whether they were original, but an examination of the state of city affairs of the ancient Carthage shows that her government was very similar at one time to ours. The question is often asked why the cities of today are so inferior to those of the remote past. In the first place, we may ask whether there is any room for the question. I maintain that the cities of today, in serving the purposes for which they are intended, are not inferior to those of any past age. They may not possess the useless gran- deur of Babylon or the ancient This, On, or Thebes, but where among the ancient cities was there anything to compare with New York or Chicago? The twenty-six-story building may not seem so wonderful to us who are used to seeing them go up from five, ten and twenty stories. A modern twenty-six-story building, with its engines, elevators, and various appliances, would much more arouse curiosity and wonder than the pyramids or hanging gardens. It is true that in useless grandeur some of the ancient cities surpassed us, but we must remember that nations and con- tinents were plundered to build and embellish them. It is also true that in those times the city was the state. Everything was drawn upon to improve the city of the king or tyrant. The execution of the design was in the hands of one man. We may here learn something of the value of having executive authority, at least, concentrated as much as possible. The works of science and art in those days indicate a degree of happiness and pleasure among the people surpassing that of today.
PARK.
About the only agency we have looking after the pleasure of our citizens is our Park Board. This board, at present composed of Messrs. John Foos. Frank McGregor, Robert Mills. D. F. Snyder and .W. H. Blee, is rapidly transforming .the "Snyder Park" into a paradise. I do not presume, however, that they will
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ever be able, with the funds at hand, to furnish us the aqueducts, baths, theatres, etc., etc., of Rome.
In one department, however, and that of the highest im- portance, we are far ahead of our forefathers even of the not very remote past. Our hospitals and facilities for taking care of the sick and maimed are marvels of the healing art heretofore unknown and never dreamed of by the ancient followers of the art. , Our hospital management is certainly second to none in the coun- try. It is in charge of a Board of Hospital Trustees, at present composed of Dr. A. C. McCabe and Messrs. J. E. Bowman, P. E. Montanus, O. S. Kelly, and, recently appointed, E. C. Gwynn.
Of the efficiency of the last two named boards there has never been any question. And may it not in part be due to the fact that the members are appointed for long terms of office? Let me here remark that I am aware of the prejudice against long terms of office. The idea is, give everybody a show. Pass the offices around. This is a grave mistake in municipal manage- ment. No great private concern changes its officers every year or two. It is often said that we do not want an office holding class. Well, we will never have efficient, economical manage- ment until our executive officers are put upon long terms. Find a man suitable for the particular position and keep him there, should be the rule of public office as well as private office. This practically means civil service.
LIBRARY.
Our library facilities compare favorably with those of any city of our population. The management of its affairs is intrusted to a Library Board of Trustees, at present composed of Governor A. S. Bushnell, W. S. Thomas, E. L. Buchwalter, Oscar T. Mar- tin, W. B. Rodgers and John L. Zimmerman, trustees, and C. A. Schuster, President of City Council, ex-officio member.
This board has adopted the very salutary rule of living within its income. It is usually in the fight each year for an increase of its levy, but lives within the amount allowed it. ,
HEALTH.
The Board of Public Affairs is charged with the statutory duties of Boards of Health. I would like to submit that, in my
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judgment, this is a mistake. My personal experience with this board convinces me that the Board of Health ought to be sepa- rate. It may be conceded, however, that the matter of health has been fairly well looked after, and the United States Government reports show Springfield to be in the very front in healthfulness, and low death rate.
WATERWORKS.
The matter of water supply is in the hands of the Board of Waterworks Trustees, and they have recently had their hands full, working out a plan to increase the water supply so badly needed. It has been my idea that we have been allowing the candle to be consumed at both ends in the matter of water supply. We have allowed the water supply to decrease and also allow millions of gallons of water to waste. I feel satisfied that by using the means already in possession of the city to increase grad- ually the supply, and by cutting off the waste by more rigid in- spection and watchfulness, and by the introduction of meters, the supply will be abundant for years to come.
EQUALIZATION.
We have a Board of Equalization, whose duty it is to look after delinquent returns of personal property and value new structures, etc.
I believe I have covered about all the departments of strictly city management, and by this time you have learned, if you did not know it before, that we are governed by boards.
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There is one board to mention yet, against which all the other boards are once a year waging warfare. That is the Board of Tax Commissioners. This board supervises the levy of taxes for each department of the city, and as the pie is not very large, it requires some ingenuity to make it go around and please each department management.
A line or two about the tax duplicates and tax rates might be interesting. The first authentic record that I could find was for the year 1853 for the amount of tax duplicate. It was then $2,234.441. . In 1858 it had increased to $2.778,370. In 1860 it was $3,083,575. It has been increasing each year until it has -
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reached about $17.800,000. The tax rate has varied; beginning in 1834 with 1 1-2 mills. In 1850 it was 4 1-2 mills. At the pres- ent time the maximum is fixed by law at 10 mills. It has been slightly decreased each year for the last three years, and has been fixed this year at 9.85 mills. Much has been said about our low tax rate, and I believe we have enjoyed about the lowest rate of almost any city of our population that has kept pace with city improvements.
I have not mentioned the Board of Education, which is scarcely a department of the city government, but rather a branch of State administration, and I presume some one else has been assigned to treat of the educational department. I may, however, for the sake of completeness, refer to it briefly. It is composed of twelve members, elected in the same manner as Councilmen, and has complete charge of the educational facilities of the city and territory annexed for school purposes. It has the expenditure of a larger amount of money than any other department, and nearly as much as all other departments combined. Much dissat- isfaction has always been expressed by taxpayers with the work of this board ; and while there may be room for criticism, yet the educational advantages of Springfield are admittedly first class.
I have purposely left the Board of Elections for last consid- eration, not on account of its unimportance, for its jurisdiction is the beginning of government in a republic. This board has, probably, more difficult problems to confront it all the time than any other board in the city. Election law and rules are without ·end, and no one can find the beginning, and the length and breadth thereof cannot be estimated, much less measured. In this matter of elections a vast amount of law and machinery is re- quired to decide which candidate has received the most votes, while none of it is devoted to the question whether the candidate is in the least fit to hold the office. Here is one of the weakest points in our republic, and may we not say the source of almost all others? There is no method possible of adoption that can remedy the, defect of incompetent or dishonest officials. It has been supposed that the voting public would look after this, but it has been demonstrated that there is nothing in the proposition. The candidate, however incompetent, of the party in the major.
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ity, or with the most money, is almost certain of election, although the fitness of the opposing candidate may be acknowledged by all. In fact, personal prejudices or spite enter far more largely into the matter than fitness. So long as this remains true, all discus- sion of different forms of government is absolutely vain. Put honest, competent men into office, and no form of government is needed. Without such men no form will give good government. Springfield, during all of her political life, has been singularly and unusually free from official scandal or corruption. Not that charges have not arisen from morally irresponsible sources, but nothing in the shape of convincing proof has been produced.
Let us hope that at her next centennial Springfield may be able to slow herself as well among her neighbors as she has in her past history.
Warder, Bushnell & Glessner Shops in 1850.
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HARDER.BUSHNELL & GLESSNER COMPANY.
Warder, Bushnell & Glessner Shops in 1901.
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HON. W. S. THOMAS.
OUR MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES -THEIR HIS- TORY AND PRESENT CONDITIONS.
BY HON. W. S. THOMAS.
Manufacturing began with the town, and ever since has seemed as natural to it as' the water flowing down hill past it. along which our first industries were located.
The very first business in Springfield was the manufacture of "fire water" by no less a person than James Demint, the founder of the town, in 1799. He did better afterward, and in 1803 built a grist mill.
At the first census in 1820 the town had flour, lumber, woolen, cotton, and powder mills ; and in 1827, a large paper mill. In 1830, the Bretney tannery was started, and is still in operation by the same family.
In 1840, James Leffel built the first foundry. In 1841, the Barnett .Flour Mills were opened, and marked an era in the his- tory of the town, as it was the largest enterprise of the place, up to that time ; and was operated by water brought in a race from a mile and a half up Buck Creek. This attracted to the same vicin- ity, in a few years, several other factories.
These varied interests gave the town a decidedly manufac- turing character, which it has always retained.
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FIRST AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS.
The agricultural implement business, which first made Springfield famous throughout the land, was begun by William Whiteley, who in 1840 began building plows. It was here, I be- lieve, that our greatest inventor, William N. Whiteley, learned his trade as a machinist, and whose indomitable will, ceaseless activ- ity, and prolific invention, which are a true type of the aggressive spirit and tireless energy that have prevailed here for fifty years. created our great and varied industries, increased our population to 40,000, and made Springfield one of the finest cities of its size in the United States.
In 1842, threshing machines were made by John A. Pitts, and this was the beginning of the great industry now known as the O. S. Kelly Company.
EPOCH IN AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT MANUFACTURING.
The years 1850 to 1856 mark a great epoch in the agricul- tural implement interest here, for during those years Warder & Brokaw (1850) began making reaping machines; Whiteley, Fassler & Kelly began making reapers and mowers, and Thomas- & Mast (1856) began building grain drills, and these interests with their successors and outgrowths, form the extensive indus- tries known today as The Warder, Bushnell & Glessner Com- pany, P. P. Mast & Co., Mast, Foos & Co., The Superior Drill Company, and The Thomas Manufacturing Company. These factories, with the other implement shops of the Whiteley, Kelly, Ross, Evans, Foos and Funk Companies, comprise our agricul- tural implement group of eleven factories, which today employ 4,000 men and 125 women, using a capital of about $6,000;000, and with an annual product of about $8,000,000, and which, I believe, may be truly called the backbone of Springfield; and from which there have been many branches.
All these industries, except one, were "born and raised" in Springfield ; and hence, our greatest development has been from within-a gradual growth along safe lines-what might be called legitimate expansion, in which we can all afford to believe.
With this agricultural implement interest as a basis, assur-
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ing a permanent manufacturing character to the town, there have developed here many other very important industries.
These other factories have multiplied and grown so fast that today they comprise over one-half of our manufacturing interests in number of employes and annual product-but not in amount of capital used, for the experience here is, that, on the average, it takes $1,500, in money invested, to each employe in the implement business, while in our other kinds of factories $1,000 invested is sufficient to each employe. And in each $1,000 capital in the im- plement line there is $1,300 annual product-while in our other factories there is $1,800 of product in each $1,000 capital. So that it is a good thing, in every way, to encourage a variety of factories in our city, while at the same time we must maintain our reputation and ascendency in the implement line.
Our other manufacturing industries I have placed in eight groups, the figures for which are as follows :
FACTORIES MAKING MACHINERY, MATERIAL AND SUPPLIES FOR OTHER FACTORIES.
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This is a most important group for the implement and other factories here, and stands next to the implement interest in em- ployes, capital and product.
The thirteen factories in this group produce gray iron, mal- leable iron, and brass castings, machine and shop tools, emery wheels, steel wheels, and nails.
These factories began business from 1872 to 1893, are all flourishing, well established, and give promise of still further en- largement. They are largely the kind that run the year 'round, and we need some more of the same kind-notably rolling mills, for making steel and iron bars, tees, angles, and special shapes in steel. This group contains thirteen factories, employing 1.400 men and 35 women, uses $1,000,000 capital, and its annual output is $1,750,000.
GAS AND STEAM ENGINE GROUP.
Steam engines-portable, threshing and stationary-have been built here for many years, and engines of some kind are now
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made by seven different factories ; and one of these (James Leffel & Co.) began business in 1862, on water wheels, and afterward added steam engines. The five making gas and gasoline engines have all started and developed during the past ten years, but their enterprise is so great, and their expansion so rapid, that they are making it known everywhere that Springfield is the place to buy gas engines, of any size, for any purpose, and to be run by any kind of gas.
This group comprises seven factories, employing 500 men, using $650,000 capital, with an annual product of $1,000,000.
FACTORIES MAKING IRON AND STEEL PRODUCTS.
The twenty-one factories in this group make furnaces, stoves, architectural iron work, bridges, iron fences, fire escapes, boiler cleaners, railroad frogs, switches, etc .; clothes wringers, trucks, undertakers' hardware, electrical specialties, sheet metal work, plumbers' supplies, boilers, roller-bearing axles, wire bale ties, saddlery, hardware, etc. Some of these industries began in the seventies, a few in the eighties, but about half of them started in the last ten years. Most of them have done so well that it is expected others will soon organize, as the field is large, and no better place than Springfield in which to make these lines.
There are now twenty-one factories in this group, employ- ing 900 men, using $500,000 capital, and their annual product is $1,175,000.
MANUFACTURING PUBLISHERS.
All business being so dependent upon some kind of advertis- ing, it is quite natural to find here a group of enterprising pub- lishers, printers, lithographers, engravers, binders, etc., who are issuing four daily, five weekly, two farm papers (one of these -- The Farm and Fireside-has probably the largest circulation of any farm paper in this country), besides printed books and cir- culars by the million, to be sent all over the world, and every piece of it makes Springfield known to some one. Indeed, for a city of its size, I believe Springfield is more universally known than any other American. town.
This group contains fourteen houses, employing 400 men
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and 300 women, using $600,000 capital, and with $1,050,000 an- nual product.
MANUFACTURING FLORISTS.
Along with the material prosperity of Springfield, from 1870 to 1890, we were fortunate in developing an extensive florist and greenhouse business.
There are now nine of these houses here, with a growing trade throughout the country-one of them alone is selling two and one-half millions of rose plants each year.
Some local effects of this interesting business were seen this spring, in the numerous and beautiful rose bushes, of the Rambler variety, to be seen all over Springfield, and the many farmers' houses throughout the county, where flowers are now common.
These nine firms in this trade employ 250 men and 50 wo- men, use a capital of $175,000, and their annual sales amount to $375.000.
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