History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 65

Author: Bradsby, H. C. (Henry C.)
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago : S. B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1532

USA > Pennsylvania > Luzerne County > History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections > Part 65

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The Vulcan Iron Works .- The Vulcan Iron works, one of the most important manufacturing interests in the city. were founded by Richard Jones in 1849, and successfully conducted by him until 1866, when a stock company was formed and incorporated with a capital stock of $100,000, of which Richard Jones was president and superintendent, and Robert T. Block secretary and treasurer. The company began at once to increase the capacity of the works by building a substantial brick machine shop 75x100 feet, and equipped with the most modern tools, and a three- story brick pattern house. The constant demand for heavy machinery manufactured at these works compelled the company to further enlarge their manufacturing capacity by the erection of a new foundry and pattern shop, 80x165 feet, and a smith and boiler shop 66x130 feet, in 1873, when the capital stock had increased to $200,000. During the progress of these improvements Mr. Richard Jones died. He was

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HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

succeeded by L. C. Paine as president, and E. H. Jones, son of the former president, became superintendent. The works cover an area of about eight acres, fronting 400 feet on Main street and extending 634 feet back. Tracks and sidings run into the shops from the Lehigh Valley railroad, with a turntable by which cars can be directed into any department of the establishment.

The company have four large buildings and two more being erected, a boiler shop and a new smith shop. Their product is all kinds of machinery and boilers; number of employes 250; output $500,000.

The Wyoming shops on Hazle street are a branch and belong to the same com- pany. They were built in 1872; employes 100, and the product is machinery and locomotives. Officers: E. H. Jones, general manager; Fred G. Smith, treasurer; H. B. Hillman, secretary. The charter members of this concern and directors were Richard Jones, Henry B. Wright, Thomas F. Atherton, Lewis C. Paine, George W. Woodward, Stewart Pearce, Nathanial Rutter, Stephen Bowles, Robert T. Black, Joseph Stickney, Lewis Landmesser.

The company also have extensive shops in West Pittston.

Thus from the very humblest beginning this has grown to be one of the largest and most important industries in the city.

The Wyoming Valley Manufacturing Company .- In 1866 Jonathan Mooers & Son had a small foundry at the corner of Main and Dana streets. Mr. Milton Dana and others afterward becoming interested, the firm name was changed to Dana & Co. April 5, 1867, a charter was granted to William L. Stewart and others under the name of the Wyoming Valley Manufacturing company, and the following officers were elected: E. W. Sturdevant, president; E. Robinson, vice-presi- dent; F. Koerner, secretary and treasurer; Milton Dana, assistant secretary; William L. Stewart, superintendent. The company enlarged the capacity of the foundry and erected a frame machine shop, a car shop and other necessary buildings on the same location, but as the business increased it became necessary to secure more room. New brick buildings were erected on lands purchased of the Lehigh Coal & Navigation company, immediately adjoining the railroad and affording increased facilities for receiving material and shipping manufactured articles. At these works are manufactured every description of light and heavy machinery, including steam engines for shafts, slopes, planes, coal breakers, blast and rolling mills; double and single acting pumps of every variety for mining and other purposes; mills for powder making, locomotives, flue, tubral and cylinder boilers, of the best Pennsylvania charcoal boiler plate; forging of all kinds, and iron and brass casting of every description. The wire rope machinery of the Hazard Manufacturing company was inade at this establishment.

The Hazard Manufacturing Company, manufacturers of iron and steel wire ropes, is the outgrowth of a business in the same line established by Fisher Hazard, of Mauch Chunk, at that place in 1848. The growing demand for such a manu- factory in the heart of the anthracite coal region led to its removal to Wilkes-Barre December 1, 1867. A stock company was formed, of which Fisher Hazard was elected president; E. B. Leisenring, treasurer, and T. C. North, superintendent and secretary. In 1868 the company was chartered, Charles Parrish, E. B. Leisenring and Fisher Hazard being the corporators. The ropes manufactured by this company are made of wire drawn at their own factory from the best brands of Swede and Norway iron and a superior quality of steel. All sizes of round and flat, coarse or fine, iron or steel wire rope, for the transmission of power and use on slopes, and capable of turning out 6,000 feet of three-inch wire rope in one piece. Officers: Charles Parrish, president; C. M. Conyngham, vice president; Walter Gaston, secretary and treasurer; Thomas C. North, superintendent.

In the spring of 1860 Fred Ahlborn began the manufacture of soap and chand- ler's ware. The present factory was erected in 1874. In 1876 the firm became Ahlborn Bros. They are extensive manufacturers of soap and -candles and dealers in tallow, sal soda and similar goods.

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HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

J. H. Brock began the manufacture of wire screens ou Canal street about 1874. In 1876 he sold the establishment to Mr. E. H. Hunt, who is doing an extensive and constantly increasing business in the manufacture of woven wrought-iron screens for screening coal. C. A. Becker, manufacturer and dealer in all kinds of earthen ware, Rockingham and yellow ware, and a great variety of stove linings, terra cotta garden vases and flower pots, began business in 1874.

Ladies' Underwear Factory, by Galland Bros. & Co., was established in 1881. This firm is one of the most extensive of its kind in the world. They make ladies' muslin underwear, and in addition to this plant has another in Pittston and a gen,- eral office in New York. In the works here are 600 employes-using 400 sewing machines and an annual output of 90,000 dozen of their goods.

Wilkes-Barre Pottery was established in 1873 by C. A. Becker, and is a strong and representative concern of the kind, having a two-story building 46x150. Terra cotta ware, stove linings and fire brick are among its specialties.

Wyoming Brush Company was established in 1889. Their large two-story building is in South Wilkes-Barre and gives employment to over 100 hands. The proprietors are John Derby, Christian Walters and Grif. Lunger.

Sheldon Axle Works were organized at Auburn, N. Y., 1867, by Sheldon & Co., as contractors of the Auburn prison convict labor. In 1885 the law of the State of New York prohibited the further employment of convicts. That year a company was formed in Wilkes-Barre and the business at Auburn was purchased and moved to Wilkes-Barre in 1886, the grounds purchased and the plant built that year, commencing operations in December. The company has fourteen acres of ground, about five acres of which are under roof and are supplied with 1,200- horse power steam engines and employs from 400, the minimum, to 700 workmen, being the largest concern of the kind in the world, the output being 350,000 sets per year, valued at about $1,000,000. The plant has a capacity of 1,800 sets per day, running at full force ten hours, cutting thirty tons of steel and using fifty tons of coal per day. The chief product going mostly direct to carriage and wagon manufactories or of road vehicles. Their products consisting entirely of axles for carriages, wagons and road vehicles, making a few steel axles for mining cars. The pay-roll of the company runs from $15,000 to $30,000 per month. They recently added a forge shop 70x90 with 150-horse power Corliss engine; have their own track connecting with all railroads, giving them complete facilities for shipment. Their works are located in the north extremity of the city on Conyngham street, near the railroad.

Officers-Charles L. Sheldon, president; N. P. H. Hugus, vice-president and general manager; C. H. Gillam, secretary and treasurer; directors: Charles L. Sheldon, William Brookfield, Edwin H. Jones, N. P. H. Hugus, Thomas H. Atherton, John W. Hollenback, George S. Bennett.

Silk Factory .- By Hess, Goldsmith & Co., silk manufacturers. Plant was built in 1885; the building being erected by the city and leased to the company at a nominal rent. The main building is 200x60, and two stories; the annex is 140x60, one-story; the engine building is 60x60, with a 100-horse power engine. The company spin but a small portion of their thread for a special article; buying their material and weaving mostly dress goods; employ 275 persons. The members of the firm are Leon Hess, Max and Louis Goldsmith, H. J. Spillman, superintend- ent. The works are located in the extreme south end of the city.

Wilkes-Barre Gun Company .- This institution was moved from Ithaca, N. Y., to Wilkes-Barre and the works built here in 1891, and commenced operation on January 14, 1892. In New York it was known as the "Perry Fire Arms company." The output is hammer and hammerless double-barrel-breech-loading shotguns. The building is 32x130, two-story. The engine-house, also two stories, is 15x30. Average employes, forty. It is a chartered company, and the officers and charter members are Isaac Long, president; George P. Loomis, secretary; Christ Walters, 27

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HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

treasurer; executive committee: Isaac Long, Jesse T. Morgan, Earnest Roth, J. . W. Pattent and Moses M. Wadhams. The works are situated just outside of the south line of the city.

Keystone Roller Mill, M. W. Morris and R. F. Walsh, proprietors. This is a merchant mill, and is the largest of the kind in the city; has the roller process and all modern improvements. The plant was built in 1854 by Horton & Richards, and came into the possession of the present owners in 1864. An addition was built in 1872 and many improvements added. Capacity, 125 barrels per day. Their engine is 125-horse power. 1

Crescent File & Tool Company was built in 1889, having two buildings, each 150x25. Average employes, fifty. Makes exclusively files and rasps; has a capac- ity of 300 dozen pieces per day. The company was incorporated in 1889. P. S. Hillard, treasurer and manager; John Teasdale, president; and M. C. Andreas, secretary; Christian Henssler, superintendent; board of directors: John Teasdale, E. E. McCargo, Samuel J. Tonkin, T. S. Hillard, John A. Schmitt, C. E. Stegmaier.

Wilkes-Barre Soap Company was organized and commenced operation in 1889. Employs fifteen men and two traveling salesmen. Officers: G. D. Harrington, president; S. C. Chase, secretary; E. H. Chase, treasurer; Mr. Troutman, superin- tendent.

Sanson Cutlery Company (incorporated) manufacture table cutlery, knives, forks, etc. Capacity, 10,000 pieces a day. Works built 1887 and commenced busi- ness in March, 1888. Officers: Aaron I. Sanson, president; Josiah D. William, secretary; Abram Nesbitt, treasurer; Aaron I. Sanson, Jr., manager. The works are situated in the extreme south end of the city.

Wyoming Boiler Company (limited) .- A company formed and commenced opera- tions here in July, 1892. The building is now in course of erection, and as soon as this is completed they will increase their operations largely. The company are making a specialty on a new patent boiler, patented this year by James Pollock. The improvement being extending the heating surface of cylinder boilers. The company also build steam boilers on another patent granted to the same party in 1892. It is anticipated that from a small beginning this will soon grow to be one of our most important industries. The firm is John A. Schmitt, chairman; Woodward Leavenworth, secretary and treasurer; James Pollock, engineer and superintendent.

Wilkes-Barre Lace Factory. - The first industry of the kind started in the United States-the largest and most complete of its kind in the world. It is a chartered company; work was commenced on the plant in 1885; at first but a small building-a wing with two machines operated. In 1887 a large addition was built, 60x193, four-story, for finishing work; in 1888 a dry house, 100x60, was added, and the same year another was added, also four-story, the last 130x30 feet. They com- menced with twenty-horse power, and now have 250-horse power. During the sum- mer work was commenced upon an addition, building 245x93 feet, four-story, and a new boiler-house, 93x45. This will give nearly 1,000 added horse power and require 250 more employes to their already 400 men and women. Their output estimated nearly 1,000,000 pairs (curtains) for 1892. Among other of the advantages of the new addition is that of being prepared to take the raw cotton in the bail and turn- ing out the perfect lace. Officers: President, L. D. Shoemaker; vice-president, J. W. Hollenback; treasurer, Clarence Whitman; secretary, H. A. Dunning; superin- tendent, John W. Doran.

The Wilkes-Barre Paper Manufacturing Company .- This institution commenced the manufacture of superior grades of straw wrapping paper, gray wrapping paper, butcher's paper, baker's paper, manilla paper, and all kinds of straw paper. It employs about twenty-five men, and is well equipped with first-class machinery, having two 800-pound beating engines, and one forty-eight-inch paper machine. Officers: J. R. Lines, president; J. G. Wood, treasurer, and J. Meeker, manager.

Empire Brewery was started in 1885, by A. M. Bryden, on Canal street. A fine

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HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

four-story brick building with all modern appliances, and has already established an extensive trade, and is rapidly growing in public favor.

,Dimmick & Smith Manufacturing Company .- Capital, $10,000. The company occupies the old Charter house, on Hazle street. They manufacture as their spe- cialty the celebrated D. & S. Patent wrought-iron safety boiler for steam heating. Oficers: A. M. Dimmick, president; George Loveland, treasurer; F. C. Sturgess, sec- retary.

Robert Baur & Son .-- Printers, publishers, stationers and binders. This has grown from a small country printing office in 1842 to be one of the oldest and lead- ing establishments of the kind in this section of the country. Robert Baur com- menced a small bindery here when Wilkes-Barre had less than 3,000 people, and his concern, extending itself into a printing office also; has grown with the growth of the city.

Blank Book and Bindery .- By J. W. Raeder. This is one of the largest insti- tutions of the kind, outside of Philadelphia, in the State, and has grown from the smallest beginning, in April, 1881, to its present mammoth proportion under the supervision of this gentleman, occupying an entire floor of the great Coal Exchange building.

Business .- The classified business of Wilkes-Barre is indicated in the following: Amusements: Grand Opera house (completed in 1892), Music hall (theater), and Wonderland. There are in the city 18 bakeries, 5 cracker factories, 1 turkish bath, 2 basket makers, 1 bed-spring factory, 1 belting factory, 2 bird dealers, 26 black- smiths, 2 blank-book makers, 3 boiler makers, 11 stationers, 22 boot and shoe deal- ers, 2 shoe jobbers, 62 shoemakers, 3 shoe factories, 2 brass and copper foundries, 3 breweries, 2 brickyards, 1 brush factory, 2 bus lines, 12 carpet weavers, 10 wagon and carriage factories, 3 china and glassware dealers, 36 cigar factories, 3 wholesale tobacco, 17 clothiers and merchant tailors, 6 clubs, 15 coal mines and handlers, 3 coal screen manufactories, 1 coffee roaster, 6 commission merchants, 75 confection- ers, 3 wholesale confectioners, 20 dentists, 28 drug stores, 23 dry goods stores, 6 dyers, 4 dealers in electrical supplies, 3 engine and boiler factories, 2 engravers, 5 express companies, 10 fancy stores, 6 florists, 2 flour gristmills, 4 wholesale fruit dealers, 8 furniture stores, 3 galvanized cornices, 7 gents' furnishing, 37 general stores, 172 grocers, 9 wholesale grocers, 1 gun factory, 21 hardware stores, 8 har- ness and saddle shops, 5 hat and cap stores, 4 heaters and ranges, 52 hotels and res- taurants, 8 house furnishing, 2 ice companies, 6 installment stores, 1 lace factory; 1 dealer in ladies' furnishings, 11 laundries, 119 lawyers, 2 leather and findings, 6 lime and plaster, 17 livery stables, 7 lumber yards, 3 mantels and tile, 4 marble and granite, 51 meat markets, 7 wholesale meats, 34 merchant tailors, 2 postal and messenger service, 16 milk dealers, 7 mill arid mine supplies, 8 millinery goods, 7 oil dealers, 1 overall factory, 1 paper manufactory, 116 physicians, 6 piano dealers, 4 planing mills, 13 printing offices, 10 produce dealers, 2 soap factories, 8 stone dealers, 7 tea and coffee, 12 undertakers, 2 upholsterers, 17 jewelers, 2 wire rope factories, 5 variety stores.

City Government. - Officers: Mayor, F. M. Nichols; president of council, W. H. McCartney; city clerk, Frank Deitrick; assistant clerk, Fred H. Gates; city treas- urer, F. V. Rockafellow; city attorney, W. S. McLean; city engineer and superin- tendent of sewers, W. V. Ingham; street commissioner, M. Crogan; sanitary officer, Evan L. Evans; engineer of sewers, J. Byron Dilley; high constable, John J. O'Donnell; meat inspector, William O'Reilly; chief of police, B. F. Myers; ser- geant of police, T. W. Farrell; house sergeant, James Hall; receiver of taxes, J. W. Gilchrist; chief engineer of fire department, T. S. Hillard; first assistant engineer and superintendent of fire alarm, E. F. Roth; second assistant engineer, A. Constine; city auditors: Wesley Johnson, H. F. Mooney and J. F. Becker; councilmen: Timothy Theophilus, John G. Wood, J. W. Patten, Robert W. Will- iams, Edward Welles, David P. Ayars, Christopher C. Jones, James F. Marley, C.

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HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

E. Stegmaier, I. M. Kirkendall, D. A .. Fell, Jr., John Guinney, W. J. Harvey, Oscar Smith, Morgan B. Williams, W. H. McCartney, J. Gross Meyer, Fred Reu- telhuber, W. W. Neuer, Luke French, W. F. Goff. ·

Taxable property .- Total value $4, 821,888. The public streets and highways of the city are lighted by 82 electric lights, 205 gas lamps and 307 naphtha lamps, fur- nished respectively by the Wilkes-Barre Electric Light company, Wilkes-Barre Gas company and the Pennsylvania Globe Gas Light company.

There are over twenty miles of paved streets, six miles of asphalt, two and a half miles of chestnut blocks, one-half mile cedar blocks, ten miles of cobble and one mile of red sandstone. In the year 1892 the main drainage on Market street was rebuilt and that street converted into 'asphalt pavement.

City of Wilkes-Barre. - Incorporated as a borough, March 17, 1806; incorpo- rated as a city, May 4, 1871; area. 4. 14 square miles; number of streets and avenues, 206; total length of accepted highways, 51.65; population, as per census 1890, 37,718.

Burgesses of the borough of Wilkes-Barre .- May, 1806-11, Jesse Fell; May, 1811-4, Lord Butler; May, 1814-9, Jesse Fell; May, 1819-20, Matthias Hollen- back; May, 1820-3, Thomas Dyer; May, 1823-4, Ebenezer Bowman; May, 1824-7, David Scott; May, 1827-8, John N. Conyngham; May, 1828-9, Garrick Mallery; May, 1829-30, George Denison; May 1830-3, Josiah Lewis; May, 1833-4, Orlando Porter; May, 1834-8, John N. Conyngham; May, 1838-9, Hendrick B. Wright; May, 1839-41, Joseph B. LeClerc; May, 1841-3, Isaac Grey; May, 1843-4, Elea- zer Carey; * May, 1844-5, Augustus C. Laning; May, 1846-8, Joseph B. Williams; May, 1848-9, Gilbert Burrows; May, 1849-50, Benjamin Drake; May, 1850-1, Sid- ney Tracey; May, 1851-2, Oliver Helme, Jr. ; May, 1852-3, Charles A. Lane; May, 1853-5, H. Baker Hillman; May, 1855-62, W. W. Loomis; May, 1862-5, C. Ben- nett; May, 1865-6, E. B. Harvey; May, 1866-8, J. B. Stark; May, 1868, to Sep- tember, 1870, David L. Patrick; September, 1870, to October, 1870, William S. Doran; October, 1870, to June, 1871, Ira M. Kirkendall.

Mayors of City of Wilkes-Barre: June, 1871-4, Ira M. Kirkenhall; June, 1874, to February, 1877, M. A. Kerney; April, 1877-80, W. W. Loomis; April, 1880, to February, 1886, Thomas Brodrick; February, 1886, to April, 1893, C. B. Sutton; April, 1892, to -, F. M. Nichols.

Presidents of the Council: May, 1806-8, Lord Butler; May, 1808-9, Ebenezer Bow- man; May 1809-10, Jesse Fell; May, 1810-11, Joseph Sinton; May, 1811-14, Jesse Fell; May, 1814-6, Col. E. Buckley; May, 1816-8, Joseph Sinton; May 1818-9, Joseph Slocum; May, 1819-20, Ebenezer Bowman; May, 1820-3, Jesse Fell; May, 1823-4, George Dennison; May, 1824-5, Benjamin Drake; May, 1825-6, Joseph Sinton; May, 1826-7, Arnold Colt; May, 1827-8, John W. Robinson; May, 1828-9, Arnold Colt; May, 1829-30, Joseph Slocum; May, 1830-1, William S. Ross; May, 1831-3, Thomas H. Morgan; May, 1833-4, Thomas Davidge; May, 1834-5, L. D. Shoemaker; May, 1835-9, E. W. Sturdevant; May, 1839-40, Thomas Davidge; May, 1840-1, E. W. Sturdevant; May, 1841-6, W. S. Ross; May, 1846-7, Joseph P. Le Clerc; May, 1847-8, John Reichard; May, 1848-9, E. W. Reynolds; May, 1849-50, John N. Conyngham; May, 1850-1, D. John Smith; May, 1851-5, Lord Butler; May, 1855-6, John Reichard; May, 1856-7, Jacob Bertels; May, 1857-8, L. D. Shoemaker; May, 1858-9, William S. Ross; May, 1859-60, N. Rutter; May, 1860-6, William S. Ross; May, 1866-71, Charles Parrish.

Presidents of the City Council: June, 1871, to April, 1874, Charles Parrish; April, 1874, to December, 1874, Charles A. Miner; December, 1874, to June, 1875, Herman C. Fry; June, 1875, to April, 1880, G. M. Reynolds; April, 1880-1, Daniel A. Frantz; April, 1881-2, E. W. Sturdevant; April, 1882-4, E. L. Dana; April, 1884, to February, 1885, H. H. Derr; February, 1885, to April, 1885, Lewis S.

*In consequence of the neglect of officers whose duty it was to advertise time of holding borough election no election was held. Council of preceding year held over.

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HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

Jones; April, 1885-6, E. L. Dana; April, 1886-91, William J. Harvey; April, 1891 to -- , W. H. McCartney.

Summarized. - Last year a movement was made by the people, headed by Con- gressman G. W. Shonk, for the building of a new postoffice and to contain all the federal offices that government may need at this place. Mr. Shonk presented the matter to congress, but in the multiplicity and confusion of law-making at the capital the measure failed, in the face of the overwhelming facts in the people's peti- tion, showing the urgent necessity for such improvements. The following may be said to be the substance of the grounds as made up by the people and presented to congress:

The postoffice is now located in a rented building and is entirely too small for the purpose. The receipts of the office last year were over $42,000, an increase of $7,000 compared with the preceding year. The number of pieces of mail matter handled was 6,500,000, an increase of twenty per cent. over 1890. The internal revenue offices are widely separated and inconveniently located. The collections last year in Wilkes-Barre were $225,000, and in the district over $600,000.

Wilkes-Barre is the center of the Wyoming coal field, the largest coal producing valley in the world, which in 1891 shipped over 23,000, 000 tons of anthracite coal, or fifty-two per cent. of the total anthracite production of the world. There are over thirty-five coal companies, with a capital aggregating over $50,000,000. The production of anthracite coal in the Wyoming district has increased from 43,000 tons in 1830 to 23,000,000 tons in 1891. There was paid out as wages to employes in the mines of this valley, in 1891, over $30,000,000. The valley also now con- tains the largest tract of undeveloped anthracite coal in the country. This tract is now about to be developed, and within the next five years will be in operation, giv- ing employment to additional thousands of people.

The city of Wilkes-Barre has six separate competing trunk lines of steam rail- roads, connecting with it the whole valley, and an important new one being rapidly built; six separate and competing lines of steamboats; numerous horse car and elec- tric street railroads; an electric street railroad, nearly completed, going up on one side of the Susquehanna river and down on the other, encircling the whole valley in a belt, with numerous cross connections, the capital of which road is $3,000,000.

After enumerating the hotels, business houses and industrial establishments at Wilkes-Barre, it says:

"By far the greater number of these industries have been commenced within the past three years, owing to the fact that the smaller sizes of anthracite coal, which have heretofore been considered worthless, have been found to be efficient and valuable steam producers, and can be obtained at the merest nominal figure, thus inducing manufacturers to locate in the Wyoming valley. As there are fully 50,000,000 tons of these small sizes of coal which were until recently worthless and now piled up in the said valley, there is enough to supply the needs of all new manufactories which may locate in the valley in coming years.

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History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 65

Author: Bradsby, H. C. (Henry C.) Publication date: 1893 Publisher: Chicago : S. B. Nelson Number of Pages: 1532

Author: Bradsby, H. C. (Henry C.)
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago : S. B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1532