USA > Wisconsin > Racine County > Racine > Racine, belle city of the lakes, and Racine County, Wisconsin : a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Vol. I > Part 22
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OFFICES OF J. I. CASE THRESHING MACHINE COMPANY, RACINE
VIEW ON MAIN STREET, RACINE, SHOWING THE POSTOFFICE AND HOTEL RACINE
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epoch in the history of the company. The process of develop- ment was gradual, keeping pace with the world's onward march of progress. In 1880 the copartnership organized in 1863 was dis- solved, the name being changed to the JJ. I. Case Threshing Ma- chine Company and was so incorporated. In 1897, to meet mod- orn conditions, an entire change in the management of the com- pany was effected, younger men, many of whom had been trained for years in the modern school of business, assuming active control of the management of its affairs. The wisdom and wise business policy of the new management, who assumed control at this time, is evidenced by the fact that in the nine years prior to 1906 (when the article was written) the output of the Case product had exceeded the combined output of more than half a century prior to that time."
Along with the development of the concern many new types of machines have been invented, including the Case traction engine, while the improvements made upon the Case threshing machine result in threshing ont the grain at the rate of from 4,000 to 6,000 bushels per day, which machine not only gets all the grain, but weighs, measures and places it in wagons. The time required for the sowing, reaping and threshing of a bushel of wheat had declined from thirty-two to two minutes.
The factory at Racine covers about sixty acres of ground, and more space is constantly being acquired and new buildings constructed. The administration building was begun in 1902 and finished in 1904, the cost, including equipment, being about $200.000.00.
The officers of the company in 1916 are: Frank K. Bull. chairman of the board: Warren JJ. Davis, president and treas- urer: E. J. Gittins, vice-president: M. H. Pettit, vice-president; William F. Sawyer, secretary: Stephen Bull, assistant secretary; C. J. Farney, assistant treasurer: R. P. Howell, assistant treas- urer. The directors, all elected to serve one year, are: Frank K. Bull, Warren J. Davis, E. J. Gittins, Stephen Bull, Francis L. Hine, M. H. Pettit, A. O. Choate, W. E. Black, Frederick Roh- inson. William F. Sawyer and C. J. Farney. The company has a general sales manager and four district sales managers, whose headquarters are at the general offices in Racine. It has eighty branch houses, all under the direct management of the home office, sixty-six in the United States, scattered over thirty states.
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seven in Canada, one in Mexico, four in South America, and two in Europe, where the products of the company are on exhibition and where it carries a stock for quick delivery, repair parts, extras and supplies, the branch house managers being on salary and giving their entire time and attention to the business. Each year the general representatives of the company meet at the home office for a conference. This meeting supplies the oppor- tunity for a thorough discussion of the business methods to be employed in the business and advice is given to the many travel- ing salesmen in the various territories. Fully 6,000 agencies are handled by this remarkable system.
The company sells and manufactures all-steel grain-thresh- ing machines for threshing wheat, oats, barley, rye, buckwheat, elover, rice, seeds, ete .; steam traction engines from 30 to 110 horsepower, farm steam engines, gas tractors, steam road rollers, rock erushers, ensilage cutters, farm gas engines, steam-lift gang plows, road sprinklers and automobiles. The company also sells road rooters, dump wagons, spreading machines, road graders, corn shellers and wheelbarrows. This company is the only organ- ization in the entire world manufacturing all-steel threshers. Its gas tractor has already assumed the same commanding position among its competitors which has been occupied by the Case steam tractor for so many years. At a recent power plowing contest in connection with the exposition at Winnipeg the Case steam and gas tractors won nine out a possible ten gold medals against all competitors, the steam tractor scoring the highest number of points in all classes. Its limited line of automobiles has been profitable to the company and is a valuable addition to its gen- eral lines.
All the property and assets of the business are owned directly by the company; it has no subsidiary companies, except the Com- pagnie Case de France. The book value of the company's real estate, buildings, machinery, equipment, rolling stock, furniture, etc., is $9,680,168.00, based on an appraisement of Racine prop- erties made in 1907 by Coats & Burchard, appraisers, of Chicago. The book value of its patents, designs, devices, etc., is $1.026,- 118.29, as of December 31, 1913. The main plant at Racine is situated on navigable water, having the advantage of both rail and lake transportation of raw materials and the distribution of finished products. The main plant occupies about forty acres of
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ground and has more than forty acres of floor space; it is well equipped and modern in every way. It has an annual capacity of 4,000 to 4,500 threshers, 2,500 steam engines, 200 road rollers, 2,000 gas tractors, 300 corn shredders, 500 hay balers, and 1,100 road making machines. The company owns, in addition to the main plant, a tract of land comprising 100 acres just outside the City of Racine, upon which during 1912 and 1913 additional buildings have been constructed. The branch house properties have an appraised value of about $2,600,000.00. During the year 1913 a total of $1,923,000.00 was spent toward the erection of the new plant above mentioned and in additions and improve- ments to the main works and motor works.
For the purpose of testing chemically all the raw materials which enter the Case plant the chemical and physical laboratory was installed some years ago. The following materials are tested chemically: Pig iron, steel, copper, zinc, lead, paints, oils, tin, aluminum, babbitt metal, coal, coke, clay, asbestos, etc. A sat- isfactory test on various materials can only be obtained by means of a physical test, and in such case the chemical test is not used. Leather belting is an example of this, where the physical test shows the tensile strength of not less than 700 pounds per inch of width, which is all that is necessary. In the physical test are machines for testing breaking strain, shrinkage, chill and frac- ture of cast iron and steel: also for determining the tensile strength of wire, leather, twine, paper, cotton duck and cloth. Babbitt and other bearing metals are tested on a friction machine, which records the friction, rise of temperature of heating pres- sure, wear, revolutions and distance traveled. There are other appliances for testing the hardness of steel, cast iron and brass.
The total number of the company's employes runs from 3,000 to 4,000. An Employes' Benefit Association was organized on January 1, 1909. the membership being confined to the emploves of the company at Racine. The membership is voluntary.
At the main plant a hospital is maintained, where a surgeon and trained nurses are in attendance at all times and where free medical and surgical treatment are given to employes. At the same time the policy of "Safety First" is rigidly observed.
Reference may be made to Volume II of this work for fur- ther details of the Case Company.
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HISTORY OF RACINE COUNTY
J. I. CASE PLOW WORKS
The J. I. Case Plow Works grew from a small, obscure black- smith shop in the rear of a fanning mill factory and now occupies over twenty acres of space. The business was organized in 1876 by J. I. Case under the name of the Case-Whiting Company, his partner, Mr. Whiting, being the inventor of the center walking plow. Two years later Mr. Whiting sold his interest in the con- vern and the name was changed to the J. 1. Case Plow Company, which remained the firm style until 1884, when the business was reorganized, the capital increased and the name changed to the J. I. Case Plow Works. In 1890 J. I. Case withdrew from the business and his son, JJackson I. Case, succeeded him as presi- dent of the company and held that office for two years. In 1892. however, HI. M. Wallis, who became general manager of the busi- ness in 1885, was made treasurer and president, and he is still serving as chief executive of the corporation. The other officers are: William Sobey, vice-president; L. N. Burns, secretary and sales manager, and William M. La Venture, treasurer. The com- pany is now one of the largest independent implement concerns in the world and its products are sold all over the United States. through the Dominion and in other foreign countries. The com- pany employs about 600 men, all of them skilled mechanics, and there is a system of rigid inspection which begins when the raw material is brought into the factory and which is completed when the finished tool is pronounced worthy of the "Plow in Hand" trade mark.
One of the most important departments of the company is the experimental department, in which expert mechanical engi- neers are constantly seeking to design more efficient farm machin- ery. A 300-acre farm south of Racine is maintained, upon which every new type of farm machine is tried out thoroughly before it is permitted to go on to the market. If a machine fails to do efficiently the work for which it was designed it is returned to the factory, where the defects are corrected and it is then tested and re-tested until it gives absolute satisfaction.
The factory buildings are up-to-date in construction and are protected by a modern sprinkler system. The machinery is pro- texted so that there is a minimum of danger to the employes.
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HORLICK MALTED MILK COMPANY
One of the most popularly known industries in the United States is that of the Horlick Malted Milk Company of Racine. The company was organized in 1875 and was incorporated in 1878 as the Horlick Food Company by William and James Hor- lick, brothers, who established their plant in the outskirts of Racine, in Mount Pleasant Township. They began to mannfact- ure a produet known as Horlick's Food, which was a prepared food for infants, invalids and the aged, and which was to be mixed with common milk. Their sales at that time covered only Chicago and vicinity. William Horlick, however, realized the great disadvantage for all foods for infants that required the addition of fresh milk, owing to the diffienity of obtaining good milk and keeping it fresh. He therefore began experimenting with the intention of producing a pure food product con- taining an adequate proportion of pure, rich milk -a food that would be complete in itself, that would keep indefinitely in any climate and would be free from all the dangers aris- ing from the use of milk that is impure, adulterated, laden with disease germis or in any way rendered unfit for use. Moreover, he desired that this food should be not only safe, but very nourishing and easily digested by the most delicate infant or invalid, while it should contain at the same time all the ele- ments of nutrition. In carrying on the work of experimentation Mr. Horlick met with many disappointments and leading chem- ists claimed that it was both a chemical and mechanical impossi- bility to perfect such a food, advising him to abandon the idea. He did not relinquish his set purpose, however, and in 1887 he produced for the first time in the world's history a dried milk. combined with an extract of malted barley and wheat, that would keep indefinitely. The value of such a product was at once apparent and the business grew by leaps and bounds. New build- ings of reinforced concrete were added from time to time and today the plant of the Horlick Company covers an area of fifteen arres. In 1902 Plant No. 2 was built, being a duplicate of Plant No. 1, and in 1905 Plant No. 3 came into existence. Since then all the old buildings have been rebuilt in concrete and steel, the sanitary conditions, ventilation and space being the principal features of the plant. In 1915 the company erected a new milk house, which is one of the largest in the country. About 350
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people are employed in the factory. A. J. Horlick owns person- ally several farms upon which are several hundred head of cows and he also buys milk from 150 farmers.
The process employed in the manufacture of the food con- sists in boiling the milk in a vacuum, which enables them to boil it without heating above 140 degrees, for milk cooks at 156 de- grees. This results in removing all water without cooking. The company has a plant at Slough, England, equal to the No. 2 plant of Racine and supplies from that point Europe, Africa and a part of India. The produet today covers the entire world, shipments leaving for all quarters of the globe every week. Every Arctic explorer for the past twenty years has carried a supply of Hor- liek's Malted Milk in powdered form, for it supplies more nutri- tion to the bulk than any other food and people have lived fifteen years with no other food. It is a standard food with the armies of the world.
In 1889 James Horlick went to New York, where he estab- lished a branch, and in 1890 opened the English branch, where he has since been in charge. He is the president of the company. William Horlick has charge of the home plant and has always lived in Racine. He is the secretary and treasurer of the com- pany, and has two sons actively engaged in the business with him, A. J. as vice-president, and William, Jr., as assistant manager. In 1906 the name was changed to the Horlick's Malted Milk Company.
MITCHELL-LEWIS MOTOR COMPANY
The Mitchell-Lewis Motor Company was established under its present form in 1903 by W. T. and W. M. Lewis, who began the manufacture of automobiles, using the motor invented by John W. Bate. Long prior to this the name of Lewis had figured in connection with manufacturing interests in Racine. In 1854 Henry Mitchell, a pioneer wagon manufacturer, established his business here and later was joined in partnership by his son-in- law. W. T. Lewis, who purchased an interest in the business in 1864. They were manufacturers of farm wagons and after the partnership had been in existence for two years the firm style of Mitchell, Lewis & Company was assumed. Although the com- pany suffered losses through a disastrous fire which completely destroyed their factory in 1880 they at once rebuilt on a larger
HORLICK MALTED MILK COMPANY
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HISTORY OF RACINE COUNTY
and better scale and the business was resumed with renewed energy. In 1884 the company was incorporated with Henry Mitchell as president, W. T. Lewis as vice-president; Frank L. Mitchell, secretary; C. D. Sinclair, treasurer, and Henry G. Mitchell, superintendent. With changing conditions there devel- oped the automobile industry and the Lewis Motor Company sprang into existence. The manufacture of wagons was contin- ued and in 1910 the two companies were merged and consolidated under the style of the Mitchell-Lewis Motor Company. Today they have a plant covering twenty-five or thirty acres and over 2,000 men are employed. The buildings are of cement construc- tion, supplied with a sprinkler system and equipped with electric power furnished from a central plant.
RACINE WOOLEN MILLS COMPANY
The Racine Woolen Mills Company was organized to take over a business that was founded in 1863 by L. S. Blake and John S. Hart and was conducted under the name of Blake & Company at Bridge and Ontario Streets. They started business on a small scale in a little building. In 1877 the business was incorporated with L. S. Blake as the president, JJohn S. Hart as treasurer, James J. Elliott and A. W. Tillapaugh as stock- holders and directors. Afterward the business was incorporated under the name of the Racine Woolen Mills, Blake & Company as proprietors. The company originally made shawls and blan- kets, and in later years made cloth for clothing. Today their output includes Indian blankets which are sold throughout the country. The factory covered 45,000 square feet of floor space and at one time about 150 people were employed. Mr. Blake remained as president of the company until his death in 1894, when he was succeeded by L. J. Elliott, who continued in the office until 1911. In 1912 the business was reorganized with Sands M. Hart as president; H. H. Hart, treasurer, and John S. Hart, secretary. With the death of Sands M. Hart in 1915 HI. H. Hart became the president. with John S. Hart as secre- tary and treasurer. Owing to a combination of circumstances. the Racine Woolen Mills Company has suspended business re- cently and closed down the plant.
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". FREEMAN & SONS MANUFACTURING COMPANY
The S. Freeman & Sons Manufacturing Company was estab- lished in 1867 by S. Freeman, who in a small way began manu- facturing and repairing boilers. A few months later he entered into partnership with William E. Davis and opened a small machine shop. In 1868 they admitted John R. Davies to the partnership, at which time Mr. Davies was operating a foundry in the old Star Mills, located where the William Pugh coal yards are now situated. At that time the firm style of Davies, Free- man & Davis Machine Shop & Foundry was assumed, but after a brief existence the new undertaking faced failure. In the fall of 1869 Mr. Freeman again established a business on Bridge Street, where he opened a machine shop and foundry and con- dneted a small boiler shop. He became engaged in the manufaet- ure of gray iron castings in connection with his other work. In 1871 the firm of J. 1. Case & Company began the manufacture of boilers and engines for threshing machines and Mr. Freeman took a contract to build the boilers. He continued this through- out his remaining days. In the machine shop he also began the manufacture of a fanning mill patented by G. E. Clark and gradually he added other implements until the output now includes a large line of farm implements and machin- erv. In 1886 the business was incorporated under the name of S. Freeman & Sons Manufacturing Company, with S. Free- man as the president; Charles Freeman as the secretary, and Michael N. Freeman as treasurer. Their first factory was on Bridge Street, near the plant of the Case Company, and in 1894 they built a boiler plant at the foot of Reichert Court, facing Hamilton Street on the north. In 1895 the entire plant was removed to the present location, where the company has six acres of land. The buildings cover three acres. The boiler shop is of brick and steel construction and is supplied with a sprinkler system. The company has its own electric plant; also a hydraulic and pneumatie power system. They employ 300 men, mostly skilled labor. They manufacture boilers, both power and heating, of the tubular type; also boilers internally fired and of the water tube type. Their product includes all kinds of steel pipe, smoke stacks, ensilage cutters and carriers, corn shellers, steel windmills and towers, fanning mills and broadeast seeders.
RACINE WOOLEN MILES AND FOURTH STREET BRIDGE IN THE '60s
The mill was destroyed by fire Christmas night, 1870. The bridge was replaced by an iron bridge about 1870,
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HISTORY OF RACINE COUNTY
J. MILLER COMPANY
Joseph Miller, the founder of this business, entered upon an apprenticeship with the firm of MeDonald & Roby, shoemak- ers, in the spring of 1848, mastered the trade, and was afterward made foreman. In 1857 he purchased the business of his former employers. His business continued to develop until January 5. 1866, when he suffered heavy losses through a disastrous fire. He resumed operation on a small scale. In 1872 Mr. Miller de- «ided to devote his entire attention to the manufacturing business and sold his interest in the store. In 1875 he admitted Charles T. Schweitzer and Rush S. Adams to a partnership under the firm name of J. Miller & Company. In 1875 Mr. Miller and his asso- ciates moved the firm to Dubuque, Towa, but Racine capitalists, on hearing of this, offered him a building and grounds for his factory at the corner of Fourth Street and Lake Avenue if he would return. He returned on the provision that he should be able to buy the property, which he did several years later. Larger quarters were soon obtained at the corner of Third Street and Lake Avenue. Again heavy losses were suffered by fire in 1882 when the greater part of Racine was swept by flames. How- over, he succeeded in getting a new start and erected a larger manufacturing plant under the name of the J. Miller Company. It was in 1882 that the business was incorporated under that name with Joseph Miller as president; C. T. Schweitzer, vice- president; Frank J. Miller, treasurer; Henry C. Miller, superin- tendent; George W. Miller, secretary, and Joseph F. Miller, bookkeeper. The business constantly developed until 375 opera- tives were employed in the plant.
T. DRIVER & SONS
T. Driver & Sons Manufacturing Company is one of the old established industrial concerns of Raeine. The business of sash and door manufacturing was begun in 1867 by Thomas Driver. At that time he bought out Lucas Bradley, who had established the business in the '40s and was then located at Sixth and Camp- bell Streets. After Mr. Driver took possession the plant was destroyed by fire on January 17, 1870. Mr. Driver rebuilt his mill at 212 East Second, now State, Street. In 1896 the company again suffered a loss by fire and as quickly it was rebuilt.
After purchasing the business from Incas Bradley Mr.
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Driver continued alone for a few years, but in 1875 was joined by a son, at which time the business was reorganized under the firm name of Thomas Driver & Son. Still later a further reor- ganization occurred and the firm name of Thomas Driver & Sons Manufacturing Company was assumed, three other sons, Andrew, Charles and S. M. having joined the firm. The business was in- corporated in 1884. The father continued at the head of the business until his death, when J. C. Driver was made president. with John M. Driver as secretary and treasurer, and S. M. Driver, superintendent. There was no further change among the officers until June, 1915, when S. M. Driver bought out the interests of his brothers and is now president of the company.
The plant consists of two buildings. They manufacture a full line of sash, doors, stairs, cupboards, etc. From fifty to sixty men are employed.
RACINE IRON & WIRE WORKS
This is another of the oldest manufacturing plants of the City of Racine. The business was organized and established in 1870 by Charles Goehner and after a number of years a corpora- tion was formed which bought out Mr. Goehner in April, 1906, G. L. Buck being elected president and treasurer of the company, with J. P. Hochgurtel as vice-president and Charles W. Peck as secretary. In 1879 the business was known as the Racine Wire Cloth Works.
The plant occupies a building 129 by 45 feet, of three stories, of mill construction, and modern in every respect. The company manufactures chemical fire extinguishers, weaves brass and copper cloth, makes wire and iron rails and fences, wire protec- tions for machinery, also various household specialties. From forty to fifty men are carried on the payroll.
S. C. JOHNSON & SON
Under the name of S. C. Johnson & Son is carried on one of the most important manufacturing enterprises in Raeine. The business was established in 1882 by S. C. Johnson, who began the manufacture of hardwood flooring. Gradually the trade was developed along another line and the company now specializes in the production of wood finishes, one of the principal products being Johnson's Prepared Wax, which is sold through jobbers
Photo furnished hy Billings
W. T. LEWIS
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HISTORY OF RACINE COUNTY
over the entire world. Today the company has its own offices in London, England, and Sydney, Australia. Two hundred peo- ple are employed regularly in the Racine plant. The buildings are of modern construction, equipped with automatic machinery and sprinkler system. This is the largest establishment of the kind in the world, the output being 5,000,000 pounds of wax each year.
HIGGINS SPRING & AXLE COMPANY
This company is the successor of the Ansted & Higgins Spring Company, which was established in 1884 by Michael Higgins and E. W. Ansted. Their plant was located at Racine Junction and there they began the manufacture of springs, putting upon the market a product which found immediate favor, as indicated by the rapid growth of the business. This led to the establishment of a branch plant at Connorsville, Indiana, which was afterward taken over by Mr. Ansted and the partnership was then dissolved, Mr. Higgins remaining in charge of the Racine establishment. The company was incorporated under its present form in 1892, with Mrs. Mary Higgins as the president, James Higgins as sec- retary, and Michael Higgins, treasurer. They are engaged in the manufacture of springs and axles and the output is sold all over the United States. Employment is given to about 180 people on the average and the plant covers about a half block. The buildings and machinery are of the latest type.
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