The history of Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, Part 97

Author:
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 1082

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Fond du Lac Spring Wagon Company .- In 1875, A. T. Perkins and C. L. Clement pur- chased from the J. A. Archibald estate the small shops near the corner of Macy and Court streets, and began the manufacture of carriages and cutters, under the firm name of Perkins & Clement. Their business continued to increase, until now they have five buildings, employ twenty-two men, and turn out 1,000 jobs per annum. Their machinery is driven by a thirty- five-horse power steam-engine, built by the Novelty Iron Works. In 1879, the firm added a.

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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY.

complete saw-mill to their factory, and now saw all the boards and stock used. No other car- riage factory in the Northwest has facilities for sawing its own lumber. The especial lines of work turned out at this factory, are cutters, all styles of carriages, and the celebrated platform- spring wagons, which are called " mountain wagons."

Fond du Lac Building Association .- This corporation, whose factory is on Scott street. near Main, was organized January 4, 1876, and incorporated Jannary 4, 1879. Its capital stock is $10,000, paid up. C. K. Pier is President, and G. W. Mihills, Manager. The concern has ont 280 agents, who make 70.000 sales per year of screens, window blinds and articles of that class. No firm in Fond du Lac sends out and sells as great a number of articles as this institution, though several others receive much larger amounts of cash in return' for manufact- ured articles sold.

Galloway Mills .- This large flouring-mill, situated on the corner of Arndt and Packer streets, was begun by John Maginnis and Charles R. Harrison. In 1866. the property was purchased, rebuilt and finished by T. S. Henry & Co., the present owners. The mill is well equipped with all the most modern milling machinery. and is constantly busy. Its capacity is 120 barrels of flour per day.

Fond du Lac Steam Bakery .- The large business of the steam baker, located at 35 East First street, in a handsome brick building built especially for it, was begun by Benjamin Wild. in a small way in 1860. Trade constantly increased, and in 1869 the business was transferred to Second street, where it now gives employment to nineteen men, who make into crackers, all kinds of bread, cakes and pies, about fifteen barrels of flour per day. The manufacture of can- dies is also extensively and successfully carried on. The firm has three traveling salesmen ; a retail store on the corner of Main and First streets, under the charge of H. L. Noble, and does a business of $80,000 per year. The sales extend into adjoining States.

J. Q. Griffith & Sons' Saw-Mill .- J. Q. Griffith began the lumbering business as early as 1856, and in 1859 operated the old Wilbor & Henry mill. In 1860, he purchased the mill. which then stood on Forest street. It was built in 1856, by Deacon Fuller, Nathan Leavitt and George Hunter, and was known as the Fuller & Leavitt Mill. It had a muley saw and siding machine. The company failed after operating it several years, and the property was purchased by Mr. Griffith, who operated it until he built the present mill, in 1871, on West Division street. In 1866, his son, Carver N. Griffith, became a partner in the business, and in 1870, Wilber A. Griffith, another son, took an interest, and the firm name then was J. Q. Griffith & Sons. In 1872, a planing-mill was added to the facilities of the mill, and in 1879, machinery for grind- ing everything but flour. The yards and mill give employment to thirty-five men, and a corps of loggers and raftsmen is kept in the woods, securing logs for each season's work.

Steenberg's Sash, Door and Blind Factory .- In 1867, H. Il. Lewis, now a resident of Kansas, erected a sash, door and blind factory on the corner of Mc Williams and Juneau streets. In 1871, Prof. O. C. Steenberg was taken in as a partner, and, in 1877, became sole proprietor. When running to its full capacity, the factory gives employment to sixty men. Its products are sold mostly in the West and South, for which there was demand enough during the panic to keep the factory in operation.

George W. Lusk's San-Mill .- In 1856, Asa Pierce, now of Racine County, Daniel W. Smith, Charles Chandler, W. D. Sherwood, now of Chicago, and L. C. Bissell. built the mill now owned and run by George W. Lusk, on Moore street, the capacity of which is about forty thousand feet per day. It was called the Pierce, Smith & Co. Mill. The boilers were made of the best locomotive boiler iron, and have never had a cent expended on them for repairs. The mill had a forty-eight-inch saw. a double-cutting sider. shingle and lath machines. Pierce, Smith & Co. failed, and, in 1867. George W. Lusk became a member of the firm of Merryman & Co .. which consisted of A. C. & R. W. Merryman, George W. Lusk, Lewis Rood, of Monroe, Wis .. and E. A. Newton, of the same place. In 1869, A. C. Merryman withdrew from the firm. In . June. 1877, Mr. Lusk purchased Mr. Newton's interest in the business : in April, 1878.

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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY.

purchased that of the Merrymans, and, in March, 1879, secured the interest belonging to the Rood heirs. He is now sole proprietor of the mill and lumber-yard.

Fond du Lac Manufacturing Company .- In 1873, a company consisting of Alexander and John S. McDonald, and Benjamin Nightingale, was incorporated for the manufacture of straw boards, building and wrapping paper. The capital stock was $54,000, all paid up. The factory ran two years, giving employment to a large number of men, and producing first-class articles, after which it was closed on account of the costliness of fuel. The building and machinery there- fore lay idle until the spring of 1878, when they were destroyed by fire.

Alfred K. Hamilton's Saw-Mill .- In 1856, I. K. and W. C. Hamilton built a mill at Luco. between Fond du Lac and Taycheedah, on the lake shore, and, in 1857, began the manu- facture of all kinds of lumber. In 1868, A. K. Hamilton and W. S. Finley became partners in the business, under the firm name of A. K. & W. C. Ilamilton & Co. In 1871, A. K. Ham- ilton and W. S. Finley became the proprietors, and continued in business together until May, 1879, when Mr. Finley sold to A. K. Hamilton, who is now sole proprietor of the business. In addition to the lumber-yard at the mill in Luco, a yard and an office are located on Main street, in Fond du Lac. This mill, which employs fifty men, and has a capacity of 6.000,000 feet of lumber per year, has not been idle a season since it was first started, in 1857. About forty men are kept at work in the woods securing logs, on which to keep the mill in operation.

Fond du Lac Harrow Company .- In the spring of 1876, the manufacture of " H. B. Fargo's V-shaped, steel-toothed harrow" was begun by H. B. Fargo. W. A. Knapp, M. D. Moore, C. A. Galloway and W. B. Galloway, under the name of the Fond du Lac Harrow Com- pany. The Company was organized in 1878, and incorporated October 1, of that year, by W. A. Knapp, C. K. Pier, G. A. Knapp and Frank A. Knapp; with a capital of $10,000. The officers of the corporation are C. K. Pier, President, and W. A. Knapp, Secretary and Treas- urer. The act of incorparation gives the Company the right to make all kinds of agricultural implements. though only Fargo's patent harrow is made at present. The factory is on East Division street, and turns out 3,000 harrows per year, making a business worth $35,000. These harrows are mostly sold in Minnesota, Iowa. Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska and Wisconsin. The business is increasing.

The Fond du Lac Trunk Factory .- The business of making trunks was first started by Andrew Payne, who catered to the retail trade only. He sold to D. C. Lang in 1874, who enlarged and carried on the business until March, 1875, when John H. Lang, his brother, became a member of the firm. The firm name then became, and now continues, D. C. & J. H.I. Lang. The factory is a large brick building on East First street, in which is the office. The business is now wholly carried on for the wholesale trade, and gives employment to eighteen men. The sales in Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and Indiana, amount to over $25,000 per annum.

Mc Donald Manufacturing Company .- This was first known as the Fond du Lac Threshing Machine Company, which was organized in 1874, and built threshing machines until 1876, when the Company failed. The following year, March 14. the present Company was organized, with John S. McDonald, President ; Alexander McDonald, Vice President, and John Spence, Treas- urer and Secretary. These, with C. H. Benton, constitute the Board of Directors. The pres- ent officers are the same as just recorded. The capital stock of the concern is $100,000, all paid up, and its principal business the manufacture of the " Pride of the West " threshing machines, which were invented in Fond du Lac, and which are becoming celebrated for several superiorities in construction and manner of doing work. There are also made by this firm the .Common Sense " sleigh, for lumbering purposes. and Berry's Stump Puller. Since the forma- tion of this Company, its business has increased from 100 to 300 per cent per year, and new facilities are constantly added. The large shop is located on Scott street and gives employment to forty men.

Mihills Manufacturing Company .- The foundation of the immense business now carried on by the Mihills Manufacturing Company in sash, doors and blinds, on the corner of Brooke,

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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY.

Sibley and Juneau streets, was laid when Uriah D. Mihills began the manufacture of lumber. in 1864, in the old dismantled mill now standing near the Scott street bridge. In 1868, he added to his business the manufacture of sash, doors and blinds, and continued both the mill and the factory until 1874, when he became involved, and the establishment was taken in charge by the present Mihills Manufacturing Company December 24, 1874, with a capital of $200,000. Of this corporation, Parlan Semple, of Shawano, was President; R. A. Baker, Vice President ; C. K. Pier, President ; G. N. Mihills. Secretary and Superintendent. These, with Welcome Hyde, of Appleton, constitute the Board of Directors. The present officers are R. A. Baker, President ; C. K. Pier, Treasurer ; G. N. Mihills, Vice President, Secretary and Superintendent. The factory, which is a fine brick building, contains 160 employes, and the articles manufact- ured are sold in all the States of the Union, except New York and New England. The busi- ness now amounts to $300,000 per year. The Mihills Manufacturing Company also owns a large saw-mill at the foot of Hone and Spring streets, which is leased by Henry Sherry, of Neenah, and managed by A. D. Parker. During the last two seasons, it has been run to its full capacity. night and day a portion of the time; running in winter also, logs being received by rail.

Fond du Lac Wheel &. Sceder Company .- In 1872, Daniel Y. Sabin. J. B. Bushnell and HIenry Hastings began, under the name and style of Sabin, Bushnell & Hastings, the manu- facture of the Fountain City Seeder and patent buggy wheels. In 1874, this firm sold out to the Wheel & Seeder Company, which was chartered August 31, 1874, and which was composed of D. Y. Sabin, J. B. Bushnell, Henry Hastings, J. C. Wedge, Alexander McDonald, Frank Dillingham (of Milwaukee), M. W. Simmons, E. C. Gray, Byron Town, Kalk & Kent, J. F. Aldrich, P. Conrad, A. T. Perkins and Ela C. Waters. The first officers were: Alexander McDonald, President ; J. C. Wedge, Vice President; Byron Town, Secretary and Treasurer; J. B. Bushnell, Superintendent. The capital stock was $50,000. The company ceased man- ufacturing wheels in 1876, because they were too costly for the market. The manufactures, which now consist of grain-drills and force-feed, broad-cast seeders. with clover and timothy seed attachments, are sold mostly in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska. Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin. Their number is 1,500 seeders and drills per year, and their value about $75,000. The shops give employment to seventy-five men, and the business is annually increasing. The present officers are: Alexander McDonald, President; J. C. Wedge, Vice President ; Byron Town, Secretary and Treasurer. The shops are located on Forest street, next to the river, and with the additions of the season of 1879, complete throughout.

Moore &. Galloway's Saw-Mill .- The business of this firm was begun in 1864 by M. D. Moore, who then engaged in the manufacture of lumber, lath and pickets, with Charles Crane. The partnership, if such it could be called, was a novel one. Mr. Crane had built the saw-mill in 1863, but was financially embarrassed. Mr. Moore therefore purchased an undivided half- interest in it, and paid for it, and for two years thereafter Mr. Crane operated the mill one week and Mr. Moore the next week. The same crew worked for both, but the lumber cut by each was kept separate, as well as all the business affairs. In 1866, Mr. Moore bought out Mr. Crane, and soon after, in the same year, C. A. Galloway became a partner with Mr. Moore in the business, and several years later, in 1870, W. E. Baker purchased an interest in the busi- ness, which embraced extensive operations in the lumber districts, in addition to operating the mill and yards at Fond du Lac. In 1878, W. E. Baker withdrew from the firm, which is now composed of M. D. Moore and C. A. Galloway. The firm gives employment to eighty, and at some seasons to 150, men, and cuts from five to eight and one-half millions of lumber. The mill and office are located on Packer, near McWilliams street.

Peerless Job Office .- November 13, 1878, P. B. Haber and Charles H. Swift opened a job printing office in the rear of Wells' Bank building, corner of Main and First streets, under the title of the Peerless Printing Office, by Haber & Swift. The material was all new and the office has had a liberal share of business since it was opened. Mr. Swift has in connection with the office, the business of city bill-posting.

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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY.

Globe Job Office .- On the 1st of August, 1872, Thomas Bryant, now of the Omaha (Neb.) Bee newspaper, opened a job printing office over J. C. Whittelsey's store on Main street. In the fall of 1874, George C. Hicks, now of Minneapolis, purchased an interest in the office, continuing as one of the proprietors until 1876, when Mr. Bryant became sole proprietor. In 1878-April 25-John W. Lockin purchased the entire establishment and moved it to the ground floor of No. 6 Forest street, September 20, 1879. He added a large cylinder press and engine in 1879, and the office now contains 150 fonts of type, four presses and good steam machinery. The Wisconsin Farmer is published at the Globe Office.

La Belle Wagon Works .- In 1869, what is now the second largest wagon factory in the State was begun by Farnsworth, Knapp & Co., on the site now occupied by the works. The firm changed soon after to Farnsworth, Woodward, Knapp & Co., and then to Farnsworth Bro- thers & Knapp, who continued in the business until February, 1874, when B. F. Moore and A. G. Ruggles purchased the entire property and business interests. This firm began immediately to increase the business, although the works had a capacity of 2,000 wagons per year under Farnsworth Brothers & Knapp. Mr. Ruggles continued in the establishment only eight months, when B. F. Moore became sole proprietor. He went on with making improvements and increas- ing the facilities, until in January, 1879, when a stock company was formed and incorporated, with a paid-up capital of $200,000, consisting of B. F. Moore, President: A. L. Moore, Vice President and Superintendent ; James II. Farnsworth, Secretary, and C. H. Moore, Treasurer. The business, that of manufacturing wagons, gives employment to 200 men, who turn out twenty complete wagons per day. The shops, which are located between the West Branch River and the Chicago & North-Western Railway, on Forest street, are run to their utmost capacity, and turn out $300,000 worth of wagons per year. During the past year an immense fireproof, stone, iron and brick storehouse has been built by the La Belle Wagons Works Company, which is capable of holding 3,000 finished wagons ; also an oil-house of stone. Every foot of room is utilized, and preparations are going on to increase, next season, the capacity of the shops. The wagons turned out are sold mostly in California, Oregon, Texas and British America.

Novelty Iron Works .- The Novelty Iron Works building, a large, substantial structure of brick with cast-iron door and window frames, was built by Horace and George O. Trowbridge. on the corner of Doty and Rees streets, in 1866. Ilorace Trowbridge now resides at Sheboygan Falls, and George O. at San Francisco. C. H. De Groat purchased G. O. Trowbridge's inter- est in 1875, and soon after A. E. Bosworth became a member of the firm. In 1876, George Giddings bought an interest in the business, since which time the firm has been De Groat & Giddings. Their business is that of manufacturing agricultural implements, saw-mill machinery and general repairing. They also manufacture the famous Gowan head-blocks and set works for saw-mills, which are in use by nearly all the mills in the vicinity.

C. J. L. Meyer's Factories, Mills and Furnaces .- One of the most extensive and success- ful manufacturers in Wisconsin, or in the Northwest, is Charles J. L. Meyer. No history of Fond du Lac, or of Wisconsin, would be complete, therefore, without a more or less elaborate account of his business. Mr. Meyer arrived in New York from his native place in Prussia, in 1849, at the age of eighteen. He had been educated under the thorough Prussian school sys- tem, and had also learned the sash and door trade, which he now carries on, by working in his father's shop, which had turned out a fine quality of sash, doors and furniture since the beginning of the present century. Not finding employment at his trade at once in New York, Mr. Meyer engaged at farming for a short time, but soon found employment with one of the best millwrights of the East, thereby acquiring practical knowledge which has since been of great value in car- rying on his business. In 1855, being desirous of engaging in business on a larger scale, and in a timbered country, Mr. Meyer made a tour of the West and settled upon Fond du Lac as offer- ing the best advantages on account of healthful climate, fine soil, great timber resources and con- tiguity to navigable waters. He did not settle at Fond du Lac through accident, but after a thorough examination of various other places in the West.

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In 1856, he started in business at Fond du Lac, in a very small way, doing such miscel- laneous jobs as his limited means would allow. In 1859, Mr. Meyer went East, spending five months in careful examination of manufacturing establishments in that section. IIe resolved, as a consequence, to enter upon the manufacture of sash, doors and blinds, and returned in the fall of that year to lay the foundation of his present immense business. In 1860, himself, a brother and an apprentice were working with rented power .. In 1861, mostly with his own hands, he erected a small wooden shop on Western avenue, purchasing a small portable engine for power. In this shop he planed lumber, made sash, doors and blinds, and did various jobs; not on a large scale, as that business was not then heavily patronized. In 1864, however, having got a firmer foothold, and trade having received a strong impetus from the war, Mr. Meyer put his goods on the Chicago market. The excellent finish and thorough workmanship displayed marked them at once as superior to any then before the public, and, as if by magic, the demand for them out- stripped that of all competitors. From that time, the demand for his goods rapidly and con- stantly increased. A large factory was erected on the north side of Western avenue-since demolished-and a branch was permanently opened in Chicago. In 1866, he erected the pres- ent wood-working building, which is 200x100 feet on the ground, and three stories high, of brick. There were large additions built for boiler and engine rooms. In 1867, a large brick warehouse, 44x128 feet and two stories high with basement, was erected on the corner of West- ern avenue and the Chicago & North-Western Railway. In 1868, being desirous of obtaining lumber for his factory, at more advantageous terms, Mr. Meyer erected a saw-mill in " Lower Town," in Fond du Lac, which had a capacity of 80,000 feet of lumber per day. In 1874, finding it necessary to protect his interests in that city, he erected a model sash, door and blind factory in Chicago, which has a capacity equal to that of any other in the Garden City. Owing to its perfectness and completeness, this factory has several times been examined by officials sent from foreign countries to learn the details of American manufacturing. As logs began to grow more scarce on the Wolf River, Mr. Meyer found it necessary to purchase large tracts of pine lands, which he did in Michigan, fifty miles north of Menominee. ITere he built a large saw-mill, which runs all the year round, a planing-mill, stores, offices and boarding-house, making a vil- lage all his own, called IIermansville, after his son Herman. The product of these mills is mostly used in the manufacture of sash, doors and blinds in his own factories. In 1870, fear- ing a scarcity of logs on the Wolf River would render Fond du Lac less advantageous as a wood- manufacturing point, and expecting, therefore, to change his business to that of manufacturing iron, he erected a large blast furnace at " Lower Town," with ample charcoal kilns, which was hardly completed when the panic laid its iron hand upon all manufacturing interests. Since then railways have been pushed into the most productive timber countries, thus indefinitely post- poning the time when there will be a scarcity of lumber in Fond du Lac for manufacturing pur- poses. Mr. Meyer, therefore, has continued to increase his wood-manufacturing business, erect- ing in 1879 an additional factory, 100x100 feet, just east of the main building.

On the corner of Western avenue and Macy street, Mr. Meyer has one of the best-equipped machine shops and foundries in the Northwest, at which all his own engines and iron machinery are made, and a general business in manufacturing heavy mill furnishings carried on. D ring 1880, the blast furnace will be put into operation under a company organized for that purpose, and his sash, door and blind factory will consume over twelve million feet of lumber-an increase over any previous year.

To keep in motion the large amount of machinery in all of Mr. Meyer's shops-not includ- ing his blast furnace-are required ten steam engines and twenty-one boilers. The former are made at liis Western avenue iron works, and the latter by J. C. Pierron, of Fond du Lac, of whose work Mr. Meyer speaks in the highest terms.

The Chicago shops furnish employment to 300 persons ; those at Hermanville, to over 200 and those at Fond du Lac to 400-making a pay-roll with over 900 names.

The products of C. J. L. Meyer's factories are sold in Delaware, District of Columbia, Vir- ginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina,

A.S. som

FOND DU LAC.

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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY.

Florida, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Dakota and Minnesota-twenty-four States, besides Wisconsin.

Breweries .- The oldest brewery in Fond du Lac is that of J. & C. Frey, near the corner of Macy and Division streets. The buildings now used in the business have all been built by the Frey Brothers at different times, the first dating back to 1848. They have an extensive trade at home and abroad, and do also a large business in bottling and exporting beer.

On Portland street, sonth of Division, is situated the large brick building erected by Paul Hauser, for a brewery. It is a well-built and convenient structure for the business of brewing, and is now leased by Antony Voght.

Bechaud Brothers' Brewery, on Eleventh street, west of Hickory, is doing a large and increasing business, additional buildings being required and erected during 1878 and 1879. The Bechaud Brothers are practical brewers. They have a large trade outside of Fond du Lac. their beer being bottled by H. W. Eaton.

Joseph Schussler, a practical brewer, has a brewery on Hickory street, south of Grove. His method of brewing is different from others, and known only to himself. His operations are less extensive than those of the other city brewers.

Rueping & Son's Tannery .- In 1854, William Rueping erected a small wooden building on Doty street, and began the business of tanning leather. Two of his elder sons had learned the tanner's trade in Germany, and they carried on the business after the manner learned in that country. In 1870, the present building, a brick structure, 170x42, feet and three stories high, was erected to accommodate the increasing business. Thirty men are constantly employed, who turn out 8,000 hides and 7,000 kip and calf skins per year. No vitriol or acid is con- sumed in this tannery, hemlock bark alone being used for tanning, of which 1,000 cords, cost- ing $6,500, are required annually. This tannery turns out mostly harness leather, which is of the most durable quality, and sells largely to Boston, New York and St. Paul jobbers. The firm consists of Frederick, Lonis, Charles and Henry, the four sons of the late William Rueping.

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The history of Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, Part 97

Author: Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company Number of Pages: 1082

Author:
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 1082