Whiteside County, Illinois - Chapter 5, 1877 (part 2 of 2)

Manufacturing Establishments

Rock Falls has one dry goods store, four groceries, two millinery stores, one tailor shop, two drug stores, one jeweler, two boot and shoe stores, one harness shop, two butcher shops, three hardware stores, three blacksmith shops, one barber shop, one lumber yard, one elevator, two coal dealers, one ice dealer, one bank, one news depot, one real estate and surveyor's office, one real estate office, one real estate and insurance office, four hotels, six physicians, two printing offices, one restaurant, two livery stables, the works of the Keystone ^lanufacturing Company, Eureka Manufacturing Company, E. C. Palmer, H. F. Batcheller & Son, Phelps & Dyer, Utility Works, A. S. Todd, manufacturer of pruning shears, a manufactory of barbed fence wire. Union Manufacturing Company, Rock Falls Manufacturing Company, a mitten factory, one merchant flouring mill, one feed and meal mill. There are three churches, a lodge of I. 0. 0. F., two lodges A. 0. U. W., one hose company. The town has two school houses, and a well-managed graded school is maintained nine months in the year. The railroad company has a depot building, round-hoUse, water-tank^ and turn-table here. Rock Falls is connected with Sterling by a bridge, and ji^small steamer^ - the White Swan - runs between the two places above the _^m. Measures have been taken to erect a free bridge above the dam, and it will probably be completed during the coming year; its estimated cost is about $40,000; it will be of iron, connecting Mulberry street, Sterling, with Bridge street. Rock Falls, passing over the Chicago and Northwestern Railway track.

Nurseries. Mrs.M. C. Lukens has twenty acres in a nursery. She has under cultivation jaJjout 20,000 apple trees and 200,000 evergreens, of all size¥;"also one acre of Dcrries and one acre of grapes.

G:rove Wright commenced a nursery a short distance east of Rock Falls ten ^ars ago, and has made a specialty of fruit, and ornamental trees, small fruit, and greenhouse plants. He has about $10,000 invested in his property and business.

Manufacturing Establishments. First among these in capaeity and extent of business is the Keystone Manufacturing Company. It was organized in 1870 with a capital of $150,000, Thos. A. Gait, President. The works now occupy ten buildings having an area of over 42,000 square feet, and a total floor area of over 125.000 square feet, or nearly three acres. It employs 150 men in its difi"erent departments, and the capital invested is at present about $300,000. It is engaged in the manufacture of corn planters, sulky rakes, cider mills, corn shellers, stalk cutters and broadcast seed sowers. Twelve thousand machines were turned out in 1876. It used in their construction 40 tons of bolts, 7000 gross of screws, 1200 tons of pig iron, 200 tons of bar iron, 100 tons of steel, 40 barrels of varnish, 50 barrels oil, and 750,000 feet of lumber. It has branch houses at Columbus, Ohio, and

Philadelphia . Pa. Its manufactures are sold all over the United States and in Central and South America, and sustain an enviable character for excellence. Its present officers are : President, Thomas A. Gait; Vice President and Superintendent. G. S. Tracy; Secretary, J. B. Patterson.

The Eureka Manufacturing Company was organized in 1871 with a capital of $50,000. It occupies five buildings Avith a floor area of over 13,000 square feet, and a total floor area of about 35,000 square feet. It is engaged in the manufacture of Eureka school seats, church and office furniture, chairs, Eureka stalk cutter, checkj-ower, road grader and the Becker brush grain cleaner. Forty-flve persons are employed. President, John M. Gait; Secretary, J. G. Crawford.

The Rock Falls Mitten Factory building was erected in 1869, by A. P. Smith, at a cost of $4,000. The business has grown year by year until at present 80 persons, mostly women, are employed about eight months in the year, and goods to the value of $100,000 are manufactured. Mr. H. P. Price has for eight years cut out the work. Messrs. Hubbard, Ward & Clark are the present proprietors.

The Industrial Building, 300x60 feet, basement and two stories high, was built by a stock company in 1872. It cost about $50,000. It is intended to be let to parties desiring to engage in manufacturing, and is divided into sj^x^sections, each 60x50 feet. It is in part occupied. -,

The Enterprise Works, R. P. Batcheller & Son, proprietors, manufacture, the Eureka wind mill, hand corn planters, harrows, cheese-boxes. Twenty-two hands are employed, and about 12,000 hand planters are produced, besides other goods. Capital, $25,000. The building is of stone, 60x40 feet, two stories high.

The Utility Works, J. A. Patterson, proprietor, occupy section six of Industrial building, and manufacture the Sterling corn planter, portable tables, ironing boards, and other articles.

The Keystone Burial Case Company was established in 1874. It gave employment to 20 persons. In 1876 it made an assignment. A reorganization has taken place and the factory is now in running order under the name of the Rock Falls Manufacturing Company, who turn out the same class of goods. They occupy a section of the Industrial building.

The Union Manufacturing Company manufacture the Rock Falls wagon. These works have a capacity of ten finished wagons per day, and have given employment to about 80 men. The officers are : John Wood, President; Fred. Sheldon, Secretary; R. B. Witmer, Treasurer.

p]. C. Palmer manufactures hand corn planters, harrows, vegetable washers, mouldings, brackets, etc. The works are in the Industrial building.

Phelp&^& Dyer manufacture three styles of corn planters, called the Champion, Quadrant and Star. They also manufacture the Champion harrow and Upham's reversible smoothing harrow, both very superior implements. They made over 5,000 planters for the trade this season.

The Globe Mill, Jacob Zollinger, proprietor, is run as a grist and merchant mill and has a capacity of about'30,000 barrels per year. About 30 tons of flour, meal and feed are shipped weekly. Capital, $35,000.

Churches And Other Organizations

its commencement a staunch Republican paper, and ever devoted to the interests of Rock Falls. In 1873 it Decame the official paper of the town. The office is located in the upper story of No. 5, Industrial building, to which place it was removed in 1873. The paper enjoys a fair patronage, and has an increasing subscription list.

Whiteside Times: - The Times is the lineal descendent of the Morrison Independent which came into existence in August, 1872. It was edited by J. W. Huett and Lewis Ward until 1873, when Elmer Searle, formerly of the - Reform Investigator of Morrison, assumed editorial charge. Genius could not save the Independent and it was sold to A. J. Booth & Co., who changed its name to the Morrison Tiines and published it at Morrison until July, 1876, when they removed the office and paper to Rock Falls, and named the paper the Whiteside Times. It is a six-column folio, well filled with reading matter, and has a liberal support. The office occupies the third floor of No. 1, Industrial building.

Churches and Other Organizations. Methodist Episcojxd Church: - This is the oldest religious society of Rock Falls. It was organized in 1868 and its pulpit supplied by Rev. J. H. Ailing, pastor of the Fourth Street Sterling charge, with which it was connected. During the winter of 1868-'69 a revival was held by which many were added to its numbers, and the permanency and prosperity of the church assured. A lot was purchased, and in July, 1869, the foundation of the present church yas laid; in April, 1871, it was finished and dedicated. The first trustees were J. L. Morrill, M. L. Coe, C. K. Brown, J. A. Bickford and R. H. Jenkins. Rev. J. A. Stayt was sent to the charge in the fall of 1870, as the first resident pastor. It was largely owing to his zeal and energy that the church was completed and a parsonage erected. He was returned to this field in 1871. In 1872 Rev. Thomas Chipperfield came to the charge, then embracing Coloma, Hume and Montmorency. About the 1st of December, 1872, it was decided by the proper authority to make Rock Falls a station, and Rev. T. Chipperfield was assigned to the charge. A revival occurred during this winter as the result of which sixty persons united with the church. The conference of 1873 returned Mr. Chipperfield to this station. During his pastorate the number of members was more than quadrupled and the church prospered greatly. In 1874-75 Rev. Lewis Curts was pastor, and in 1875-76 Rev. C. R. Ford. The annual conference of 1876 assigned Rev. A. H. Miller to the charge, and he is now the pastor. The church has a membership of over 200; one local preacher - J. H. Backus; one exhorter - J. H. Boughman; eleven class leaders, and an efficient corps of Sabbath School officers and teachers. The Sabbath School numbers about 250 members. The church is 40x60 feet on the ground - a neat, comfortable building. In 1876 it was tastefully frescoed and carpeted, through the efforts of the ladies. The present board of trustees are Dr. J. L. Morrill, M. L. Coe, J. A. Bickford, J. H. Phelps and 0. A. Oliver.

Congregational Church: - The Congregational society was organized De- _cember 28, 1875, with fifteen members. The trustees were A. M. Phelps, E. C. Palmer, Almon Wheeler, Freeman Coleman, and J. D. Davis. The same gentlemen constitute the present Board, except Almon Wheeler, whose place is filled by Enoch Long. The deacons are Richard Arey, H. R. Hand, and Charles Saxton. The membership at this time - September, 1877 - is 80. A church building 40x55 feet in size was erected in 1876 and dedicated the latter part of that year. It is not finished, but services are regularly held in it. The Rev. S. D. Belt is pastor, under whose care the church has greatly prospered.

German Lutheran Church: - The German Lutheran Society was organized in 1877, being the youngesF'religious association in Rock Falls. It is engaged in building a church 40x50 feet in size.

Public Schools: - The Schools of Kock Falls being an outgrowth of those of Coloma, we shall treat of both in one article. The early settlers were most of them men of some education, men who felt that knowledge is power, and that to their children mental culture was almost as important as food. Hence schools were early founded and the school house and the teacher were almost as necessary in the pioneer settlements as in the prosperous villages of to-day. In 1845, Miss Anastatia Sturtevant, eldest daughter of Josiah Sturtevant, taught the first school in an old store building in Rapids City. The next year, 1846, a small building - 12x12 - constructed for a corn house was bought from L. H. Woodworth for the sum of $20, to be paid in produce, the amount being raised by subscription. It was moved to where the brick school house now stands and a Miss McLaughlin was installed as teacher. The number of pupils increased and in 1854 the erection of a brick school house - the present structure - was begun, the old house having been sold to Thomas Robinson, of whose residence it now forms a part. The new house was completed in 1856. In 1858 there were two school districts in Coloma, one in the east part, the other in the west part with the school house located on the east part of section 31. At present district No. two contains Rock Falls and all west of the town to the west line of the township, district No. one east of the town with a school house located in the south-east part of section 26. The Rock Falls school has since the organization of the town been under the care of the following teachers: Mr. Harris, C Parks, C. Gr. Glenn, A. D. Tyson, Fayette Johnson, Miss M. Howland, Mr. Woodbridge and Harry A. Smith who is still in the employ of the district. A second school house has been built and five teachers are employed, school being sustained nine months in the year. The number of pupils enrolled is 235. Number in attendance about 175.

Independent Order of Odd Felloios: - Advance Lodge No. 5U0, 1. 0. 0. F., was instituted Wednesday evening, September 22 ,1875. The charter members were M. H. Culver, F. E. Montenie, A. C. Stanley, F. W. Wheeler, W. H. Tuttle, J. B. Ralph, 0. N. Hazen, W.H. Cadwell, Fred. Babcock, F. A. Clewell, Robert Nicol, Jr., S. S. Lukens. The first officers were W. H. Cadwell, Noble Grand; F. E. Montenie, Vice Grand; M. H. Culver, Recording Secretary; F. A. Clewell, Permanent Secretary; J. B. Ralph, Treasurer. Present officers for term ending December 31, 1877: A. C. Stanley, N. G.; S. S. Knee, V. G.; C. E. Payson, R. S.; T. P. Lukens, P. S.; J. H. Montague, Treasurer. Trustees: J. M. Armstrong, G. R. Bent, B. W. Doty, J. E. Phillips, Samuel Wilson. Representative to Grand Lodge, W. H. Tuttle. The lodge has a membership of 58, is out of debt and has a fair balance in the treasury.

Indmt rial Lodge No. 5, Ancient Order United Workmen: - This Lodge was instituted Saturday evening, June 12, 1875, by 0. J. Noble, D. D. S. M. W., of Davenport. Iowa, assisted by the officers of No. 3 (Union Lodge, Sterling), with 61 applicants, 28 of whom were present at the opening of the lodge. The following officers were installed: E. C. Palmer, Past Master Workman; T. Culver, Master Workman; B. F. Boynton, General Foreman; B. W. Doty, Overseer; H. P. Price, Recorder; C. K. Brown, Financier; S. F. Montague, Receiver; H. W. Stubbs, Guide; L. Hannan, Watchman. The officers of the present term are: J. B. Ralph, P. M. W.; S. T. Shirley, M. W.; George W. Smith, G. F.; T. J. Worman, 0.; H. P. Price, Recorder; D. L- McKenzie, F.; H. Roland, Receiver;

H. F. Lundy, I. W.; G. 0. Deyo, 0. W.; F. A. Clewell, G. Representatives to Grand Lodge, E. C. Palmer, A. Edgerton. Past Master "Workmen: E. C. Palmer, A. Edgerton, T. Culver, J. B. Ralph, J. D. Davis. Present membership, 60.

Hose Company: - Keystone Hose Company No. 1, of Rock Falls, was organized Thursday evening, August 31, 1876, with 28 members. The company have three hose carts and 1,600 feet of hose. The uniform is dark pants, blue shirts with white Keystone front, blue caps with red and white front, red and white belt. The officers are: J. L. Newton, Foreman; S. F. Mingle, 1st assistant; C. E. Payson, 2d assistant; H. P. Price, Secretary; T. P. Lukens, Treasurer. Present membership, 36.

Biographical. The history of Rock Falls would be incomplete without a biographical sketch of Augustus P, Smith, Esq., the founder of the place. Mr. Smith is a native of Cobleskill, Schoharie county, N. Y., and was born February 2, 1831. In 1848 he went to New York City^ where he resided two years, and then became a resident of Cherry Valley, Otsego county, New York, where he also remained two years. From thence he removed to Gloversville, Fulton county. New York, and in 1855 came to Illinois, and settled in Sterling in 1856, residing there until his removal to Rock Falls, which is now his home. Mr. Smith was married to Miss Elvira J. Champlin at Gloversville, New York, April 14, 1855. Their children are Florence May, born in 1859; Mabel E., in 1861; Helen Marr, in 1863, and Gertrude, in 1868. In 1867 he founded Rock Falls, a full desctiption of which is given in the history of that place, and its rapid growth shows more forcibly than words could possibly do, his foresight and clear judgment in business matters, and his extraordinary energy in carrying whatever he undertakes into effect.