Madison County, Indiana - Chapter 37, 1897

Chapter 37

As stated elsewhere tlie count}- of Madison, until the discovery of natural gas, was noted principally for the quantity and quality of its agricultural and other farm products. Up to that time but few manufactories had been established in the county, and Anderson being the seat of justice and enjoying better shipping facilities than any other town in the county. had a majority of them.

The first manufacturing establishment erected at Anderson was a saw-mill and "corn-cracker .'" This mill was built by David Williams in l>s;{l)and was situated on White river just north of the Big Four and Pennsylvania railway crossing. The coiicern was purchased bv Andrew Jackson and enlarged and improved from time to time until it became the principal mill in this part of the county. It was known as " the Jackson mill ," and before it was destroyed by fire, in 1877, did a large business. The last proprietor of the mill was David B. Jackson, a son of Andrew Jackson.

About six vears after the Williams mill was built, Joseph Mullinix erected a corn mill on White river two miles west of Anderson. This mill was situated on the present site of what for a long time has been known as the '- ]\Ioss Island Mills ," so called on account of the island formed bv the " race " and river, and from the further fact that James Moss owned the propertv for manv vears. The mill has been owned and improved bv many proprietors in its time and has done a large local business, quite a village springing up around it, but of late vears the property has been neglected and is at present in a dilapidated condition.

In 1840 Willis G. Atherton and sons, Mortimer and Ransom ^'. .\therton, erected a sawmill near a large pond situated about a quarter of a mile southeast of the Hazen nailmill on Arrow avenue. This was the first steam mill in the county and supplied all the sawed timber used in the construction of the Bellefontaine (Big Four) railroad from Pendleton to Muncie. The mill was operated successfully for a number of years, when it passed into the hands of persons who neglected to keep it in repair and finally was destroyed by an explosion.

In 1857 Alfred Makepeace erected a large steam grist-mill at the north end of Central avenue, the building being the same that is now owned and operated as a brewerj' by T. M. Norton & Sons. This mill was supplied with the best milling machinery obtainable at that time, but from various causes proved a bad investment. The machinery was subsequently disposed of and the building sold to T. M. Norton, who converted it into a brewery, which, from an unpretentious beginning, has become one of the largest and most successful industries of its class in the State.

The Killbuck mills were built in l!S(Jl' by \\'illiam Sparks and Albert A. Siddall. The mills are situated on the north bank of White river and near the mouth of Killbuck creek, the latter stream furnishing the power with which to run them. A sawmill, built by Mr. Sparks in ISOd. once stood just west of the grist-mill and was run in connection with it. These mills did a profitable business at one time, but with the building of steam mills in almost every locality in the county, trade declined and the sawmill was abandoned. The mills are now owned by John Peacock and Emory W. Clifford.

The tannerv business was an important industry at an early daj- not only in Anderson but in almost every village in the countv, as hides and peltries were about the only articles. or products, that could be sold for cash.

It was in 1880 that the first tannery was built in .Vnderson. The building and vats were located on the south side of East Ninth street between Central avenue and Fletcher street. John Wiley and Edmund West were the propiietors of the establishment and ditl a profitable business in a small way. The property changed hands in the course of time and was finally abandoned when another tannery was built at the southeast corner of Meridian and Eleventh streets by Elon Merrill and Frank Sparks. This establishment also changed hands a number of times and was last operated by Miles Rozelle. The old tannerv on East Ninth street had lieen re-established in the meantime and sold to Mr. Rozelle and when the tanneries in

The first and onlj- pretentious manufactory located in Anderson at a comparativelj- early day (1855), was the Keiser foundry and machine works ; not pretentious on account of its magnitude, but its importance to the community. This factory was located in a small frame building, on the northeast corner of Main and Tenth streets, but was afterwards moved to a brick building erected for the purpose on north Main street, and operated by Messrs. Geo. Keiser, Benj. Alford and J. N. Hill. Grain drills were manufactured extensively for awhile, but strong competition of larger concerns throughout the country, lack of capital and other causes, gradually drove the young industry to the wall. Mr. Alford, who is still living in the city, was superintendent of the molding department and was the first person to make an iron casting in the county. Mr. Hill is still engaged in the manufacturing business in the city. Mr. Keiser, deceased, recently at Muncie, where he at one time owned and successfully operated a manufacturing establishment. It was not until the '6()s, however, that any considerable number of manufactories were located in Anderson, and of these enterprises, which probably did not exceed ten or twelve in number during the decade that followed, but two or three are now in operation. Of the factories that were established and did a large business during the time mentioned, but which are now almost forgotten, may be mentioned a chair factory- at the north-west corner of Meridian and Eleventh streets. This factory was established in 1871 by E. M. Jackson and E. B. HoUoway, who had formerly been engaged in the marble and monument business. The factory was originally operated as a bent wood works, but was afterward merged into the Eagle Chair Company, and for several years did a profitable business. It was during 1865 that James Quinn & Sons, H. W. and A. J., built a carriage factory on North Meridian street, where they manufactured and sold high grade buggies and carriages for a number of years. The main building of this factory was subsequently converted into a livery stable, and is being used as such at the present time.

The Anderson Hub and Spoke Factory was another enterprise that flourished back in the "()0s. This factory was built by J. B. Anderson, Dr. G. F. Chittenden and H. C. Cisco, in 18(i8, and was located on the east side of Meridian

Street, between Fourth and Fifth streets. Hubs, spokes and otlier supplies used in the manufacture of wagons and carriajjes, were manufactured extensively, the output of the factory being shipped to all parts of the country. In 1873 the company was reorganized, L. J. Burr purchasing a controlling interest, perhaps, in the stock. This industry ceased operations in ]88fi and the buildings were abandoned.

Another industry that did an extensive business a quarter of a century ago, but which has since passed out of existence, was the pump works of Platter, Foreman & Battreall. They manufactured a porcelain-lined pump, which found ready sale in central and northern Indiana, southern Michigan and western Ohio. In .season it required a number of wagons to distribute their pumps over the territory mentioned. This factory was located in the building erected by (Jeorge Keiser, on Nortli Main street, for a foundry and machine shop. The building is now used as a stable by the Anderson Transfer Company.

In 1870 C. T. Doxey located a heading and stave factory on the east side of Main street, just south of the Big Four tracks. This was the first factory of the kind operated in the countv and was destined to have a fateful historv. On the 16th of November, and only a few months after it was built, the boiler exploded, demolishing the building and killing two of the hands. Clay Ciodwin and Stephen Sullivan. It was rebuilt and on January 3, 1873, was destroyed by fire. It was again immediately rebuilt on the same site and run until April 20, 187-'), when it was once more consumed by fire. Notwithstanding the losses resulting from these disasters, Major Doxev again rebuilt the factory and continued to run it until the spring of 1877, when it was sold to II. J. Bronnenberg. who continued to operate the plant until 1884, when he sold it to J. L. Kilgore. The capacity of the plant was increased by additional buildings and machinery being added by Mr. Kilgore, who continued to operate it until 1895, when it was closed down on account of the scarcity of timber in this part of the country. The machinery was subsequently shipped to a factory at Paducah, Kj-., in which Mr. Kilgore is interested.

Two other heading and stave factories were operated near "The Crossing," but not until some time after the Doxey factory was built. One of these factories was situated just cast of " The Crossing," and was originally built tor a sawmill and excelsior works, but was purchased by J. J. Ralya and converted into a stave manufactory. This factory was subsequently purchased by Henry and Frank Adams, who run it until recently, when it was closed down. The other factory was run by J. L. Kilgore in the old packing house just west of "The Crossing,"' at the junction of Ohio and Columlius avenues. The building where this factory was operated was built in 1861 by Warren Ellis & Co., pork packers, of Boston, Mass., and was used as a packing house up to 1874, when the company failed. The slaughter house was situated on wiuit was known as " the old Pugh farm," a half mile east of the packing house, and the slaughtered animals were hauled in wagons from the former to the latter house, where they were cut up and packed for the Eastern market. This company in its day disbursed large sums of money in Anderson and Madison county. The packing iiouse still stands and is owned by ex-Governor Claflin, of Massachusetts.

The first grain " warehouse" erected in Anderson and the county was built by Leever & Morris in 1853 and was located just north of the Big Four railroad where the present passenger depot stands. It was owned by many different persons in its time the last being E. J. Walden. It was destroyed by fire in 1875, but was rebuilt and again burned.

In 1855 Atherton & Sons erected a warehouse and elevator on East Fifth street and just west of the P. C. C. & St. L. tracks where they bought and shipped grain until 1858, when the property passed into the hands of J- G. and T. X. Stilwell. It was afterwards owned by James Hazlett and William Crim who operated it until 1867 when it was sold to Carl & Son, x'sho converted it into a grist mill. It has changed hands many times and is now owned by James Wellington and Joseph Schalk. It is supplied with the latest and best processes for manufacturing flour and does a large local and export business.

In 1865, B. Noland, H. D. Noland and Stephen Xoland, composing the firm of B. Xoland & Co., built a grain warehouse on the East side of the P. C. C. & St. L. railroad, near " The

What were known as tiie Dickson mills, afterwards burned, were built by James M. Dickson in 1874 and were located where the Hickey House now stands.

In 1875 E. J. \\'alden erected a two-story frame elevator east of Main street and immediately north of the Big Four road where he handled grain for one season, when he leased the property to \V. C. Fleming. Mr. Walden and C. T. Doxcy afterwards formed a partnership and took possession of the property doing business under the style of Walden & Doxey. In 1877 Mr. Doxey retired from the firm and was succeeded by Samuel Pence, the firm becoming Walden & Pence. This firm did a large business, handling 100,000 bushels of wheat and 150,000 bushels of corn in 1878. The elevator was afterwards destroyed by fire and was never rebuilt.

The Mathes wagon and carriage manufacotry established in 18G8 by George Mathes; the Iloosier planing-mill, established in 1808 b}' Samuel Templeton, Jonas Raber, Frederick Engle, Henry Kessler and Stephen Market, and run under the firm name of Templeton, Raber & Co. ; the Armstrong planingmill, built in 1868 by William Wright and Xathan Armstrong at the south-east corner of Meridian and Sixth streets; the Anderson foundry and machine works, originally kno^vn as the Michner Machine Works, and erected at the north end of Jackson street by a corporation of which D. W. Swank was president and J. W^. Westerfield secretary and treasurer ; the grain cradle works and snath factory, established by William Wagoner and Thomas C. Fisher, in 1867, and situated, originally, in the building now occupied b}' the Bulletin Printing Company, but subsequently' removed to the south-east corner of Milton and First streets; tlie Hill boiler and machine works, erected in 1870 by J. N. Hill on Sixth, between Meridian and Jackson streets; the Bosworth planing-mill and sash factory located on South Jackson street.

New I-Actokies

An account of the discovery of natural gas at .Vnderson, and the steps taken to secure tiie location of factories and other industrial enterprises are given elsewhere in this work. The following are the results :

The first manufactury located was the Loiigsworth Handle Factory. Then came the Truss-hoop Factory ; Fowler Nut and Bolt Works, now operated by the Schofield Co. ; the Anderson Flint Bottle Works : the American ^Vire and Rod Mill ; Knife and Bar Works; American Straw-board Works ; J. W. Sefton Manufacturing Co. ; Pennsylvania Glass Factory; Hoosier Glass Factory; Cathedral Glass Works ; Pennsylvania (Quartz Mill ; Gould Steel Works ; Crystal Ice Works; Union Window-Glass Factory; Hazen Wire Nail Mill ; Columbia Encaustic Tile Works; Anderson Paper and Pulp Mills; Arcade File Works; North Anderson Window-glass - Factory : Woolley Machine Works; Victor Window-glass Factory; Anderson Iron anil Bolt Works; Indiana Box Factory; Anderson Forging Co.; Buckeye Manufacturing Co. ; Barber Bed SpringCo.; Gentzen Art-GlassCo. ; Wright Shovel Works ; National Tin Plate Factory; Cansfield Stationery Co. ; Sheppard Canning Co. ; Fred Myers Planing-Mill ; L. D. Adams Planing-Mill ; Raible & Snyder Box Factory ; the Springer Planing-Mill.

These factories, together with the minor manufacturing concerns, have about ifi.OOO.OOO invested, and employ i{,OCK) operatives to whom thousands of dollars are disbursed each week.

From the foregoing it can be easily seen why the small country town of a few years ago has become a manufacturing center: a thriving, bustling city of l'l,042 inhabitants.