INDUSTRIES - 575 addition to its bread business, has a capacity of several hundred barrels of crackers and a large amount of macaroni, spaghetti, vermicelli and noodles per day. Among the many reliable industries of Toledo, none can be more active in its line than that of the Toledo Steel Casting Company. This company is successor to the C. E, Sutton Company, which was promoted by Spencer D, Carr, Charles E. Sutton, Curtis T. Johnson, Edward F. Rowley, Ralph S. Holbrook and C. J. O,Hara, the last mentioned being a Detroit man. The C. E. Sutton Company was organized and incorporated in April, 1904, with a capital stock of S200,000. The company at once commenced the manufacture of punch presses and shears for iron and steel structural work and also engaged in making public heating and ventilating apparatus, the underfeed furnace being one of its products. In 1905, equipment was installed for a converter steel plant for the making of all kinds of steel castings. On Sept. r, 1909, the name of the firm was changed to the present style, no change being made in the organization. Since Tan. I, 1909, the company has eliminated the manufacturing of all other lines but the steel casting business, to which it is devoting its entire attention and energy. Some 100 men are employed in the yarious departments of the factory. Several changes haye occurred since the inception of the original company. Ralph Holbrook withdrew shortly after the organization was effected, Albert E. Barbour entered the concern Feb. I, 1905, Clarence L. Smith became interested in 1906, and C. E. Sutton died in April, 1909. The board of directors are : Spencer D. Carr. Albert A. Barbour. Curtis Johnson, Edward F. Rowley, C. J. O'Hara and Clarence L. Smith. The present officers are Spencer D. Carr, president. and Albert A. Barbour, secretary and treasurer. Orders are received and filled in Ohio. Indiana and Michigan. Castings are made that range in weight from one pound up to 20.000. The plant has always been located at the corner of West Bancroft and Smead avenues; on the Lake Shore Railroad, the office rooms being in connection with the plant. The building occupied is 162x533 feet and two-thirds of it consists of two floors, the balance of one floor. Until lately the motive power was steam, but at the present time electric power, which is supplied by the general electric company, has proven very economical, the steam plant being held in reserve. The history of the Swigart Watch & Optical Company begins in the spring of 188, when John Swigart, the president of the concern, started a jeweler's wholesale supply house on Summit street, north of Jefferson avenue, under the name of John Swigart & Company. Mr. Swigart received his early knowledge of the business in the jewelry store of B, H. Broer, and also in the store of L. Tanke, both of Toledo. He then went to Chicago to complete his knowledge of the trade with the manufacturing concern of A. Swartz Company, after which he returned to Toledo and engaged in business. in 1885, as stated above. On Jan. I, 1886, he moved the business to Cincinnati, Ohio, where it was consolidated with that of his brother, Eugene Swigart, under the name of the E. & J. Swigart Company, wholesale dealers in jewelry and 576 - MEMOIRS OF LUCAS COUNTY jewelers' supplies. In 1898, a branch store was located in Toledo. in the Granger Block on Summit street, the style of the concern being the Swigart Optical Company, John Swigart having charge of the business. It soon outgrew its first quarters and, in 1900, was moved to the Doyle & Lewis Building on Madison avenue. In 1906. the business had grown to such an extent that still larger and better facilities were necessary, and the present location at 328-330-332 Superior street, second and third floors, was secured, some 8,000 square feet of floor space being occupied. Up to 1903, the business was conducted on a partnership basis, but in that year a company was organized with a capital stock of $200,000, under the naive of the Swigart Watch & Optical Company, and at which time John Swigart acquired the interest of his brother, Eugene. The company does a general jobbing and manufacturing business of watches. diamonds, jewelry and optical goods. It has at the present time six sales representatives on the road, covering the United States, and one man in Mexico, Cuba and Porto Rico. with a resident agent in Jamaica and also one in Chili, South America. The officers of the company are : John Swigart, president ; John C. Yingling. vice-president ; Myrtle Holmes, secretary and treasurer. and Robert L. Turner, manager. Mr. Turner, as manager. has been associated with the company since 1898, and Mr. Yingling since 1903. The above officers, together with Norman E. Hascall, William Kapp and William Broer, constitute the board of directors. The concern employs forty-two people. Toledo is truly the home of many industries which are unique. in that they are among the pioneers in inventing or promoting inventions which Toledo men have originated. Some have been presented to the world in a short time, and others have required years of experimenting and toil to perfect. Among the more notable ones we find the Gendron Wheel Company, which promoted the first wire wheel : the Toledo Computing Scale Company. which promoted the springless scale ; the Owens Bottle Machine Company, which promoted the Owens Bottle Machine ; the Conklin Pen Manufacturing Company, which promoted the Conklin Self-Filling Fountain Pen : and there are many others of equal note. The concern known as the Conklin Pen Manufacturing Company was established, in 1898, under the name of The Self Fountain Pen Company, by Roy Conklin—the inventor—and one or two other Toledo men, for the manufacture of self-filling fountain pens. They secured quarters in the Spitzer Building, where the business was conducted until 1904.. In 1902. the firm was .incorporated with a capital stock of $6,000, and styled The Conklin Pen Company, and the name was again changed, in 1909. to The Conklin Pen Manufacturing Company. At first the men most interested in the company were Roy Conklin and H. E. Fisher. Two years later, the concern having outgrown its original quarters and needing better facilities, secured the fourth floor of the Manhattan Building on Jefferson avenue, for factory and office purposes. In 1903, H. E. Fisher purchased the interest of Roy Conklin, who withdrew entirely from the company. The business had a rapid but INDUSTRIES - 577 steady growth under the efficient management of Mr. Fisher and. in 1908, a reorganization was effected, the capital stock being increased to $200,000, C. E. Miller, for several years the manager of the mechanical work in the concern, and S. E. Issler, formerly purchasing agent for the company, each purchased an interest in the company. Since that time no change has been made and the officers are : H. E. Fisher, president and treasurer : T. H. Doyle, vice-president, and S. E. Issler, secretary. These officers, together with C. E. Miller. comprise the board of directors. Owing to the volume of business it became necessary. in July, 1910. to make another change in location, and the company moved to the corner of Jackson avenue and Huron street, in what is now known as the Conklin Pen Building, where ample quarters were secured. The building consists of five floors, each 50x120 feet, the company occupying all of the upper floors. The company is considered to Le the pioneer manufacturer of the self-filling fountain pen. There is hardly any country of the civilized world, using pen and ink. that can not secure a Conklin self-filling pen, so wide has become the trade-field of the company. No commission house's or jobbers are supplied, the dealer purchasing direct from the factory through the salesmen or the sales agencies. Foreign sales agencies are well planned and promoted. Some 125 people are employed in Toledo in the factory and twenty sales representatives are constantly busy east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States. Sales agencies are also established west of that line, and in Canada, Mexico and many foreign countries. The Seiss Manufacturing Company, with its busy factory on the corner of Dorr and Twenty-second streets, is the result of a venture made by George J. Seiss, in 1903. He continued the business as the sole proprietor and owner until the latter part of that year, when he was joined by his brother. Frederick H. The business met with such success that Leonard A. was admitted in 1906 and, in 1908. two other brothers—Ernest and August—were also taken into the concern. The five brothers incorporated the business, in 1908. with a capital stock of $10,000. In 1903. the plant was located at No. 427 Vance street, and in 1906 it was moved to the present location at 433 Dorr street, corner of Dorr and Twenty-second. The company makes a specialty of manufacturing metal goods. such as bath brushes, bicycle lamps, gas lamps. punches, dies, machine and screw work. and lately added a noise-making device called a "rooter." The company caters to both the retail and jobbing trade, and receives orders from various portions of the United States. Canada and Mexico. The present building is a brick structure of three floors, each 25x t00 feet. and is thoroughly equipped with the necessary machinery and power plant. About forty men are employed. George J. Seiss is the president and general manager. The history of the National Malleable Castings Company of East Toledo begins, in 1890, when a company was organized under the name of The Toledo Malleable Iron Company. to carry on the business of the manufacture of malleable iron castings. It was an incorporated company, but. in 1891, the property of the above organ- 578 - MEMOIRS OF LUCAS COUNTY ization was acquired by The National Malleable Castings Connanv, with home offices at Cleveland, Ohio, and the Toledo concern has since been operated as a branch of that concern. Besides furnishing castings for general purposes, the company has an extensive business in such specialties for railway use as automatic couplers, journal boxes and other car and track appliances. The company has an extensive plant, located at the intersection of Front street and Paine avenue in East Toledo. The capital stock of the company is $3,000,000. The Allen Manufacturing Company, whose history begins in 1898, is the outcome of a few years of persistent endeavor on the part of Willard E. Allen in promoting and perfecting several inventions of universal utility, chief among which has been the Allen Bath Apparatus. The company was organized in 1898 and was incorporated in 1901, with a capital stock of $10,000, which later was increased to $50,000. This company has given its attention to the manufacture of such specialties as all varieties of bath apparatus. The concern was originally located on Erie street, between Adams and Jackson. In 1905, seeking larger quarters and better facilities, the plant was moved to its present location, at 2012-2014 Adams street. Electric motors are used in operating the machinery and nearly l00 people are given employment. The business relations of the company extend to many parts of the world, the most of the sales being in the United States. Agencies have been established in all parts of the American continent as well as in many foreign countries. The mail order system is used in carrying on the business. Ground had recently been purchased on Detroit avenue near Central avenue, for the erection of a new and larger plant. The officers of the company at this writing are : Willard E. Allen, president and treasurer, and Martin Fritter, secretary and manager. Both of these men are well known in Toledo business circles. Mr. Fritter, who, prior to his association with the Allen Manufacturing Company, was in the mail-order business for fifteen years, with Sears Roebuck & Co.. of Chicago, and the World Manufacturing Company, of Cincinnati. became connected with this concern in October, 1907, and he has shown excellent business sagacity as well as rare executive ability in the management and promotion of the general details of the business. The Asphalt Block Pavement Company, located at 20 Jessie street. Ironville, with general offices at 845 Ohio Building, although one of the newer manufacturing industries, having commenced operations in May, 1908, is very rapidly making itself known in this section of the country. They are manufacturers of compressed asphalt blocks and tiles, and contractors for the laying of pavements with their product. The company is subsidiary to the Hastings Pavement Company of New York, which has had unlimited success in handling this class of material in New York and other Eastern States. They use nothing but Trinidad Pitch Lake Asphalt, generally conceded to be the best for street use, and is imp0rted direct by them from the Island of Trinidad. A fully equipped laboratory in charge of experienced chemists is maintained where raw material and finished products are continually being INDUSTRIES - 379 tested. About one hundred men are employed. The officers are : E. J. Morrison, president ;- W. B. Flint, :vice-president ; Leslie B. Farr, secretary ; all of New York City. Charles A. Luck, general manager : M. R. Dickey, treasurer ; and George Hyatt, superintendent, are in active charge of the business in Toledo. Among the large manufacturing enterprises that have recently located in the city of Toledo is the Toledo Ship Building Company. which succeeded the Craig Ship Building Company, Dec. 1, 1905. This concern, since its original location in Toledo by the Craig Ship Building Company, in 1889, has shown a remarkable growth. John Craig. the original owner, came from New York City to Gibralter, Mich., in 1866, and there lie started a small yard for the building of wooden vessels. In 1882, he started a yard at Trenton, Mich., together with his son, George L. Craig, under the firm name of John Craig & Son. This firm continued until 1888, when it was incorporated under the name of Craig Ship Building Company of Michigan, being composed of John Craig and his sons, George L. Craig and John D. Craig. In 1889, the business having outgrown the facilities offered by the village of Trenton, the company moved to Toledo and located on Front, street and the Maumee river, in Ironville in East Toledo, the present site of the business, building a yard capable of building both wooden and metal boats. The first boat launched in the yard of Toledo was the schooner "Churchill," in April, 1890. of the following dimensions : Length 202 feet and beam 38 feet. In 1894, a dry dock was built. capable of handling the largest boats on the lakes. The business of the company continued to grow until, during the last years of its existence, the Craig Ship Building Company was looked upon as one of the substantial ship building companies on the Great Lakes. In 1905, the plant was sold to the Toledo Ship Building Company. This company was made up of capital from Syracuse, N. Y., and Detroit, Mich., the men representing the Detroit capital having been previously connected with the Detroit Ship Building Company. The present officers are : President and treasurer. L. C. Smith, Syracuse, N. Y.; vice-president and general manager, C. B. Calder, of Toledo, Ohio ; secretary, H. S. Wilkinson, Syracuse. N. Y.; assistant treasurer, H. I. Shepherd, Toledo, Ohio. From the date of the purchase of the plant by the Toledo Ship Building Company, and until his death a year ago, Alexander McVittie, of Detroit, was its president. Mr. McVittie had been in the ship-building business and connected with Detroit Ship Building Company for nearly half a century and was looked upon as the central figure in ship building upon the Great Lakes. L. C. Smith is one of the foremost capitalists of the country and is well known through his connection with the typewriter and vessel business. H. S. Wilkinson. also a capitalist of Syracuse, is well known on the lakes as a vessel owner and, together with Mr. Smith, is interested in a fleet of upwards of twenty boats. C. B. Calder has been a familiar figure on the lakes for forty years, during the first half of which he sailed, and he has been for twenty years a ship builder. H. I. Shepherd formerly practiced law and was in the banking business in Detroit. One of the organizers of the company and a director is Frank E. Kirby, who acts 580 - MEMOIRS OF LUCAS COUNTY as consulting engineer for the company. Mr. Kirby is the greatest marine architect in this country. Since the business has been taken over by the Toledo Ship Building Company, the plant has been practically rebuilt and stands today the best equipped ship yard on the Great Lakes, with a capacity of 1,500 men, having two dry clocks, one of which was recently completed, being of concrete construction, the only one of its kind in the world, capable of docking boats 700 feet long and 90 feet wide, whereas the largest boats on the lakes today are b00 feet long and 60 feet beam. Three boats of the size launched in these yards, in 1890, could now be constructed on one building berth of the present company, with ample room to spare. The Auburndale Brick Works, now owned and operated by the Mac0mber Brothers Company, in connection with its real estate business is located at the corner of Milburn and Valley streets, in the city of Toledo. A sketch and history of the Macomber Brothers Company appears elsewhere in this chapter. The brick works were established by Albert E. Macomber, in 1885, and were owned and operated by him until he relinquished the management of his business generally to his sons, Irving E. and Franklin S. Macomber. The plant was first located at the corner of Ten-Mile creek and Monroe street. but, in 190o, 1900,s moved to the present location, where larger and better facilities were obtained, raw material of excellent grade and easy access lying adjacent to the present site. This yard manufactures common and face brick for building purposes, and uses natural gas exclusively for burning its products. This process of burning brings out the red color in the clay and gives the deep terra cotta tone, so desirable for exterior building material. The plant has a capacity of 4,000,000 per year, employs about thirty men and is modern in every respect, being equipped with steam shovels and hoisting apparatus of the most improved pattern. It has also installed an industrial railway of a type and efficiency unequaled in the city. The Ready Manufacturing Company, successor to the Chain Stay Fence Company, was organized, in 1907, by John P. Delphey, to manufacture Ready pay-out reels and chain stay wire fence ; also to handle ornamental iron and wire fences of all kinds, for both wholesale and retail trade. This company transacts business in all parts of the United States as well as in many foreign countries. The plant is located in North Toledo, having shipping facilities on the Ann Arbor and the Wheeling and Terminal Belt railroads. WHOLESALERS AND JOBBERS IN SHOES. The concern of R. H. Lane & Company, wholesalers and jobbers in shoes and rubbers, is the oldest firm of its kind in the city of Toledo, having been in business since 1854. when it was established by W. W. Griffith and Robert and John Cummings, under the firm name of W. W. Griffith & Company. They were the pioneers in the shoe industry and but few men today remember the beginning of the old firm. In a few years, Mr. Griffith sold his interest to his former partners, who carried on the business until 1885, when they INDUSTRIES - 581 retired and were succeeded by the present firm of R. H. Lane & Company, composed of R. H. Lane and J. F. Cummings. The concern has always been located in the immediate neighborhood of its present quarters-126-128 St. Clair street—where a four-story building and basement is well stocked with only the best quality of goods on the market. The firm enjoys the respect of the trade and the patronage of many dealers throughout Ohio. Indiana, Illinois and Michigan. The Simmons Boot & Shoe Company is known as far west as Iowa and Missouri. east to Connecticut, and from Northern Michigan to the Ohio riyer on the south, as manufacturers and wholesalers of boots, shoes and rubbers. This concern dates back to 1865, when the late William H. Simmons came to Toledo and launched forth in the leather industry, with a young man named Orlando C. Smith. The firm was styled Smith & Simmons, and its place of business was in a small structure on Summit street. In 1879, George H. Peabody, at that time a capitalist at. Boston, Mass., was given an interest in the firm, which became Smith, Simmons & Peabody, and the scope of the business was so enlarged as to include the manufacture and jobbing- of boots and shoes. As the years passed the firm met with such success that it was incorporated, in the year 1894, under the title of the Simmons Boot & Shoe Company, and from that time on the capital has been increased till today it stands at $150,000. William H. Simmons. the founder, who had spent forty-one years as the father of the business, was the president and treasurer of the company until his death, which occurred in 1906, and he was succeeded by his son, Francis W. Simmons. Twenty-five sales representatives are continuously busy calling on the trade and placing before the public the two brands of men's shoes—"Argo" and "Right O', Way"-for which the house is so well known. The motto has always been "Reliable Goods," and the Simmons stamp stands for quality. For twenty-three years the headquarters of the firm has been at 122-124 Huron stret and the concern is considered to be one of the largest in the State. The company has outgrown its present quarters. and Mr. Simmons has recently purchased a site and expects at an early (late to erect a suitable building, which will practically double the present floor space. The officers of the company are: F. W. Simmons. president and treasurer ; Mrs. W. H. Simmons, first vice-president ; Charles M. Dederick, second vice-president ; and E. F. Overmier. secretary. What is known as tile Western Shoe Company, with many patrons in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and parts of Pennsylvania, Kentucky and West Virginia, was established, in 1865, by W, B. Messinger and Gen. John Fuller. and was then styled the W. B. Messinger & Company. In 1867. General Fuller withdrew his interest, but remained in the employ of W. B. Messinger as bookkeeper and manager. In the fall of 1867. Messinger failed, General Fuller and T. W. Childs bought the stock, and the firm then became Fuller & Childs, Five years later, Dr. S. S. Stambaugh purchased an interest, and for three years the firm was Fuller. Childs & Company. In 1875, Childs 582 - MEMOIRS OP LUCAS COUNTY withdrew and J. H. Ainsworth entered as a partner, continuing till 1879. Harry DeGraffe was also given an interest, in 1875, and remained until 1886, he having been in the employ of the company for nine years prior to 1875, as a salesman. General Fuller's death, in 1891, caused a reorganization, and the firm became Childs, Lee & Dunlap, consisting of T. W. Childs, Robert R. Lee and Thomas Dunlap, Mr. Lee having purchased an interest in 1875 and Mr. Dunlap just prior to 1891. Mr. Dunlap withdrew shortly after the death of General Fuller and the name of the company was again changed to Childs, Lee & Company. In 1893, E. G. Evans bought an interest, and is the president today. In 1899, the Western Shoe Company, a stock concern, was organized and it purchased the interest of the old concern. The men connected are : E. G. Evans, president ; Homer S. Comstock, vice-president ; Charles A. Haviland, secretary and treasurer. The company has five floors. well stocked, at 220 and 222 Summit street, where it has made its home since 1872, originally being at 62 Summit street. The company gives its attention to the wholesaling of boots, shoes and rubbers. One of the conservative shoe companies of the city is that of the Ainsworth Shoe Company. This company was organized and incorporated, in 1902, with a capital stock of $.100,000. The present officers of the concern are : W. W. Ainsworth, president ; J. M. Longnecker, vice-president ; and E. W. Eastell, secretary and treasurer. The company is located at 209-211 St. Clair street, in a three-story brick structure, and it does a wholesale business in shoes and rubbers in the three states adjacent to Toledo. WHOLESALE GROCERY HOUSES The Church & McConnell wholesale grocery house is doing a successful business. throughout Ohio, Northern Indiana and Southern Michigan. The concern gives its attention strictly to the wholesale trade and is making a name for its large dealings in cigars and coffees. The firm occupies a large six-story structure, on the corner of Jefferson avenue and St. Clair street, and in addition has the use of a five-story building, adjoining, with a total floor space of nearly 80,000 square feet. Some twenty salesmen are busy, calling on the patrons, and the officers are : W. G. Church, president H. H. Hewitt, vice-president ; and G. S. Harnit. secretary and treasurer. The concern has an incorporated capital stock of $200,000 and was established in 1899. Several years ago, the firm of Wood & Acklin started in the wholesale grocery business in Toledo. Soon after entering the business field of the city, Mr. Acklin withdrew and the firm was continued as the S. B. Wood & Company. Later, the name became H. D. Wood & Company, due to a change in the personnel of the company and, in 1896, J. H. Paddock and A. E. Obermyer succeeded to the business of H. D. Wo0d & Company, the new firm being incorporated as The Paddock-Obermyer Company, with a capitalization of $100,000. Various business locations were held by the former concerns INDUSTRIES - 583 until 1896, when the company was quartered at 210-212 Superior street. In December, 1903, the growth of the business made it necessary to seek other quarters and the company located at 20-22-24 Huron street, where they are today. Other arrangements must be made in the near future to accommodate the recent increase of the business. Early in 1910, Mr. Paddock withdrew, and the style of the company is now The Obermyer Company, consisting of A. E. Obermyer, president and general manager, and A. L. Schunck, secretary and treasurer. The capital stock of the company is $125,000, and the business is confined strictly to that of a wholesale grocery house, with a patronage in the Middle West. Among the busy business concerns of the city, in the wholesale grocery business, is the Fielbach Company, located at 25-27-29 Superior street. Originally started as The J. H. Feilbach & Company, in 1884, in the commission business, the growth of the business was so rapid that the company made six changes in location, each time securing better and larger quarters. The company occupied quarters at 114 to 118 Superior street prior to 1909, and, in August of that year, its new building on South Superior was ready for occupancy. The structure is of brick, consisting of six floors, each 60x110, and built especially for the grocery business. It is a modern structure in every way, with spacious offices and the best of shipping facilities. The company enjoys a rapidly increasing trade in Ohio, Indiana and Michigan, sending out ten sales representatives. The men at the head of the concern are: Charles Feilbach, president J. H. Feilbach, vice-president; F. M. Feilbach. secretary. and George Schaffer, treasurer. The company was incorporated, in 1899, and has a capital stock of $200,000. The history of the wholesale grocery house of R. A. Bartley is one of interest and goes hack to 1867, when Mr. Bartley was a young man of sixteen years of age. At that time he came to Toledo from Oregon township, in Lucas county, in what was known as the Big Ditch district. He entered the city to look for a position and was immediately engaged as a clerk in the grocery store of H. & F. Barnes, with whom he remained a year. The next four years were spent in the employ of the grocery house of T. A. Speyer, alt the corner of Summit and Orange streets. In 1872, lie had saved $200 and, by borrowing $r00 more, lie had enough to enter the grocery business, in partnership with Enos Cousino, in a small store, at 310 Summit street. The business was prosperous and. in 1882, R. A. Bartley bought the interests of his partner. In the same year he succeeded the J. C. Wuerfel Company and moved into larger quarters, next door to the store in which he and Cousino had started in business. In 1887, he decided to venture into the wholesale business, and moved into the five-story Messenger Building, at the corner of Summit 'and Cherry streets. For twenty-one years the business prospered and an enormous trade was established. but, on Oct. 26, 1908, fire destroyed the entire stock. By Jan. 1. 1909, Mr. Bartley was again in business, with an entire new stock, at the corner of St. Clair and Monroe streets, in the building formerly occupied by the 584 - MEMOIRS OF LUCAS COUNTY Bostwick-Braun Company, and there he is located today. The fire of two years ago is but a memory, as far as affecting the business of R. A. Bartley. Al r. Bartley has always had the interests of his employes at heart and, in 1903, introduced the profit-sharing system among them, with the result that in four years lie had divided with them $39,000. The business gives employment to thirty-eight people. and some twelve salesmen are out in the territory looking after the trade of the firm, which ships its goods to various parts of Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. Mr. Bartley is well known in Toledo. having spent all his business life within its borders, and he is connected with many of the commercial clubs and institutions of the city. The history of Berdan Company goes back to 1836, when Valentine H. Ketcham came to Toledo. from New York, and opened a small grocery business, in the building that stood at the head of Perry street on St. Clair. Later, it was moved to Summit street, near Perry again to the corner of Summit and LaGrange streets: and then to 32 Summit street, where it began to develop, in 1841 from a retail field into a wholesale house and then to the corner of St. Clair and Jefferson streets. In 1846. Mr. Ketcham associated with himself Joseph K. Secor, and the firm continued until 1854. when Mr. Ketcham retired to into the banking business. Mr. Ketcham was succeeded by Peter F. Berdan, who formed a partnership with Joseph K. Secor and George J. Secor. The latter retired, in 1856. and two years later. James Secor, Maro Wheeler and John B. Ketcham—former salesmen—were admitted to the firm. In 1864. John B. Ketcham retired. and, one year later, Joseph K. Secor also withdrew. Peter F. Berdan, the senior member, withdrew in 1877, after twenty-three years of continuous service. In 1880, Maro Wheeler retired and was succeeded by Arthur Secor, a son of J. K. Secor. James Secor was a member of the firm for over thirty years. and Arthur Secor for eight years. There were no further changes in the personnel of the firm till June 26, 1902, when the death of John Berdan left Sinclair Berdan, S. C. Walbridge and Marshall Sheppey to continue the business. The business, throughout all the changes in the membership, kept growing, and eventually, by 1900, it was necessary to have larger quarters. In 1902. the Empire Building. occupying one entire square, on Washington, Erie and Huron streets, was erected and the company took possession. The Empire Building is a four-story brick structure, with a total floor space of 167,356 feet. The building is modern in all it's equipment, with the best of shipping facilities. The house of Berdan reaches today several thousand customers in Ohio. Indiana, Michigan and Illinois, and each year many new friends are made. Each department is so complete that the company handles its immense volume of business with machine-like ease and regularity. The Berdan Company in the past few years has given much attention to the coffee and cigar business. both having a department by themselves. The firm has a small army of salesmen out, calling on the trade, and there are but few articles in the general grocery business that they do not handle. INDUSTRIES - 585 GROCERS—WHOLESALE AND RETAIL. In 1883, the Miller brothers—Dan W., Herman, George, and Fred C.—opened a small retail grocery store on Summit street. between Walnut and Cherry streets, the firm being promoted by the elder brother. Dan, and known as Miller Brothers. Outgrowing that location, the firm relocated corner of Walnut and Summit streets, in 1898. Ten years later, the magnitude of the business again caused a change, the present location was chosen and now, in less than three years, the five-story building will not accommodate the increasing trade. New arrangements will be made, and the company contemplates entering the wholesale line, in order to give the consumer the advantage of lower prices from the manufacturer. During the past years of success, the company has branched out and established seven retail stores throughout the city, each one doing an excellent business and within reach of the patrons, located as follows: 1801 Superior. 2101 La Grange, 821 Monroe, corner Phillips and Detroit avenue. 1906 Monroe, 751 Dorr, and 60 t East Broadway. All of these branches are visited by and are under the personal direction of the members of the company. The company handles everything in groceries amt meats. besides doing an immense business with the hotels and the river and take traffic. Some t00 people are employed and large warehouse rooms are necessary to handle the constantly moving stock. In 1905, the firm was incorporated, with a capital stock of $125,000, and Edward J.— son of George—and Carl D.—son of Dan W.—were each given an interest, the style of the concern being M iller Brothers Grocery Company. One of the most modern and busy retail stores of the city is that of the Tiedtke Brothers, dealers in general merchandise and provisions. This firm, composed of Charles and Ernest Tiedtke, is the largest institution of its kind in the city and does an enormous business in table upplies. catering to families, hotels, restaurants, etc. The firm began the table supply business, in 1893. on the plat now occupied by the Bostwick-Braun structure, and later it moved to 140-142 Summit street. The second location proved inadequate, by 1902, and the business was again re-located at 210 to 218 inclusive, Summit street, in a four-story building, with entrances on both Summit and Water streets. Shortly after moving into the latter structure, a line of general merchandise was added, consisting of drygoods. shoes, house-furnishings, etc. The marine trade in provisions is given special attention and two boats are constantly employed, in the busy season, delivering goods. The firm is erecting, at the present writing, a six-story building, on Water, Summit and Adams, that will provide an acre to a floor and late in 1910 it will be occupied. The firm employs over 300 people. who are constantly busy, looking after the trade. The warehouses are conveniently located. at Nos. 403 to 417 Water street. adjoining the new structure. HARDWARE—WHOLESALE AND RETAIL. Toledo has two wholesale hardware houses that are making a name for themselves in the Middle West, and one of them is strictly a 586 - MEMOIRS OF LUCAS COUNTY Toledo institution. The Bostwick-Eraun Company had such a modest beginning that one can hardly realize its growth. It has an interesting history, beginning in 1855, in which year W. and C. B. Roff started in the hardware trade on the present site of the Bostwick-Braun big plant. In 1864, C. A. Bostwick secured an interest in the business and the firm name became Roff & Company. In 1873, C. B. Roff disposed of his interest to George A. and C. F. Braun, the name of the firm being again changed to Bostwick Braun & Company. The business was continued in the old store, at the foot of Monroe street, until 1878, when quarters at the corner of St. Clair and Monroe streets were leased. In 1893, the firm of Bostwick-Braun & Company was reorganized and incorporated, with a capital stock of $150,000, as the Bostwick-Braun Company, under the laws of the State of Ohio. At that time Mr. Bostwick retired from active business life and several of the younger employes were taken in as minor stockholders. This change was followed by the election of C. F. Braun as president, George A. Braun as vice-president, and Charles Dustin as secretary and treasurer. In 1904, C. F. Braun withdrew, and George A. Braun became the president, H. .L. Thompson the vice-president and general manager, W. Knight secretary, and H. M. Kelsey treasurer. The above arrangement prevails today. Several years ago, the company outgrew its quarters at the corner of St. Clair and Monroe, and, by 1907, the business had reached such proportions that the concern was no longer able to handle it in these cramped quarters, so a whole block. bounded by Monroe, Summit and Perry streets and the west bank 0f the river„ which includes the spot occupied by the business in 1855, was purchased. On this site a mammoth concrete building, consisting of eight floors and basement, with a floor space 0f approximately seven and one-half acres, was constructed. The total force of people number about T00, and the house keeps some twenty-seven salesmen busy, in West Virginia, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. The company is strictly a wholesale house and has twice increased its capital—in 1904 to $300.000, and again, in 1906, to $700,000. Toledo has many men who, realizing the possibilities of the city's growth. have builded accordingly—Milner's, The Lion Dry Goods. Bostwick-Braun and others—but recently another has established itself in the business field and justified the belief of its founders, and that is the Standart-Simmons Hardware Company. This company erected a new building in Toledo and, Aug. I, 1906, opened its doors to the trade. The building is a modern brick of eight floors, with spacious offices and the best, of shipping facilities, located on the corner of Erie and Lafayette streets. This company is a branch of the Simmons Wholesale Hardware Company, of St. Louis, one of the largest, if not the largest, of its kind in the world, with a floor space of over one mil- lion square feet and covering several acres. The history of the St. Louis house dates back to 1860, and in its trade dealing it covers parts of Canada, Mexico and the entire United States, and recently it has sent representatives to Europe with gratifying success. Branches are located at Toledo, Minneapolis. Sioux City. Wichita. New York and INDUSTRIES - 587 Ogden. The Toledo branch devotes its attention exclusively to wholesaling hardware and employs some thirty salesmen in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The company is the distributor of the "Keen Rutter" tools. The officers of the concern are: W. D. Simmons, president ; W. L. Standart, vice-president and manager ; and Daniel Segur, secretary and treasurer. The Auburndale Hardware Company was established, in 1895, by William Von Behren, the sole proprietor of the company, and has always been located in a large structure, 100x100, on Monroe street. opposite the plant of the Milburn Wagon Company. All lines of general hardware are handled for the retail trade, special attention being given to the products of the manufacturing concerns of the home city of Toledo, as well as those necessarily purchased abroad. The Heavy Hardware Company was incorporated, in 1892, with a capital stock of $30,000. The company began business with quarters at 412-414 Summit street, but, in 1905. owing to lack of floor space, moved to the present location, 26-28-30 Huron street. Several salesmen are kept busy in the adjacent territory, looking after the business of the company, which deals in a wholesale way in iron and steel, factory and mill supplies, and horseshoers'. blacksmiths' and wagon makers' supplies. The officers of the company are: E. D. Cray, president ; G. H. Cray, treasurer and W. W. Cray, secretary. E. D. Cray is a resident of Cleveland and the others of Toledo. The Stollberg Hardware Company was established. in 1880, and began business in a small way in the wholesaling: of general hardware. The business had reached such proportions, in 1890. that articles of incorporation were taken out. with a capital stock of $300,000. The company originally occupied the same building—corner of Huron and Cherry—in which it is quartered today, from time to time making additions, until it now occupies some 62,000 square feet of floor space. The men directly connected with the active business of the company are : John Stollberg. president ; L. D. Redick, vice-president and Lawrence Rabb, secretary and treasurer. The company handle a general line of hardware and builders' supplies. Several salesmen are out in the adjacent territory, calling on the trade. COMMISSION LIEN IN FRUITS, PRODUCE, HAY, ETC. Within the past fifty years. Toledo has become a central point between Buffalo and Chicago, on the steam roads and the Great Lakes, for its commission business and houses. The name and reputation of these concerns have become well known in all parts of Ohio, Indiana and Michigan, adjacent to Toledo. Almost everything known in the line of fruits, vegetables, nuts, etc., are handled. Fruits from the tropics, such as oranges, lemons, pineapples, bananas, grapefruit, etc., are received in car lots. Berries of all kinds from the Southern States are dealt in as well, not to mention the apples, peaches, pears. plums, etc., that are produced throughout the Northern and Central States. Produce, such as cabbage, potatoes, etc.. is brought to Toledo in great quantities from the North and South, and are either shipped to the smaller buyers ad- 588 - MEMOIRS OF LUCAS COUNTY jacent or distributed among the home merchants. The commission houses of the city conduct the most of their business by mail or telephone, or. as in the case of the larger firms, send personal representatives to the field. The commission house of Jackson, Lee & Company, located at 31-33-35 North Huron street, was founded, in 1889, by J. G. Jackson. H. R. Lee and G. R. Nettleman. In 1905, Mr. Jackson withdrew from the firm. leaving Messrs. Lee and Nettleman to continue the business as a co-partnership. The company, for several years prior to 1907, occupied quarters at 120-122 Superior street, but in that year moved to its present location, in order to have better facilities and a greater floor space, having outgrown the old home. The present building used is a modern brick of four-stories and has a total floor space of 40.000 square feet. Eighteen men are employed in handling the city and shipping trade. The company is a large dealer in fruits and produce and ships in car lots to all parts of the country. The Chiesa Company. one of the oldest, most reliable. and best known houses in the city, was established, in 1878. by George B. Chiesa, with quarters at 312 Monroe street. the style of the firm being G. B. Chiesa & Co. The business was so successfully conducted by Mr. Chiesa that, in 1890, he was compelled to seek larger quarter. at 509-511 Monroe street. the present location, and he engaged in a strictly wholesale business. In 1904, Harry Chiesa—a brother of G. B. Chiesa—and Remus L. Gazzolo each purchased an interest in the firm. the name of the concern remaining the same as in former years. This partnership arrangement was continued until 1906, when George B. Chiesa withdrew his interests and retired, after twenty-eight years, from active business life. Messrs. Harry Chiesa and R. L. Gazzolo then became the joint proprietors, and the name (-,1 the firm became the Chiesa Company. The firm deals in a wholesale way in fruits, produce, nuts, etc., making a specialty of foreign importations of fruits and nuts. Four representatives are busy, within a radius of t00 miles of Toledo. looking after the interests of the company. The company has a membership in the Wholesale Merchants' and Manufacturers' Board, and Mr. Gazzolo is a member of the Toledo Chamber of Commerce. The Geroe Company, with quarters at 505-507 Monroe street, was established, in 1870, by A. A. Geroe and son. W. B., under name of Geroe & Son. The firm was incorporated with a capital stock of S50,000, in 1904. under name of Geroe Company, and, like other concerns of its kind, it deals in a wholesale way in all kinds of fruits. vegetables. etc.. in season, some twenty men being constantly busy in handling the stock to and from cars, the warehouse, and about the city. Three men travel for the company in cities in the adjacent territory, looking after the trade. The officers of the company are : W. B. Geroe, president and treasurer ; Wm. A. Geroe, secretary, and H. A. Hendricks. manager. Car lot business is made a specialty, and the concern is a member of the National League Commission Merchants' of the United States. INDUSTRIES - 589 The commission house of M. 0. Baker & Company began business, in 1898, M. O. Baker being the sole proprietor and owner. He began, in a small way, to handle fruits and produce by wholesale, and has met with a fair share of success in the past twelve years. The first eleven years of his business was carried on in quarters at 121 Superior street, but, in 19c9, the company moved across to the opposite side. at 122 Superior street, which is the present location. He has made a specialty in the past few years in potatoes from Michigan and Minnesota, and apples from New York, Michigan and Massachusetts, as well as the same products from other States. The company deals in cabbage from Minnesota, York State and the South ; berries from North Carolina and Tennessee, and fruits from the tropics. etc. All lines, such as commission men handle, are dealt in, and the trade is confined to Toledo and the adjacent field. Mr. Baker is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, The Merchants & Manufacturers' Association, and the Toledo Business Men's Club. Another commission merchant, N. L. Ries, who has long been connected with the business life of the city, began to handle fruits and produce in a small way, in 1867, and his firm is perhaps the oldest one in the business. He established himself on Monroe street. near the corner of St. Clair, and continued there till 1880, when a change was made to one room at 417 Monroe street. In 1894. his trade had increased to such an extent that Mr. Ries found it expedient to have larger quarters, and an adjoining room, 419, was added to his business. At the same time the firm was reorganized and the two sons—L. Ries and A. N. Ries—and the son-in-law—S. E. Weil—were taken into partnership, the style of the concern becoming N. L. Ries, Sons & Weil. The firm handles fruits and produce of all kinds. and the business has a wide range throughout the country. Most of the business is transacted by mail and the telephone, also telegraph, and the firm has personal representatives in the field. The wholesale produce and fruit house of T. C. Deckelman was established, in 1900. Mr. Deckleman was in the employ of Ketcham, fond & Company, wholesale grocery business, for a period of twelve Years ; then for two years was with Ketcham's Bank, fifteen years in the sales department of the Woolson Spice Company, and two years on the road for Berdan & Company, prior to the venture in which he is engaged today. Two sons—Will and George—are assisting their father in the conduct of the business at 117-119 Superior street. The business of the firm is devoted to produce and fruits, in a wholesale way, within a radius of 150 miles of Toledo, selling to many dealers, and in addition it handles car lot shipments throughout the entire country. The concern makes a specialty of foreign and California fruits. GRAIN COMMISSIONERS AND BROKERS. Toledo is the center of great activity in all lines of business, not only for the business man and the promoter, but also for the producer in the surrounding territory, from whence comes the wealth of the 590 - MEMOIRS OF LUCAS COUNTY soil ; hence arises the necessity of others—the grain commissioners and brokers—to handle and market the grain and seeds. A concern prominent in the grain and commission business is that of Southworth & Company. This company was organized, in 1880, by E. L. Southworth, Richard Hallaran and James Hodge. For several years, Mr. Southworth had associated with him men well known in the Toledo grain business, but, until Jan. I, 1910, was for a few years the sole proprietor. Then he formed a co-partnership with Kenton D. Keilholtz, formerly the secretary and treasurer of the same concern, the name of the company remaining the same. The company does a general grain business and handles corn, wheat, rye, oats and clover seed, on a commission basis. For handling, receiving, storing, selling and shipping, two elevators are available with a capacity of over 150,000 bushels, in addition to those for public use. Most of the grain handled conies from Ohio and other territory adjacent, but consignments are often received from a wider field. The company handles many extensive deals on their own account and are rated as successful operators. It has a valued membership in the Toledo Produce Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade. Mr. Southworth has served as president of the Toledo Produce Exchange in the past, and at present is one of its board of directors. Perhaps the oldest house to engage in the handling of grain and clover seed is that of C. A. King & Company, which was founded in 1846. C. A. King, one of the original members of the concern, died in 1893, leaving his partner, Frank I. King, to conduct the business under the original name. The firm has been very successful in years past and is widely known for its trade dealings. Frank I. King has been president of the City Council, Produce Exchange, and Chamber of Commerce, and is a trustee of the Newsboys' Association, Second National Bank. Art Museum, and other public institutions. Men in all lines find it often convenient to locate at some central point, giving them the advantage of both eastern and western markets. This is true of The Goemann Grain Company, which may not be considered a Toledo concern, haying its elevators at Mansfield, Ohio. and Frankfort, Mich. This company was incorporated under the laws of the State of Ohio, in 1906, with a capital stock of $100,000, and it does a cash grain business, the headquarters being in Toledo. The firm makes a specialty of handling rye and oats, and is under the management 0f Henry L. Goemann, its president, who has been in the grain business for thirty-five years, having previously been in the same business at Cincinnati and Chicago. The company has two branch offices—one in Chicago and the other at Pittsburg. The elevator at Mansfield is a modern house, with concrete storage, a corn drier, late machinery, and a handling capacity of seventy-five cars per day. AV. S. Thompson is the secretary of the company, and the main offices are in the Spitzer Building. In point of age, W. A. Rundell & Company is the third oldest in the membership of the Produce Exchange in Toledo. This firm was organized by William A. Rundell, now deceased, May I, 1877, after INDUSTRIES - 591 he had spent twenty odd years in the grain and milling business at Oswego, N. Y. The present members of the company are : Frederick W. Rundell, who became associated with it in 1880, and James E. Rundell, in 1888. The firm handles consignments of seed and grain of all kinds, and executes trades in futures in grain and clover seed. The firm of S. W. Flower & Company, which has been in business in Toledo for the past thirty-four years, is among the oldest houses of its kind. The organization in Toledo, several years ago, of a number of good grain, seed and commission houses, was due, no doubt, to the well known market advantages of the city. In 1866, S. W. Flower, the founder of this company, purchased an interest in the flour mill of G. W. Reynolds, at Maumee, Ohio. In 1873, the milling property was sold and S. W. Flower came to Toledo, to take the management of the grain and commission business of G. W. Reynolds & Company, which Mr. Reynolds had established in 1868, but which he had retained at the time that he. sold his flour mill. In 1876, G. W. Reynolds retired and, soon afterward, S. W. Flower decided to continue the business under his own name, giving up the commission business and doing a strictly all seed business. The firm soon became well known as wholesalers in seeds, making a specialty of clover, alsike and timothy. The warehouse of the concern has been for years at 802-804.-806 LaFayette street, with convenient shipping facilities, Since the death of S. W. Flower, in 1908, the business has been conducted by C. S. Burge, J. A. Smith and R. S. Sheldon. C. S. Burge. who has been connected with the firm since 1882, is an active member of the Produce Exchange and at the present time is the treasurer of that body. J. A. Smith became connected with the company in 1887, and R. S. Sheldon in 1898. The Paddock Hodge Company. cash dealers in grain, was organized, in 1886, as the Paddock Hodge & Company, consisting of F. O. Paddock and James Hodge. After many transitions, the present company was incorporated, in 1898. with a capital stock of $25,000. The officers of the concern are : Fred O. Paddock, president ; Jesse W. Young, vice-president ; and Ormond Paddock, secretary and treasurer. This company is one of the largest dealers in cash grain in the Middle West and makes a specialty of handling corn, oats and milling wheat. The company is using at the present time Elevator B of the Lake Shore Railroad for its storage quarters. The company has a membership in the Toledo Produce Exchange. New York Produce Exchange and the St. Louis Merchants Exchange. W. H. Morehouse, who is the sole proprietor of the firm of W. H. Morehouse & Company, began business May I, 1876, handling grain at first, but later the firm added the seed business. Mr. Morehouse has a membership in the Toledo Produce Exchange and also in the Chicago Board of Trade. He executes orders for Chicago firms and is one of the heaviest supply firms of Toledo. The firm handles grain, clover, timothy and field seed, on a general commission basis. The concern known as John Wickenhiser & Company is one of the more recent business houses of Toledo, having its origin in 1902. It was established as a co-partnership affair, in that year, by John Wic- 592 - MEMOIRS OF LUCAS COUNTY kenhiser and Z. H. Travis. Recently, Mr. Wickenhiser purchased the interest of his former partner and is now the sole proprietor. The firm owns and operates a number of country elevators, as well as receives a large amount of grain which is handled through the public elevators of Toledo. The firm carries on a general grain and commission business, on a commission basis, at the Toledo offices, which are located at 31-32 Produce Exchange. In addition, the concern executes trades in futures, in grain and clover seed, both in Toledo and in Chicago. Mr. Wickenhiser has membership in the Toledo Produce Exchange and also the Chicago Board of Trade. The firm of H. W. DeVore & Company was organized. in 1887, by H. W. DeVore, who was the successor of the late Henry D. Walbridge, an uncle of the present proprietor. Mr. DeVore does a general grain and seed business, in cash and future delivery, both in Toledo and in Chicago. He is a member of the Toledo Produce Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade. The company uses the public elevators for all general storage purposes and the office is at 62 Produce Exchange. Mr. DeVore was in the office of his predecessor for several years prior to 1887, and became thoroughly familiar with grain operations and the methods of making deals on the market. At the present time his son, Harry R. DeVore, is associated in the business, having been connected with the firm for the past ten years. Another grain and seed concern. which has been established for years in Toledo, is that of the J. F. Zahm & Company, with offices in the Toledo Produce Exchange Building. This house began business, in 1879, when J. F. Zahm opened an office in Toledo for the handling of grain and seeds. In 1880, Fred Mayer and Fred Jaeger began working in the office of the concern, of which J. F. Zahm was the sole owner and proprietor, and, in 1893, they were admitted to a partnership in the company. Upon the death of Mr. Zahm, in 1907, the two younger men assumed the ownership and control. The firm has for years made a specialty of handling cash wheat and seeds, also executing orders for future delivery. Valued memberships are held in the Toledo Produce Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade. The eompany, like other concerns of its class, has issued daily a market circular, which is called the "Red Letter," some 1,500 copies being sent out to all the surrounding country and the trade. Fred Mayer, in addition to his connection with this company, is the president of the T. F. Zahm Tobacco Company, located on Detroit avenue. MISCELLANEOUS WHOLESALERS. Among, the wholesalers who are doing a successful business. the name of F. W. Lipe is well known as a receiver and shipper of hay. Mr. Lipe is an Eastern man. having engaged in the commission and hay business in New York from 1886 to 1893. Believing that the West offered better opportunities for getting in direct touch with the producing field, Mr. Lipe located in Chicago for seven years, then removed to Jackson, Mich.. where he was in business till 1904. INDUSTRIES - 593 Realizing that Toledo was rapidly becoming the headquarters for wholesalers and shippers of all kinds of commodities, and centrally located between the East and the West, Mr. Lipe established himself in East Toledo. He purchases his hay in large quantities, in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin, and ships directly from his warehouse to many points east—New York, Boston, Philadelphia—also to the southeast sea-board. His large warehouse has a capacity of 150 cars and he owns forty-five cars, giving him an advantage over Other shippers, in being able to fill all consignments immediately. The Daudt Glass & Crockery Company, doing a wholesale business in earthenware, china and glassware. at 236 Summit and 230-236 water streets, dates back to the year 1860, when S. L. Dunlap opened a store in Toledo and commenced to deal largely in coal oil and coal-oil lamps. and later added china and glassware to his stock. After nine years by himself, he was joined by D. LeBaron and the firm became Burnap & LeBaron. They were located at 230 Summit street and enlarged their sales very much by placing salesmen on the road and doing a wholesale business in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. The first of January, 1880. the company sold out to Hassenzahl, Daudt & Company, composed of Louis Hassenzahl, Christopher Daudt. and C. E. Hess, who continued the business. Three years later. Mr. Hess withdrew, and the two remaining partners enlarged the business, under the name. Of Hassenzahl & Daudt. Larger quarters were needed by 1884. and the firm moved to the present store, 236 Summit street. On the first of January. 1886, Louis Hassenzahl withdrew- and a new company was incorporated, under the name of the Daudt Glass & Crockery Company, of which Christopher Daudt has been the president and manager ever since. The business has grown, year by year, and from time to time new lines are added. Branch stores have been opened in other cities, and the company controls the product of many factories in this country and in different parts of Europe. The concern enjoys a large trade over the entire United States. In 1900, Joseph F. Grosswiller began the business of supplying the gas fitters' and plumbers' trade with all the necessary articles used. The business was conducted individually by Mr. Grosswiller and was quite successful. In 1908 the business was reorganized as the Jos. F. Grosswiller Supply Company, with a capital stock of $75,000, under the co-operative plan suggested and promoted by Mr. Grosswiller, in which the employes were given a share in the profits, the control and management to be retained by Mr. Grosswiller. Today the concern has become well established, dealing in plumbers', natural gas, steam fitters', manufacturers' and railroad supplies. The offices, show-rooms and stores are located at 131-137 Michigan street and have some 50,000 square feet of floor space. The company has a well established trade in Ohio. Indiana, Michigan, and parts of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The officers are : Joseph F. Grosswiller, president, treasurer and general manager : C. B. Grosswiller, vice-president ; Charles Keplinger, secretary, and N. Kohn, assistant secretary and assistant treasurer. 594 - MEMOIRS OF LUCAS COUNTY Another firm, attracted by the commercial advantages of Toledo, is that of H. H. Driggs, with warehouses on the East Side, at the corner of Oak and Earl streets. Mr. Driggs has been engaged in the hay, straw and beet sugar feed shipping business in Toledo for the past four years, having previously been located at Palmyra, Mich, since 1888. The agricultural products in his line are secured in the surrounding territory of Ohio, Indiana and Michigan, and then reshipped to wholesale markets in all parts of the country, wherever the best prices may be had. Mr. Driggs is a member of the National Hay Association. Toledo, as a wholesale point, has advantages of situation in as great a degree as any city that was ever built. She has many houses of local, as well as national importance, and the members of her mercantile fraternity are well known and respected for their enterprise, equitable and progressive commercial methods and superior business ability. Toledo is one of the most appropriate locations in the Middle West for a wholesale drug business. The history of the Walding, Kinnan & Marvin Company dates back to the month of May, 1877, when the firm commenced business, under the name of W. J. Walding & Company, composed of W. J. Walding, H. E. Marvin, and John S. Kinnan. The following year, the firm was reorganized under the name of Walding, Kinnan & Marvin, which arrangement prevailed until 1892, when the concern was incorporated, with a capital stock of $100,000, and the present style of Walding, Kinnan & Marvin Company was adopted. The firm was originally located at 167 Summit street. the present site of Kobacker's Furniture store. Later, the firm moved to part of the present quarters of Tiedtke Brothers, and, in 1896, it erected the five-story building, 226x40 feet, at 332-334 Summit street, where it is located today. In addition to this building, the company uses a cellar and sub-cellar, and has a warehouse, 35x 120 feet, on Water street, adjoining the main store. The company enjoys a large trade in Northwestern Ohio, Southern Michigan and Northern Indiana, within a radius of 100 miles of Toledo. Seventy-five people are kept busy in the house and twelve salesmen are out in the territory, calling on the trade. The stock consists of wholesale drugs, paints, oils, varnishes, liquors, cigars and various sundries. The officers of the company are : W. J. Walding, president ; H. E. Marvin, vice-president ; and R. H. Bradley, secretary and treasurer. The company has membership in the National Wholesale Druggists' Association, of which Mr. Walding was the president in 1902-3, the annual meeting being held at Monterey, Cal., and locally the members of the concern are connected with the Chamber of Commerce of Toledo. The pioneer seed house of the Henry Philipps Seed & Implement Company was founded, in 1852, by Henry Philipps, a native of Brunswick, Germany. When Mr. Philipps was in his twenty-first year, he came to America and, coming west, embarked in the seed and implement business. He was very successful from the start and, with his 0ther lines of business, identified himself with the commercial growth of the city of Toledo. Through his long career of nearly forty-eight INDUSTRIES - 595 years in Toledo, he built up, by energy and integrity, a business of such proportions that, in 1888, he incorporated the above named company, under the state laws of Ohio, with a capital stock of $25,000, giving his sons—C. J. S., F. G. and H. J. Philipps, Jr.—each an interest in after years. Since his death, in 1896, the business has been conducted by the sons, under the direct management of Henry .J. Philipps, Jr., who had been brought Iv to know the business in its minutest detail. The company contracts for seeds, bulbs, etc., years in advance, in this country, Holland, Germany, France, Denmark, China and Japan, and the firm ranks among the foremost in the United States. The establishment has filled successfully several large government contracts, one in Toledo, and one in Washington, D. C. Its first contract with the Department of Agriculture was for filling the entire government seed order, fcr Congressional distribution, which contract was filled in their warehouse in Toledo, during 1897 and 1898. The second contract was entered into in the year 1901, and, as this contract must be filled in Washington, it necessitated the outlay of over $40,000 in erecting a building for the particular work in the Capitol City. The company introduced a series of elevators, bins and endless belting, which allowed it to put up several hundred thousand packets daily, in order to fill its agreement with the government, and at no time, before or since, according to reports, have better seeds been sent out This last contract was the largest put up by a single concern in the United States, the Philipps company furnishing everything that was required. The company handles farm implements, wagons, machinery and seeds of all varieties, at their main warehouse, 115-117 St. Clair street. It issues thousands of catalogues every year to all parts of the United States and Canada, and has an excellent reputation for its garden, field and flower seeds, also bulbs and plants. The officers of the company are : C. J. S. Philipps, president ; F. G. Philipps, vice-president ; and Henry J. Philipps, Jr., secretary and treasurer. The firm is carrying at the present time several contracts for the Department of Agriculture, in connection with its regular business. Not only is Toledo the home of factories for the manufacture of glass products, but it is also the center for wholesale houses dealing exclusively in glass. The Ohio Glass Company, which was organized by John Stollberg, T. J. Goodsell. Warren Shrock, Lawrence Raab and John M. Frey, in 1902, with a capitalization of $50,000, is one of those devoting their attention to the wholesaling of glass of all kinds. The company handles plate, window, mirror, ornamental, rough ribbed and wire glass. No manufacturing is attempted, the firm shipping its goods to all the adjacent territory, purchasing its stock from the factories at home as well as those in other fields. The building occupied by the company is of brick with some i0,000 square feet of floor space located at the corner of Albion and Baxter streets, in the Auburndale district. The officers of the company are : John Stollberg, president ; T. J. Goodsell, vice-president ; Max Hascall, manager ; and C. H. Carroll, secretary. A concern that is one of the largest of its kind in the city is that of 396 - MEMOIRS OF LUCAS COUNTY Baumgardner & Company, doing a wholesale business in drygoods and notions. The founder of this immense house, L. S. Baumgardner, came to Toledo, in 1866, and opened a store at 76 Summit street, to handle notions and gents' furnishing goods in a wholesale way. In 1881 he decided to remove his store to the Hall Block, and was there in business till 1884, when fire destroyed the building, and Mr. Baumgardner immediately re-established himself in the Bronson Block, eventually locating at the corner of Summit street and Jackson avenue. The business assumed such a volume, in 1888. that Edson W. Baumgardner, a nephew, who is now the senior member of the company, was taken in as a partner. It may be stated that the business of the firm, in 1888, was over $400.000, which will give the reader an idea of the success of the venture. In 1899 the Coghlin Building, at the corner of St. Clair street and Jefferson avenue, was leased, and has been the home of the organization to the present time. The building occupied is a six-story, modern structure ( 120x120), and is well stocked with the best of everything in the company's line of business. The company enjoys a large patronage in the three states adjoining the city of Toledo and has some ninety people in its employ, fifteen of whom are traveling representatives. January i. of the present year. brought about a change in the name of the concern to Baumgardner & Company. The members of the company directly interested in the business are : Edson W. and James F., brothers ; Frank L. and Ned L.. sons of Edson ; and J. H. Hilderbrand and Anthony "N. Lewis, former salesmen of the house. The Dosson Carriage Company, originated by James B. Dosson. sole proprietor and owner, in 1907, for the wholesaling and retailing of carriages, is one of the substantial concerns of its kind in the city of Toledo. The wareroom of the company was originally at No. 134 Ontario street, but the business increased to such an extent that, in 1899, it was necessary to seek larger quarters, the second location being in the Chandelier Building, at the corner of Jefferson avenue and Michigan street. Again, in 1907, it became necessary to find larger and better warerooms, and the new building at Monroe street—corner of Monroe and Eleventh streets—being completed, the firm moved in. the floor space occupied being 90x100, and all open for the display of the various lines of buggies and accessories, automobiles and accessories, harness, etc., all handled on one floor. The concern has long been well known in the city and within a radius of 100 miles, in the three States of Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. The Churchill Grain & Seed Company, of Toledo and Buffalo, was established, in 1881, by Milton and Leroy S. Churchill—the latter being a nephew of the former—as a c0-partnership, under the name of Churchill & Company, with offices in the Produce Exchange. Until 1889, the firm devoted its attention to the grain and commission business, but in that year the seed department was included. In 1893, the present building of the company was erected at the corner of Summit and Vine streets, Nos. 726-728 Summit street, where it has since continued. The partnership arrangement continued until 1906, at which INDUSTRIES - 597 time the business was incorporated with a capital stock of $50,000. George W. Bartlett, associated for years prior to that time with the house of Milton Churchill, and Walton E. Stone, who had been with the company since 1891, became members of the new company. The officers are Leroy S. Churchill, president ; George W. Bartlett, vice-president ; and Walton E. Stone, secretary and treasurer. Mr. Stone manages the Toledo business and represents the firm on the floor of the Produce Exchange. The concern conducts its business on a wholesale basis, the Buffalo branch doing most of the grain business, and the Toledo office dealing in all varieties of seeds, such as clover. timothy and other grass seeds. The company has many elevators scattered throughout the country. Memberships are held in the Toledo Produce Exchange and the Buffalo Corn Exchange. The above officers, together with Charles E. Cameron and Ralph Smith, constitute the board of directors. The history of the seed concern known as the William T. Philipps S. Company begins in the year 1904, when William T. Philipps, of Toledo, and Harry W. Lawrence, of Baltimore, Md., formed a co-partnership. under the present name, to handle seeds, agricultural implements, fertilizers, and florist and dairy supplies, with warerooms and offices at 519 Monroe street. The firm was successful from its inception and, in 1907, Mr. Philipps purchased the interest of his partner and since then has conducted the business as the sole proprietor and owner. He has spent his entire life in the seed business and is well known throughout Northwestern Ohio and Southern Michigan. The larger part of his trade is with the local and surrounding market gardeners and fruit growers. CLOTHING-RETAIL. The B. R. Baker Company, retailers of men's furnishing goods. was established, in 1895. by B. R. Baker and F. W. Eversman, as a partnership affair, occupying Nos. 435 and 437 Summit street. one floor only. The business increased in volume and more floor space was added until to-day the concern occupies five floors and in addition has annexed the adjoining building, No. 439, in all about 40,000 square feet of space. The company is widely known for its reliable goods and fair dealing. The company carries a full line of men's and boys' outfits and women's shoes. After the death of F. W. Eversman, in 1905, the son. W. A. Eversman, took his father's interest in the business until 1908, when the company was incorporated, with B. R. Baker as president, W. A. Eversman as vice-president and general manager, J. F. Raab as secretary, and 0. M. Comte as treasurer. Since 1905 the business has more than doubled. The Melvin Clothing House is without doubt the pioneer concern of its kind in the city of Toledo. In 1870. James Melvin came to Toledo from Boston and immediately opened a men's and boys' clothing establishment, with quarters at what is now No. 231 Summit street, under the name of the Boston Square Dealing Store. By care- 598 - MEMOIRS OP LUCAS COUNTY ful attention to the details of the business and strict integrity the firm soon secured a permanent and prosperous hold upon the clothing trade of Toledo and its immediate vicinity. In June, 1887, in order to have larger quarters and better facilities, due to the increased growth in business, the firm moved to the present location, 225-227 Summit street, occupying at first the lower floor only, but later the entire three floors of the same building. In 1904, the present company, under the name of The James Melvin Company, was organized, with a capital stock of $100,000, and with James Melvin as president, having associated with him at that time in the business such well-known men as William A. Northrop, Thaddeus F. Poggemeyer, E. L. Thornberry, John W. Northrop, J. A. Hamilton and Clifford T. Hanson, the last two mentioned being s0ns-in-law of Mr. Melvin. After the death of Mr. Melvin, June 23, 1906, W. A. Northrop, the former vice-president, was elected to the presidency of the company, which position he still retains. He is well qualified for the business, having been for several years connected with the firm of Northrop & Curry, wholesale jobbers and manufacturers of men's clothing, in New York City. Clifford T. Hanson is vice-president and secretary and W. E. Irving is treasurer and general manager. In all the years of successful business conducted by Mr. Melvin and his successors, the firm has always. had a single purpose in view—that of dealing with all alike and hewing strictly to the line of honesty and fair business methods. The John Mockett Company is the outgrowth of twenty-seven years of successful merchandising. Twenty-nine years ago, in January, 1882, John N. Mockett, the president of the present company, entered into a partnership with C. R. Mabley to engage in men's and boys' clothing and furnishing business. In 1883, the Scott Block, Nos. 213 and 215 Summit street, and which is a part of the present building, was leased, and the store was conducted under the name of the C. R. Mabley Company. In August, 1885, Mr. Mabley died, and his part of the business was taken over by Mr. Mockett. It was soon found necessary to take over the adjoining building, at Nos. 215 and 217 Summit street. This enlarged the frontage on Summit street to Nos. 213-215217-219, four stories high. After Mr. Mabley's death the name was changed to and for a time was known simply as "Mockett's." Years of continual increase brought the business to a point where it was no l0nger possible for Mr. Mockett to give his personal attention to every detail of the business, and he conceived the idea of making his employes his partners—of letting them not only share the responsibilities of the business, but the profits as well. So, in October, 1904, The John Mockett Company was formed. Mr. Mockett was made the president of the company ; C. A. Werdehoff, who has been associated with Mr. Mockett for over twenty-five years, was made vice-president ; and S. J. L0gan, whose association extends over a period of twenty years, was made secretary and treasurer. New departments were added, to include women's outer apparel, and other departments were enlarged until to-day there are practically five big stores under one roof—hat, furnishing, men's clothing, boys' clothing and furnishing, women's INDUSTRIES - 599 outer garments — each one in charge of a thoroughly competent manager. DRY GOODS AND DEPARTMENT STORES. In 1866, two brothers—Martin and Nicholas Neuhausel—ventured into the dry goods business on Summit street, -adjoining their present store, and when you look at their large dry goods house, to-day, it is difficult to realize its modest beginning year by year, it has added to its departments and improved and developed, until it stands among the foremost houses of Toledo, in handling dry goods, millinery, carpets, curtains, etc. In 1870, the brothers moved over into the adjoining building, which is the present site, and two other brothers—George and John—were given an interest in the firm. In 1895, the old store building was destroyed by fire and the present modern five-story building, with a total floor space of 25,000 square feet, was erected at Nos. 429, 431 and 433 Summit. Although the four brothers, originally at the head of the concern, are still interested in a general supervision of the management and conduct of the store, the younger generation looks after the active business part of it : Albert, the general manager ; Charles, the buyer : and Fred and Lawrence, who each have charge of a department. The four older members of the concern are brothers and the younger members are all sons of Nicholas. The firm employs 125 people, and not only has a large trade in Toledo, but is well known in the northwest part of the State, as a retail and mailing house. Toledo has some houses in various lines of business that cities of larger population might well be proud to claim, and where one can find any modern commodity that is needed. Such is the W. L. Milner & Company's department store, an importer and retailer of general merchandise. This immense business house was the idea of W. L. Milner and several other men, who, in 1894, established a partnership in the old building on the present site of the Hickok Dry Goods store, at 209-211 Summit street, having previously purchased the stock of R. L. McElroy & Company. The business had a rapid growth, and all the parties interested felt justified in leasing the Coghlin Building, at the corner of Summit and Jefferson avenue. This building had been completed for a year and a half, but no one had imagined that the city would support a store of such magnitude up to the time when the new concern put it into actual existence. A complete department store was developed which sprang into first place among the stores of Toledo for volume of business and aggressive enterprise. In 1901, the business was incorporated, and it has since numbered among its directors many of Toledo's prominent men. The original building had an eighty-foot frontage on Summit, but in two years from the date of incorporating an addition of 100 feet was made and, in 1906, sixty more were added, making a total frontage on Summit street of 240 feet, and 120 feet on Jefferson avenue, giving a total floor space of over 200,000 square feet, including the basement. All modern conveniences were introduced, such as a moving stairway, elevators, rest rooms, etc., together with a complete lighting and heating plant of