PAST MERCHANTS
Fitch & Skinner, druggists, occupied the site of the present T. H. Phillips' brick house
JosephMontgomery, boot, shoe and clothing dealer Mr.James S. Howard kept the first furniture store and a
hardware store, which was built by Fred Wild.
The proprietors of the town of Kewanee were from the start keenly alive to the fact that factories and workshops were as essential to the prosperity of the place as were store rooms, dwellings and other business houses. They were ready to offer inducements to institutions of this kind that came along looking for a place to locate. The result of this foresight is now plainly to be seen ; it is the busiest and thriftiest town in the county today, and is growing apace, while the average towns of Northern Illinois have for the past few years stood still, or lost population.
From Galesburg to Aurora, on the line of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, it ranks as the best business point, giving the road the largest trade in imports and exports between these two points. — In 1856 there were three dry-goods stores—Lang, Hardy & Co., Willard & Moss, and S. A. Smith; and there were two grocery stores—Davenport & Robin son, and Penny Bros.
Now there are 6 dry-goods, 5 hardware, 7 grocery, 3 jewelry, 3 bakeries, 2 news stands, 3 clothing, 5 boots and shoes, 4 harness shops, 3 furniture stores, z lumber yards, 5 meat markets, a grain elevator, 2 banks, 3 hotels, besides numerous shops, and small places of business and trade. Many of these business houses are alone on a scale with, and do a business much greater than was done by, all the houses in the town 25 years ago. The business men are of that class that have been quick to see the wants of the public about them, and have supplied them promptly and most efficiently.
The easy access to the fine quality of coal found here was another inducement for manufacturers that had its influence at an early day. As is mentioned elsewhere, a great deal of capital and employment to many miners is furnished by the coal mines. The Lathrop Coal & Mining Company, whose main office adjoins the First National Bank, when running full force, give employment to over 200 men. Coal in this mine is reached at about 100 feet, and is loaded on the cars by a very ingenious contrivance, and they ship large quantities along the line of the railroad. This company was organized in 1869. Some years ago
H. H. Perkins started the Kewanee Manufacturing establishment. The O'Brien Manufactory was started into operation in 1858. This was re moved from Princeville, Peoria County, and commenced making wagons and carriages here.
The present manufactories are the Haxtun Steam Heater Co., organized in 1875 incorporated with a capital stock of $500,000. It has eight acres of ground, adjoining the railroad, and has nearly four acres under roof, and has 550 employees, the large majority of whom are skilled mechanics and command the highest wages. The original capital was $50,000. The company succeeded the Anderson Steam Heating Company. The plant is located in the northeast part of the town. When this company became the owners of this business, only two buildings, 30 x So and 40 x 60 feet respectively, were used, and only 20 men were employed. The pay-roll now is about $22,000 per month. There are twelve separate and distinct departments in this establishment, namely: the puddle mill, rolling mill, .pipe mill, iron foundry, brass foundry, machine shop, radiator shop, steam-fitting shoo, brass finishing department, boiler shop, pattern shop, and the gas manufacturing de partment, where they manufacture their own gas for use in the pipe-manufacturing department. These works are immediately adjoining the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, from which they have side tracks, running not only into their grounds, but into the buildings as well, which greatly facilitates the handling of the heavy goods.
Twelve engines, aggregating 1,300 horse-power, are required to propel the vast amount of machinery necessary for their business. Each and every de partment is supplied with special machinery, gotten up and adapted for some special purpose. In fact, the greater part of their machinery, as well as their engines, is manufactured by themselves, and is of no use other than for the particular purpose for which it was made.
With the exception of boiler iron, everything is bought in its crude shape—pig and scrap iron, copper and brass. They do their own puddling, rolling Mill work, etc. A ton of iron will start in at the puddling department, and after being manipulated to the proper consistency, is passed to the rolling mill, where it is converted into strips or bars of the right width and thickness. It is then conveyed to the pipe department, where it is made into pipe of any desired size. The capacity in this department is forty tons per day.
The officers of this company are W, E. Haxtun, President; J. H. Pierce, Secretary; and E. E. Baker, Treasurer
At E. K. Hays' factory there is a large force of men busy at work making a great variety of implements, but their specialty now is a recently patented pump, of which they are turning out great quantities. This institution commenced manufacturing plows and shoveling boards, and from this branched into nearly every implement the farmer wants, and have always done a large repairing business
The Kewanee Wagon Company is another of the valuable and thriving institutions of the town. It manufactures all sorts of road wagons, carriages, buggies, etc., and is a successor to the O'Brien Manufacturing Company, which was organized in January, 1882, with a capital stock of $10,000. The incorporators, John Chisnall, Thomas F. Chisnall, William Howland, C. G. Taylor and August Grief, were all the old employes of the O'Brien Manufacturing Company, and each one of them fills his place under the new organization, not only as stockholder and officer, but as a. mechanic, and in charge of some particular department of the works.
John Chisnall, the President of the company, is business manager, bookkeeper and head of the wood-working department; William Howland, Vice- President, conducts the iron work ; C. G. Taylor, Secretary, wood-worker and in charge of the fine buggy and carriage department, while Thomas F. Chisnall, Treasurer, is superintendent of machinery. Each man has his wages paid him weekly, and the residue or net earning goes to the credit of the com pany. New machinery is being added from time to time, the capacity of the concern is being increased, and the undertaking as a whole is an assured success.
The Kewanee Manufacturing Company is another of the valuable additions to the town.
These many and large factories, with their tall chimneys filled with eager fires, the din of the great and small hammers pounding and forging the iron into artful shapes, have made Kewanee the Birmingham of Northern Illinois, and promise it a great and prosperous future.
Portriat and Biographical Album of Henry County
Submitted by W. Caudell
©Wini Caudell and Contributors
All Rights Reserved
Illinois Ancestors
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