Buckeye and Empire Days
By Karl Kendig

A Centennial History of Akron 1825-1925

Summit County Historical Society, Akron, Ohio 1925, p 246-255

AN INDUSTRIAL picture of Akron, transposed to a graphic chart, would show that from 1864 to 1905 the agricultural machinery and allied lines dominated. This field of manufacturing created the same nation-wide reputation for Akron during that period as does the rubber industry of today. Wher­ever soil was tilled and harvests reaped, mowers, binders, rakes, cultivators and cutting parts "made in Akron" circulated the trade names of "Buckeye," "Empire," "Excelsior," and "W & B," in this and foreign countries.

Capitalization of these industries in hundreds of thousands of dollars, created as much amazement or wonder financially, as do organizations of today with their millions of capital. From two to eight hundred was the average number employed, and they were known as "Buckeye men," "Empire men," "Whitman & Barnes men," and so on.

In 1886 the agricultural implement business was at its peak; the thrifty period when the plants were working night and day and labor fully employed. There was no Chamber of Commerce to exploit the advantages of industrial Akron, and various citizens and companies combined their efforts to broadcast the advantages of Akron through periodical publications.

C. A. Collins, Carriage Factory, J. F. Seiberling, president, "Empire" Works, D. L. King, president, The King Varnish Co., Louis Miller, "Buckeye" Works, C. F. Lamb, Whitman & Barnes Mfg. Co., 0. C. Barber, Diamond Match Co., J. P. Alexander, Fire Brick Works, and L. D. Watters, mayor of Akron, were a committee that collaborated with publishers who issued a book in 1886 entitled "The Industries of Akron, Ohio; Commercial and Manufacturing Advan­tages;

Descriptive and Biographical Facts and Figures."

They had this to say regarding the agricultural im­plement industry: "There are seven establishments in Akron engaged in this line of industry, two of which are known throughout every section of the United States. The rapid growth of the industry of this city, however, is not surprising when we consider the superb advantages found here for such manufac­tures. There is no lack of raw material. The iron is abundant and close at hand. The woods used are at our doors in immense quantities. Steam power is exceedingly cheap—and skilled labor is also plentiful. It is in consequence of this rare combination of all the prime facilities, that Akron has become the chief manufacturing city of farming implements and farm labor-saving machinery in this section. Nor does the industry here thrive by simply making articles which `Tom, Dick and Harry' have a perfect right to make, or the articles for which the privilege of manufactur­ing is purchased from parties abroad. Its success conies very largely from the inventive genius that is interested directly in the Akron manufactures. The inventions in this line, upon which patents have been granted to Akron makers, are innumerable, and de­servedly rank among the most valuable now made subservient to the wants of the agriculturists in this country or any section of the world. And that they are appreciated is fully demonstrated by the fact that the highest awards of merit have been bestowed up­on them."

The first reference to the manufacturing of an agricultural implement was in 1825 when Dr. Eliakin Crosby purchased a defunct furnace operated on the site now occupied by the general office of The Good­year Tire & Rubber Co. In a crude way he manu­factured plows, hoes and other agricultural imple­ments for a period of two years, when the business be­ing found unprofitable, he sold the property.

A lapse of thirty-five years followed before the in­ception and creation of those agricultural implement works which were to become the foundation of Ak­ron's industrial reputation. Two prominent com­panies were organized and started operations within a year of each other.

THE BUCKEYE REAPER & MOWER WORKS.—This was an outgrowth of the C. Aultman & Co., of Canton, Ohio, and was established in Akron in 1864, but under the separate and distinct corpora­tion title of Aultman, Miller & Co., with Hon. George W. Crouse as president, Hon. Lewis Miller, general superintendent, Ira Miller, secretary, and R. H. Wright, treasurer. Mr. Ira Miller is today the only surviving member of that official group.

Among other men, in their day, prominently iden­tified with the upbuilding and progress of this com­pany, were : J. Asa Palmer, Josiah Hartzell, Neri Newcomb, W. A. Means, S. S. Miller, Maurice Snyder, Asa Hanscom, J. D. Palmer, John Grad, E. R. Harper, 0. L. Sadler, Ralph P. Burnett, W. K. Means, J. P. Frisby, H. H. Crowther, R. B. Walker, John Shafer, N. N. Lerhner, S. P. Wallace, C. 0. Baughman, Tom Marshall, Al. Young, Wallace Carlton, A. D. Power, Dan Cameron.

The Buckeye factory, now the Akron branch of the International Harvester Co., was located east of the old C. A. & C. railroad, in the block between Center st. and Buchtel a^y. An average of 800 men were em­ployed during its existence and the products—self­binders, harvesters, self rakes, droppers and mowing machines—were marketed in this and foreign coun­tries. It continued to do a prosperous business until 1902 when the International Harvester Co. was or­ganized. Competition in the agricultural implement line became very keen to the advantage of the larger organization. In 1905 a receiver was appointed for the "Buckeye" Company and its entire assets were sold to the International Harvetser Co., which now manufactures International Motor Trucks in Akron.

EMPIRE REAPER & MOWER WORKS.—In 1865 J. F. Seiberling organized the J. F. Seiberling Co., and built his factory opposite the old Union De­pot, west of the C. A. & C. railroad, and north of Center st., and the "Buckeye" works. The office build­ing faced Mill st. on the site now occupied by the Fred Albrecht Grocery Co.

Mr. Seiberling was an inventive genius. The "Empire" Mower and Reaper with dropper attach­ment, was invented by him in 1858 and first manufac­tured at Doylestown in 1861, under the name of "Ex­celsior." In 1864 he began their manufacture in Mas­sillon, but in 1865 brought the industry to Akron. As­sociated with him in the successful conduct of this business were his two sons, F. A. Seiberling, secretary and treasurer, and Chas. W. Seiberling, superin­tendent.

Father and sons conducted the business until 1900 when the general depression of the implement busi­ness brought reverses. An assignee was appointed and the business liquidated just four years prior to the similar fate of the "Buckeye" Company.

Identified with the progressive up-building and activities of this company, is brought to mind the name of W. H. Carter, who was with the old Excelsior Mower and Reaper works in 1868 to 1874, af­terward with J. F. Seiberling & Co., until 1895. E. R. Harper was with J. F. Seiberling & Co., 1883-4 ; afterward he became mayor of Akron, and later, lieu­tenant governor of Colorado. J. S. Benner, W. G. Wise and Horace Houser were three men well known in this organization.

Prominent among the factory personnel were John Rawlings, John Heffelman, Jacob Carpenter, H. K. Austin, Jonas Nice, and Wm. Eardley. L. K. Miles, originally connected with the Whitman & Miles Mfg. Co., was general sales agent. Howard Sears, a young attorney, was in charge of collections, and later be­came a city commissioner. He was succeeded by J. A. Bradley, afterward a member of the law firm of Rogers, Rowley & Bradley. Prominent here, also, was Wm. Carter, who became identified with the J. F. Seiberling Co. about 1880, and was with the company during its entire life as an expert accountant. Wm. Eardley is another surviving member of the original force.

AKRON KNIFE WORKS.—In 1848 the predeces­sors and founders of the present corporation, The Whitman & Barnes Mfg. Co., commenced in a very small way to make knives and sickles for mowing and reaping machines at Fitchburg, Mass. The manu­facture of mowers and reapers was at that time in its infancy and the knives and sickles then used were crude and imperfect. In co-operation with the orig­inal McCormicks, satisfactory knives were produced for the first McCormick mowers.

In 1854 a company was established by these founders of the original machine shop, under the name of the Whitman & Miles Mfg. Co. Gradually improvements were made in both branches of manu­facture and the small knife works grew and furnished

their cutting products to all the manufacturers then in existence in the implement line.

As the production of mowers, binders and agri­cultural implements became a leading industry, the inducements were sufficiently attractive to establish a plant in Akron to supply knives, sickles, guard plates, sections, spring keys, etc., to the "Buckeye" and "Empire" works and the Deering and McCormick interests in Chicago. The shops were constructed east of the C. A. & C. railroad, on the site occupying the block between Buchtel av. and Carroll sts., south of the present International Harvester Co., under the corporate name of The Whitman & Miles Mfg. Co.

In September, 1877, the present Whitman & Barnes Mfg. Co. was incorporated and purchased the property and business of The Whitman & Miles Mfg. Co., at Akron, Ohio, and Fitchburg, Mass., and that of George Barnes & Co., of Syracuse, New York. The Fitchburg plant was closed and the business con­ducted at Akron, Ohio, and Syracuse, New York.

Augustus Whitman was president of the company from the incorporation in 1877 to 1879 ; George Barnes, 1879-1885 ; Col. A. L. Conger, 1885-1897 ; I. C. Alden, 1897-1899 ; Geo. E. Dana, 1899-1902 ; C. E. Sheldon, 1902-1915. These presidents presided over the affairs of The Whitman & Barnes Mfg. Co., during the pe­riod when the implement business was at its height.

In May, 1880, the company purchased the proper­ties of Collinson, Burch & Co., of St. Catharines, Canada, and established the Canadian branch of The Whitman & Barnes Mfg. Co., at that point, where cutting parts were manufactured for the Canadian trade.

As the demand for cutting and kindred parts declined with the passing of the "Buckeye" and "Em­pire" works, and the market passed to the westward, the company established other lines. In 1891 the Dia­mond Drill & Tool Co., a small concern operating at 226 S. Howard st., was purchased and the manufacture of twist drills and reamers was transferred to a section of the Akron plant. In May, 1893, the company began the building of a plant at Chicago, West Pull­man, Illinois, for the purpose of manufacturing cutting parts for Deering, McCormick and other Western implement manufacturers. This line manufactured at Akron, was transferred to West Pullman, and the Ak­ron plant was given over exclusively to the manufac­ture of twist drills and reamers.

Gradually the western implement manufacturers began to produce their own cutting parts and the line was supplanted at the West Pullman factory by the manufacture of drop forgings, wrenches, spring cot­ters, lawn mowers and haying tools. During the year 1902 the company sold its properties in Canada and West Pullman to J. H. Williams & Co., of New York, retaining the Akron, Ohio, plant, where twist drills and reamers are manufactured.

The Whitman & Barnes Mfg. Co. is the only sur­viving corporation of the group that was originally identified with the agricultural implement business at Akron, with its present production of twist drills and reamers, radically different from the original output of seventy-one years ago.

THE AKRON ROLLING MILL.—During the first flourishing years of the agricultural implement business, the "Buckeye" officials looked to the estab­lishment of a rolling mill to furnish their steel require­ments, and formed this company in 1866. The mills were built west of the Erie railroad tracks on the site now occupied by the Akron Selle Co., and the Erie yards. The president was Hon. Lewis Miller, Jere­miah A. Long, secretary and treasurer, Captain Aaron P. Baldwin, general superintendent, and Edward B. Miller, assistant superintendent. It was re-organized in 1900 under the title of the Akron Iron & Steel Co. Stress of competition and the declining demand for its products, due to the falling off of the agricultural im­plement business, forced a liquidation and the wind­ing up of the business.

In the active days of this corporation, a number of Akron men held prominent positions, among them : A. B. Rinehart, W. A. Pardee, J. G. Raymond, E. W. Hull, Harry Holloway, Frank Dodge, Fred Dodge and will McCarthy.

 

THE AKRON TWINE & CORDAGE CO.—In 1885 this company was organized and located at 110­116 Hill st., in close proximity to the "Buckeye." The line manufactured included all kinds of Manila and sisal twine and rope. The leading specialty was binder twine to supply the binders manufactured by the "Buckeye" and "Empire" companies. The offi­cers were : President, Hon. Geo. W. Crouse, vice president, F. A. Seiberling, secretary and treasurer, Dr. A. M. Cole. The company, closely allied with the "Buckeye" was involved in its financial difficulties and passed to The International Harvester Company, who dismantled the plant.

THE AKRON CULTIVATOR CO.—This cor­poration was originally formed under the name of The Akron Tool Co., Sept. 21, 1899, and located its fac­tory at 238 N. Union st. Hiram Kendal was president, Geo. W. Crouse, vice president, Horace M. Houser, secretary, and Chas. A. Bowen, treasurer and superin­tendent. In 1920 the business was sold to The Empire Plow Co., Cleveland, Ohio, and in this transaction the last of the agricultural implement manufacturing cor­porations connected with Akron's past history, ceased to exist, by removal to Cleveland.

Reference is made to the Akron Iron Co., the Ak­ron Twine & Cordage Co., and the Akron Cultivator Co., as organizations closely allied to the agricultural implement manufacturing business. They were links in the chain, some of them supplying materials and accessories to round out the completed line.

The heart of Akron's industrial life was grouped in these industries in the territory adjoining the railroad between Mill and Iron sts. It was the artery of the industrial life, and the products receiving world-wide recognition for their merits, were the first mediums for spreading Akron's fame. These industries were neighbors and competitors, operating side by side, guided by a group of men of keen judgment and broad vision. Not only did they conduct their industrial affairs successfully, but they found time to participate in the municipal life of the community. They fostered and invested in infant industries, rubber and other lines, which have survived as monuments to them.

These pioneers have passed, likewise the evidences of their industrial building, but their descendants re­main to carry on. The sons of the families, particu­larly the Seiberlings, F. A. and C. W., inheritors of their father's business acumen, conceived and builded The Goodyear Tire & Rubber and the Seiberling Rubber Companies.

Other industries had their inception and were organized by the descendants of these pioneers, so that in giving credit for the present day industrial Akron, the impetus can be traced to the energy of those early agricultural implement days.

But the decline ! It was caused by business evolu­tion with its changing conditions, the transfer of the bulk of the consuming trade for implements, to the growing agricultural West where the corporations of McCormick and Deering, operating from Chicago, were able to serve and manufacture at lower costs. It was no discredit to those early Akron industrial founders that they could not survive all those un­controllable conditions. Today there is not in ex­istence a single independent agricultural implement manufacturing company of large proportions, east of Chicago where is located the head offices and facto­ries of the International Harvester Company. In it is combined the best of all the old time companies. Financing the farmer on the installment payment plan was, no doubt, one of the main contributing factors leading to the financial reverses of these Akron im­plement manufacturers. A scientific financial set-up for handling partial payments of the rural buyers of implements, did not exist in their days. Had current methods of partial payment collections, as exampled in the sale of automobiles and other lines, been in existence in their time, the agricultural implement manufacturers would, no doubt, have survived. There was no Federal Reserve System with its support and control to stabilize the avenues of finance. The banks operating as separate units, unsupported, were sub­ject to varying conditions of finance, both local and national. Their clients, like themselves, were victims of unstabilized conditions which made the financing of long time paper of the agricultural character, or farmers' notes, most precarious. When panicky years developed, loans were called. The agricultural im­plement manufacturer with his long time farmers' notes as collateral, (his chief quick assets), was caught in a financial disaster from which there was no relief under those existing conditions.