Manufacturing in Newcomerstown, Ohio
Traced from 1844
by David Burress "D.B."
MooreThe first pottery in Newcomerstown was established about
1844 by Harmon and Gustavus Fox. It was located on Main Street.
After 1870 another pottery was established on State Street,
between River and Goodrich Streets by George Bagnail. Both outfits have
long since disappeared.
James Pilling, who came to Newcomerstown in 1841, established
a wooden factory and sawmill on what is now Route 21. at the east edge
of Newcomerstown. As far as is known it was the first manufacturing establishment
here. Mr. Pilling was a grandfather of Mrs. Anne Zimmerman, East State
Road, and David Burress "D.B." Moore, Canal Street.
The first tannery owned by Aaron Schwenk was located at
the south-west corner of Canal and River Streets; a second one five or
six years later was established by David Mulvane, on what is now West Main
Street between River and Goodrich Streets.
The first flour mill was built and operated by William
Gardner and Paul Roberts; power was derived from a flume from the Ohio
Canal which in turn operated the big water wheel. The mill stood at the
extreme end of Main Street.
A second mill built in 1853 by William H. Craig stood
on the south side of the canal opposite the one mentioned above.
James Pilling started a woolen mill in 1841 about a mile
east of town. Later he also operated a saw mill. Thomas Benton had joined
Mr. Pilling as a partner. The woolen mill was enlarged and continued in
operation until 1880.
A foundry was built by Kenyon and Ferguson in 1879; in
1883 it was known as the Peerless Enterprise Manufacturing Company, owned
and operated by R.L. Shoemaker, was located on the northwest corner of
Canal and Bridge Streets, the plant manufactured cigar boxes, churns and
bee hives. Quite an assortment.
Charles Schneider operated a buggy and wagon plant, with
a blacksmith shop immediately in the rear operated by Dan Laub who sweat
the iron tires on the buggy and wagon wheels. The building is still standing
on the north side of Main Street on an alley just north of River Street,
and is owned by Miss Helen Gefeller.
George Benton operated a planning mill about one hundred
yards east of College Street, on the north side of the canal; nearby was
the machine shop of Mr. Ward, owned and operated by himself, his wife,
and son. His two machinists were Francis and Ed Ripple. Mrs. Ward was as
skillful a machinist as any of the men.
The first brick plant was owned and operated by Thomas
Crawford just west of the West Street Cemetery, along the railroad. He
dug the clay on his lot, ground it in an old fashioned pug mill with the
power being furnished by an old horse going round and round. The brick
was commonly known as red brick. Some of them are still in use in chimneys
around town.
The next brick plant was one called The Novelty, owned
and operated by R.L. Shoemaker of this town, and Mr. Cassingham of Coshocton.
The plant was located south of the river about a quarter of a mile southeast
of the present Ohio Power substation. This plant specialized in the manufacture
of paving bricks for streets and sidewalks. the first street lights in
Newcomerstown were from an electric generator at this plant.
Another plant just north of Newcomerstown was called The
Globe Brick Company owned and operated by the H.J. Heineke Company of St.
Louis, Missouri.
This company is still in operation although the plant
has long since disappeared. They manufactured principally blocks for the
building of high smoke stacks. They not only made the blocks, but erected
the stacks. Some of the huge stacks at the smelters in Colorado were erected
by this company.
J.D Longshore operated a piano and organ factory for a
time in a building where the Reeves Bank now stands.
In 191 and 1902, a company was organized here to erect
a sheet mill to be erected west of Newcomerstown, and adjacent to the Pennsylvania
Railroad. This was done and the plant operated for a few years, but competition
from the larger plants became so keen that this little plant was forced
to close.
About 1900, a gentleman named White arrived here from
New York. He announced that he intended to build a city called White City
just east of Newcomerstown.
He opened an office with several imported draftsmen and
a surveying crew. Then he proceeded to take options on about 600 acres
of good level farming land. Soon the surveyors were at work, and in no
time the draftsmen had all projected on paper, several parks, hundreds
of building lots, and the land along the railroad reserved for manufacturing.
With this all done, Mr. White went to New York to secure the necessary
financial aid, which sorry to say was not forthcoming. The bubble burst,
the farmers went on plowing their fields and that was the end of White
City.
The James B. Clow Company had a plant at New Philadelphia,
Ohio, manufacturing cast iron pipe. This plant burned and the company decided
to locate at Newcomerstown, after public spirited citizens subscribed sufficient
funds to buy a location.
This plant started in 1895, and manufactured cast iron
pipe in sizes varying from 4" to 48". Later a gas steam radiator department
was added.
In 1911 the pipe foundry was moved to Coshocton. The only
reason assigned at that time was that Coshocton offered more money than
Newcomerstown could afford. Later the radiator department was also moved,
so today, nothing but a few memories, and a bunch of empty foundry buildings
remain.
The Kurz-Kasch Company, a branch of a Dayton, Ohio firm
located here a few years ago, providing employment for many. They manufacture
molded plastic pieces.
Groovefold Fabricators started their plant here in 1963.
They are located in what was once the Ford Garage.
The Globe Specialties, a commercial sewing company, started
operations here several years ago.
The Simmonds Saw and Steel Company now owns and operates
the Heller Brothers Company, which company had purchased the Rex File Company,
a locally owned concern. Simmonds acquired the plant in 1955 and changed
the name to Heller Tool Company
During the Heller Brothers’ ownership that plant was enlarged.
Heller Brothers Company was founded in 1836 by Elias Heller
in New Jersey. The firm came to Newcomerstown in 1917, taking over the
old Rex File Company which had been destroyed by fire.
The Seiberling Rubber Company located its Plastics Division
in Newcomerstown in 1954. It has been marked by steady growth. In 1959
an additional 20,000 square feet of floor space was added. In 1963 the
plant was expanded again by the same amount. Employment and production
have continued to rise steadily. Weather-Seal, Inc., with its home offices
in Barberton, Ohio started production in its plant on West Street in February
of this year. The new plant is the most completely automated laminating
plant in the country. It was designed to laminate plywood for the Etling
Building Products Division of Weather-Seal which produces a complete line
of cabinets.
The Alchrome Products Company manufactures bathroom and
lavatory fixtures. This plant was started in 1946 by Herbert Smith, the
present owner.
The Hillside Egg Farm, operated by Kenneth and Gwendolyn
Johns, is something new for Newcomerstown. Operated on their farm approximately
3 1/2 miles south of this town, they have a completely modern place with
6,000 hens, and one rooster. Daily production now is between 4,500 and
5,000 eggs per day, all sold to a large chain of stores in Ohio. It takes
about 5 tons of food per week for the old biddies. |
