Article copied from the Atlas & Plat Book of Jones County, Iowa

Published by the Jones County Times – copyright 1921

** Information in these articles is based on that publication as of 1921 **

** Visit the museum to see more data such as this **

 

Manufacturing Enterprises of the County

 

                While Jones county has not as many factories as it should have, yet it has many more than are usually conducted in an agricultural county.

          The sturdy men who came to settle on the fertile prairies were nearly all farmers, but their inclination to engage in manufacturing was strong, and out in the western land they showed the true resourcefulness of the American.  Along many of the streams of the county, today, can be found the wreckage of manufacturing enterprises which they conducted.  They damed every river and stream which flowed through the county which had a volume of water large enough to turn mill wheels.

          Some fine timber grew along the rivers of the county, and the pioneers established saw mills to cut lumber needed for the building of houses, barns and fences, and the lumber industry became the first and for a long time the greatest in the county.

          The fertile fields produced the highest grade of wheat, corn, rye, oats, and barley, and the activities of the pioneers were devoted to the grinding of those grains, and flour mills were established in different parts of the county.  Flour mills at Monticello, Anamosa, Oxford Mills, Eby’s, Clay Mills and other places were flourishing institutions.  Flour not only for home consumption but also for exporting was produced in large quantities.  Many thousands of dollars were invested in the milling business.

          Unfortunately for the manufactures of the pioneer days, the supply of timber became exhausted and the saw mills were sold and removed to other counties where there was s supply of timber.

          For many causes, Jones county once the banner wheat growing county in the state, failed to produce wheat in such quantities as would make it profitable for farmers to grow it, and wheat raising in this section was discontinued.  The millers of the county could not pay the cost of having wheat shipped to their mills and compete with the great mills established a Minneapolis and other places, and one by one the flour mills of Jones county were closed.

          The pioneers established three breweries in the county, two at Monticello and one a Anamosa.  They were closed because prohibition laws made the enterprise of brewing unlawful.  The three early industries proved to be failures, and manufacturing in the county received a hard blow.

          A number of Jones county citizens were inventors, but many of them sold their inventions to manufactures of other towns.  Chief of which was Mr. Jewett, who sold the patents on the Jewett hay loader to Rock Island manufactures.  W. A. Overing sold his patents on the Victor hay-loader to a manufacturing company of another town.  Factories started in this county have been moved to other cities, chief of which were the Chandler Pump Co., now of Cedar Rapids, and the Hall Manufacturing Co. of Cedar Rapids.

          With all the misfortunes which befell the Jones county manufactures, many of them are still in business, giving employment to many and doing much for the prosperity of the county, and there is no doubt many more factories could be conducted in the county.  There are advantages in this section for starting packing houses, sugar factories, oat meal mills, canning factories, ice cream factories, powdered milk factories and other factories which could get raw material produced in the county.

          The oldest factory now in operation in the county is the Hoag Duster factory, which was established in Monticello in 1873 and has been in continuous operation for nearly 50 years.  The company is engaged in manufacturing feather duster, brushes, dust cloths, sweeping compound, and other products.  It is one of the largest feather duster factories in the world and ships dusters to every section of the United States and to many foreign countries.  It employees about 100 persons.  Many of them being girls.  The officers of the company are E.E. Hoag, president; and R.E. Hoag vice-president.

          Other manufacturing establishments at Monticello are the Laude Necktie factory operated by Mr. and Mrs. W.H. Laude.  The factory was started by the Laudes with one or two employees and has grown until nearly 100 girls are employed.  The company makes a necktie that is appreciated by every one who wears it.  The tie is not only easily attached to the collar but also holds the collar in place.  The Laudes own the entire plant and have not incorporated a company.  It is an industry which does much for the prosperity of Monticello.

          The Franklin Barn Equipment Company began business in 1916 and is capitalized at $200,000.  The company is engaged in making a complete line of barn equipment, such as steel stalls, stanchions, feed and litter carries, metal baskets, irons for wagon racks and boxes, and many other articles used on the farm.  The company manufactures a line of barn equipment which have taken prizes at county and state fairs, and has equipped many of the finest barns in Iowa.  V.L. Hanssen is president of the company and R.G. Stuhler is secretary.

          The brick and tile works, conducted by Frank Dautremont, is one of the oldest brick and tile works in Iowa, and was established more than half a century ago by John Gibson.  The present owner has conducted the plant for 20 years.  He is an expert in the work in which he is engaged, and is ably assisted by his superintendent, Henry Britting.  About all the common brick used in building the town of Monticello was manufactured at the plant, and tiling used in every section of Jones and adjoining counties were made at the Monticello Clay Works.  The quality of the plant excels and a ready sale is had for all the brick, tile and brick blocks that the plant can furnish.

          The Monticello Bottling Works is conducted by C. C. Curtis and Sons.  The company is conducting an extensive business and ships its products to many Iowa towns.  It manufactures all kinds of soft drinks.  The product takes the highest rank.

          The Gruber Armored Tire Company is capitalized at $50,000.  It manufactures an armored tire and a plain fabric tire, rebuilds old tires and does all finds of vulcanizing.  Its capacity for rebuilding tires is 70 per day.  The company like many others that have engaged in the manufacture of tires had many difficulties to encounter in securing and installing the right kind of machinery, training tire builders, establishing agencies and in making and rebuilding tires which would stand every test.  But all difficulties are being heroically met and overcome, and the managers have hopes of final triumph and success.  J.T. Lanigan is president of the company and J.J. Hayes is secretary.

          The Monticello Canning Factory was established about 20 years ago, and is capitalized at $25,000.  It confines its activities to the packing of sweet corn.  The pack during the 1920 season was 36,000 cases.  The corn for the pack is grown in the vicinity of Monticello.  The industry is a good one as it gives employment to many people in the growing and the packing of corn.  The product is excellent and is shipped to many different states.  The officers of the company are P.D. Bell, president, and E.G. Hicks, secretary.

          Frank Page conducts a machine ship, in which all kinds of machine work is done.  Mr. Pages excels as a machinist.

          Both A.J. McNeill and T.S. Lazell, hardware dealers, manufacture water tanks.

          Center Junction has a brick and tile factory, where brick and tile are manufactured.  It has been operated more than a dozen years and the highest-class of brick, tile and brick blocks are manufactured.  The company has excellent equipment and is doing a very successful business.  The enterprise is conducted by the Robbie Brothers.

          Oxford Junction has two manufacturing enterprises, one a hay loader factory and the other a cement block factory.  The hay loader factory is conducted by the Lassick Brothers, who invented the hay loader and who for more than 20 years have manufactured them.  The Lassick Brothers are expert workingmen, and use the best material in the manufacture of the loaders, and as a result they make the best hay loader now in use.  Patronize home industry is a good slogan.  Albert Osborn conducts the cement block factory and manufactures an excellent quality of cement building blocks.

          Olin has a rug factory which manufacture a high class rug.  It also has a factory which manufactures a line of hog remedies.  The Hog Relince Company is conducting an extensive business and employs about a dozen men.

          Anamosa has a number of manufacturing companies, chief of which is the Metropolitan Supply Company, a big enterprise engaged in the manufacture of school supplies, which includes a line of school books, diplomas, blank books, and a line of blank books for county officers.  It conducts one of the leading printing plants of Iowa, which was established, is owned by Anamosa people.

          J.A. Belknap is engaged in the manufacture of tile ditching spades.  He has been engage, in the work for a number of years and manufactures the best spade of tile ditching that is in use.

          D. Russell & Co. manufacture cement silo staves for building of silos.  It is an enterprise which is growing rapidly, and the product has been used to erect silos on hundreds of Iowa farms.  The silos built by their company are of exceptional merit.

          The State Reformatory conducts an extensive printing plant and butter tab factory.

          Anamosa has a plant for the manufacture of gas, which is supplied to the residents of the city at reasonable prices.  It is a most valuable enterprise for the town.

          C.E. Foster conducts a bottling works and manufactures a line of soft drinks.  The products have a real merit.

          Nearly every town in the county has a feed mill, where feed is ground.  Probably the Monticello Roller Mills at Monticello, do the most extensive business.