Ligonier High School - Lance Yearbook (Ligonier, IN)

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s V HX ,-.--wpqyx In 1911 the company did a small busi- ness of only S50 000 It has shown a steady . growth since that time and in 1926 the com- pany did a business of i p800,000. About eighty or eighty-three men are employed in the factory. Mr. Ralph Strait is general M superintendent in charge of factory opera- tion. Two years ago the company built very extensive additions to the plant and are con- sidering the question of tearing down the old building on the corner of Cavin Street and Lincoln Way West the coming summer and building a new three story building to correspond with the rest of the plant. If this is done the offices will be moved into the building on the corner. The product of the company is refrig- erators, refrigerator counters, and market coolers for commercial uses, but no refrig- erators for domestic uses are produced. The company has over fifty gen- eral agencies located in the principal cities throughout the country, and this distribution is practically nation-wide, including Alaska, and the Ha- waiian Islands. The quality of the product is conceded to be as fine as any made in this country. WILKINSON QUILTS. One of the most interesting firms of Ligonier is that of the Wilkinson sisters, Rosalie and Ona, for the reason that it is the only one of its kind in the United States. Their business is devoted to the manufacture of hand made quilts, comforters, and couch throws. The first quilts were made in 1908, and for several years were made in the home until 1914 when the Wilkinson Quilt Company was incorporated and business solicited. All orders up until that time, had come unsolicited as the sale of quilts was not started with the intention of making a business of it. However, the unusually beautiful and artistic designs and workmanship of Miss Ona Wilkinson brought many orders from those re- ceiving one of the quilts as a gift and from those who saw the quilts in the home of their friends. Wilkinson Quilt Company Q The business developed far beyond expectations and in recent years a U number of things have been added to the original line of quilts including bed spreads, bathrobes, fancy piliows, etc. The merchandise is sold by mail, through shops conducted by the company in various winter and summer Q resorts and through special representatives. There are about one hundred 2 people connected with the organization in its various departments. S C g ,p - v HIGHWAY IRON PRODUCTS p E 5 I A I COMPANY. The Highway Iron r 1 ' i f Products Company was incorpor- E : I ated October 1, 1918 under the laws : 5 of the State of Indiana with a paid 5 5 up capital of S100,000.00, for the 5 E purpose of manufacturing steel i E E highway bridges, corrugated metal E 3 culvert pipe, and road tools. 5 u vu : Ligonier Refrigerator Company : 5 ' : : v E! S fix 5 ii - f L . Ji Page 19

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if-'x qI'iqh I- ' -N-'Aix ff -xNN,.,..4-.N-.XP 1 ix I The original mill is in Wauseon, Ohio. it This was one of the first mills in the coun- mx try and the first to use the roller process of grinding. The company has a large ware- - house in Norfolk, Virginia. Flour is shipped from there to other places. MIER CARRIAGE AND BUGGY COM- pany. The Mier Carriage and Buggy Corn- pany was incorporated in 1893. The mem- bers were Mr. Sol Mier, Mr. Abe Mier, Mr. Herman Mier, Mr. Sam Mier, and Mr. Isaac Rose. Later Mr. I. M. Baum bought out the interests of Mr. Herman Mier. After Mr. S. E. Mier died the entire interests of the corporation were bought by Mrs. Hattie Mier and Mr. I. M. Baum. All styles of buggiles . . and carriages were manufactured until t e ' Lyon 'md Greenleaf Mm time when automobiles took their places. During the war the iirm became the Ligonier Auto Body Company. BLITZ WOOD PRODUCTS COMPANY. The building formerly used by the Mier Carriage and Buggy Company is now occupied by the Bfitz Wood Products Company, which was organized in January, 1925. Mr. Q Herman Blitz is president and general manager, Joseph Eichel is vice- g president, and Sigmund Eichel is secretary and treasurer. The company 1 I originally started to manufacture novelty furniture, which was shipped to 1 large jobbers. In December, 1926, they concluded that dining room furni- f I ture would be a more profitable line to manufacture and since, have been 1 devoting the most of their efforts to the manufacture of medium priced l dining room furniture. During the fall of 1926 they secured a large - l contract for the manufacture of radio cabinets, this they took up as a Y side line. In addition to the dining room furniture several different models of radio cabinets, spinet desks, etc., are carried in stock. From forty to sixty men are employed by this company, which is now planning on contracts for installing built-incabinets in apartment houses of the larger cities in Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Illinois. LIGONIER REFRIGERATOR COMPANY. The Ligonier Refriger- ator Company was originally start- W E ed in 1907 by Mr. Banta and Mr. 1 Bender under the name of Banta : and Bender Company. The com- ! pany reorganized in 1912 at which S time Mr. Wood took the manage- S ment. The old plant burned in E May, 1915, and this resulted in 5 taking over the plant of the Ligo- 5 nler Carriage Company. Since g that time Mr. Wood and Mr. He- : noch have been active heads of the s business' l Blitz Wood Products Company S tix 5 ., X L, Page 18

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NKXX Its growth was so rapid that it was felt the business should be .A divided and accordingly, in 1925 I T the fabricating plant was moved to ' Jacksonville, Florida, in order to be nearer the market of its prod- fZ'f,11 s' as if - Lf rg.:- V ucts. The Ligonier plant contin- ued the manufacture of corrugated pipe and road tools until January, 1927, when it was felt that on ac- count of therapid growth of the Florida plant all energies should be devoted towards its development. The Ligonier plant, therefore, dis- tinued its manufacturing and is at present serving as sales branch and feeder for the Southern plant. It is possible however, that the Ligo- nier branch may in the near future engage in the manufacture of a kindred line. Ligonier Iron Products Company During its period of maximum running, while both departments were located in Ligonier, there were employed nearly sixty persons and last year the Ligonier plant employed twenty-iive and the Florida plant fifty. The growth of the Highway Iron Products Company has been very rapid due to careful management and perseverance and is engaged in a line for which the future is practically unlimited. OTHER BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS The people of Ligonier are well served by the numerous business houses of the town, all of which it would be impossible to mention here. There is a sufficient number of grocery stores, meat markets, bakeries, dry goods stores, drug stores, shoe shops, and millinery shops, as well as of those selling men and women's ready-to-Wear clothing. There' is number of garages and oil stations which give efficient service. Many makes of auto- mobiles are sold by the various dealers. One of the oldest and most reputable business organizations is Stans- bury's Store which was founded by J. R. Stansbury in 1869. At the time the business opened the stock consisted of what was known as dry goods and Yankee notions. In the eleven years following, the business grew to such an extent that more room was needed. At this time a full line of g1'0C61'16S, dishes, and queensware was added to the stock. The present owner, Mrs. C. R. Stansbury. entered the business at the age of seventeen, in the year of 1880 and has given his entire time and energies to the service of the community and has a wide circle of patrons from farming communities. Another is the present E. Jacobs and Company, dealing in dry goods, ladies ready-to-wear clothing, and rugs. This business was organized in 1876 under the name of Jacobs and Goldsmith. Since 1880 it has con- tinued as E. Jacobs and Company. - ..---Z? I I Q -2 r I LL Page 20