Mynderse Academy - Myndersian Yearbook (Seneca Falls, NY)

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The best way to illustrate the wrdespread use of the machrnes manufactured rn Seneca lalls rs to call attention to the fact that practically every automo brle anel truclc seen on the road has some parts rn rt that were manufactured on So owrng Lathes The Westcott Rule Company one of the largest manufacturers of desle and school rulers and Venetran blrnds rn the world hael 1ts begmnmg as far bacle as 1872 At thrs trme Henry P Westcott and hrs two sons, Charles anel lranlc Westcott began the manu facturrng of prrnter s supphcs In 1890 thrs cnterprrse was mcorporatcd as the Westcott Brothers Company Branchmg out into many specralty lrnes, they manu factured a number of useful artrcles mcludrng games school bags, and toy blocks In 1894 the company was re rncorporated the Westcott jcwcll Company by Charles and lranle Westcott and C I and M R ewell As the business expanded, the manufacturrng of specraltres was set asrde anel concentratron was placed upon rulers Later rt was agarn re rncorporated thus trme as the West cott Rule Company Around 1935 there came quite a demand for Vene nan bhnds Westcott s equrpment naturally lent rtself to the manufacture of these bhnds It rs very rnter estrng to note that thrs type of blrnd was made many years ago rn Seneca lalls Henry P Westcott grand father of the present 'lreasurer Phrlrp R Westcott began therr manufacture rn 1858 However, the Seuem F1111 lvzrllzng Comparza patrxotrc fersor whrch swept the country at thrs trme caused many of hrs men to enhst rn the Unron Army lt was then rmpossrble to contmuc the manufaeturrng of Venetran blmds After the Curl War these blmds were not used In the homes and were almost unheard of unnl two generatrons later Westeotts products are sold rn practrcally every foreign country At the present trmc South Aftrct leads rn thc foreign market Charles H Westcott rs strll president of the Westcott Company Kenneth lvllqfal Leller ll mer M Lyon rs wee presrdent and treasurer and Phrhp R Westcott IS secretary The Seneca Knrttrng Mrlls Incorporated manu faeturers of men s heaxy worlc hose and sportsmen s soclcs, and one of the most enterprrsrng manufacturrng concerns rn Seneca lalls was founded rn 1971 M Caleb Smxth who was formerly wrth the Balston Knrttrng Company, came to Seneca lalls and started operatrons rn the old Dcleun burldrng rn West Iall Street now owned und oceupred by the Fred L Huntrngton Automobile Sales Rooms Opera trons contlnued rn thus burlehng from 1971 to 1917 when the concern mosed to nts present locatron rn Water Street purchasrng the property from the West cott Valve Company The company began manufacturing rn a very mod est way, and has srnee mcretscd nts output by nearly 100 trmes tts orrgrnal annual productron Durrng the early years the opcrttrons of the comp my were lrmrted to lenrttrng and hnrshrng only All yarns used rn the manufacturmg of the socles were corded md spun by outsrde concerns Now the company h ts nts own cordmg and spmnnng departments for the manufac turrng of yarns haung burlt extensne addltlons to accommodate thrs rmportant part of tts busmess About two thousand pounds of yarn are made an nually A branch plant rs 1lso mamtuned rn Chestnut Street dexoted eselusnely to lmrttrng and fmrshrng One rmportmt addrtron to thc resources of the com pany IS a mlehrne shop w here spccral machmes for the busrness are manufactured . 1 1 . 1 V 1 L K A 1 1 1 1 1K L K 1 ' 1 ' 1 1 I ' 1' 1 1 I e 1 1 1 . 1 1 1 ' ' 1 1 1 1 ' - ' 1 '. 1 1 1 . '11 'A ' 1 11 1 ' 1 1 1 ' ' 1 1 1 , v1 - 1 - 1 1 1 1 1 1 . 1 1 1 1 1 1 ' 1 1 1 , - I 1 1 1 -K L 1 A 1 1 L , 1 ' 1 1 '1 1 1 1 ' f 1 T 1 1 1 , 1 1 , 1 . . , . . . 1 11 '. ' A ' 1 1 1 1 v 1 . 1 L 1k 1 , 1 ' 1 ' 1' 1 A 1 ', yt 1, t 1 1 1 A 1 1 ' 1- I f 1 J . ,. H. ' ' 1 1 1 ' 1 ' 1 1 1 v 1, 1 1 1 . . ,1 1 1 . V . - A . . - . 1 , . 1 , ' ' 1 1 . ' 7 , 1 1 - - Q 1 - - .. . . f 1 1 1 2 1 1 - - - 1 ' 1 J, - 1 1 ' -- 1, 1 1. . 1- 1 - 1 r . 1 I' ' 1 ' ' 1 1 1 1 1 ' ' 7 ' ' ' 1 . . 1 , 1 1 1-1 1 1 1- 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 - 1 4 1 1 - v . . . . . - 1 1 1 111, . . 1 1 I 11 - y 1 f -- 1 1 1 , 1 1 1- 1 , 1 11 - 1x-1 4 1, 1. ' ' 1 . A '1 1 1 1 ' ' r -1 - 11-1 1 11 1 ' 1 1 1 ' . ' 1K 11 1 12 N- 1- 2 V1 1 1 - ' 1' . 1 ' 1' ' , ' L y 1 k- r. 1 1 L B A . 1, 1 , A 1 , , , 1. 1 1 1 1K 1 K 1 1 1. 1 1 1 1 11 - , 1 1 1 v v 11 1 K v y K 1 . 1' ' ' ' ' . '. 1 1 111 1 L ' 1 '1 1. 1 1 - 1 1 - 1 11 1 11- - 1. - - 1 1 . 1 . . 1 1 , 1 1 1 1 ' 1 -1 1 1 v1 1 1 ' 1- ' 1 1 1 1 1' - ' 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 .

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George Geb and Thomas Garvan acquired the com pany nn 1917 Under their dlrectron 1 great many rn novatrons were made ID the plant pollcles The mak mg of woolen cloth gave way to the mxnufacture of y1rn the lennttmg of sweaters and rugs In 1921 the lndustry once more changed rts title 'eff' Seneca Fall Matlalne Company to The Geb and Garvan Yarn Company During the year 1931 Thomas Garvan dred leavrng the manage ment of the lndustry entlrely 1n the hands of George Geb hrs partner Yarn rs the only one of the orrgrnal products now manufactured ln the local mrlls Twenty Eve thousand pounds of yarn are shrpped weekly to Brooklyn where rt rs woven rnto all krnds of woolen knrt wear The 130 employees of the mrll are worklng rn day 1nd nrght shifts rn order to meet the great demand for yarn The Geb and Glrvan Company rs truly one of our xalulble rndustrlal assets In trlcrng the hrstory of the Seneca Falls Machnne Company If rs necessary to consrder two drfferent companies whrch were joined together namely th Seneca Falls Manufacturing Company whlch was founded ID 1879 and the lltchburg Machine Works whleh was founded rn Iltchburg Mlssachusetts rn 1864 Smce the Intchburg Machine Works IS the older company we will consider nts history flrst It was founded for the purpose of bunldrng machme tools by a group of men who had been rdennfied wrth the machrne tool busmess for some nme They burlt a complete lme of metal workrng machrnery In 1899 the company was rncorporated under the lrws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts In 1905 Mr Marcus A Coolrdge of Fitchburg Massachusetts took over the company and specrallzed nn the manu facture of the Lo swmg Lathe whrch rs a raprd pro duction turning machrne The Seneca Falls Manufacturing Company founded by Mr Adelbert S Davis IH 1879 com menced ID a small way to make lnght castmgs for the trade and from time to tame added light machinery and hardware speeraltres to nts lme The company whrch orrglnally operated rn a plant on East Fall Street mowed IH 1887 to Water Street where the Seneca Knrttrng Mllls now operate Thls plant was ldded to and rebuilt from tlme to tlme to take care of the grldual healthy growth of the buslness I 1916 the company burlt and mowed into the present plant on lall Street Mr Adelbert S Davrs was sole owner up to 1891 when the buslness was nncorporated with Mr Davis IS presrdent and Mr Paul B Kendrg as treasurer Later Mr Davrs son Mr ohn C Davls jorned the firm as secretary Mr Dwxs Senior bought Mr Ken dug s rnterest nn 1915 and the business was then con ducted as a closed eorporatron by the Davrs famtly Orrglnally the company burlt a rather complete lrne of wood workrng machinery Later rt branched out rnto the metal worltmg Held building prlncrpally engine lathes These lathes were gradually developed so that the Star Lathe became the outstandlng small lathe rn demand both rn thus country and abroad It was and still IS used evtensrvely m laboratories tool lccurate lathes are required Dunng the World War the Government took the entire output of the plant In 1917 Mt Davrs sold hrs business to a syndicate which operated the business for some time In 192-4 the Frtchburg Machme Works purchased the plant and entnre busmess and moved from Massa 41:1 Wertcotl Rule Company chusetts to Seneca Falls Although the company ns the same company that operated rn Frtchburg under the name of the Fntchburg Machme Works the name was changed then to Seneca Falls Machme Company The present company continues to burld the Star Lathe and also nts lme of So owmg Lathes . - 1 . , ' 4 1 I J . 4 L I I 1 ' , 4 ' ' . s l ' y . K . . 2 A 1 S L l ' A . ' 2 , A . ' ' J A, I . L f 7 A .'f I ' ' . S sa va . h , 1 . l K 4 I . ' . . 1 , , . - y'x ' ,L ' s ' 2 , ' -'Q I I I . . D . . . . , A 1 . I - . . U U D rooms and other places where small and medrum srze, ' 4 L . - . A . s ' . ' 1 1 I I I - V I . , . . . . ' - Y . A A . . 2 ' 7 K ' p ' . .. . I ' '. 4 ' ' ' 1 . 4 ' vt 2 1 ' ' . I I f 1 , ' A ' ' ' A f I ' A 9 A , C U' 'If , 4. V '- V. - . ' T' , 2 C . , ' A . . . ' p 1 a 7 . I l A 2 Y I A ' . I . . . . , . - - - W ' ' 1' 7' 7

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The company employs about flve hundred people from Seneca lalls and nearby towns It has grown to become the second largest manufacturer of men s heavy hosnery IU the United States the output betng ll' :gum Rug U mer about four thous and dozen patrs a day Sales coaer the entrre United States wxth an Important branch of hee on the west coast Knrghts Letter Works one of the outstanding let ter makrng faetoraes tn New York State was anstt tuted nn 1863 by Horace West Kntght Sr Mr Knight had learned the prmtmg trade through an apprentaceshlp and had opened a small prantmg Ins home with the assastanee of one or two men When the faetory hnally was bualt ID 1863 Horace lxnaght Sr managed at smglehanded The regular work w as prtntlng However the work progressed so rtprdly that Horace D Kmght r became has father s partner Under these two men new wings were .added to the building and the staff was Increased 'loday about twenty two people are employed and Mr lrank Knaght grandson of the ortganal founder manages the busmess 'Ioday they make metal let ters nllmg orders from all seetlons of the country 'lhe Wagner Rug Works was tneorporated an 1915 by Idward S Wagner lt began manufaeturang an a small bulldang behmd tts present location rn the Ired I Hunttngton butldmg Soon .after the bustness was founded rt was mosed to Oak Street where tt occu pred the Glen Wagon Works structure lrom there nt moxed back to nts present loeatton tn w hat w as then Ilae Seneca ltber Products butldtng Here foldang cardboard boxes were made Thus was formerly one of the farst yeast plants of the country The Rug Works manufactures what as known as the Iluff Rug whtch ts made of repressed Ingram and Brussels carpets and rugs In addxtnon to thetr manu facturcd hne the Wagner Rug Works are selltng agents for a consrderable territory an the eastern part of the country for a complete lane of reversrble chenalle rugs made by a promment Pennsylvania mall One hundred years ago a flour mtll was burlt on the Ertc Canal All of the stone used tn the bulldang was quarrred an Seneca County The oak tlmbers used tn Its constructlon were flfty snr feet long and hewn by hand Today that same burldrng houses one of the many tndustrtes of Seneca falls the Rule and Block Com pany In 1857 New York State was the center of the wheat malltng lndustry Ior za time the llttle mall had a steady stream of canal boats brlngang wheat to at and carryang the flour to market In 1878 however the foundations for the present burldrng were set up on the sate of the old mall Mr T Mrller and Mr Walltam O Day were the founders of the small com pany whtch at first manufactured chain pumps for household purposes snow shovels and sleds When the company was Incorporated an 1886 rt had gtven up lts early manufactures In their place rulers toy bloeks domanoes and elaeckers were made Slnce the World War all of these except rulers have been dropped from the llst of manufactured products At present the company makes rulers eaeclusnely rl Rule md Block Cowpfulp though rt sttll retains the name Rule and Block These rulers are used for adxerttsmg purposes as well as ln schools and ofhces The large gray stone burldang wlueh w as originally a flour mall as the oldest local factory burldtng stall an use S D 1 K 74 T - .. 1 , - T v' . ' ' A ' ' ' K L 4 5 A K. -. C C - .4 L . . . Sak, L - A, ' 1 A 1 . I 1 1 1 A I L A A K 1 A at 4 C I L . .. , .L . ' 1 T . 11 , a . , , ' ' L 'a ' 1 1 ' ' ' 1 . . 1 . L L I . , , . , . ' '., A 1. V . , ., f' 1- '.- ' . f . v ' ', . 1 1 f ' 1 ' ' . , . . . , I I 11 1 . I 1 , , 1 7 6 t ' 1 I . 1. . . ' z,. 13' ' '., . ' L A l I L I 1 L . shop nn Seneca lualls. Later, he made metal letters rn . . . . A ' 1 1 a z Sf' ,1- ' ' 1' a . , ' , Y , . zz ' '. ' - . 1 1 . ' . Y ,l. 'L ' . . ' , L A ,, , ,,.. . . t A K 1 s ' 1' ' ' '- 1 1 . L '. 'Z S c Y . Q 1 I V Y .1 Y 1 1- A T 4' 1 I 4 i . A 3 .. . . 1-1 I' . ' ' 1 1 ' . . V - . ' ' v'- af ' ' v