12 GLASS
COMPANIES SPRANG UP WHEN FREE GAS WAS OFFERED
August 23, 1978
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PIX #1 - Sites
of gas companies is story marked with letters (map)
PIX #2 - One of
the glass factories that burnt
The glass industry,
like all others is always alert to the most economical way to manufacture
its products. So back in the 1880's when an abundance of gas in this
area became known, and it was offered free to any industry that wanted
to settle here, the glass industry instantly took advantage of the offer.
It was a bonanza for them, since they needed large quantities of fuel
to melt and fuse the basic ingredients...silicia, sand, soda ash and
limestone...that went into their products.
In no time the
free offer attracted glass manufacturers from distant points, and also
induced local interest to setup factories, 1887 was the year when the
first of 12 glass factories started operating here. The accompanying
map shows how glass factories were soon scattered all over Fostoria.
The following list provides a condensed historical account of each.
(The letter suffixes indicate locations in circles on accompanying map).
THE FOSTORIA GLASS
COMPANY
(A) Founded in
1887 around a nucleus of experienced glassmakers and workmen from eastern
and southeastern Ohio where the glass industry was already active and
fostered by businessmen in Fostoria, Charles Foster being one of them.
The plant was
located on South Vine Street where Seneca Wire is now. It manufactured
a variety of tableware which became famous...and the name Fostoria is
still prestigious in the industry and among buyers of fine glassware.
The company continued
manufacturing in Fostoria until 1892, when they foresaw the day when
free gas would no longer be available and their operating costs would
increase substantially. At that time the administrative personnel, mould
makers and skilled workers moved to Moundsville, W. Virginia, and set
up a plant where fuel was plentiful and cheaper. The factory still exists
there and they continue to use the name Fostoria.
THE SENECA GLASS
COMPANY
(A) Immediately
after The Fostoria Glass Co. left this city, another group of glass
makers organized The Seneca Glass Co. and took over the plant that had
been occupied by The Fostoria Glass Co.
The Seneca Glass
Company produced glass, tableware, including pitchers, tumblers, goblets,
wine glasses, soda tumblers.
The company prospered
until 1896, at which time they moved to Morgantown, W. Virginia, where
they are still located.
MAMBOURG GLASS
CO.
(B) This glass
factory is another one of those that located here in 1887.
They produced
window glass in a new plant constructed for them south of town, west
of the Hocking Valley Railroad, (now Chessie System). In later years
Bersted Mfg. Co. occupied the building. Copeland Refrigeration Co. is
now there.
A Mr. Mambourg
was the founder. He was a Belgian, and imported the workers from there.
The factory continued
operating until 1894, when it closed.
BUTTLER GLASS
COMPANY
(C) One reference
source placed the location of this glass factory at the present site
of the Fostoria Concrete Block plant on Sandusky Street, but another
says it was across from the Sandusky Street school.
The plant was
named after William Buttler who was one of the skilled glass- workers
and credited with inventing some processes and machinery.
They manufactured
tableware. Production started in 1888 and continued until 1889 when
the factory was destroyed by fire.
FOSTORIA NOVELTY
GLASS CO.
(C) After Buttler
Glass Co. burned down, local businessmen reorganized and established
a new factory. They produced glass tumblers in it until 1895 when the
factory was demolished by fire.
THE NICKEL PLATE
GLASS CO.
(D) This glass
factory was established here in 1888 by Wheeling, W. Va. people. They
manufactured blown goblets, milk glass, cranberry glass, and all kinds
of tableware and lamps.
The location was
on the north side of McDougal Street, just west of the Nickel Plate
Railroad.
In 1891 this glass
factory became part of the United States Glass Co.
In 1895, the factory
was destroyed by fire. Efforts were made to reorganize and rebuild but
they were not successful.
FOSTORIA LAMP
AND SHADE CO.
(E) As the company
name indicates, they produced lamps and shades to replace the silk and
textile shades which had been in common use.
The factory location
was south of the Nickel Plate Railroad, on the present site of Ohio
Farmers Grain and Supply. The factory as completed in 1890.
Pittsburgh interests
as well as Fostorians were responsible for the organization and location
of the plant here. In 1894, the business was sold to Consolidated Lamp
and Shade Co.
In 1895, the factory
burned and all or the management and skilled workers moved to Corapolis,
Pa., to start another factory.
THE CALCINE GLASS
CO.
(F) This was another
window glass factory, organized in 1888, but did not start production
until 1890.
The location of
the factory was east of The Hocking Valley Railroad, north of the Mambourg
Glass co. Production continued until 1894, when apparently financial
problems caused them to cease operation.
THE CROCKER GLASS
CO.
(J) This was still
another of the glass plants in Fostoria that produced window glass.
The location was in the northend of town at intersection of Poplar Street
and Zeller Road.
It was formed
by Roswell H. Crocker, one of the city's pioneer families. Historical
data indicates it may have started production in 1890, and perhaps closed
about the same time as the Calcine Glass Co. in 1894.
FOSTORIA INCANDESCENT
LAMP CO AND FOSTORIA GLASS SPECIALTY CO.
(G,B) These two
glass factories came into existence primarily through the efforts of
J.P. Crouse and H.A. Tremaine, who in earlier years had started the
carbon plant in Fostoria, and then later sold it to National Carbon
Co., Cleveland.
Because of their
business connections in Cleveland, these two astute businessmen saw
the potential for manufacturing electric light bulbs and glass tubing.
Two factories
were involved in manufacturing...one was on South Poplar Street at the
east end of Fourth Street...and the other was the building previously
occupied by the Mambourg Co. south of town. The Mambourg location was
generally referred to as the "lower" plant and the other the "upper"
plant.
Fostoria Incandescent
Lamp Co. was started in 1897 and Fostoria Glass Specialty in 1899. By
1910 both plants were sucessful enough to make them a prize purchase
by General Electric Co., Cleveland.
After the purchase
by General Electric they expanded the operation to existing plants in
Cleveland and other eastern Ohio locations. The "upper" plant discontinued
operations in 1914 the "lower" plant in 1920.
FOSTORIA GLASS
NOVELTY CO.
(G) When General
Electric oved their glass-making operations elsewhere, local businessmen
Earl Ash, Ralph Pillars, Mahlon Carr. George Ridgeway, organized Fostoria
Glass Novelty Co. and took over one of the "upper" buildings. They were
assisted in the manufacturing the sales aspects of the business by others
who had been long-time glass workers in eastern and southeastern Ohio,
namely George and Harry Edmonds, brothers, who were skilled glassworkers,
and Harvey Edmonds, son of George, mould maker, and Walter Edmonds,
a nephew, who was a salesman.
The business didn't
last very long...perhaps until 1916 or 1917.
MOSAIC GLASS CO.
(H) Historical
accounts indicate this glass factory was organized and financed by people
connected with the Nickel Plate Glass Co., who remained in Fostoria
when it left town.
It was located
in a building on east North Street which later was the location of the
Fostoria Ice and Coal Co., and currently is occupied by Schreiner Construction
Corp., 410 E. North Street.
The life of this
glass factory was short-lived, not more than a couple of years at most.
A fire destroyed the plant in 1895.
EUROPEON EMIGRANTS
An interesting
aspect of the "Glass Days" was the large numbers of skilled workers
who were brought to Fostoria from Europeon countries, where glass- making
was already established. They came from Germany, France, Austria, Belgium.
Gordon Gray, in
a paper prepared about the "Gas-Glass Days" tells how the foreign influx
affected retail salespeople: "The great majority of the foreign glass
workers who cam here could not speak English. One of the imigrants father
who was a clerk in a shoe store at that time, told me how his dad would
study French at night in order to be able to wait on his foreign trade".
During that period
Fostoria also had residents from Italy, Greece, Ireland, and perhaps
other Europeon countries too, so our town was really an "International"
community.
CHILD LABOR PRACTICED
The glass factories,
back in those early days, were notorious for hiring child labor, since
there was no legislation prohibiting it.
Gordon Gray, in
his paper, reported all of the glass factories hired a percentage of
boys between the ages of 10 to 16 as part of their work force. They
were used to run errands for the skilled workers and to do odd jobs
and otherwise assist the adult workers in any way possible.
One of the presidents
of Fostoria Glass Co., after it moved to Moundsville, W. Va., related
that he started in the shipping and packing room at the age of 12, when
it was located in Fostoria. He said he was proud that he came up the
"hard way", and had mastered the art of blowing glass during his apprenticeship.
One of the glass
companies built a special dormitory and imported a large number of orphans
from the eastern seaboard to fill the labor need.
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