of
Muscatine County Iowa
1911
| History of Muscatine County Iowa 1911 | |
Source: History of Muscatine County Iowa, Volume I, 1911, pages 302-303
MUSCATINE AN INDUSTRIAL CITY. Since 1843, when the Cadle steam sawmill, the first in the county, was started, the manufacture of lumber in Muscatine has been of vast importance to this locality, and when at the height of its prosperity the business became tremendous in its scope. The Mussers, the Huttigs, Hersheys, Roach, Cook and others (another photo) engaged in the traffic for many years, placed upon the market hundreds of millions feet of their product. Their yards and plants each cover acres of ground and the mills are equipped with modern and expensive machinery. There is at this time the Hershey Lumber Company, still maintaining an immense plant, as is also the Huttig Brothers Manufacturing Company, Roach & Musser Company, Muscatine Lumber & Box Company, and South Muscatine Lumber Company. The Roach & Musser Sash & Door Company sends its products of high-grade mill work--parquetry flooring, leaded art glass, mantels, grills, etc.--into many states of the Union.
Muscatine has its machine shops, plow works, woven wire works, wagon manufactories, awning factory, broom factory, iron works, harness factory, clay pipe factory, bottling works and various other manufactories.
An important concern among the manufacturing industries of Muscatine is the Barry Manufacturing Company, which was formed in 1886, for the purpose of making plumbers' supplies, but more particularly a lead "trap," patented by a member of the firm. The firm was then composed of N. Barry, Sr., P. J. Barry and N. Barry, Jr. The concern in its infancy was a very modest one; indeed, but now the Barry plant is one of the largest of its kind in the country. Some years ago the buildings were enlarged and here is manufactured machinery for button making that is used in the Muscatine factories and others throughout the country.
In 1892 Heinz, the famous pickle man of Pittsburg, established in Muscatine a branch for the manufacture of a portion of his "Fifty-seven Varieties," which gives employment to many men, women and children. At one time "Friends Oats," a breakfast food, was manufactured here, but finally the company went into "the trust" and the mill grinds no more.
The Zeigler Canning factory was brought to Muscatine from What Cheer, Iowa, in 1909, through the efforts of the Commercial Club. The building is located on Hershey avenue and in the season for canning gives employment to a large number of people and affords a market to the farmers for their produce.
Back to Historical Index Page
