Source: North Manchester
Journal, January 12, 1888
But few even of our town's people are aware of the
magnitude of the hardwood lumber trade of this place.
One firm, the North Manchester Saw & Planing
Mill Co., has one contract of a million feet of
oak to be furnished to the Pullman Car Co., of Pullman,
Ill. This material is cut in different sizes and lengths
from a bill accompanying the order. The lumber will be
used in building freight cars for the Chicago & North
Western railroad and will, it is said, build nineteen
hundred cars. The three mills of the company will be
kept busy during the winter and the job will be finished
April 1st.
Source: NMHS Newsletter May 2006
The Planing Mill
About 1894
the North Manchester Planing Mill went into
receivership. George Eichholtz moved to Indianapolis
where he continued in the lumber business. Petry moved
to Warsaw where he engaged in lumber and other
businesses. Valdinaire moved to Benton Harbor and later
to Indianapolis still working in lumber. The company was
purchased by J. A. Browne and became known as the J. A.
Browne & Co. Planing Mill and Lumber Yard. The
History of Wabash County by Weesner printed in 1914
mentions J. A. Browne & Co. as a maker of wagons. Later,
this site became an electric light station.
When the
Bippus Bank began a building project on West Street in
2005 a question arose about the houses on that site
which were being demolished. The suggestion was that the
houses were historically significant and had belonged to
the Planing Mill. So a search was made of the origins of
these houses.
Samuel
Krieg purchased 4.40 acres for $440.00 in 1881. When it
was platted it contained six lots - each 74' by 136' and
a 14' alley between lots 2 - 3 4 - 5. They were north of
Main street and faced West street.
Lot 1 was
bought by Alonzo Brookins for $800. The amount indicates
that a house was there at the time. 12-15-1883 Brookins
sold the lot to Catherine Karns for $750. Karns sold the
property to C. E. Hippensteel in 3-26-1901 for $700. Lot
2 was sold by Krieg to David Myers for $175. Myers sold
this property to Noftzger and Krieg on 1-2-1885 for
$550. This indicates that a house was built between
8-14-1883 and 1-2-1885. Krieg sold lot 3 to Emanuel
Beeler on 12-20-1882 for $150 and Lot 4 to Jacob Sax for
$150. so these lots did not have houses at the time.
So the
abstracts seem to verify that the houses on these lots
were not built for workers of the Manchester Planing
Mill for by different individuals over a period to time.
|