Lessons from Milwaukee’s Industrial Heritage
Thomas H. Fehring, P.E.ASME Committee on History and Heritage
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Lessons from Milwaukee’s Industrial Heritage Part One: The City’s Early Industry
… on the Banks of the Milwaukee River
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Lessons from Milwaukee's Industrial Heritage
The genesis of industry in Milwaukee can be traced to the ill-fated Milwaukee and Rock River Canal
Milwaukee and Rock River Canal
Bryon Kilbourn and Increase Lapham began building the canal in 1839
While never completed, by 1843 industry was powered by water, using the head generated by the North Avenue dam
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Lessons from Milwaukee's Industrial Heritage
By 1850 there were at least 25 industries using water power made available by the canal
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Lessons from Milwaukee's Industrial Heritage
THE SMITH AND BIRGE MILL
Henry Smith and Charles S. Birge’s mill was located at 454 Canal
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Lessons from Milwaukee's Industrial Heritage
THE SMITH AND BIRGE MILL
Henry Smith and Charles S. Birge’s mill was located at 454 Canal
LEE’S FIRE ARMS COMPANY moved into this mill in 1864
James Paris Lee was a watchmaker and firearms designer, born in Scotland in 1831.
Shortly after immigrating to Wisconsin he developed a breech-loading cartridge conversion for the Springfield Model 1861 Rifled Musket
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Lessons from Milwaukee's Industrial Heritage
THE SMITH AND BIRGE MILL
LEE’S FIRE ARMS COMPANY
Patented breech-loading cartridge conversion for the Springfield Model 1861 Rifled Musket
During the Civil War, the US Army ordered 1,000 rifles
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Lessons from Milwaukee's Industrial Heritage
THE SMITH AND BIRGE MILL
LEE’S FIRE ARMS COMPANY
Patented breech-loading cartridge conversion for the Springfield Model 1861 Rifled Musket
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Lessons from Milwaukee's Industrial Heritage
THE SMITH AND BIRGE MILL
LEE’S FIRE ARMS COMPANY
Lee sub-contracted manufacturing of the barrels to Philo Remington of Ilion New York
A misunderstanding caused the barrels to be delivered with the wrong size bore
Rejected by the US Army
Manufactured about 255 rifles – now VERY valuable
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Lessons from Milwaukee's Industrial Heritage
THE SMITH AND BIRGE MILL
SHOLES & GLIDDEN ‘TYPE WRITER’
The initial Sholes & Glidden typewriters were also manufactured at the Smith and Birge Mill
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Lessons from Milwaukee's Industrial Heritage
THE SMITH AND BIRGE MILL
SHOLES & GLIDDEN ‘TYPE WRITER’
CHRISTOPHER LAPHAM SHOLES was born in 1819 in Mooresburge, PA
He moved to Wisconsin in 1837, where he became a newspaper publisher and politician, serving in both the Wisconsin State Senate (1848-1849 and 1856-1857) and the Wisconsin State Assembly (1852-1853). Sholes was instrumental in abolishing capital punishment in Wisconsin
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Lessons from Milwaukee's Industrial Heritage
THE SHOLES & GLIDDEN ‘TYPE WRITER’
Sholes, while working as the editor for the Milwaukee Sentinel, tinkered in Kleinsteuber’s machine shop
Kleinsteuber’s was a small ‘job shop,’ providing services to the various companies located along the near-by Milwaukee River
Apparently Kleinsteuber encouraged would-be inventors to use the space for their developments
Perhaps the earliest example of an ‘incubator’ in the mid-west region.
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Lessons from Milwaukee's Industrial Heritage
THE SHOLES & GLIDDEN ‘TYPE WRITER’
In the mid-1860s:
Carlos Glidden was working on designs for a steam-driven rotary plow and a mechanical spade.
Machinist Mathias Schwalbach was working on a design for sewing machines, which he patented in 1866, and various designs for clocks.
Christopher Latham Sholes had developed a page numbering device and a newspaper addressing machine
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Lessons from Milwaukee's Industrial Heritage
THE SHOLES & GLIDDEN ‘TYPE WRITER’
Initial patent design was impressive, but not very functional
Only printed on thin paper
Piano-style keyboard
Attracted an investor
James Densmore
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Lessons from Milwaukee's Industrial Heritage
THE SHOLES & GLIDDEN ‘TYPE WRITER’
After years of refinement, experimentation, user feedback and development, the partners started limited production in Milwaukee
Plant at 454 Canal
Mathias Schwalbach
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Lessons from Milwaukee's Industrial Heritage
THE SHOLES & GLIDDEN
Construction eventually outsourced to Philo Remington of Ilion New York
First commercially successful typewriter
Sales initially modest
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Lessons from Milwaukee's Industrial Heritage
THE SHOLES & GLIDDEN ‘TYPE WRITER’
Eventually revolutionized the marketplace
Opened the office to women
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Lessons from Milwaukee's Industrial Heritage
THE SHOLES & GLIDDEN ‘TYPE WRITER’
Continues to impact keyboard layout
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Lessons from Milwaukee's Industrial Heritage
Soon other industries located along the west bank of the Milwaukee River – many of which were powered by steam
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Lessons from Milwaukee's Industrial Heritage
One of these companies was Decker & Seville’s Factory
Founded in 1847 and known as the ‘Reliance Works,’ it produced flour milling equipment as well as miscellaneous cast iron products such as stoves, cast-iron store fronts, and general castings for industry.
Lessons from Milwaukee's Industrial Heritage
In 1861, Edward P. Allis acquired the Reliance Works of Decker and Seville at a sheriff's sale (affected by the ‘Financial Panic of 1857’). Allis moved to Milwaukee in
1846 at age 21 and entered into the tanning business, before diversifying into other enterprises.
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Edward Phelps Allis
Lessons from Milwaukee's Industrial Heritage
Niels Anton Christensen met EP Allis in 1893 at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago Relocated to Milwaukee, working
for Allis as a mechanical engineer.
Observed a streetcar accident
Developed a braking brake system for streetcars using compressed air
Left Allis to form his own company
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Lessons from Milwaukee's Industrial Heritage
Observed a streetcar accident
Developed a braking brake system for streetcars using compressed air
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Lessons from Milwaukee's Industrial Heritage
Niels Christensen formed the Christensen Engineering Company
Christensen and other early investors sold shares – eventually became the National Electric Company
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Lessons from Milwaukee's Industrial Heritage
Niels Christensen:
Retained the patents in his own name
Sued by Westinghouse Air Brake Company
Westinghouse Acquired National Electric
Renamed it the National Brake & Electric Company
Re-established his own company
Outsourced manufacturing to Allis-Chalmers for a time
Numerous patents for compressed air engine starter systems.
Ultimately Won the Patent Battle:
Fought for 24 years involving three trips to the Supreme Court
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Lessons from Milwaukee's Industrial Heritage
Niels Christensen:
Ultimately left Milwaukee for Cleveland
After years of testing, Christensen filed a patent for the O-ring patent in 1937. He was 72 years old.
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Lessons from Milwaukee's Industrial Heritage
In 1941 Christensen licensed the patent to United Aircraft. He was set to get rich.
Then Pearl Harbor!
The government bought out all the key military patents and gave them away to manufacturers.
Christensen got a lump payment of $75,000, and O-rings belonged to the government.
He mounted his last great court battle. It ended in 1971, 19 years after his death, with a $100,000 payment to his heirs.
Lessons from Milwaukee's Industrial Heritage
What lessons can we learn from this discussion?
Some Thought Starters:
Importance of ‘collisions’.
Proximity was/is important – close proximity of companies helped foster cross-pollination of talent, ideas
Access to shipping/transportation
Entrepreneurial spirit was evident from patent activity.
Outsourcing and innovation don’t always mix
How to protect intellectual property?
Advantages of re-inventing the company.
Risk is significant – rewards can be lasting.30
Lessons from Milwaukee's Industrial Heritage
Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley industry will be part two of this lesson E. P. ALLIS COMPANY
PAWLING & HARNISCHFEGER
THE CHAIN BELT COMPANY
KOEHRING MACHINE CO.
THE NORDBERG MANUFACTURING COMPANY
FILER & STOWELL
C.J. SMITH AND SONS
MILWAUKEE HARVESTER COMPANY
OBENBERGER DROP FORGE/LADISH DROP FORGE
ALLEN BRADLEY
EVINRUDE OUTBOARD MOTOR
FALK
KEARNEY & TRECKER
GEORGE MEYER MANUFACTURING COMPANY
WEISEL & VILTER MFG. CO.
LOUIS ALLIS COMPANY
AMERICAN RHEOSTAT/CUTLER-HAMMER
THE MILWAUKEE ROAD
THE LAWSON AIRPLANE COMPANY
THE HAMILTON METALPLANE COMPANY 31
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