Lessons from Milwaukee's industrial heritage

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

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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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By 1850 there were at least 25 industries using water power made available by the canal

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THE SMITH AND BIRGE MILL

Henry Smith and Charles S. Birge’s mill was located at 454 Canal

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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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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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Patented breech-loading cartridge conversion for the Springfield Model 1861 Rifled Musket

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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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SHOLES & GLIDDEN ‘TYPE WRITER’

The initial Sholes & Glidden typewriters were also manufactured at the Smith and Birge Mill

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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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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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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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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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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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THE SHOLES & GLIDDEN

Construction eventually outsourced to Philo Remington of Ilion New York

First commercially successful typewriter

Sales initially modest

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Eventually revolutionized the marketplace

Opened the office to women

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Continues to impact keyboard layout

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Soon other industries located along the west bank of the Milwaukee River – many of which were powered by steam

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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.


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


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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Observed a streetcar accident

Developed a braking brake system for streetcars using compressed air

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Niels Christensen formed the Christensen Engineering Company

Christensen and other early investors sold shares – eventually became the National Electric Company

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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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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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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.


What lessons can we learn from this discussion?

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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


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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Questions/Comments?


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Lessons from Milwaukee's industrial heritage