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paid by this company to the B. O. railroad so far this year amounts to over $1 000. The opening of the two gun factories in this city was practically a streak of luck for the city. The Defiance Arms Company was incorporated here early in the spring, and began the manufac ture of the LaFave gun, starting with fifty men. The growth was so rapid and NEW POST OFFICE BUILDING, DEFIANCE, Defiance, O., Oct. 1.—The city of De fiance, with its nine thousand souls, has at last overcome the era of reverses oc casioned by the panic of 1893 and now faces the brightest epoch in its history. The panic mentioned was an exception ally severe one for Defiance and it took years to recover. Banks failed, factor ies made assignments, and business firms closed doors. Today all is hustle and push again. The business rooms are all filled, residences are at a premium and with the acquisition of three very valuable industries during the past year there is a great demand for labor. From a small frontier fort of one hundred and ten years ago, and a little backwoods town of four hundred inhabitants fifty years ago, Defiance now looms up as a city of much prominence in this part of Ohio. ’ In public affairs the new Carnegie li brary is occupying a good deal of atten tion of the local public. One of the ac companying illustrations shows the building in its present state, while the other shows the building as it will be when completed. It is being construct ed of the Mansfield varegated stone and the corner stone will be laid on Sunday, October 9. The ceremonies of laying the corner store will be in charge of the Grand Lodge, F. A.M. The stone will be furnished by the M. I. C., a local women’s club. The orators of the day will be Senator Charles Dick and Mrs. Samuel B. Sneath, president of the state Federation of Women’s clubs. Much credit is due the members of the library board and building committee, but to Henry B. Harris and Superintendent of Schools R. W. Mitchell is due the cred it of obtaining the donation of the funds from Mr. Carnegie. The building com mittee is composed of H. B. Harris, president; Fred Moss, George Ensign, R. H. Sutphen, Dr. J. D.Westrick, Chas. Behringer, W. A. Kettenring, Dr. J. J. Burns, K. V. Haymaker and John Storck. The new High school building,erected at a cost of $21,000, just west of the large central school building, and occupied this fall, was an absolute necessity, ow ing to the cramped condition of the cen tral schools. It is used exclusively for the High school classes. It is a model for convenience, one of its main features being a complete laboratory. It was designed by J. I. Hale, of this city, and built by F. J. Hermann, of Toledo. Another addition to the beauty of the business portion of the city is the new post office building, corner Second and Wayne streets. It was erected by C. P. Harley, of this city, on a government contract and lease. The interior is es pecially commodious for patrons and with the handsome new fixtures installed makes a post office of which any larger city might be proud. The postmaster Charles J. Thompson, has given six years of very efficient service A new two-story brick building was erected and occupied this summer by the Crescent Publishing company, publish ers of the Daily Crescent News and Weekly Democrat. This company’s new home was built at a cost of $4,000 and is located on Perry street. The interior was arranged solely for convenience in a printing office and with new presses installed, the facilties are more than sufficient for the present demands. The stability of Defiance is its manu facturing industries. During the past year a great impetus has been experi enced in this regard by the addition of three very valuable concerns. They are The American Steel Package company, The D. M. LeFever Sons Co., makers of shot guns and the Defiance Arms Co., in the same line of business. The steel plant but recently was reorganized when the capitalization was increased from $70,000 to 150,000. The balance of the capital was taken by Wickok brothers, of Pittsburg, who assumed control and management. The new managers, im mediately began great improvements, and two additional brick building are now in course of erection on their site. The large round beer cases which they manufactured have been abandoned, and in its place a square case is made, for which the demand is greater than the output, hence the increasing of the capacity of the factory. The freight success so assured that A. K. Detwiler, of Toledo, and L. C. Cole, of Bowling Green, became interested, and inaugur ated a deal to obtain controlling inter est. Before the deal was consummated these gentlemen purchased the bicycle plant in which to install the new con cern. After this plant had been bought the other deal fell through. Mr. Cole then purchased a controlling interest in the well known LeFever gun works at Syracuse, N. Y., had the machinery load ed on cars and shipped here to be oper ated in his large plant just purchased. The first car load arrived Tuesday of this week, and is now being set up. The other gun company has been taken in charge by Pittsburg capitalists, and the capital stock increased to $120,000 This plant will continue operations in their building here, only on a larger basis. These new factories, with the many that the city already possesses, have given Defiance a healthy growth not ex perienced in years. As a proof of the increased activity in the manufacturing industries of this city, it need only be mentioned that for the year ending Au gust 1st, Agent J. S. Montgomery re ports an increase in freight receipts for the B. O. railroad of $79,784 over the preceding year. The greatest activity in manufacturing has been in East Defi ance, and to better take care of their in creased business the B. O. has pur chased ground and let the contract for a suburban passenger and freight depot on the east side of the river. At the head of the city’s government is Mayor]. P. Cameron. Mayor Cameron is a Republican, well known throughout northwestern Ohio, and universally liked. He is too large a man to take affront at the attacks of the opposition, and hence enjoys an extended true friendship. He is, by odds, the favored candidate for common pleas judge in 1905, being an attorney of great ability. — MAYOR J.P CAMERON CARNEGIE LIBRARY AT DEFIANCE.O. NEW HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING, DEFIANCE. VIEW OF CLINTON STREET, DEFIANCE. BUILDING THE CARNEGIE LIBRARY ON OLD FORT SITE.
Newspaper Details
Defiance Democrat
Defiance, Ohio, US
Fri, Oct 07, 1904
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Richard R.
OH, USA 02 Jul 2026
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