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Shreve Chair Factory at Spartansburg
The Shreve Chair Factory in Spartansburg was located on the site of the early saw mill (started by the Akins brothers in about 1830) that was originally a part of what is now Platt’s Mill. The saw mill property passed through the ownership of John Jude and George Eldred and John Thompson. Eldred took over the management of the saw mill until it burned in 1894. Following his death in 1899, his estate sold 5 acres where the mill had been located to the Shreve Chair Company in Union City. (That property location was where part of Clear Lake Lumber operates now.) That sale was published in the August 17,…
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Photographer~JP Hearn
James P Hearn served the photographic needs of Spartansburg, Waterford and Union City for several years starting in about 1875. This news article from the Titusville Herald, October 18, 1895 mentions Hearn. He likely had a small shop above one of the stores on Main Street where he worked a few days each month. Hearn was born in Devonshire, England in 1846. He immigrated to Canada in 1872 and studied photography there. He maintained a studio in Union City, rebuilding following a fire in 1879. He is included in the 1884 version of the History of Erie County: Here are some examples of Hearn’s photography in what was known as…
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OSMO Tannery (1933-1989)
As a part of his duties at the Tauber Woolen Mill, Walter Pfeiffer traveled and visited many businesses that were associated or enhanced the woolen trade. On one such trip to Cleveland, Ohio in 1932, Walter met and toured the OSMO Manufacturing Company owned by Oskar Most. His business was in the tanning and production of items made from sheep hides. Most had come to the US in late 1920s and had operated the business in Cleveland for about 2 years. He was interested in locating in a smaller community where costs might be lower. Pfeiffer convinced him to visit Spartansburg and move his business here. In 1933, with Pfeiffer…
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Evert Frost-Watches and Jewelry
In the late 1890s and early 1900s, Everett (Evert) Frost and wife, Edna, lived in Spartansburg where he owned a watch and clock repair and jewelry business. His store was on Main Street. Mr. Frost advertised in the Spartansburg Sentinel, in some creative ways. Everett was raised in Little Cooley and had a clock shop in Riceville prior to the one in Spartansburg. He and Edna had one child, a son Ivan who died at age 11 when the family had moved to Fredonia, NY. The three are interred at Rose Hill Cemetery. It seems that he was divorced and re-married (Bessie Sherlock) after leaving Spartansburg. He adopted Bessie’s 2…
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The Edwards Woolen Mill
The Edwards Brothers (James and WIlliam), with the help of the town, constructed and operated a woolen mill. Two acres of land at the end of Water Street were donated and “subscriptions” were sold to raise funds for construction and machinery. The mill was in operation from 1896 until 1902. A fire damaged the building and the Edwards’ Mill was re-located to Siverly (Oil City) in 1902. The Edwards Brothers’ family home is featured here. These news clips are from the Titusville Herald: April 10, 1896 June 5, 1896 July 7, 1896: The Merchant’s Carnival was held in honor of the completion of the Mill Building. A parade was held…
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The Taubers
The Tauber family held a prominent place in the Spartansburg community. As owners and managers of the Tauber Woolen Mill, they provided employment as well as products that brought recognition to the town. Martin Tauber purchased the Lamb Woolen Mill in 1898. He came from Maryland and only owned the mill for seven months before his death. John and Charles Tauber (brothers) took over the ownership following their brother Martin’s death. John remained with the company until 1910 and he invented a piece that made manufacture of the “comfort” quilt possible. 1913 Patent for Mechanism for Knitting Fleece-lined Fabric An article appeared in 1916 Textile World Magazine about the invention…
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Gustav Schmelzer Shoes and Boots
With thanks to Gustav’s Great Grandson, Robert for sharing information and photos of Gustav and some of his tools and wooden travel chest. Gustav A. Schmelzer was a prominent and respected merchant and tradesman in Spartansburg for 37 years. He was born in Bavaria (at that time it was separate from Germany) and had 3 brothers. Gustav served his country and was wounded in the Franco-Prussian War, after which he came to America. Two of his brothers, Emil and Franz also came to the US and settled in Buffalo and Erie respectively. He had just begun business, working in a building on the north side when the 1878 fire destroyed…
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The Edwards Family
The Edwards Family came to the United States from Forfar, Scotland to Corry around 1871 and moved to Spartansburg about 1873. William and Elizabeth and their sons, James and William lived, worked and participated in the community from 1873 until 1903. William (Sr) had been apprenticed and worked as a stone mason in Scotland before re-locating here. As such, he is listed in Business Directories of the time and was probably actively involved in rebuilding the town following the fires of 1878 and 1898. Not much is known about Elizabeth, and little is recorded about their family life. Mr. Edwards was described as a craftsman in news articles. More about…
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Tyler Tannery to Western Union Tannery
On the south side of Main Street, east of Oil Creek, John Willard Williams, then burgess of Spartansburg, built a tannery in 1869. (a tannery owned by J Ford is shown on a map from 1867) The creek was nearby to provide water needed for the process as well as potential power. The area around Spartansburg was well forested and provided the bark necessary for the tanning process. Men were employed to peel hemlock bark from the trees and haul it by teams of horses to be stored near the tannery. Children often played hide and seek around the bark piles. In the winter, children often hitched their sleds to…
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Blacksmith Shops
At one time, Spartansburg hosted 4 blacksmith shops in the village. Luther and George Day, Charles Thompson, John McDannel, Charles Kinney and OD Snapp were some of the early smiths who cared for the blacksmith needs from 1871-1910. Their shops were located throughout the town. Information about Ayer’s Products:Â By the early 1900’s the role of the blacksmith was changing due to the entrance of horseless carriages. However, rural, farming areas still relied on wagons and horses to transport their families and crops. One of the last known blacksmiths in Spartansburg was Frank Herbst. He had a shop on Mechanic Street, 2 buildings up from the Methodist Church. Herbst sold…
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Early Hardware Stores (Alsdorf / Burt / Thompson / Hilliker)
Hardware stores have served an important role in all small communities by providing those items that could not easily be crafted by individuals on their homesteads. Spartansburg has had many merchants who met the needs for various types of hardware. Blacksmiths were among the first to provide help with production and repair of metal tools and they would work with the merchants selling metal goods. One of the first hardware stores recorded in Spartansburg was the store built by Abram Alsdorf (Alsdurf) in 1874. This store was among those lost to the 1878 fire that destroyed all of the business district. An article in 1882 reported that Mr. Alsdorf was…
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The Tauber Woolen Mill (Previously Lamb)
Woolen manufacturing was among the earliest and longest lasting businesses in Spartansburg. As early as 1837, nearly 20 years before the borough was incorporated, McWilliams and Emerson developed a carding and fulling mill south of what would become the center of town. The business was at the end of what is now Mechanic Street and approximately where a lumber company is now (2021) In 1849, McWilliams sold his portion of the business to Mr. Lamb whose family later became sole owners and he made it into a Woolen Mill. The original mill building was maintained as a storage facility and a new 2 story factory was completed in 1862. Lamb…
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Platt’s (Akins, Jude, Eldred and Thompson, Davis and Hyde, Platt & Steadman) Mill
Platt’s Mill on Mill Street beside the dam is the longest operating business site in Spartansburg. It was the original grist mill site begun by the Akins brothers in the 1830s on land purchased from Judge Barlow. The Akins also had a saw mill on the west side of Oil Creek. The mill was in a great location when the railroad came through town, and a siding from the main line to the mill further established its prominence. This portion of a map from 1867 shows the location of the saw and grist mills at that time. This 1876 map shows that the property for the grist mill had transferred…
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Akins Brothers Begin Business in Spartansburg
In the 1830’s The Akins brothers, Andrew and Aaron, opened a Saw Mill and a Grist Mill on the East and West Side of Oil Creek. The Grist mill was on the site of the current Platt’s Mill. In 1837, Andrew Akin opened a General Store in Spartansburg. He employed Eli Catlin as a clerk. Catlin also purchased, surveyed and laid out the plan for the village.
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1820’s Saw Mills
In the 1820’s William Sterling and Akins started the first lumber businesses in Sparta Township. The mills were on tract of land purchased from the Holland Land Company and were on Patrick Run, just north of the future location of Spartansburg.
