The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1874-12-10
CANTON INDUSTRIES.
AULTNAN AND CO.'S WORKS.
History Of the EstabIishmeRt--A
Small BegiHniHg--A Great Strag-
gle and Grand Success.

OohlPahy AOi tho purpose Vi nhnulhCLuf-
ing different articles and Implements,
under the firm name Of
BALL, AULTNAN a co.,
which firm comprised the following
members;
f. Ball, a @. Aultman,
Lewis Miller, Jacob Miller,
George Cook and David Fouser
This company proceeded to the imme-
diate erection of shop, en- the south
side of The line of the new Ohio and
Pennsylvania railroad, now the Pitts
burgh, Ft. Wayne & Chicago railway, at
short distance east of its intersection
with Market street, on the spot occupied
by the finishing department of their
present works. This shop when com
pleted, was one hundred and eighty feet
long, and divided nominally into three
departments moulding, finishing and
wood work. They began operations
with force of twenty employees, and for
some time manufactured what was
known as the Hussey reaper, sweep
stakes thresher, stoves, hand cars, coal
cars, railroad frogs and switches, mill
gearing plows and wheat drills. The
first year only twelve reapers were maAe
which were readily disposed of. In 1853
the interest of David FOuser was pur-
chased by the remainder of the compa-
ny who, in turn, sold it to Thomas Ton
ner, wAo became one of the company,
and remainen entirely engaged in its in
terests until the spring OF 1866, when he
died. The firm continued their opera
tions with limited success, until the early
part Of May 1866, when their shop was
BURNED TO THE GROUND,
the FIRE having originated from an un-
known cause. This was a very severe
blow TO them, as all their previous la
bors had been close struggle TO gain q
permanent foundation, which position
had almost been attained whe,. this dis
aster befell them. Only those who have
met with similar misfortunes, can appre-
ciate the situation into which they were
thrown,-a situation which to many
would have brought despair, and resulted
in complete loss of engery; but de,
spairing nature was not to be found
among these men, and in a spirit which
well became the pioneers Of the indus.
trial interests of Northern Ohio, they
Immediately sought TO devise means fol
a sound re-establishment.
Such earnestness of purpose as they
evinced could not but be crowned with
eventual success, and in a short time
through the kindly assistance of the
generous citizens of Canton, they wert
enabled to rebuild their shop, which wal
completed in the summer of 1856. They
had continued to build the HusseI
reaper until the burning of their shop
but after rebuilding, their attention wa
given to perfecting the Ohio Mower
They built few of these machines il
1856, and as they met with success amonI
the farmers, they increased their facili.
ties, and in 1855, turned out and disposed
Of six hundred Ohio Mowers, which, a
that time, was considered grand sue
cess; but their energetic attention wa
not destined to dwell long upon that ma
chine, as all their efforts were directed
into another channel, which resulted il
1857, in the invention of
THE PRESENT BUCKEYE MACHINE,
on which patents were duly granite,
them. In the same year the first work
ing Buckeye Mower was built, and at
national trial at Auburn, New York,
carried away the premium over the fol
lowing twelve competing machines: Os
born, Hubbard, Eagle, Clipper, Wood
Yankee, Columbian, American, Eureka
Dodge, G. Wheeler, and Brinkerhof
his was grand achievement for thei
nventiol l, and was the signal for its lon
and continued success.
They continued in the manufacture c
their threshers, but everything else wa
given up, and the new Buckeye receive
all their attention. Additional suggest
, ions forimproving it were constantly be
ing offered and acted upon. In the fa
of 1857, E. Ball left the company, a
which time the firn name was change
! to G. Aultman & Co. They were on tn
, clear and even road to success, and CAV
all their attention to improvements O.
: the new machine, which was rapid
gaining favor among agriculturists. The
Increased their facilities, reduced thei
) management to more systematic plar
end did everything in their interests i
a way of deliberate calculation, whic
, has ever characterized their success
New additions were built, new ma
chinery introduced, and everything pre-
paratory to an increasing trade was care
fully accomplished. No headlong step
were taken, but their way was well cor
! sidered, and the future closely canvasse
before they entered into any additions
liability. All transactions of the fri
were successfully completed through tn
years that succeeded the invention {
the Buckeye, and annually as the in
: creasing drmands for their machine
came in upon them, their works wer
gradually enlarged, their mechanical fl
cilities increased, and their labor accour
, rolled up in proportions that were indi,
atiye of unlimited success. Thus the
continued their work through passin
years of augmented favor until the fall
{ 1855, when
STOCK COMPANY
, was organized and chartered, With th
, following officers: