Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-06-29
Early History No. q.

December Il, 1860. LaGunda shops were
visited by a reporter of the Springfield
Weekly NcirS, who writes up what he saw
about as follows:
A DESCENT UPON LAGONpA. LagOnda,
our enterpriNing and beautiful little neigh
Dor. was taken all ahaCk on the 18th bv the
visit of 4 newspaper man: of course there
was general cOmmOtOn. but MessrS.
Warder Il Child and FOlger N Rice indiyid-
ually and collectively quelled the fears of
the popuace. and no lives were lost.
After quiet was restored. We began taking
notes" Passing to the upper portion OF the
town, found a fine, large engine room Of
brick. 4ON27 feet, enclosing a splendid en-
gine from the establishment OF Mr.. Halla-
bird. of Cincinnati. the cost of which was
S2,6OO. 1t was designed to run the ma
chinery in James F. Dane ~ Co.'S factories
when the water-powrr is Insufficient Their
new building. which is lj5 feet long by 30
wide is of brick. two stories high. one
room on the first hror is devoted to the
wnpdwork of the concern. 1t was
furnished with three of Storer's plan
ing machines, four buzz saws, one
boring marhine. one growing machine.
one tcnoning machine and one morticng
machine. The machine shop adjoining this
room j. provided with great variety of
lathcS and other machines. In the upper
part are rooms for setting up machines.
painting. etc. Back of this was the black
smith shop and grinding room, all in one
building. 10 feet long and 30 feet wide.
The grinding room is provided with pom
derOus apparatus for polishing plOws and
other agricultural implements. Back
of the grinding room is the
blacksmith shop. with nine torgeS,
famed by an apparatus attached To the
building. The ware house was then l0dX40
feet These various rooms were occupied
by James F. Dane " Co. and would accom-
MEDIATE one hundred and fifty workmen.
This firm S composed of MeS>rs. James F.
Dane, Henry f. Folger and Martin l.. Rice.
all enterpriSmg and intelligent Yankees,
formerly of Boston. Then the other firm.
now composed of B. II. Warder and J. c.
Child, each separate and distinct, have
capacity for one hundred wOrkmen, making
in all the factories two hundred and fifty
mechanics.
This was thought TO be a wonderful force
of melStwenty-SiX wears ago for LagOnda,
but now there are nearly 800 upon the pay
roll. In 1861 Dane X Co. manufactured
what was called The Great Western Grain
Drill and Broadcast Sower," for p. West.
of Wisconsin. intended for the prairies,
sowing a width of ten feet.
The different articles made by Dane Il
Co. embraced plOwS of all kinds harrowS.
shovels, rollers, chuTns, endless chain horse
powers and many other articles.
All the castings used at this time were
made by the Mason N Blaleney foundry.
then where p. 7. Masts shop now stands.
and were all hauled out to I.agOnda by
I,lr,.s..,,
ent for James +. Dane n Co, at a salary of
Sl.7j per day.
Then ClS6O to 1861 the railroad hauled
the hands night and morning, as now, and
charged one dollar per week each The
machine companies paid one-halt and the
hands We're charged with the other fifty
cents each week. Now, and for years past,
the men have been hauled free
Sept. :, 1861, Dane Il &c. attended the
| Delaware county fair and captured i've first
premiums on as many different kinds O!
plOws. Sept p, same year, the firm was
represented by Martin l.. Rice at the
Preble county fair and were awarded first
premiums upon best sod plOw, best general
use plOw. best common plOw. best Cultiyatnr.
and best ChuTn and butter-maker The
committee also recommended premiums for
| best stubble piuw and best single and double
shovel, not included in the catalogue Of the
society. At the blowing match Mr.. Rice
received the "frSt premium" three horses
abreast, ten inches deep; also first preHi-
! UNI" two horses abreast. eight inches deep,
I for best work. using the above premium
plows. This certainly speaks well for La
gOnda manufactures.
The following item in the RCp,ILIic Of
| 1862 explains itself: James F. Dane X Co.
of the Lagonda Agricultural wurH> are
| finishing off twelve plOwS of various sizes
| in capital style for exhibition at the coming
Worlds fair in London. England. The re
suit OF the undertaking we have not learned.
In July 1861 q tne new boiling apparatus
was also made by this iTm for Warder and
Barnett's Touring mills, under the direction
of the inventor. Mr.. Cochran.
In 1862 Jas. +. Dane sold his interest to
b. Ii. Warder " Co, and moved to Chicago
| The firm soon alter took some government
contracts, making army wagons, transfer
| wagons, drays, etc, and did large bust
| ness for some time.