Manufacturing
Updated - 10/23/2023
Manufacturing contributed significantly to the growth of Auburn. Early factories made hardware such as bolts and nuts, bicycle frames, pipes and tubing, ladders, and bricks and blocks.
At least two of these factories were "famous" in multiple states: the Auburn Shale Brick Company's products were of such a high quality and good value that it produced millions of bricks each year which shipped to locations throughout the East. The Delaware Seamless Tube Co. was one of the first factories to develop a process of creating a pipe or "tube" that had no seam (the interior of the Delware Seamless Tube Factory is pictured on the left). |
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ALPHABETICAL LISTING OF MANUFACTURING
INDUSTRIES IN THE AUBURN-AREA:
A. J. Boyd Company Wood Products
Allied Pallet company
American Renolit - Phillips (a.k.a. Phillips American Renolit)
Auburn Block Company (also see: Auburn Shale Brick Company)
Auburn Bolt and Nut Works (a.k.a. Auburn Nut and Bolt Works; also see: Delaware Seamless Tube Mill)
Auburn Brick Company (see: Auburn Shale Brick Company)
Auburn Electric Light, Heat & Power Company
Auburn Nut and Bolt Works (see: Auburn Bolt and Nut Works)
Auburn Shale Brick Company (a.k.a. Auburn Brick Company; also see: Auburn Block Company)
Auburn Tool Works (see: Auburn Bolt and Nut Works)
B & S (Beck & Singleton) Potato Chips
Boat yard(s) (also see: Fahl's boat yard; Lutz's boat yard)
Bound Brook Bearing Corporation
Broom factory (see: Keystone Broom Works)
Char-Mark Inc.
Christ, William (furniture making)
Cigar factory
Cougle Recycling
Delaware Seamless Tube Mill (also see: Auburn Nut and Bolt Company)
Diefenderfer's broom factory (see: Keystone Broom Works)
Dietrich Foundry (also see: Nova Precision Casting)
Everlast Plastic Lumber, Inc.
Fahl's boat yard (a.k.a. Joseph Fahl's boat yard)
Flanders' Precisionaire (see: Precisionaire)
Goodyear Reneer Films (see: Reneer Films - Goodyear)
Griffith Ladder Company
Haywood's Furnace
Jefferson Furnace (a.k.a. Kaufman's Furnace)
Jeremiah Lutz's boat yard (see: Lutz's boat yard)
Jones & Moyer brick manufacturers (predecessor of the Auburn Block company & Auburn Shale Brick Company)
Joseph Fahl's boat yard (see: Fahl's boat yard)
Kaufman's Furnace (see: Jefferson Furnace)
Keystone Broom Works (a.k.a. Diefenderfer's broom factory)
Keystone Dynamite and Powder Company
Lime Kilns
Lutz's boat yard (a.k.a. Jeremiah Lutz's boat yard)
Nova Precision Casting (also see: Dietrich Foundry)
Omnova Solutions Inc.
Oswald (W. F.) Industry
Perfectemp Refrigeration Service Inc.
Phillips American Renolit (see: American Renolit - Phillips)
Precisionaire (a.k.a. Flanders' Precisionaire)
Reneer Films - Goodyear (a.k.a. Goodyear Reneer Films)
Seven Rivers Log Homes
Staller and Shollenberger
West Side Wood Products
INDUSTRIES IN THE AUBURN-AREA:
A. J. Boyd Company Wood Products
Allied Pallet company
American Renolit - Phillips (a.k.a. Phillips American Renolit)
Auburn Block Company (also see: Auburn Shale Brick Company)
Auburn Bolt and Nut Works (a.k.a. Auburn Nut and Bolt Works; also see: Delaware Seamless Tube Mill)
Auburn Brick Company (see: Auburn Shale Brick Company)
Auburn Electric Light, Heat & Power Company
Auburn Nut and Bolt Works (see: Auburn Bolt and Nut Works)
Auburn Shale Brick Company (a.k.a. Auburn Brick Company; also see: Auburn Block Company)
Auburn Tool Works (see: Auburn Bolt and Nut Works)
B & S (Beck & Singleton) Potato Chips
Boat yard(s) (also see: Fahl's boat yard; Lutz's boat yard)
Bound Brook Bearing Corporation
Broom factory (see: Keystone Broom Works)
Char-Mark Inc.
Christ, William (furniture making)
Cigar factory
Cougle Recycling
Delaware Seamless Tube Mill (also see: Auburn Nut and Bolt Company)
Diefenderfer's broom factory (see: Keystone Broom Works)
Dietrich Foundry (also see: Nova Precision Casting)
Everlast Plastic Lumber, Inc.
Fahl's boat yard (a.k.a. Joseph Fahl's boat yard)
Flanders' Precisionaire (see: Precisionaire)
Goodyear Reneer Films (see: Reneer Films - Goodyear)
Griffith Ladder Company
Haywood's Furnace
Jefferson Furnace (a.k.a. Kaufman's Furnace)
Jeremiah Lutz's boat yard (see: Lutz's boat yard)
Jones & Moyer brick manufacturers (predecessor of the Auburn Block company & Auburn Shale Brick Company)
Joseph Fahl's boat yard (see: Fahl's boat yard)
Kaufman's Furnace (see: Jefferson Furnace)
Keystone Broom Works (a.k.a. Diefenderfer's broom factory)
Keystone Dynamite and Powder Company
Lime Kilns
Lutz's boat yard (a.k.a. Jeremiah Lutz's boat yard)
Nova Precision Casting (also see: Dietrich Foundry)
Omnova Solutions Inc.
Oswald (W. F.) Industry
Perfectemp Refrigeration Service Inc.
Phillips American Renolit (see: American Renolit - Phillips)
Precisionaire (a.k.a. Flanders' Precisionaire)
Reneer Films - Goodyear (a.k.a. Goodyear Reneer Films)
Seven Rivers Log Homes
Staller and Shollenberger
West Side Wood Products
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A. J. Boyd Company Wood Products
The A. J. Boyd Company Wood Products once occupied (post-1974) a portion of the structure previously utilized as the Auburn Knitting Mill. An advertisement boasts "An AJ Boyd glass folding door would be a great choice if you're thinking about replacing your doors. AJ Boyd glass folding doors are affordable, sleek and durable. You can find AJ Boyd interior glass doors, AJ Boyd glass sliding doors as well as AJ Boyd glass window doors among other products. A glass door can really be practical indoors as well as outdoors. No matter whether you're looking for a glass sliding patio door, a standard glass door, an exterior glass door or a wood glass door, you're sure to find something that fits with the style of your home." as well as " "Folding door separates rooms, adding more privacy to your space Works with an additional folding door (sold separately) if one alone isn’t wide enough for your doorway Has a dual-glider roller system for easy opening and closing Includes a key-lock system for even more privacy Constructed of heavy-duty PVC." (Editor's note: The irony of the A. J. Boyd Company Wood Products promoting their folding doors as being "constructed of heavy-duty PVC" may have been lost on their customers). |
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American Renolit (Phillips) (a.k.a. - "Phillips American Renolit")
In 1964, the American Renolit Corporation purchased 127 acres northeast of Auburn, PA for the construction of a calendaring plant for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film and sheet. American Renolit president H. R. Legatski announced that he expected the plant to be completed by early 1965. The intended product would include both rigid and flexible PVC products. The American Renolit Corporation was owned by Phillips Petroleum Co. of Bartlesville, Oklahoma (thus the "Phillips American Renolit" moniker), National Distillers and Chemical Corporation of New York, New York and Renolit Werke of Worms am Rhein, Germany. In a news article dated April 15, 1971, the expansion of the Phillips (American Renolit) Film plant was announced. The addition was predicted to create 75 additional jobs and result in a $500,000 payroll increase. The additional facilities would cover approx. 50,000 square feet and was expected to be operational by the latter part of 1971. The addition would supplement the already existing 80,000 square feet of plant, making for a total square footage of approx. 130,000. At the time of the article's release, the plant was cited as already employing 150 persons with an annual payroll of approx. $1,100,000. The article stated that Phillips Films had a steady upward trend in sales and production since the plant became operational in 1965. One of their major products, Glassclear Vinyl, is used in a high percentage of photograph albums made in country. Other product lines include rigid packaging film, rigid film for phonograph records, and wood-grain printed vinyl laminate. Phillips Films production facilities, administrative and sales headquarters are located at the plant outside of Auburn, PA. The plant no longer exists as Phillips American Renolit Films and used to be located on the current site of Omnova Products, Inc. |
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Auburn Block Company
The Auburn Block Company may have been the predecessor of the Auburn Shale Brick Company of Auburn, PA. It may have either been a successor of the "Jones and Moyer" brick manufacturers or the official name of that enterprise. An earlier manufacturer of bricks was known to have existed at a site located south of the Auburn Shale Brick Company plant along Mill Road. The blocks (or bricks) were believed to have been a less-perfected version containing minor impurities and flaws...much like the product featured in the picture to the right. When the Auburn Shale Brick Company was formed, the production site was moved closer to the vast source of clay located at the west edge of Auburn. |
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Auburn Bolt and Nut Works
The Auburn Bolt and Nut Works" is believed to have been originally operated out of a modestly-sized brick structure located along Liberty Alley in Auburn. Shortly thereafter, James Fahl sold his land along the Schuylkill River (just east of the Schuylkill River Bridge at Auburn) to the Auburn Bolt and Nut Works.. On May 1, 1888 an industrialist named Daniel John Driscoll (b. 12/25/1862) of Reading, PA committed to a five year lease of the Auburn Bolt and Nut Works. When the lease expired on May 1, 1893, Driscoll opted to purchase all of the company stock and closed the plant. After a brief period, he reorganized the Auburn Bolt and Nut Works . The factory reopened in the mid-1890s with John Morrison bringing the technology and expertise to create "seamless tubes". The factory would produce seamless cold drawn tubes and its chief production at the plant was nickel plating. Bicycle frames were another product the company later produced. In 1902 the company reorganized again, this time as the Delaware Seamless Tube Mill. ***************************************************** "The Auburn Bolt and Nut Works Started. The bolt and nut works at Auburn, D.J. Driscoll, of Reading, proprietor, and Thos. Darlington, superintendent, was started up on Thursday. The machinery works well. John Greth, formerly of the Schuylkill Iron Company, has charge of the rolls. The employees consist of Mr. Greth, roller; Mr. Strohecker, Allgeier and Johnson, of Reading; Daniel Kern, of Allentown, and Jesse Spencer, of Auburn, heaters." - The Weekly Miners' Journal, Friday, July 27, 1888. ***************************************************** "Its latest industry is "The Auburn Bolt and Nut Works." The company was incorporated under state authorities and organized in April, 1887. The board of directors at that time consisted of nine members: A. K. Frederici, Charles E. Quail, Joseph Frederici, James Raush, J. H. Diefenderfer, Henry Kimmel, and W. H. Diefenderfer. Dr. Charles E. Quail, president, Henry Kimmel, treasurer, and W. H. Diefenderfer, secretary. The works having been completed in the spring of 1888, were leased May 1, 1888, to D. J. Driscoll, of Reading, Pennsylvania, for five years. When the lease expired May 1, 1893, the shareholders sold their stock to D. J. Driscoll, who reorganized the company, with James Nolan as president; W. S. Rourke, secretary, and D. J. Driscoll, treasurer. The works were then leased to D. J. Driscoll, who has successfully operated them ever since. These works represent an investment of $60,000." (Information quoted from the 1893 edition of the "Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania comprising a historical sketch of the county by Samuel T. Wiley"). ***************************************************** "The Auburn Nut and Bolt Works. The Auburn Nut and Bolts Works are working overtime and still are unable to fill their orders. The stockholders have received an offer from a party of capitalists offering them one half the amount they invested for the plant. They are not selling out at such figures just now." - Undated and unidentified news article. ***************************************************** "Auburn Bolt & Nut Works. - In 1887, a bolt and nut works was established at Auburn, Schuylkill county, by an incorporated company for the manufacture of car-links, pins, boilers, rivets and bar-iron, and operated by Daniel J. Driscoll, of Reading, from that time until October, 1896. He employed 80 hands, and produced annually 2,000 tons which was shipped to all parts of the United States. Investment - $30,000. Then a company was organized, the plant extended, the capital increased to $75,000, and the machinery changed for the manufacture of hollow billets. These billets are converted into cold-drawn seamless steel tubing for boilers, bicycles, etc., and shipped to all parts of the world. Employees, 100. This enterprise must be included with the Reading industries, because it is controlled by Reading parties and capital. Officers: H. C. England, pres.; John R. Morrison, sec'y; and Daniel J. Driscoll, treas. and manager." - Undated and unidentified source. ***************************************************** An unsourced article dated Sept. 10 (1898) with a byline which states "Reading, PA" reads: "THE ALBANY-AUBURN TUBE DEAL. The representative of the Albany Mfg. Co. is expected to arrive in this city daily to close the deal with the Auburn Bolt & Nut Co., of Auburn, Pa., manufacturers of cold drawn seamless tubing, whereby they will take possession of this plant. It is not likely that the Albany people will secure the Millholland Tube Co., of this city, but the Auburn deal is an assured fact in all save some of the minor details. The Auburn Company has in successful operation a billet-piercing machine, and with four draw-benches working, and six more nearing completion, the new purchase will do much to strenghthen the position of the Albany Manufacturing Company in its fight for a share of the tube business." ***************************************************** A Pottsville Republican news column states that in 1902 the company was again reorganized, this time as the Delaware Seamless Tube Company whose chief production at the site would focus on nickel-plating. An unsubstantiated notation states that the Office was run out of the front of D. F. Hoffmeister's home circa 1893. ***************************************************** The Fulton County news out of McConnellsburg, PA, January 22, 1903 edition ran an article which stated "The Auburn Bolt and Nut Works, in Auburn and West Brunswick Township, in which State Senator Quail was interested, passed into possession of Philadelphia and Wilmington capitalists who have organized the Delaware Seamless Tube Company." ***************************************************** Summary of Information: April, 1887 - The Auburn Nut and Bolt Works is organized. The factory will eventually be installed in a structure located in the 100 block of Pear Alley, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA (see picture). May 1, 1888 - The company is leased for five years to Daniel J. Driscoll of Reading, PA. July 26, 1888 - Production work begins in the factory. May 1, 1893 - Driscoll's lease expires. He then purchases the stock and reorganizes the company. Circa 1896 - Company employs 80 individ-uals(eventually will increase to 100 employees); produces 2,000 tons of product annually. *In undated and unidentified news clippings subtitled "Deeds Recorded", two entries pertaining to the Auburn Bolt & Nut Works can be found. The first reads "from Nicholas Saul to Auburn Nut and Bolt Works, premises in West Brunswick township" and the second reads "from James Fahl to Auburn Nut and Bolt Works, premises in West Brunswick township". *Achieved sufficient success to warrant its relocation and expansion to a new site due east of Auburn adjacent to the eastern bank of the Schuylkill River. The factory would sit adjacent to, and be serviced by, the Pennsylvania or "Pennsy" Railroad tracks with the train station being located just hundreds of feet from the site. The factory furnaces were eventually fueled by coal dredged from the adjacent Schuylkill River. *Doctor Charles Edward Quail (later Senator Quail) was listed as a President of the Auburn Bolt and Nut Works in an undated and unidentified source. ***************************************************** Employees (partial listing): Allgeier, Mr. Crichton, William Brooks Gladstone (death due to a head injury at the "Auburn Tool Works" company on Mar 13, 1926 according to his death certificate). Darlington, Thomas (Superintendent) Dewald, Irwin (or Irvin) "Buck" or "Bucky" ("Rougher on the rolls" circa 1890s) Diefenderfer, J. H. (Board of Directors) Diefenderfer, W. H. (Board of Directors; Secretary) Driscoll, Daniel J. (Proprietor; Manager & Treasurer) England, Henry C. (President) Frederici, A. K. (Board of Directors) Frederici, Joseph (Board of Directors) Greth, John (Roller) Herring, Amos (c. 1909) Johnson, Mr. Kern, Daniel (Heater) Kimmel, Henry (Board of Directors; Treasurer) Morrison, John R. (Secretary) Nolan, James (President) Quail, Charles Edward (Board of Directors; President) Rausch, David Fitzgivens (employee) Raush, James (Board of Directors) Rourke, W. S. (Secretary) Spencer, Jesse (Heater) Strohecker, Mr. |
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Auburn Brick Company - see: "Auburn Shale Brick Company"
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Auburn Electric Light, Heat & Power Company
This modest one story brick building located at the southeast corner of the intersection of Bear Creek Street and Pine Street was constructed circa 1909 or 1910 to supply electric power to those few locations in Auburn and Port Clinton, Schuylkill County, PA, which might require an electric power source. The company was incorporated in 1909 with a capital of $10,000. Auburn-area resident and entrepreneur Harry Robert Carl was the owner of this property. According to a document recorded on company letterhead, as of March 1, 1911, the company had a total of twelve customers. By the following year, March 1, 1912, the number of customers had grown to forty-five and the company made a net profit of $401.37. In a letter dated April 1, 1912, the company president, F. J. Voss, sent a proposal to C. A. Ritter offering to sell the entire capital stock of the company to the Auburn Borough to include the entire plant, transmission system and all rights for $8,000. State records of earnings show that the Auburn Electric Light, Heat and Power Company was still posting earnings as of 1916. EMPLOYEES (partial listing): Binkley, H. H. (Vice-President) Harry Robert Carl (Owner) Diefenderfer, Guy H. (Secretary & Treasurer) Hawkins, Claude Henry (President) Voss, F. J. (President) |
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Auburn Nut and Bolt Works - see: Auburn Bolt and Nut Works
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Auburn Shale Brick
Company (a.k.a. - Auburn Brick Company) The Auburn Shale Brick Company evolved from a prior more primitive and amateur brick making enterprise possibly named the Auburn Block Company. The Auburn Shale Brick company, also commonly known as the Auburn Brick Company, and possibly the A-No.-1 Brick Company (unconfirmed at this time), was historically the most influential employer of the Auburn-area. For decades, this industry employed generations of Auburn-area residents for a total of several hundred individuals. This company not only provided gainful employment for so very many Auburn-area residents, but in many ways the company positively influenced the town and its businesses. Due to the Auburn Shale Brick Company's indisputable beneficial impact on Auburn, the sesquicentennial celebration committee adopted an official slogan of "Auburn...Built One Brick at a Time". Additionally, Auburn Area Historical Society adopted a stylized logo of the brick plant to be used on its town-wide flags. Prior to the creation of the Auburn Shale Brick Company, an enterprising individual named Samuel Moyer was making crude bricks in a small kiln or kilns in the southwest quadrant of the immediate Auburn-area. His business may have been called the Auburn Block company. His business, and much of the surrounding property, was purchased by the newly created Auburn Shale Brick Company. According to an early genealogy of one John Percy Ryon, he was an engineer who "constructed the Auburn Vitrified* Brick plant" and later the "Schuylkill Pressed Brick Company". (Vitrification is the progressive fusion of a clay as a result of a firing process.) The earlier bricks were shaped by hand. The kilns for making bricks were relatively small in perspective. The finished products were shipped via the Schuylkill and Susquehanna (S & S) Railroad which ran tracks into the brick yard for ease of transport. At some point, an undated and unidentified news article states that "A massive and ponderous brick pressing machine was received by the Auburn Shale Brick Company". In an undated "Record of Deeds", the following transaction is listed "William H. Morris et al. to Auburn Shale Brick Company, premises in Auburn." A second such "Record of Deeds" lists the following entry "From G. W. Ryon and wife and J. B. Ryon and wife to the Auburn Shale Brick Co., premises in Auburn." Early telephone numbers for the brick company included "Auburn 17", "Auburn 2501", "PLaza 4-2501" and "PLaza 4-3611". A sales slip from the early 1900s claims the Auburn Shale Brick Company are "Manufacturers of Repressed and Common Building Vitrified Sewer and Paving Brick". (Editor's Note: "Repressed Brick" is brick which are pressed a second time to create a slightly more dense brick. "Vitrified Brick" are brick which have been glazed to make them impervious to water and highly resistant to corrosion.) The productivity of the Auburn Shale Brick Company cannot be diminished. One such example is evident in the entry "The Auburn Shale Brick Company own the brick plant at Auburn, where they are now turning out 25,000 brick a day. In summer their output is much greater". A second example is contained in the entry "The Auburn Shale Brick Company have received an order for several million of brick to be delivered to the Eastern Steel Company, Pottsville". Yet another example is information provided by employee John Morrison who stated that during its heyday, the Auburn Shale Brick Company would ship between 35,000 - 40,000 bricks daily. By the 1950s, the company was producing 10,000,000 bricks per year. The bricks would be distributed throughout the Northeastern United States to include Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware. Bricks from the Auburn Shale Brick Company were specifically sought by socially prominent individuals. "Jersey" Joe Wolcott purchased the locally produced bricks to build the "K. O. Car Wash" in Camden, New Jersey and Auburn bricks were used in the construction of a home designed by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The bricks were also used to construct the lining of one of the cooling towers at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant near Harrisburg. (Editor's Note: "Jersey Joe Walcott" was the moniker used by Arnold Raymond Cream (January 31, 1914 – February 25, 1994). "Jersey Joe" was a professional boxer who competed from 1930 to 1953. His accomplishments included holding the world heavyweight title and having broken the record for the oldest man (aged 37) to have won the title.) The Auburn Brick Company was so successful that at one point, they expanded by establishing a second brick manufacturing site in Schuylkill Haven and later a third plant in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. A headline in an undated and unidentified news article reads "$40,000 FOR BRICK PLANT" and the article states "...the Gettysburg Brick Company has sold the plant and all the belongings to the Auburn Shale Brick Company of Auburn, Pa., Mr. J. A. Seltzer President and W. F. Oswald Secretary and Manager. The purchase price was $40,000. This company is, and has been for years, successfully operating an extensive brick plant at Auburn and also one at Schuylkill Haven and on account of constant increase in demand for their output it became necessary to purchase another plant. It is the purpose of the company to make fine repress and dry press face brick, also vitrified street paving blocks. In this latest article the company has quite an extensive established business, as well as in fine building brick. The company operates its plants all the year round, not stopping for Winter weather. In this respect especially this industry will be a great boon for Gettysburg's laboring men, of whom quite a good number will be employed. Possession will be taken on Monday Feby. 22 and extensive repairs and additions made. Mr. M. Tippery, of Philadelphia, a man of much experience in the brick business, will be manager of the Gettysburg plant. The new company has the best wishes of our people for success." The Auburn Shale Brick Company plant operated on the western edge of Gettysburg near the college. Their rough finished face bricks were manufactured from the clay and shale that underlies the Gettysburg area. They were molded in a Freese machine and fired in eight beehive kilns. The dangers present in early factories provide a tale of tragedy and endurance for one Auburn resident. Prior to such watchdogs as O.S.H.A. (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), factories could be, and often were, hazardous locations where accidents were common and perceived as an unavoidable danger. Not only did this attitude place employees at high risk but also endangered visitors to the work sites. In one such incident, a ten year old boy named Leroy Staller was tasked with taking lunch to his father at the Auburn Shale Brick Factory. While exact details leading to the accident are scarce, somehow Leroy's arm became caught in the machinery and was torn from his body. Quick response from others saved young Leroy from bleeding to death and he was soon nursed back to full health...minus his right arm. Even though he was handicapped by the loss of his arm, Leroy strove to have a normal childhood and, later, lead a full life despite only having one arm. He went on to play surprisingly well on the town's softball team. Later, he started and operated his own restaurant/ice cream parlor. Shortly after Leroy recovered from the initial tragedy, he was nicknamed "Scrappy" based on his "can-do" attitude and perseverance...a well-deserved moniker which remained with him throughout life. In an undated and unidentified source, an article states "William McKinney, residing on Washington street, and employed by the Auburn Shale Brick Company, was most severely scalded last Sunday while cleaning the boilers at the plant". Another undated and unidentified article states "Wm. Staymen, assistant manager of the Auburn Shale Brick Co., almost had his arm crushed by getting it into machinery. As it was the arm was lacerated very badly and also bruised, incapacitating him from work". In 1909, night watchman Horace Goheen died due in part to injuries he received while on duty. (see entry in the timeline below) A major contributor to the initial success of the Auburn Shale Brick Company eventually lead to their inevitable demise. Adjacent to the brick company plant was a large deposit of high quality shale clay, a raw material which would be excavated to produce their work product. For decades, the company continued to strip the earth of this essential material needed to make the brick. However, after having excavated to the very edge of Third Street in Auburn and as far north and south as was financially feasible, their once-apparently inexhaustible supply of raw material was depleted. The company determined that attempts to obtain and ship raw material from elsewhere to the plant wouldn't be profitable. As a result, Auburn's longest surviving and most prolific employer closed its doors, causing mass unemployment, reduced economic gain to the Auburn Borough and partially contributed to the eventual decline in population of the town. By 1975, the once sprawling complex that constituted the Auburn Shale Brick Company had been demolished and razed to the ground for safety and liability reasons. Virtually no physical reminders remain of this impressive and important Auburn business. Timeline (partial listing only): 1880: The Auburn Shale Brick Company is organized. Samuel K. Moyer provides financial backing and Dr. Charles Edward Quail becomes business advisor. June 9, 1881: An application to have the Auburn Shale Brick Company, which was originally officially organized out of New Jersey during the prior year, to become a "Corporation of Pennsylvania" was approved on this date by the Governor of Pennsylvania. The application states the company will be organized for the "purpose of mining clay and manufacturing, buying, exporting, importing, trading, dealing in and with bricks of any and all kinds and the products and by products of clay bricks, including sewer pipe, tilling and materials for conduit work...". 1896: In an unidentified news article, the blurb reads "AUBURN - A party living in Drehersville purchased the machinery used in the old brick yard, now rebuilt and owned by J. P. Ryon". April, 1896: In an unidentified news article source, the headline read "MAKING 30,000 BRICKS A DAY - John P. Ryon, General Manager of the Auburn Brick Works, was here looking after his plant. They have work for 30 men, but started on Wednesday with 20 men, and average 30,000 bricks a day". October, 1896: The Auburn Shale Brick Co. obtains permission from the Auburn Borough Council to install street crossings made of vitrified bricks as samples of their wares. November 16, 1901: In a letter dated November 16, 1901, addressed to H. H. Fleisher (representative for the Auburn Borough), from W. D. Deifenderfer, President of the Auburn Shale Brick Company. the letter contains the following agreement "Dear Sir: The following is a copy of the understanding between the borough's representatives and the company: W. H. Deifenderfer, Prest. M. W. Moyer, members of the borough of Auburn council, made application for an old log building, not occupied, on the farm of the Auburn Shale Brick Co. made application for a pest house. It was agreed to allow the borough officials of Auburn to occupy the same as a pest house without any compensation by request of W. Van Reed (illegible) Geo. G. Ruth. In the event, any claim should be made by the Ryons the borough council will stand by the Auburn Shale Brick Co. - (signed) November 14, 1901." (Editor's Note: The Auburn Shale Brick Company owned property to include a farm near the factory. On that property was an abandoned log house which was considered uninhabitable in its current condition under normal standards. In 1901, a smallpox epidemic was spreading throughout the northeastern United States. In order to combat the spread of the deadly disease, the common practice was to quarantine infected patients from the general population until the disease had run its course. Anyone surviving the quarantine after the disease was no longer a threat was then returned to the general population. Auburn was in the process of suffering its own string of deaths that year. In order to prevent the spread, the Auburn Borough inquired if the Auburn Shale Brick Company would allow them to use the abandoned and somewhat secluded log building on their property to quarantine the afflicted residents...thus making the structure into a "Pest House". The term "Pest House" was common for any structure were contagious patients of deadly diseases were quarantined and/or treated for their condition. The term is short for "Pestilence"...meaning a deadly, contagious disease. The Auburn Shale Brick Company agreed to provide the dilapidated structure to the borough for use as a "pest house" during the quarantine phase. Once the surviving patients were returned to their homes, the log structure was deliberately set ablaze and burnt to the ground as a means of ridding any lingering traces of the smallpox disease.) - (see pictures of the "Pest House Agreement" included on this webpage) Circa 1915 - A civil lawsuit was entered into by the Auburn Shale Brick Company. The identifying name of the suit was "Auburn Shale Brick Company vs. Cowan Building Company". The details are unknown to us at this time. December, 1909: Horace Goheen (D.O.B. - 02/15/1839) was employed as a night watchman at the Auburn Shale Brick Company. While on duty, he met with an accident by being severely burned by an exploding torch. He died approximately one week later, his death being attributed to a combination of his injuries resulting from the accident combined with his long time battle with Bright's Disease. (Editor's note: "Bright's Disease" was a chronic inflammation of the kidneys. In today's medical terminology it would be referred to as "acute" or "chronic" nephritis.) July 15, 1918: In a letter dated July 15, 1918, Thomas B. Dreher of the Auburn Shale Brick Company sent a proposal to the Officers of the (Auburn) Borough Council in which it states "We have at hand a report of the action of your Council, in reference to gutter on road leading from Boro (Borough) street to brick yard. In reply we beg to advise that we will accept the proposition as presented by you. We will furnish the brick and cement free of cost to construct this gutter, the Boro (Borough) to furnish and pay for all labor required for the same. Kindly advise us about four or five days ahead of the time when you propose to begin the construction of this gutter, so that we can have the material ready for the work and also that we have a little time to have fuel hauled to our plant to bridge over the time required for this job." 1924: An advertisement for the Auburn Brick Company states that it's "Manufacturers of FACE BRICK". (Editor's note: the term "Face Brick" is used for brick which is not only structurally sound but also selected for its visual appeal.) July 6, 1936: An old ledger book contains an entry on its first page which reads "Auburn, Pa. July 6th, 1936 - This book is the Ledger account of all business transactions made by James Morrison and Thos. B. Dreher, Trustees in the Bankruptcy of the Auburn Shale Brick Co. (illegible) from July 6th, 1936. 1936: The company was purchased by John Morrison and Guy Waltman. April 28, 1937: The Gettysburg portion of the Auburn Shale Brick Company is offered for public sale due to the company defaulting on their mortgage with the Citizens' Trust Company of Gettysburg. (see notice posted on this webpage) 1940s: A fire destroyed some of the structures at the site. May, 1957: "A roof of a drying room, machinery, equipment and bricks undergoing a drying process were destroyed in a $30,000 blaze at Auburn Brick Company...the blaze was caused by an overheated fan. It ignited grease to set the drying room roof afire. The blaze was discovered about 4:40 a.m. by Wayne Hollenbach, a night fireman. A huge fan was located in an adjoining unit of the drying room which held some 100,000 to 120,000 bricks being processed...Firemen from six communities confined the blaze to the drying room proper, although walls housing expensive heavy machinery were scorched. The ignited grease exploded, showering the entire area with flaming embers. Protecting wall of brick, manufactured at the Auburn plant, were credited with saving the rest of the plant and expensive machinery. Although the wooden sides of a huge dust hopper were burned, firemen played streams of water on the unit to prevent it from exploding. The heavy machinery and other equipment saved from the flames was valued by Morrison in excess of $65,000." (see poor quality newspaper picture featured on this webpage) April, 1975: A handwritten note titled "Auburn News" reads "In April 1975 Demolition of the A-NO-1 Brick Co. formerly the Auburn Brick Co. was started and finished in the month of May 1975". Employees (partial-listing): Aungst, Floyd Berger, Bruce W. Berger, Charles (Superintendent) Berger, I. M. Berger, Jay Brown, Richard Christ, C. E. (Board of Directors) Dewald, Benjamin Diefenderfer, W. H. (President) Dreher, Thomas B. (Superintendent/Trustee) Fahl, John Howard (Director) Fehr, Charles W. (Board of Directors) Fessler, Frank Frederici, Aaron K. (President) Goheen, Horace (Night Engineer) Guers, Paul Haag, Ed Haines, Reuben Heim, John Heinbach, Kenneth "Kenny" Hollenbach, Wayne (Night Fireman) Holler, John Jone, (FNU) (Co-Owner) Kilmer, George Jr. Klock, H. A. (Board of Directors) Long, Bob Lawrence, Bettie Lou Leader, C. C. (Board of Directors) Leymeister, Donald Martin, George H. B. (Board of Directors) McKinney, William Moll, Cyrus Morris, W. H. (Board of Directors) Morrison, James "Jim" R. B. (Trustee) Morrison, John W. Jr. (Co-Owner) Moyer, Samuel K. (Co-Owner/Financier) Oswald, W. F. (Manager; Secretary; Treasurer) Oswald, W. I. (Board of Directors) Peiffer, Harry Quail, Charles Edward Sr. (Business Advisor/Mgr.) Reber, Harold Reichert, Franklin Runkle, Merritt Ryon, John P. (General Manager) Seiler, E. G. (Board of Directors) Seltzer, B. H. (Baord of Directors) Seltzer, J. A. Sr. (Board of Directors; President) Staller, Jeremiah Stayman, William (Chief Clerk; Asst. Manager) Stoudt, John "Doxie" (employee) Tippery, M. (manager-Gettysburg location) Waltman, Guy (Co-Owner) Van Reed, Wellington (Board of Directors; V.Pres.) The Documents
The Promotional Items |
The Tributes
Miscellaneous Pictures
The Postcards
The Exterior
The Employees
The Equipment
The Product
The Clay Shale Pits
All work and no play...
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B & S (Beck & Singleton) Potato Chips
B & S Potato Chips by Beck & Singleton is memorialized in this amateurish paperweight. The only information available about this enterprise is found on the promotional item itself. The company's mailing address was 88B, R.D.#1, Auburn, Pa. 17922. Their telephone number was 1-717-366-0854... (which helps date the item as prior to December of 1998 when the telephone area code for Auburn changed from 717 to 570). They promoted their product as 'Fine Quality" potato chips. |
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Boat yard(s)
(Also see: "Fahl's boat yard"; "Lutz's boat yard") - References to boat yards in the Auburn-area can be found in a few documents; however, any real detailed information about those boat yards is scarce. If you have any information regarding any Auburn-area boat yards, please share your knowledge with us using the "Visitor Input" button located at the bottom of this page. In an article focused on Auburn's history by author Lorraine Stanton under the title of Schuylkill Chronicles, she wrote "A boat yard was located in the town where many canal boats were constructed. L. B. Paxton (or Paxon) was the first superintendent, Gus Bylers, first boatman and G. W. Landis has charge of the stables and stations." A few inaccuracies have been spotted in the remainder of the article so the accuracy of the aforementioned boat yard information is uncertain. Nobody with the names of the three individuals affiliated with the boat yard appear to have been interred in any known and documented Schuylkill County cemetery according to the genealogical website findagrave.com. |
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Bound Brook
Bearing Corporation A Pottsville Republican newspaper article dated August 5, 1964 headlined "Plant at Auburn To Make Bearings" proudly heralded plans for Bound Brook Bearing Corporation of Bound Brook, N.J. was planning to construct a factory for its Tool Division in Auburn, Pennsylvania. The structure would be a 5,000 square foot steel and masonry facility. The 18-acre site would be at the west end of Auburn along Route 895 and adjacent to the entrance of the former Circle M Ranch Speedway stock car race track. The property was obtained by the Greater Pottsville Industrial Development Corporation from Edward Mates, owner of the Circle M Construction Company of Auburn. The plant would initially employ up to fifteen men. According to the news article, one of the factors which "impressed" William R. Toeplitz, president of the Bound Brook Bearing Corporation was "it will have all male employment" - a perception which would be considered both sexist and offensive today. One of the reasons the company chose the Auburn location was its relatively close proximity to Route 22 (which is a major highway that also leads directly into New Jersey). The Bound Brook Bearing Corporation manufactured self-lubricating bearings and parts made of bronze, iron, copper and other materials. The products are used in home appliances, fractional horsepower motors, business machines, farm machinery, electronics, as well as in the industries of automotive, aircraft and defense. The Auburn plant would manufacture tools for the parent plant in Bound Brook, NJ. According to the article, the construction project was scheduled for early completion within the "next couple of months" and the majority of work was being done by local contractors to include Altamont Lumber Company of Frackville, Leland G. Long of Pottsville, Losch Boiler Sales and Service of Schuylkill Haven and Kermit Snyder of Deer Lake. ********************************************* "The Call" newspaper featured an article dated October 20, 1966 in which the headline read "Bound Brook Moving into $225,000 New Structure". During the two years the Auburn plant had been in operation, the parent company liked its performance and decided expand its production facility by building a $225,000 new plant at Auburn. The company was slated to move additional machinery into its new 31,000 square foot facility and begin test runs and training of personnel. Commercial production by the new plant was slated to begin by February of 1967. The plant expected to employ 120 people once it reached peak performance. All of the additional personnel would be hired from the Schuylkill County area. Upon reaching peak production, the plant is expected to turn out millions of bearings per month for industrial use. The new plant would be one of the world's most modern facilities for producing self-lubricating bearings and parts from powdered metals. It would have the "most advanced presses available in the United States" and would use "the most modern vacuum equipment for oil impregnation of bearings and parts". Bound Brook officials stated the expansion of the plant was an easy decision and that future expansions were a viable option for this location. Local contractors used in the expansion included "Miller, Whitby, Nelson and Steidel of Pottsville", "Schneider and Davis of Pottsville", "Bair Electric of Schuylkill Haven", "Losch Boiler Sales and Service of Schuylkill Haven" and "Joseph E. Rosenberger of Pottsville". The new plant would produce four basic types of bearings: sleeve bearings, flange bearings, spherical or self-aligning bearings, and thrust washers. Additionally, the plant would produce a wide variety of structural parts to include those designed for specific applications. Some of those parts include cams, gears and sprockets. The Bound Brook products are made to tolerances as close as .0003 inches (three ten-thousands of one inch). (Editor's note: just to give perspective, something three ten-thousands of an inch would require twenty of those items stacked on top of each other to reach the thickness of a single piece of paper.) Some of the companies who use Bound Brook products would include Allis-Chalmers, Black and Decker, Electrolux, Ford Motor Company, General Electric, General Motors, International Business Machines (IBM), International Harvester, John Deere, Regina and Whirlpool. ********************************************* A Pottsville Republican newspaper article dated May 25, 1972 was titled "Auburn Firm To Expand". Once again, Bound Brook Bearing Corporation invested in Auburn, PA with another plant expansion which was estimated to expand its employment from 75 individuals to 205 with an annual estimated payroll of $1,640,000 within three years. The Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority would load $195,151 to Bound Brook Bearings Corporation. The firm planned to relocate its main facility from Bound Brook, NJ to Auburn, PA.. The total costs of the expansion would be an estimated $500,000 and would produce approx. 130 additional job opportunities to the Auburn facility. The expansion would provide the company with 100,000 more square feet of manufacturing and office space. The company was founded in 1882 specializing in the production of hard wood bearings and cast bronze bearings. By 1921, Bound Brook had established itself as a pioneer in powdered-metal bearing production. ********************************************* A year later, in 1973, Bound Brook Bearing Corporation's sunny future in Auburn began to cloud. The Teamster's Union organized a strike and 135 Bound Brook Bearing employees left their jobs in order to protest their wages. The union was demanding a wage increase of one dollar over the next two years while management counter-offered a 50-cent hourly rate increase for skilled employees. Picket signs outside of the Auburn facility read "Bound Brook is Cheap!"; "How Low Can A Company Go?"; "Cheapskates Always Pay Scab Wages"; "Bound Brook Cheap Company Cheap Wages" and "Slaves Worked in NJ But Now You Are In PA". On Thursday, August 16, 1973, the strike was finally settled. The terms involved providing "fringe benefits" and an "across the board increase of 60 cents (per hour), 30 cents this year and 30 cents in 1974". For eleven days, 135 workers went without being paid by Bound Brook Bearing Corporation in order to eventually receive an additional 30 cents an hour increase. (Editor's note: If the average wage at Bound Brook was only $4.50/hr. and Bound Brook Bearing did not pay any wages to those striking workers during the the two-week strike period, Bound Brook saved $396 in wages per employee. A thirty cent pay raise would require that same worker to work thirty-three weeks in order to Bound Brook to simply repay the $396 of unpaid wages resulting from the strike.) Two immediate impacts of the strike included strained relations between the employees and the Bound Brook Bearing Corporation, and negatively impacted production during the period of the strike. Some individuals have stated that the strike was partially to blame for the company's closure the following year. ********************************************* In December of 1974, the headline read "135 To Lose Jobs - Bound Brook Closing Doors". The first line read "Bound Brook Corporation disclosed today that the company is discontinuing manufacturing operations at its Auburn plant because of economic conditions." Basically, those same 135 individuals who went on strike for higher pay now would be left without any pay. Representatives for the company said a "lack of orders from customers" and the "unstable natural gas situation" had created severe operational difficulties and made operations at Auburn "completely non-competitive and non-feasible to any great extent". "Price increases in natural gas and the company's inability to obtain necessary assurances for adequate natural gas supplies has compounded the plant's difficulties...Bound Brook at Auburn is almost totally dependent on natural gas for its manufacturing processes." The article went on to state that Bound Brook Bearing expressed "deep regret with respect to the termination of operations at Auburn". (Editor's note: Notice the emphasis of the company's closure of operations "at Auburn" and the "termination of operations at Auburn". The company did not close for business, but merely terminated its primary functions "at Auburn".) In a mere ten years, Bound Brook Bearing Corporation transitioned from beginning construction of a modest 5,000 square foot plant at Auburn employing 12-15 individuals, to undergoing at least two major expansions and employing 150 individuals, to closing its doors due to "economic conditions". Employees (partial listing): Chisholm, John (Works Manager) Gaston, George W. (Controller) Olsson, Frank O. (Controller) Reed, Marvin L. (Plant Manager) Schwope, Arthur D. (President) Soja, Donald W. (Plant Engineer) Sullivan, John (Chief Executive Officer) Toeplitz, William R. (President) |
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Char-Mark Inc.
Char-Mark Inc. is a tool and die machine shop located west of Auburn adjacent to Route 895. Their address is 3084 Fair Road, Auburn, PA. The telephone number is 570-754-7310. |
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Christ, William
(furniture maker) William H. Christ (pronounced "Christ" as in "Christmas" rather than "Christ" as in Jesus Christ) was by trade an undertaker who constructed caskets; however, like many undertakers of that era, he supplemented his income by using his carpentry skills to also construct furniture. The bench pictured on the right was believed to have been constructed by Christ. Additionally, the invoice pictured on the right, dated April 2, 1896, was issued to Samuel Dewald as his receipt for payment of a bed which William H. Christ had constructed. The invoice was for $4.25. |
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Cigar Factory
A non-sourced news article dated April 18, 1888 reads "Messrs. Charles Schall and Oliver J. Heiser, two practical cigar makers of Allentown, have established a cigar factory in the basement of the Delmonico Hotel, for the exclusive manufacturing of fine cigars. As both young men are thoroughly acquainted with all branches of the trade, we see no reason why they should not make a success of it." |
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Cigar Maker
A February, 1896, news snippet in the Reading Eagle reads: "A. Z. Mohn, proprietor of the Jefferson Hotel, will move into town in April and manufacture cigars. Westley Reber will take charge of the Hotel." The article isn't clear as to whether Mohn will establish his own business or whether he might be in the employ of another enterprise, perhaps the "cigar factory" listed above. Alvin Z. Mohn was born in Upper Bern Township, Berks County, PA, on 04/09/1865. He was the son of Peter Mohn and Elizabeth Catharine Zimmerman Mohn. He was a brother of Mary Z. Mohn Schad, Sarah Mohn Metz and Valentine Z. Mohn (although gender-neutral, the name "Valentine" here indicates a male). Alvin married (Sara or Sarah?) Sallie Valeria Berger Mohn in 1888. They had the following children: Albert W. Mohn, George Robert Mohn and Mary Edna Mohn. Presently, it is uncertain as to whether or not Alvin pursued a career in cigar-making in Auburn as previously indicated in this narrative. Alvin died in Pottsville, Schuylkill County, PA and was interred within the St. Michael's Union Church cemetery, Tilden Township, Berks County, PA. |
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Dietrich Foundry
Raphael Dietrich began operation of a foundry located northeast of Auburn circa 1953. Prior to establishing a foundry at that location, he manufactured units in a garage attached to his home in Deer Lake, PA. The factory manufactured aluminum and iron casts. In 1957, the Auburn-area foundry suffered a fire of undetermined origin which caused an estimated $10,000 damages. The roof, interior and much of the machinery was destroyed by the conflagration. At the height of the blaze, flames could be seen from Deer Lake (approx. 3 miles away). The firefighters experienced some difficulty in combating the blaze due to the fact that the nearest water supply suitable to fight a fire came from a small dam located nearly 200 feet from the structure. Fire apparatus emptied their booster tanks and then trucks from Auburn and Deer Lake pumped water from the dam. At some point, Deitrich Foundry transitioned into the Nova Precision Casting Corporation which still operates from this site. |
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Everlast Plastic
Lumber, Inc. Everlast Plastic Lumber was located on the west edge of Auburn at 800 W. Market Street. The products they manufactured included residential and commercial plastic lumber, decking, landscaping ties and parking stops. The production involved the shredding, granulation, washing, drying, pelletizing and extrusion of recycled plastics. The company utilizes approx. 40,000 tons of recyclable plastic per month. Their plastic lumber was made from 100 percent recycled plastics. Circa 2005, Everlast Plastic Lumber Inc. was awarded a $500,000 Department of Environmental Protections (DEP) Recycling Markets Infrastructure Development (RMID) grant to convert its existing plastic extruder into a continuous production line and to purchase a shredding unit. In order to be eligible as a grant recipient, Everlast was obligated to match 20 percent of the project's cost. Their intent was to also increase consumption of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastics and to begin using harder-to-recycle plastics grades three through seven. Employees (partial listing): Cougle, Robert (Chief Executive Officer) Cougle-Macaulay, Tiffany (COO/1998-2008) Macaulay, Dan (Operations Manager) Wagner, Dale Wolf, Jeffrey D. (Production Manager/2002-2008) |
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Fahl's boat yard
(a.k.a. - Joseph Fahl's boat yard) According to a Reading Eagle newspaper article dated Monday, May 19, 1879, a Joseph Wahl operated a "boat yard" (for constructing river boats) in the Auburn area. However, an article on a Nathan Mengel of Auburn mentions that he was employed at the Joseph Fahl boat yard...which is a much more common surname in the Auburn-area. There is a "Joseph Fahl" (08/26/1830-02/03/1915) who is interred within the Auburn Church of God Cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA and who, interestingly enough, named one of his children "Nathan Mengel Fahl". |
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Flanders' Precisionaire - see "Precisionaire"
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Goodyear Reneer Films - see: "Reneer Films (Goodyear)"
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Griffith Ladder Company
The Griffith Ladder Company's industrial plant located east of Auburn, Pennsylvania, began operation on Monday, February 3, 1958 with Ray Barnes of Massachusetts employed as manager. The company's other plant is located in Waverly, Massachusetts. The Griffith Ladder Company was identified as a defendant in at least two civil litigation suits. The first was the case of "Baldwin vs. Kikas" conducted in the Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. Basically, the law suit was denied because the plaintiff failed to provide accurate facts to support the case. The second case was "John Handrigan vs. Apex Warwick, Inc." held in the Supreme Court of Rhode Island. The law suit was again denied, this time due to the fact that the ladder in question was not used in guidance with safe standards of usage, the ladder in question had been left outside for extended periods in extremes of weather and temperature, and the ladder in question had been previously damaged. Employees (partial listing): Barnes, Ray (Manager) Caslow, Bill Eisenhauer, Carl Fisher, Dick Koch, Charles Long, Donald Long, Kenny Regal, Al Rocket, James |
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Jefferson Furnace
(a.k.a.- Kauffman's/Kaufman's Furnace) Jefferson Furnace, also known as Kauffman's/ Kaufman's furnace, was a charcoal-fueled iron furnace works located outside of Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. The original furnace was built by John Pott III (grandson of the founder and namesake of Pottsville, PA) in 1864 and operated until 1879, at which point it was abandoned. A new, larger operation was built circa 1879 near the Schuylkill & Susquehanna (S & S) Railroad about 1/2 mile east of Jefferson Station. The original owners of the new plant were John Zacherias and William Kauffman of Leesport, Berks County, PA. Later, ownership was transferred to brothers H. Y. Kauffman and John M. Kauffman. H. Y. Kauffman was a partner in a Berks County law office "H. Willis Bland & H. Y. Kauffman" circa 1880, plus at one point he was the Berks County District Attorney and had little time to devote to the operation of the furnace. As a result, his brother became Superintendent of the furnace and eventual sole proprietor of the business. Specifications found on-line state that the furnace consisted of one stack and had a 2300 ton capacity at one point. The ore used in the manufacturing process was hematite shipped in from Berks and Lehigh Counties. John M. Kaufman was born in July, 1835, the son of iron-master John Glass Kaufman of Berks County, PA, and Maria Merkel Kaufman. John M. would later become a well-known iron-master of his own right. He was a brother of H. Y. Kauffman, Llewellyn Kaufman, Mary Ann Kauffman Snyder and William M. Kaufman. John was a half-brother of "Luisa Rabacca Kaufman", according to the website findagrave.com, but it is believed that this individual was actually Louisa Rebecca Kaufman, who was born on 05/25/1852 and died on 01/07/1863 at the age of ten. Louisa was interred within the Bellemans Church cemetery, Berks County, PA. John M. would have only been sixteen at the time she was born and his own father, John G., lived in Berks County. John M. also was a half-brother of Oscar Glass Kaufman and Zacharias M. Kaufman. John M. married twice. The first was to an unidentified woman whose surname was also Kaufman. There were no known children of this union. The second time was to Deborah Spang Kaufman. They had the following children: Anna "Annie" (Spang?) Kaufman Schultz, Carrie (Caroline or Carolyn?) Spang Kaufman Rheinhart Wagner, (Dr.) Frederick Spang Kaufman, Laura Spang Kauffman McGown, Sadie (Sarah?) Spang Kaufman and William S. (Spang?) Kaufman. John M. served as a township school director for several years, and was a Pennsylvania Legislator for Schuylkill County. For seven years John M. Kaufman resided in the house at Jefferson Furnace which John Pott the third has occupied. Some years after the furnace had to be rebuilt, Mr. Kaufman moved into a beautiful home closer to the railroad station located near the furnace. The Schuylkill and Susquehanna (S & S) railroad ran through the valley, now as part of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company. The tracks ran past the furnace, so a station was established nearby and given the name "Jefferson"...so called on account of the furnace. This was the first station to be encountered west of Auburn, PA. John M. Kaufman died on 04/13/1901 at Jefferson, Schuylkill County, PA. His obituary featured in the Reading Eagle newspaper on 04/14/1901 stated that he was working in his garden at the time when he "fell over and died in a few minutes". FURNACE-RELATED NEWSPAPER ARTICLES "NEW CHARCOAL FURNACE - Workmen are digging the excavation and laying the foundation at Jefferson Station, on the Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad, two miles west of Auburn, for John M. Kauffman's new charcoal furnace, which is to replace the old one that was destroyed by fire about a year ago. The new one will be an improvement upon the old one." - Reading Eagle, Friday, April 18, 1879. "John M. Kauffman has been busily engaged since November last in erecting a large charcoal furnace near Auburn. It is thought the fires will be started sometime in May." - Reading Daily Eagle, Friday, April 23, 1880. "Furnace to Resume Work. Jefferson furnace, which shut down a short time ago, for repairs, is ready to resume work, and is expected to be put in blast tomorrow. The proprietors are J. M. and H. Y. Kauffman, who have spent considerable money in getting things in proper condition. The furnace employs quite a number of men, who will be very glad to work again." - Weekly Miners' Journal, Friday, January 25, 1884. "The Jefferson furnace, situated four miles west of Auburn, was put in blast again, on Friday, with a favorable outlook for the future. The match was lit by Miss Sallie Bensinger*, a nine-year-old girl". - Pinegrove Herald c. 1884. NOTE: It is highly probable that this article misidentified Sarah “Sallie” S. Brensinger as “Bensinger” since she would have been nine years old at that time and her father, Aaron N. "A. N." Brensinger, was an influential worker at the furnace. An undated and non-sourced newspaper clipping reads "During the peak period of operation after the Civil War, close to 900 men were employed at the furnace". The article further states that by 1885, charcoal-fired iron furnaces could no longer economically compete with cheaper anthracite-fueled furnaces, and the industry was lost in South Manheim Township, causing the loss of hundreds of jobs and the population of the township to dwindle from 920 in 1880 to less that 600 ten years later in 1890. Partial list of employees/owners: Brensinger, Aaron N. "A. N." (manager) Kauffman/Kaufman, H. Y. (relationship to John M. Kaufman/Kauffman is currently unknown) Kauffman/Kaufman, John H. (owner) Kauffman, William (prior owner) Pott, John III (original owner) Zacherias, John (prior owner) Zimmerman, John D. |
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Jeremiah Lutz's boat yard - see: Lutz's boat yard
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Jones & Moyer
brick manufacturers The Jones and Moyer brick manufacturers of Auburn are listed in the Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania genealogy dated 1916 as having been in operation circa 1890...which would have been around the time of the Auburn Block Company and after the Auburn Shale Brick Company had recently been established. Whether Jones and Moyer was a separate enterprise from either of these companies or whether the name was simply and unofficial representation of one of these companies is uncertain. The article reads in part "Irwin Dewald...was born in that town (Auburn) Sep. 2, 1875, son of Samuel Dewald. Irwin Dewald was educated in the schools of Auburn, Pa., and upon completing his studies entered the employ of Jones & Moyer, brick manufacturers, for a time." One would believe that an official genealogy created for Schuylkill County would have listed the proper or official name of the business but that is uncertain. LIST OF EMPLOYEES: Dewald, Irwin (or Irvin) "Buck" or "Bucky" (circa 1890s) |
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Joseph Fahl's boat yard - see: Fahl's boat yard
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Kaufman's (or Kauffman's) Furnace - see: Jefferson Furnace
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Keystone Broom Works
An undated and unidentified news snippet states the "Auburn Knitting Mills" was founded in 1880 by William H. Diefenderfer and William G. Faust as a "broom business", but the building was destroyed by fire in 1885. When the structure was rebuilt, the manufacture of hosiery and underwear was started and the company was known then as the Auburn Knitting Mill. This article seems to be in error as the broom factory had not involved William G. Faust in any known capacity but he was a junior partner in the Auburn Knitting Mill which occupied the location where the broom factory once was established. A vintage receipt from the 1800s (exact date cut off the document) shows that a business enterprise called the "Keystone Broom Works" was established in Auburn, PA and that the proprietors were a "Diefenderfer and Son". This may have been prior to William G. Faust having an interest in the company or that William G. Faust only became junior proprietor of the Auburn Knitting Mills when it was established in 1880. William Diefenderfer was born in 1854 but his only known son wasn't born until 1889...four years after the fire. Therefore, it stands to reason that William Diefenderfer was the "son" mentioned on the invoice and that his father, John Henry Diefenderfer of Auburn, was the original proprietor of the "Keystone Broom Works". Both John Henry Diefenderfer and William Henry Diefenderfer are interred within the Auburn Church of God cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. The Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania Genealogy printed in 1916 by J. H. Beers & Co. has a mention of a Henry L. Miller who apprenticed in the art of broom-making and followed that job for seven years in Auburn. A note states that he also made brushes. |
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Keystone Dynamite
and Powder Company The location of the Keystone Dynamite and Powder Company is clearly marked on this vintage map dated 1886 and is believed to have been within the geographical area considered the Auburn-area; however, very little information is available about this industry. |
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Lime kilns
The four lime kilns pictured here were once located on the eastern edge of Auburn along Market Street (Route 895). They were adjacent to the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad tracks near the underpass for Rt. 895. No evidence of the kilns operation exist presently. The origin of the kilns is uncertain, although there might be a clue within the following excerpt regarding an early pastor of St. John's Church which reads "According to a newspaper article published April 2nd, 2000 pertaining to the history of the New Hanover Evangelical Lutheran Church written by Cynthia J. McGroarty of the “Inquirer Suburban Staff” - “In 1853, the Rev. Nathan Jaeger, characterized by Kline as ‘a superior catechist’ but ‘a mercenary man,’ arrived. Jaeger scandalized the congregation with his ‘secular engagements’ and worldly pursuits, according to Kline's history, and he resigned under a cloud of controversy in 1857”. His “secular engagements” included “running quarries” and “burning lime” which resulted in him being nicknamed “the Lime-burner” by some of his congregation. It is believed that a significant portion of his congregation may have invested in his business. Unfortunately, he was not a successful businessman, and subsequently a committee was appointed to investigate his transactions. While he was found not guilty of intentional dishonesty, the committee “expressed strong disapproval of his course in involving himself in such manner that he could not meet his obligations”. If the aforementioned information is accurate, then apparently a percentage of the congregation approved of the "lime-burner" when they believed he might make them some money in the form of profits, but disapproved of his "secular engagements" when it became apparent he had lost their money. The demise of the lime kilns is a little more clearly defined in an excerpt from the Reading Eagle dated April 11, 1896 which reads "The board (of health) also recorded themselves as opposed to the rebuilding of the lime kilns at the old place. This meets with some opposition by some members of town council." |
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Lutz's boat yard
(a.k.a. - Jeremiah Lutz's boat yard) A publication (partially) titled "Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania" published in 1893 contains a biography of Auburn-area resident Jeremiah Lutz. One of the sentences in the biography states "For three years, he owned (and operated) a boat yard at Auburn, and built boats which ran on the Schuylkill Canal". Jeremiah Lutz was born in Washington Township, Schuylkill County, PA, on 11/01/1826. He was the son of (presumed) parents Johannes "John" Lutz and Susanna Schrope Lutz. He was a brother of (presumed) siblings Esther Elizabeth Lutz Freeman, Joseph Lutz, Judith Lutz Dewald, Lydia Lutz and Susanna Lutz Heim. Jeremiah married Lucina "Lucy" Lenhart Lutz. They had the following children: Catharine "Kate" Anna Lutz, Minnie* Lutz and Willoughby Lutz. *NOTE: The name "Minnie" can be a nickname for Amelia, Clementine, Hermoine, Mary or Wilhelmia. According to the 1890 Auburn Census, Jeremiah was listed as having the occupation of "carpenter". Sometime prior to that census, he owned a "boat yard" at Auburn where he built boats which ran on the Schuylkill Canal. He also served as an Auburn Borough Council member and an Auburn School director. Jeremiah died in Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA, on 03/02/1906 and was interred within the St. John's Church cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. |
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Nova Precision Casting
Nova Precision Casting Corporation is located northeast of Auburn on Hickory Drive on the same site where the Deitrich Foundry once was situated. The company was established in 1971. This foundry produces alloys or castings of: alloy steel, aluminum; aluminum bronze; aluminum silicon; aluminum & zinc; brass; bronze; carbide; carbon; carbon steel; chrome steel; chromium steel; cobalt base; cupro nickel; nickel base; phosphor bronze; stainless steel; super-alloy; tool steel; vanadium steel and white iron. Their product line includes items used in agriculture; aircraft; architecture; automotive; bridges; buildings; construction machinery; engines and motors; hardware; hydraulics; industrial machines; mining; railroads; and tools. They provide customers with small to medium run quantities of products of a commercial quality . Employees: Boyd, Richard Hoherchak, Joseph M. (President) |
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Omnova Solutions Inc.
The Omnova Solutions facility is located northeast of Auburn, Pennsylvania at 95 W. Hickory Drive. The site is the prior location of the American Renolit factory and and the Reneer Films factory. In 1915, the General Tire Company was founded to primarily produce rubber tires for automobiles. By 1952, General Tire Corporation expanded into a chemical and plastics division. by 1984, the company was reorganized as GenCorp (the predecessor factory where Omnova Solutions of Auburn, PA is now located). OMNOVA Solutions began in 1999, when the Company (a spin-off of GenCorp) was established as an independent, publicly-traded enterprise. The company's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange and recently was valued at a little over $10 per share. The Omnova Company is based out of Beachwood, Ohio and a 2016 estimate places its revenue at approx. $760 million. The Omnova company manufactures additives, adhesives, antioxidants, binders, cement additives, coated fabrics, coating resins and additives, concrete protection and additives, digital wall murals, drilling fluid additives, durable press resins, elastomeric modifiers, emulsion polymers, floor care polymers and additives, fluid loss control additives, fluorosurfactants, industrial films, in mold coatings, insolubilizers, laminates, lubricants, moisture barriers, opacifiers, performance films, primer coatings, print enhancers, reinforcing resins, release coatings, repellents, resins, saturants, sealants, sizing agents, softeners, specialty chemicals and stimulation additives (not all at the Auburn-location). Some industries which utilize Omnova products include agriculture, appliances, architecture, automotive, coatings, construction, corporate office, electronics, entertainment, food service, gas, health care, hospitality, industrial, inks, landscape, marine, oil, packaging, paint, paper, personal care, recreational vehicles, retail, sports, textiles, tires and transportation. Partial-listing of Omnova employees: Morgan, Herman "Herm" Renninger, Richard "Dick" F. (quality control) Sathe, Roger M. Tirpak, Clare |
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Perfectemp
Refrigeration Service Inc. The Perfectemp Refrigeration website states that it is a family owned and operated business ever since its "humble beginning as a single technician in a service van" in 1987. Over thirty years later, Perfectemp is both an industry leader and innovator in the field of refrigeration, touting itself as the "largest re-manufacturing facility in North America". The company services a number of well-known market chains, some of which include "Giant Eagle, Piggly Wiggly, Redner's Warehouse Markets, Shop Rite and Supervalue". The company inhabited the manufacturing facility which once housed Craftex Industries located at 2100 Market Street, east of Auburn, Pennsylvania. Within the 136,000 square foot facility they boast an on-hand supply in excess of 2,000 units of retail cases and refrigeration equipment from every major manufacturer stated to be the "largest variety of refrigerated retail equipment in the country". Perfectemp Refrigeration provides complete refrigeration equipment sales, installation and maintenance services for convenience stores, supermarkets and grocery stores. They also support recycling or re-purposing previously utilized refrigeration units by re-manufacturing refrigeration cases for sale. |
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Phillips American Renolit - see: "American Renolit (Phillips)
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Reneer Films (Goodyear)
A Pottsville Republican newspaper article dated February 23, 1996 contains the following excerpts: "Reneer Films has been a world-class producer of decorative PVC films in its Auburn facility for more than 30 years. In July 1993, Reneer Films was acquired by GenCorp, a Fairlawn Ohio, headquartered company...The Auburn facility produces vinyl wood-grain laminates and opaque films for furniture and consumer electronics manufacturers, and double polished clear films for office products and stationery markets." The article further stresses the company's philosophy of the importance of training and safety as well as employee-participation in volunteer- and community-oriented social organizations. Employees (partial-listing): Beck, Ned (UV coater) Bound, Jack (UV coater) Breiner, Don (printer) Brown, Larry (UV coater) Correll, Dave Jr. (calender) Correll, Dave Sr. (calender) Frey, Gene (printer) Houtz, Larry (printer) Kreiser, Gene Moyer, Jim (calender) Nagle, George H. Sathe, Roger (printer) Schaeffer, Don (UV coater) Schrader, Earl J. (machine operator) Seigfried, Ray C. Smulktis, Clarence (printer) Somers, Bill (embosser) Sullivan, Jim (printer) Thomas, Diane (calender) Vinansky, Jerry (calender) Weremedic, Mike (embosser) Wessner, Ralph "Mush" P. (foreman)(c. 1982) Wolfe, Bill (printer) Zimmerman, Dale (UV ocater) |
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Seven Rivers Log Homes
January 11, 1971 - In a news article from an unidentified source, the headline reads "New Auburn Industry Seen Employing 60". The article reads "AUBURN - A new industry employing 60 persons will be developed in the borough councilmen report. George Shoaf, of Orwigsburg, president of Seven Rivers, Inc., told borough council that his company plans to erect a 50' by 250' two-story plant to produce pre-cut log homes. The plant will be located on land purchased from the Reading Company and consisting of a long triangular-shaped tract bounded by the old "S & S" branch of the railroad on the south; 2d Street on the west; Washington Street and Auburn Fire Company property on the north; and the main line of the Reading Railroad on the east. The borough's Reading Railroad freight and passenger station is to be included in the purchase, Shoaf said. Shoaf explained that logs in their natural state will be shipped by rail to the plant where they will be cut, stained and treated with preservative. Log homes will include partitions, paneling, hardwood floors or carpets, electrical heat, insulation, cedar shake roof, double pane windows, choice of kitchens and fireplaces, technical assistance in erection, and site planning assistance. The unassembled homes will be shipped from the plant by rail or truck." November 23, 1971 - An article printed in "The Call" weekly newspaper of Schuylkill County, PA dated November 23, 1971 is headlined "Log House Mill Begins in Auburn". This article promotes the actual start of construction of the metal structure which will house the Log Home mill. According to the article, while several models of log home designs are available, the company is willing to meet the customers' needs by making their house a custom design. The average cost of a standard log home ranges from $6 to $13 per square foot. Each unit is complete with eight inch pine log walls, hand pegged floors, country kitchen cabinets, log rafters and beams, and a knotty pine ceiling. These houses are designed to be erected by those D.I.Y. customers who want to build their own home, but if desired Seven Rivers will provide a two-week erection service. September 13, 1972 - An article printed in the Pottsville Republican dated September 13, 1972 is headlined "Old Log Cabin Look Is Revived In Auburn". According to the information provided, Seven Rivers, Inc. will erect a mill capable of producing sufficient logs to build up to 20 log houses each day. The president of the company is identified as George E. Shoaf. According to the article, log houses which are untreated may last up to 200 years; however, Seven Rivers "will treat its logs to last longer". The company expected to employ 100 persons once they reach production capacity. (Editor's note: An Auburn-area resident had confided that the property upon which the Seven Rivers Log Home industry was located may be unsaleable due to chemicals that had leached into the soil from the stains and preservatives used at the plant. Whether or not this alleged soil contamination exists is unconfirmed at this time.) Employees (partial listing): George E. Shoaf, President |
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Staller and Shollenberger
The quaint painted wooden sign pictured on this webpage (donated by AAHS Lifetime Member Harry Fisher) states that "Staller and Shollenberger" were dealers in "Crushed Stone and Sand" with "Cement Work a Specialty". Their business site is believed to have been located east of Auburn and the Schuylkill River adjacent to River Road. However, presently very little information exists about this business. |
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West Side Wood Products
The West Side Wood Products plant is located northeast of Auburn, PA. Their company brochure reads "Located in Auburn, Pa., West Side Wood Products Inc. has been serving the Berks, Schuylkill and surrounding areas with pallets, skids, boxes, and crates since 1990. (Editor's note: The West Side Wood Products facility outside of Auburn was built much later than 1990.) With our 60,000 square foot facility built on 11 acres, we are able to stock more materials and finished products, which will help us serve you better. We are ISPM-15 certified by the government for any and all heat treated export work that your company may require. We manufacture new wooden pallets and skids of all sizes to fit your needs. Customizing odd size pallets and skids for shipping requirements is one of our specialties. Custom boxes and crates are also available in all sizes for shipping various products. Another branch of our business is the recycling of used pallets. GMA 48 x 40 pallets are bought and sold along with various other sizes. Our new products division is diversified in many areas. We offer the GMA 48 x 40 pallet along with other sizes standard to the industry. We will custom build any pallet or skid regardless of size or shape. Our box and crate department can build any size you need to meet your specifications. We build a lot of boxes and crates that interlock onto a skid after packaging is complete. On average, we carry 500,000 board feet of lumber. So we are ready for almost any order that comes our way. Our company is certified for ISPM-15 shipments. This includes all export shipments your company needs to make outside the USA. We will build your export skids, pallets, boxes, and crates out of heat treated materials only. Our automated nailing machine and cutting edge technology saws, have made us more efficient and enabled us to reduce our labor costs to give more affordable pricing. Our recycling program starts with YOUR pallets. Removal of used pallets can be very costly. Broken pallets in your building are taking up valuable floor space. Not to mention the pallets stored outside have environmental and safety concerns. We will not only remove the pallets from your facility, we will pay for any pallet that we can repair and sell. We also offer a repair and return program for those companies in need of having their pallets reconditioned and brought back. Onsite repair services are available. Sizes of used pallets bought and sold by West Side Wood Products include: 42 x 42 Flush 42 x 42 Wing 48 x 40 2-Way 48 x 40 4-Way 48 x 40 Block Pallet 48 x 42 2-Way 48 x 42 4-Way 48 x 48 Flush We have the ability to spot a trailer at your facility for pickups and deliveries. Our normal time frame for pickups and deliveries is 48 hours. We can do 24 hours in emergency situations. Our Address: West Side Wood Products, Inc. P.O. Box 388 57 Hickory Drive Auburn, PA 17922 Phone: Schuylkill - 570-366-5200 Berks - 610-562-8166 Fax: 570-366-5201 e-mail: [email protected] " |
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