Yuba County

History

Chapter XXII - Manufacturers of Marysville

The importance of Marysville as a manufacturing center was early recognized, and preparations were soon commenced to make here most of the articles required to supply the immense mining and agricultural districts tributary to this city.  Several of the old branches of manufacture have been abandoned or have suffered a decline, but other industries have been put into successful operation, so that now the total value of manufacturers has reached a large sum annually.  The cheapness of eastern goods and the facilities of transportation furnished by the great railroads have rendered the manufacture of certain classes of  goods to a large degree unprofitable.  The manufacturing industries of the city are given below, with a brief sketch of their progress, and their present condition.

BAGS

The business of bag-making is lineally descended from the early canvas sewing enterprise.  The houses in the early days were chiefly partitioned with canvas or sheeting, over which, to be ornamental, a facing of wall paper was occasionally placed.  As early as 1852, a machine for sewing this canvas was introduced here by a man in the wall paper business, and soon after there were several at work.  When there came a demand for grain bags and flour sacks, and a falling off in the canvas wall trade, the proprietors of these machines, naturally gravitated from the sewing of cloth for houses to the manufacture of bags for grain and flour.  The only factory of this nature now in the city is that of Pierce & Harvey, on D street, between First and Second streets, which was established in 1873.  There are from six to ten men employed and a very large quantity of bags manufactured, though not so many as a few years ago.  These bags, both for flour and grain are  used throughout the northern part of the State.

BEER

A small brewery was built in Marysville by John Rueger, in 1852, corner of First and C streets.  Its successor is the present California Brewery, owned by Gotlieb Sieber.  There are six men employed here and the annual manufacture is over thirty-five thousand gallons.  In the great flood of 1875 the brewery sustained a loss of about six thousand dollars, and in April, of the same year, it was destroyed by fire.  A new frame building has since been erected.  About 1856, an ale brewery was built on Feather river at the foot of Third street, by an Englishman, but it was not long operated, and was converted in 1859, into a beer brewery by a man named Meyer.  This was in operation but a few years.

BOOTS AND SHOES

The manufacture of boots and shoes is carried on in a small way by several firms who deal in that article.  E. Terstegge & Co., 102 D street, established 1860, employ five men.  P.J. Flannery, 91 D street, established in 1859 by E. Heely, employs six men.  Moon & Creighton, 75 D street, established in 1877, employ six men.  Philip Fisher, 101 D street, employs one man.  The goods manufactured by these firms are retailed over their own counters.

BRICK

Sumner Paine, of Sutter county, claims the honor of making the first kiln of burned brick in Marysville, in 1852, for Culver, Evans & Co.  Prior to this, the brick had been of the sun-dried kind, called adobe.  The records at the court house, however, show the conveyance December 18, 1850, of a brick kiln from Fortune Gerond to Henry Bonta, and it would seem from that fact that kiln-burned brick were made before 1852.  In 1852, several brick yards were in operation, and that fall Mr. Paine made two hundred and fifty thousand for J.M. Ramirez, for which he received thirty-two dollars per thousand, in fifty dollar slugs.  They cost him sixteen dollars per thousand.  The next year was a thriving one for the brick-trade, as the city was largely built up with brick, and Mr. Paine alone made three million brick and employed seventy men.  The business continued in a flourishing condition for several years, until there was a great cessation of building in the city, when the manufacture was nearly abandoned.  The only one engaged in the manufacture of brick at present is J.L. McDonald, who makes about three hundred thousand annually.  The material used is the soil outside the levee, between Marysville and Yuba City, where the yard is situated.

BROOMS

As early as 1855, brooms were manufactured in a small way in this city.  The farmers along Feather river began to raise broom corn about that time, which they sold to the factory here and in San Francisco.  They have continued to make this a crop, and at one time great quantities were raised.  Several factories have been in existence here at various times, some small and some quite large.  At present there is but one, on Second street between E and High streets, owned by W.F. LeFavor.  He annually manufactures three thousand dozen brooms, besides brushes of various kinds.  The market for these goods is chiefly in San Francisco.

FLOUR

Until 1853, the people of California imported flour from Chile and the East at a great expense.  It was then supposed that wheat could not be successfully cultivated in this State.  A few fields of barley had been raised in different localities, but the farmers, being unacquainted with the requirements of agriculture in a country whose climate was so much at variance with that from which they came, were very timid about attempting the cultivation of grain on an extensive scale.  Notwithstanding those disadvantages, in October, 1852, Dr. Eli Teegarden, and William Foster decided to construct a mill, and the latter went East to procure machinery.  The Buckeye Mill was completed by July of the next year, and was put into successful operation at once.  Within a year from that time J.S.A. La Malfa built the Yuba or LaMalfa Mill on Second street, near the slough, Williams & Co.,  the Marysville Mill, on F street, and Soule, Bordwell & Co., the Queen City Mill.  About a year later the Cunningham Mill, on Feather river, corner of N and Fourth streets, was built by A. Cunningham & Co.  At first, imported wheat was chiefly depended upon by the mills, but gradually more and more was raised at home and discovered to be of a superior quality, until finally there was enough not only to supply the mills here but to ship abroad.  By 1869, they had all been abandoned except the Buckeye and Marysville, and a new one was built, called the Player.  The last mill shut down in 1871, the property being sold and removed to Red Bluff.  The Marysville was so badly damaged by the flood in  1875 that it never started again.  The only one now left is the Buckeye.  During all these mutations this mill has continued in operation, steadily increasing its facilities and manufacturers.  In 1864, the structure was rebuilt, and the new building occupied a space of three hundred and twenty feet square at the corner of Yuba and Fifth streets, near the railroad depot.  The property is owned and managed by an incorporated company with one thousand shares at a par value of two hundred dollars, or a capital stock of two hundred thousand dollars.  Mr. Justus Greely is President, and G.W. Peacock, Secretary.  In 1869, the capacity was two hundred barrels in twenty-four hours, now the production is from four hundred to four hundred and fifty barrels in the same time.  The trade through the valley, in the mountains, China, and Europe is about seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars annually.  During the last year, two hundred and fifty thousand dollars were expended for labor and nine thousand dollars for wood.  Connected with the mill are two warehouses with a storage capacity of about four thousand tons.  The company gives employment to a large number of men, and is one of the leading manufacturing establishments in Marysville, and in fact in Northern California.

FOUNDRY AND MACHINE SHOPS

The first foundry and machine shop was established in 1852, by Stombs, Daggett & Co., corner of A and Seventh streets.  This institution is now known as the Marysville Foundry, and is situated on the corner of B and Fourth streets.  I.G. Shepard is the Superintendent, and Charles M. Gorham, Manager.  From thirty to fifty men are employed.  A specialty is made of mining machinery, and the manufactures are sent to Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Montana and throughout this State.  In 1864, a small shop was started on Maiden Lane, between Second and Third streets, and ran about three years, when the machinery was taken to Yuba City.  In 1870, H.B. Williamson and C.S. Cary established the Empire Foundry, which was, in 1878, sold to R. Hoskin.  It is situated on the corner of Fifth and F streets, and is superintended by H.B. Williamson.  The manufactures consist of engine boilers, agricultural and mining machinery.  The gang-plow American Chief, and the Little Giant, hydraulic mining machinery, are made here.  Their manufactures are sent to all the Western States and Territories, and to South America.

LEATHER

As early as 1852, a small tannery was built by Drake & Spindler, called the Pioneer Tannery.  Here a small portion of the immense products of hides in this region was converted into leather for home consumption.  Hides had been for years one of the great staple products which were exported from the State, and until the few early tanneries were established, they were brought back in the shape of leather, and in a manufactured state at greatly advanced prices.  This condition of affairs continued for a number of years after the introduction of tanning, and is true to a certain extent today.  The numerous tanneries in the State, however, have so increased their facilities that eastern manufactures are only salable on account of price and quality, and are not as formerly a necessity.  The Pioneer Tannery was in operation until 1862, when it was abandoned.   The next enterprise of this nature was the Feather River Tannery, built in 1858, by Heitmann & Hoelsher.  It stood on Feather river until it was drowned out by the flood in 1862, when it was removed to its present location, on the block bounded by Eighth, Ninth, M, and L streets.  In 1864, Mr. Hoelsher sold his interest to his partner, Henry Heitmann, who is still managing the business.  He employs three men, and his manufactures are nearly all consumed in the city.  Another tannery was built in 1860, on the slough above the Oroville depot.  It was destroyed by fire after about one year's existence, and was never rebuilt.

MARBLE

McCready & Brothers, in 1859, were the first marble carvers in Marysville.  Since then there have been always from one to three firms engaged in that business.  At present there are two establishments, Condon Brothers, corner of High and Second streets, employing four men, and Wood & McWain, on D street, between First and Second streets, employing two men.  These establishments manufacture headstones, monuments, etc.  The stones mostly used are Italian marble and Scotch granite, though other kinds are occasionally used, and any stone desired can be procured.  These firms send monuments to all points in this section of the State.

MARYSVILLE COAL GAS COMPANY

In May, 1858, this company was incorporated with a capital stock of one hundred thousand dollars.  D.E. Knight, A. Pierce, and C.H. Simpkin were elected Trustees, and D.E. Knight, President.  These officers have been retained in power continuously.  A contract was made with the city granting the company the power to lay mains and pipes, and by which the company agreed to furnish gas free of cost to the churches and public buildings so long as no franchise should be granted to other parties.  The city was first lighted August 18, 1858, and the company has since continued to light the city lamps.  The company has extended its main to Yuba City, and is now supplying that place from the same works.  The first building was erected on Virgin Alley in 1858.  The present brick structure was built in 1865, on the corner of B and Second streets.  The amount of gas manufactured yearly, is about twelve million three hundred and twenty thousand feet.  Five men are employed about the works.  The works have been successfully managed by D.E. Knight,  the Superintendent, who has given them much of his attention.

MARYSVILLE WOOLEN FACTORY

The idea of establishing a woolen mill in Marysville was first conceived and acted upon by A. Shields.  He, with W.H. Parks, canvassed Yuba and Sutter counties for subscriptions to the stock, and raised forty-eight thousand dollars.  The company was incorporated in the  spring of 1867, with a capital stock of fifty thousand dollars.  D.E. Knight went east and purchased machinery for a "four-set mill".  The property of the California Stage Company, corner B and Second streets, on which was a brick building, 140x160 feet, was purchased, and the mill put in operation in September, 1867.  The first officers were: - W.H. Parks, President:  D.E. Knight, Vice-President;  C.M. Patterson, Secretary;  J.H. Jewett, Treasurer.  D.E. Knight has been Superintendent of the mill form the time of its opening.  In October, 1868, D.E. Knight was elected President and Superintendent, C.M. Patterson, Secretary, and N.D. Rideout, Treasurer;  since that time there has been no change in officers.  The Trustees are I.S. Belcher, William Fletcher, Charles Sexey, M. Marcuse, N.D. Rideout, C.M. Patterson, and D.E. Knight.  Wool was cheap the first year, and the mill was successful enough to declare a stock dividend of twenty-five per cent.  The same dividend was also declared for the second year.  The capital stock is now two hundred thousand dollars, of which one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars represent the earnings of the mill.  The company has built an addition to the mill, a fire-proof picker room, 40x40 feet, and also a brick warehouse, 40x80 feet, and put in two more sets of cards and other machinery.  Since it has commenced operations, the mill has used two million eight hundred thousand pounds of wool, and paid out five hundred and four thousand dollars.  The company has employed an average of sixty hands, and paid over three hundred thousand dollars for labor.  The best grades of wool are used, and the finest qualities of cassimeres, doeskins, flannels, blankets, etc., are manufactured.  The factory also makes underwear and overshirts for the market.  By thus always making a first class article, the mill has never come into competition with the manufacturers of shoddy and inferior articles, and has always found a ready sale for the product at a good price.  The goods are sold chiefly in San Francisco, Salt Lake City, and Chicago.  Field, Leiter & Co., of Chicago, purchase large quantities of the goods, paying the high freight on them in preference to procuring a cheaper article and poorer quality in the East.  The mill, under the able superintendence of Mr. Knight, has continued to flourish, until today, it is the leading manufacturing industry of the city.

SADDLERY

With the increase of teaming came a necessity for shops where harnesses could be made and repaired, yet it was not until the fall of 1850, that a shop of that character was started in Marysville.  That fall the firm of Biely, Albreght & Hurstell, of Sacramento, started a branch shop in this city.  Mr. Hurstell took charge of the business, and employed a man named O'Connor to do the work.  The next spring G.C.Schroter was sent up to take O'Connor's place, and the latter started a shop of his own.  Other shops were soon opened, until the business became a very large and prosperous one.  Prices ruled very high in 1852, a saddle costing from fifty to five hundred dollars;  six-mule harness, two hundred and fifty to four hundred dollars;  buggy harness, twenty-five to seventy-five dollars;  bridles, twenty-five to seventy-five dollars.  J. Heiser, who commenced work here in the fall of 1851, was the first manufacturer of the Marysville saddle-tree.  William L. Lawrence opened a shop in July, 1853, and has since continued in the business, thus being the oldest harness maker still in the city.  Marysville has in the past been a great center for this class of manufacturing, and is so today.  So many goods are made here, and the competition is so sharp, that prices have been brought down below those prevailing in the surrounding cities.  In  this way a large outside trade has been created, and were it not for this foreign trade, there would be a great falling off in the quantity of goods manufactured.  The firms engaged in this business are: - Wm. L. Lawrence, 103-7 Second street, employing eight men;  H.M. Harris, corner C and Third streets, employing seven men;  V.L. Earnshields, corner C and Third streets, employing six men;  Amos Fisher, corner C and Third streets, employing two men;  J.C. Roth, C street, near Second street, employing two men.

SASH, DOORS, AND BLINDS

A sash, door and blind factory, and planing mill was built in 1854 by C.H. Goodwin, now one of the editors of the Territorial Enterprise, of Virginia City, Nevada.   It was on the site of the present water works building, and was sold to the Water Works Company in 1858.  Another factory was started in 1857, corner of Fourth street and Maiden Lane, by Aubrey & Bender, which continued in operation until 1871.  The large establishment of Swain & Hudson was started in 1860, by W.C. Swain, at which time the price of lumber and labor was so reduced as to render competition with eastern manufacturers possible.  The demand for fruit boxes soon became great, and formed a large part of the product of these factories, one orchard alone using six thousand dollars worth of boxes.  This part of the business has fallen off to a great extent.  This firm does contracting and building, as well as general mill work, and employs from forty to fifty men for nine months in the year.  Another factory was established in 1871, by John Peffer on C street, between Fourth and Fifth streets.  General mill work is done here, and five men are employed.

SOAP

The Marysville Soap Works were established in 1863, by J.W. Cowan.  They stand on the corner of Sixteenth and Yuba streets.  The works are complete in every particular, and are operated by steam power.  The present proprietor is James Cook.  He employs three men, and manufacturers over twenty-five thousand pounds of soap monthly.  In 1858, a soap factory, making two hundred thousand pounds annually, was being conducted by J. Hisey.

TINWARE

There are two houses in the city that are largely engaged in the manufacture of tinware, water tanks, etc., in addition to doing a general hardware business.  White, Cooley & Cutts, 137-9-41 Third street, employ nine men in the manufacturing branch of their business, and in addition to making tinware and water tanks, do tin and iron roofing.  Their water tanks and pipe are sent all over the northern part of the State.  E.C. Ross & Co., No. 66 D street, are also very largely engaged in the manufacture of tinware, water tanks, pipes, etc.  They generally have ten men employed in this branch of their business.

UNION LUMBER COMPANY

The lumber business of this firm was established in 1852, by W.K. Hudson and Samuel Harryman, as Hudson & Co.  In 1854, Harryman sold out to W.H. and G.B. Pepper.  The yard was burned in 1854.  In 1857, the firm was changed to A.P. Willey, Elisha Scott, and Thaddeus Dean, under the name of Willey, Dean & Co.  Mr. Dean sold out to P.P. Cain, and in 1858, Mr. Hudson again became a partner, the firm name being changed to Hudson, Willey & Cain.  In 1864, they incorporated as the Union Lumber Company.  W.K. Hudson was elected President, and A.P. Willey, Vice-President;  T.E. Perkins, R.S. Jenkins, and A.J. Batchelder were the other Directors.  In 1873, Mr. Hudson died, and A.P. Willey was elected President, and F.D. Hudson, Vice-President, which positions they still hold.  The Secretary is N.G. Dow.  The company has owned and operated fifteen saw-mills in this county, and several in other counties.  In 1873, they dispersed of their mills, and have since been doing a yard business only.  The mills, when owned by this company, manufactured from four million to six million feet of lumber annually.

WAGONS, ETC.

One of the initial industries of the young city of Marysville,  as early as 1849, was blacksmithing and the repairing of wagons.  Horses and cattle had to be shod, wagons repaired and mining implements made and kept in good condition, and the consequence was that blacksmith shops sprang up on every hand.  These shops, however, confined themselves exclusively to repairing, and it was not until 1851, that any attempt was made to manufacture.  In the summer of 1851, George P. Hunt made two stages for John Adrient to run to Long Bar and Parks Bar.  The wood work was done by G.W. Green.  Mr. Hunt is still in the wagon making business and is the oldest blacksmith and wagon maker in the city.  The next oldest is A.W. Cutts, who started a shop in 1851, and in the summer of 1852, made the first wagon manufactured in this city.  It was a light four horse wagon, and was valued at five hundred dollars.  In 1854, the firm of Subers & Cutts was formed, and it has existed without any change until the present time - a term of twenty-five years.  This is the only firm mentioned in the directory of 1855, that has remained unchanged.  The next oldest wagon maker is Charles Raish, who commenced work in 1853.  To him belongs the honor of making the first top buggy, which he did in 1854.  This sold for five hundred dollars.  Since these early attempts, wagon and carriage manufacturing has been a great industry in the city, buggies, carriages, trucks, wagons, prairie schooners, stages, etc., having been made in large numbers.  Even now, there are seventy or eighty made here annually by the various firms.  The firms now engaged in the manufacturing of wagons, with the number of men employed, are given below.  A great deal of blacksmithing and repairing is done, and consequently, the number of men employed, is no indication of the new work done by each firm.  Charles Raish, 105 Third street, employs three men;  Katzner, Russell & Chase, B and Sixth streets, four men;  Easton & White, Virgin Alley and Third street;  S.H. Bradley & Co., Virgin Alley and Third street, seven men;  George P. Hunt, 97 C street, one man;  Saul & DePue, 73-5 and 84-5-6 C street, five men;  W.C. Ogden & Son, Third street, between E and F streets, ten men;  James Sneed, C and Fourth streets, two men;  A.M. Goff, 99 C street, one man.

WINE AND BRANDY

Wine was made in Marysville, by J.M. Ramirez, as early as 1855, though none was made for the market prior to 1859, when Charles Covillaud, who had been making small quantities for several years, commenced its manufacture on a larger scale.  A great deal of wine is now throughout the county, by a number of persons who have vineyards.  The largest vineyard and winery near Marysville is that of Grass Bros.  They commenced the manufacture as early as 1863, and now have twenty-five acres of vineyard.  This, at an average of one thousand vines to the acre, makes a total of twenty-five thousand vines, which are of forty-three varieties.  They have made as high as seventeen thousand gallons of seven varieties of wine in one year.  Last year their manufacture was, however, but four thousand five hundred gallons.  Some of the wine made here is shipped direct to the East, but the larger portion is sold in San Francisco.  Two of the finest varieties of grapes, cultivated here, were imported from South America, by J. M. Ramirez;  they are the Rose of Peru, and the Chile Rose.

A soda water and sarsaparilla factory was started in 1865.  It is located at No. 82, Second street, and two men are employed there;  L. Belding is the proprietor.

May 20, 1872, the Johnston Wine and Brandy Manufacturing Co. was formed for the manufacture of those liquors by the Johnston process.  The capital stock was $100,000, divided into one thousand shares.  Of this, about $27,000 were subscribed.  That year a large quantity of both wine and brandy was made, but on account of the low price, the company became involved in debt, and was finally compelled to discontinue their business.

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