List of Glass Companies Led by Former Employees of Hobbs, Brockunier and Company

Last updated

This is a list of glass factories with ties to the J. H. Hobbs, Brockunier and Company glass works in Wheeling, West Virginia. This company was one of the leading glass manufacturers in the United States during the 19th Century. Former employees of the Hobbs works were essential employees, founders, or top management for over 20 glass factories in West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana. Wheeling's Hobbs glass works was renamed multiple times during its existence of approximately 60 years. Listed below are names used by the Hobbs glass works. [1]

Contents

Glass factories

Glass factories tied to former employees of the Hobbs and Brockunier glass works are listed below in the sortable list. The first five categories in the list can be sorted. The list's default sort orders the properties alphabetically by name. Notes are listed in the last section.

CompanyCityStateYearEmployeesNotes
1 Beatty-Brady Glass Company DunkirkIndiana1896Charles N. BradyFormer J.H. Hobbs, Brockunier and Company salesman Charles N. Brady was on the board of directors of this company. [2]
1 Bellaire Goblet Company Bellaire/FindlayOhio1876John Robinson, Charles Henry OverFormer Hobbs and Belmont Glass employees Robinson and Over were among the founders of this company. Over was plant's original manager, while Robinson was the plant's original superintendent. Robinson replaced Over as plant manager when the factory moved to Findlay in 1888. [3]
2 Belmont Glass Company BellaireOhio1861John Robinson, Charles Henry Over, Henry Crimmel Robinson, Over, and Crimmel left the Hobbs works to help start this factory. Robinson was plant superintendent. [4]
3Bonita Art Glass CompanyWheelingWest Virginia1901Otto JaegerFormer Hobbs manager Jaeger was company's first president and part owner. [5]
4C. H. Over Glass CompanyMuncieIndiana1889Charles Henry OverFormer Hobbs, Bellaire Glass, and Bellaire Goblet employee C. Henry Over started this window glass company after Bellaire Goblet moved from Bellaire, Ohio, to Findlay. [6]
5Central Glass CompanyWheelingWest Virginia1863John Oesterling, John Henderson, Peter CasselCo-op started by a group of former Barnes & Hobbs employees. [7] Original 1863 company name was Oesterling, Henderson, and Co. Incorporated as Central Glass Co. in 1867. [8] Former Hobbs employees Oesterling, first president, had been a mold maker, Henderson had been an engineer, and Cassel had been a glassblower. [9] [8]
6Dalzell, Gilmore & Leighton CompanyFindlayOhio1888William F. Russell, William Leighton Jr.Originally incorporated as Dalzell Brothers & Gilmore Glass Company. Former Hobbs supervisor Russell was first plant manager. [10] Company changed name before operations began when former Hobbs executive William Leighton Jr. agreed to join firm as part owner. Leighton was considered "a colored glass expert and an outstanding production technician." [11]
7 Fostoria Glass Company Fostoria/MoundsvilleOhio/West Virginia1887Lucian B. Martin, William S. Brady, James B. Russell, Benjamin M. Hildreth, Otto Jaeger, Henry Crimmel, Jacob CrimmelFormer Hobbs sales executive Martin was first president. Brady, a former bookkeeper at Hobbs, was company secretary. Russell, a former Hobbs manager, was the first plant manager. Former Hobbs salesmen Hildreth was sales manager. [12] Both Crimmels worked at Hobbs, [13] and were employee shareholders of the Fostoria company. [14] Crimmel glass recipes were used to mix batches of glass during the company's earliest days. [15] [16]
8 Fostoria Shade and Lamp Company FostoriaOhio1890William S. Brady, Nicholas Kopp Jr.Former Hobbs bookkeeper Brady was on board of directors. Former Hobbs glass mixer Kopp directed operations. [17] [13]
9 H. Northwood & Company WheelingWest Virginia1901Harry NorthwoodHarry Northwood, former etcher at Hobbs & Brockunier, founded this company in the old Hobbs glass works. [18]
10Hazel Glass CompanyWashingtonPennsylvania1885Charles N. BradyFormer Hobbs bookkeeper and salesman Charles N. Brady founded this company and was first president. [19]
11King, Son and CompanyPittsburghPennsylvania1869James B. RussellFormer Hobbs employee was manager of this Pittsburgh glass plant. [20]
12Kopp Glass CompanySwissvalePennsylvania1900Nickolas Kopp Jr.Former Hobbs employee Kopp was famous for his ruby–colored glass, and was considered one of the industry's greatest chemists. [21]
13Libbey Glass CompanyToledoOhio1888 Michael Joseph Owens As plant superintendent, former Hobbs worker Owens helped rescue financially–troubled company. [22]
14Libbey–Owens Sheet Glass CompanyToledoOhio1916 Michael Joseph Owens Company formed by Edward Libbey and former Hobbs employee Michael Owens to market window glass made by machine developed by Owens and Irving Wightman Colburn. [23]
15 Nickel Plate Glass Company FostoriaOhio1888Benjamin M. Hildreth, James B. RussellFormer Hobbs and Fostoria employees Hildreth (secretary) and Russell (manager) were among the founders of the company. [24]
16 Novelty Glass Company TiffinOhio1891 Henry Crimmel Crimmel was plant manager and one of the founders. [25]
17Owens Bottle Machine CompanyToledoOhio1903 Michael Joseph Owens Formed by former Hobbs worker Owens and Edward Libbey to market the Owens bottle machine. [22]
18Riverside Glass CompanyWellsburgWest Virginia1879William S. Brady, Charles N. BradyFormer Hobbs bookkeeper and salesman Charles N. Brady organized this company and was president. [19] His brother, former Hobbs bookkeeper William Brady was secretary and general manager, and eventually became president. [12] [19]
19Robinson Glass CompanyZainsvilleOhio1893John RobinsonJohn Robinson was president and son Edwin was secretary-treasurer. [26]
20 Seneca Glass Company FostoriaOhio1891Otto JaegerFormer Hobbs manager Jaeger was company's first president and part owner. [5]
21 Sneath Glass Company Tiffin/Hartford CityOhio/Indiana1892 Henry Crimmel Crimmel was plant manager and part owner of reorganized version restarted in Indiana during 1894. [27]
22Toledo Glass CompanyToledoOhio1895 Michael Joseph Owens Research firm formed by Michael Owens and Edward D. Libbey. [22]

Notes

  1. ↑ "Hobbs Brockunier Glass, Wheeling, WV 1886". Ohio County Public Library. Retrieved 2013-11-24.
  2. ↑ Bredehoft & Bredehoft 1997 , p. 28
  3. ↑ Paquette 2002 , pp. 56–57
  4. ↑ Paquette 2002 , p. 57
  5. 1 2 "Otto Jaeger, founder of Fostoria, Seneca, and Bonita Art Glass (1923)". Ohio County Public Library. Retrieved November 17, 2013.
  6. ↑ Paquette 2002 , pp. 57 & 117
  7. ↑ "Central Glass Company". Glass Lovers Glass Database. Retrieved 2013-11-24.
  8. 1 2 Baker 1986 , p. 118
  9. ↑ Crammer et al. 1890 , p. 246
  10. ↑ Paquette 2002 , p. 61
  11. ↑ Paquette 2002 , p. 62
  12. 1 2 Paquette 2002 , pp. 179–180
  13. 1 2 Paquette 2002 , p. 248
  14. ↑ Murray 1992 , p. 58
  15. ↑ Murray 1992 , p. 41
  16. ↑ Murray 1992 , p. 62
  17. ↑ Paquette 2002 , p. 202
  18. ↑ "Wheeling Hall of Fame, Harry C. Northwood". Ohio County Public Library. Retrieved November 29, 2013.
  19. 1 2 3 Crammer et al. 1890 , p. 229
  20. ↑ Murray 1992 , p. 40
  21. ↑ Hawkins 2009 , p. 311
  22. 1 2 3 "Owens the Innovator". University of Toledo library. Retrieved 2013-11-29.
  23. ↑ Paquette 2010 , p. 28
  24. ↑ Paquette 2002 , pp. 189–190
  25. ↑ Paquette 2002 , p. 205
  26. ↑ "The Robinsons of Zainsville 1893-1900" (PDF). Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors. Retrieved 2013-11-24.
  27. ↑ Paquette 2002 , pp. 439–440

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bellaire, Ohio</span> Village in Ohio, United States

Bellaire is a village in Belmont County, Ohio, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 3,870 at the 2020 census, having peaked in 1920. It is part of the Wheeling metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fostoria, Ohio</span> City in Ohio, United States

Fostoria is a city located at the convergence of Hancock, Seneca, and Wood counties in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 13,046 at the 2020 Census, slightly down from 13,441 at the 2010 Census. It is approximately 40 miles (64 km) south of Toledo and 90 miles (140 km) north of Columbus. The community grew substantially during the end of the 19th century, coinciding with the northwest Ohio gas boom. Typical of Rust Belt cities, Fostoria peaked in size in 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Joseph Owens</span> American inventor

Michael Joseph Owens was an inventor of machines to automate the production of glass bottles.

The Fostoria Glass Company was a manufacturer of pressed, blown and hand-molded glassware and tableware. It began operations in Fostoria, Ohio, on December 15, 1887, on land donated by the townspeople. The new company was formed by men from West Virginia who were experienced in the glassmaking business. They started their company in northwest Ohio to take advantage of newly discovered natural gas that was an ideal fuel for glassmaking. Numerous other businesses were also started in the area, and collectively they depleted the natural gas supply. Fuel shortages caused the company to move to Moundsville, West Virginia, in 1891.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sneath Glass Company</span> American manufacturer of glass and glassware

The Sneath Glass Company was an American manufacturer of glass and glassware. After a brief 1890s startup in Tiffin, Ohio, the company moved to Hartford City, Indiana, to take advantage of the Indiana Gas Boom. The small city was enjoying the benefits of the boom, and could provide natural gas as an energy source for manufacturers. Sneath Glass was one of many glass manufacturers that moved to the region, and became Hartford City's second largest employer.

Belmont Glass Company, also known as the Belmont Glass Works, was one of Ohio's early glassmaking companies. It was named after Belmont County, Ohio, where the plant was located. The firm began operations in 1866 in a riverfront village along the east side of the county, which is known as Bellaire. At that time, the community had resource advantages that made it an attractive site for glassmaking. Bellaire's location at the intersection of the Ohio River, the National Road, and two railroads meant it had an excellent transportation infrastructure. Fuel necessary for the glassmaking process was also readily available, since Belmont County was part of the eastern Ohio coal region. Bellaire also had a workforce with glassmaking expertise located less than five miles away, since glass had been produced in Wheeling, West Virginia, since the 1820s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Crimmel</span> German-American glassmaker (1844–1917)

Henry Crimmel was an American glassmaker who became well known in Ohio and Indiana. A German that came with his family to America at the age of eight years, the American Civil War veteran started at the lowest level in glass making, and learned every aspect of the business. A skilled glassblower known for his glassmaking expertise and the recipient of two patents, he also worked in management in at least three glass factories – and was one of the co-founders of the Novelty Glass Company and the reorganized version of Sneath Glass Company. He retired with over 50 years in the industry.

The United States Glass Company was a trust formed by the combination of numerous glass companies. The factories were located from western Pennsylvania to Indiana.

Novelty Glass Company of Fostoria was one of over 70 glass manufacturing companies that operated in northwest Ohio during the region's brief Gas Boom in the late 19th century. The company made bar goods, stemware, and novelties. Organization of the firm began late in 1890, with banker Rawson Crocker as president and veteran glass man Henry Crimmel as plant manager. Production started in February 1891. The plant was built on the site of the former Buttler Art Glass Company, which had been destroyed by fire in 1889.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hartford City Glass Company</span> American glass manufacturing company

Hartford City Glass Company was among the top three window glass manufacturers in the United States between 1890 and 1899, and continued to be one of the nation's largest after its acquisition. It was also the country's largest manufacturer of chipped glass, with capacity double that of its nearest competitor. The company's works was the first of eight glass plants that existed in Hartford City, Indiana during the Indiana Gas Boom. It became the city's largest manufacturer and employer, peaking with 600 employees.

Seneca Glass Company was a glass manufacturer that began in Fostoria, Ohio, in 1891. At one time it was the largest manufacturer of blown tumblers in the United States. The company was also known for its high-quality lead (crystal) stemware, which was hand-made for nearly a century. Customers included Eleanor Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson, and retailers such as Marshall Field and Company, Neiman Marcus, and Tiffany's.

J. H. Hobbs, Brockunier and Company was one of the largest and best-known manufacturers of glass in the United States during the 19th century. Its products were distributed worldwide. The company is responsible for one of the greatest innovations in American glassmaking—an improved formula for lime glass that enabled American glass manufacturers to produce high-quality glass at a lower cost. The firm also developed talented glassmakers that started glass factories in Ohio and Indiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwood Glass Company</span> Defunct American art glass manufacturer

The Northwood glass company was a manufacturer of art glass in various locations in the United States from 1887 to 1925.

Thomas Sweeny or Sweeney was a prominent glass manufacturer in what became Wheeling, West Virginia during the American Civil War, who before that war served in both houses of the Virginia General Assembly and ran the North Wheeling Flint Glass Works.

The Nickel Plate Glass Company was a manufacturer of tableware, lamps, and bar goods. It began operations in Fostoria, Ohio, on August 8, 1888, on land donated by the townspeople. The new company was formed by men from West Virginia who were experienced in the glassmaking business, and their company was incorporated in that state in February of the same year. They were lured to northwest Ohio to take advantage of newly discovered natural gas that was an ideal low-cost fuel for glassmaking. The company name came from the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad, commonly known as the "Nickel Plate Road", which had tracks adjacent to the new glass plant.

The Fostoria Shade and Lamp Company was the largest manufacturer of glass lamps in the United States during the early 1890s. It began operations in Fostoria, Ohio, on May 17, 1890. The plant was run by Nicholas Kopp Jr., a former chemist at Hobbs, Brockunier and Company in West Virginia. Kopp achieved fame for his many glass designs and formulas for various colors of glass, and he is the discoverer of the American formula for selenium-based ruby glass. The company's products were very popular, and it was able to make significant profits early in its existence. In addition to lamps and shades for home lighting, the company also made novelties such as salt shakers.

Mambourg Glass Company was a window glass manufacturer that began production on October 26, 1887. The company was the first of thirteen glass manufacturers located in Fostoria, Ohio, in the United States, during northwest Ohio's gas boom. The plant was managed by Leopold Mambourg, a Belgian immigrant and experienced glassmaker. Much of the company's work force was also from Belgium. Former Ohio governor Charles Foster was president of the company and a major financial backer. He was also a major investor in other businesses and two additional Fostoria window glass companies: the Calcine Glass Company and the Crocker Glass Company. Mambourg was the chief operating officer for all three of Foster's window glass companies.

Jack K. Paquette was a historian, author, and retired vice president of Owens–Illinois. He was born in East Toledo, Ohio, and attended the Ohio State University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism in 1949 and a Master of Arts degree in political science in 1951. After graduation he began a 33–year career with Owens–Illinois, one of the largest glass bottle manufacturers in the world. By 1970 he was vice president of the overall company and director of the Corporate Relations Department. He retired in 1984. During his retirement, he wrote six books about life in Northwest Ohio, including four related to glassmaking.

The Bellaire Goblet Company was the largest manufacturer of goblets in the United States during the 1880s. Its original glass plant was located in Bellaire, Ohio, which earned the nickname "Glass City" because of its many glass factories. Bellaire Goblet Company was part of Ohio's "Glass City" on the east side of the state, and later moved to the other side of the state to participate in Northwest Ohio's "Gas Boom". It also became part of a large glass trust.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.