Chapter 3: Industry is Born from Opportunity

photo of Founders of New Haven's first industriesThe founders of New Haven’s first industries were townspeople known for advancing the town’s progress and tending to its civic affairs. Their industry entrepreneurship benefitted the town as well as themselves as they saw and seized opportunity to produce goods and supply them to distant markets.

Given the almost inexhaustible supply of the best timber in the country, the earliest industry in New Haven was the manufacture of staves (the narrow lengths of wood that form the sides of barrels). In the 1860s, New Haven was the home of three stave factories operating on the outskirts of town, each encompassing the entire barrel-making process. Timbers were cut in sawmills, staves, hoops and headings were manufactured in factories and barrels were assembled in cooper shops.

The industry began in 1854 with a small cooper shop that made barrels, J. Begue & Company. After taking on partners in 1862, the shop was enlarged to include the manufacture of staves and performed the complete barrel-making process. This establishment was located on the Canal on the west side of town north of Main Street (then Grove Street) just east of State.

Tour New Haven- schnelker second factory 2.3

The second factory, B. Schnelker Stave Manufacturing, began in 1864 where Continental Diamond Tool (1221 Hartzell) and the Allen County library (648 Green) stand today, west of Green Street and south of the railroad tracks.

Tour New Haven- schnelker third factory 2.3

The third factory followed shortly thereafter, located on the Canal east of Green Street between Bell Avenue (known during that time as "Avenue Street") and Canal Street. With partnership changes, it became Schnelker, Beugnot & Company.

Tour New Haven- cooper shop 2.3

The cooper shop for this facility stood on the canal and remains as 332 Green Street. By the mid-1870s, these three companies had been consolidated as H. Schnelker & Company. At its peak, the enterprise employed 95 workers and consumed 12,000 cords of wood annually.

Tour New Haven- grist and flour milling 2.3New Haven’s second industry was grist or flour milling. Two flouring mills began operations in the mid 1800s and became establishments of decided importance to New Haven. Both mills were located on the Canal for the water power it supplied.

Tour New Haven- NH flouring mill 2.3

The first, the New Haven Flouring Mill, opened in 1854 at the site of today’s Old City Hall at 428 Broadway. The mill had a manufacturing capacity of 75 barrels of flour per day. It was destroyed by fire in 1884, a common fate of flouring mills.

The second mill, the Maumee Valley Flouring Mill, was founded in 1864 at the northwest corner of Main and Ann Streets (Ann Street was then called “Emily” south of the Canal). The manufacturing capacity was 100 barrels of flour per day. In 1871 an explosion caused by a lack of water in the boiler devastated the building, killing the proprietors and the mill engineer. The mill was reopened by a new proprietor in 1875 with more modern machinery and it thrived for years after.

Tour New Haven- maumee valley flouring mill 2.3

Tour New Haven- planing factory 2.3

A third industry was the planing factory of Goethe & Company established in 1863. This business sawed lumber from rough logs to make flooring, lath, shingles and other products. It was located on the Canal between Eben and Henry Streets, these streets named for Eben Burgess and his son Henry, the latter who platted and named New Haven.

New Haven was abuzz with commerce and industry; the town was primed for its next step, incorporation.

First Industries 1854 - 1867

Tour New Haven- first industries map and locations 2.3
  1. J. Begue & Co. Stave & Heading Factory (1854)
  2. B. Schnelker Stave & Heading Factory (1864)
  3. Schnelker & Beugnot Stave & Heading Factory (1867+)
  4. Goethe & Co. Planing Mill & Lumber Yard (1863)
  5. Maumee Valley Flouring Mill (1864)
  6. New Haven Flouring Mill (1854)

OF NOTE

With New Haven’s prosperity, many fine residences emerged along West Main Street. Among those that remain today, three were the homes of leaders in the manufacturing of staves, the first industry in New Haven.

Tour New Haven- Herman Schnelker Jr. 750 W Main Street 2.3750 W. Main Street

Herman H. Schnelker, Jr.
Namesake of Schnelker Park
1831 – 1916

Tour New Haven- Benard Schnelker 627 W Main Street 2.3

627 W. Main Street

Bernard Schnelker
(brother of Herman)
1827 - 1871

Tour New Haven- John Beugnot 610 W Main Street 2.3

610 W. Main Street

John P. Beugnot
1833 - 1903