Anamosa - A Reminiscence 1838 - 1988

her if I could submit an article for publication. She was
game, and dutifully had me pose for a photo beside the
building. I searched my historical files and called
various people for information. in the meantime, 150
years passed — meaning the town's age of founding —
and a history book was being discussed. Pat agreed that
Desks and School Supplies
The large brick building on South Scott Street.
partially razed in 1985 to make way for a Casey's
General Store, has had a long and varied history. The
huge structure was patterned after one in Chicago and
was erected in three stages, to house W.M. Welch
Company, which manufactured school desks and
school and business supplies.
A portion of this same business continued, for ten
years or so, as The Metropolitan Supply Company. The
site was also used by the Anamosa Poultry Company.
later reorganized as The Anamosa Poultry and Egg Co.
The Peoples Gas Company was located on land
purchased from the Welch Company. This land was
later sold to the State of Iowa. For several years the area
east of the factory was used as the high school athletic
ileld.
This is how it all came to be. Just after the tum of the
century, Anamosa city fathers were concemed about
attracting new industry into the community. To that
end, approximately 50 businessmen met in April 1902
and formed a Business Men's Association. Among
those mentioned in the local papers were B.H. Miller, E.
McBride, C.L. Niles, L. Kaufman. L.W. Tucker, W.A.
Cunningham. J.Z. Lull, J.W. Conmey, and l.H.
Brasted.
The opportunity presented itself early the next year.
unfortunately at the expense of the town of Maquoketa.
which was losing a school desk factory to foreclosure.
Enter W.M. Welch of Chicago, former Anamosa
resident, who owned a large printing, binding, and
lithography company in Chicago. I-le proposed a
venture to Anamosa business leaders that would be of
interest to all concerned. After many visits to the
Chicago plant, and to the school desk factory in
Maquoketa by Col. Shaw, Clifford Niles, F.O. Ellison
and others, a business arrangement was agreed upon,
whereby Welch would purchase the Maquoketa
factory's woodworking and foundry and move it, and a
portion of his Chicago business, to Anamosa. Anamosa,
in turn, would raise $100,000 cash. Ultimately,
364,000 was raised locally.
in March 1903, Welch purchased the Maquoketa
factory, representing $15,000 worth of business and
machinery, at sheriff's sale at a bargain price of $3,500.
That same month, the W.M. Company published their
Articles of Incorporation listing W.T. Shaw as
president: C.L. Niles, vice president; C.S. Millard,
secretary: l-I. Dutton, treasurer: T.W. Shapley and F.0.
Ellison as counselors. Welch was named general
manager. The directors. in addition to those named.
were S.A. Brown and Newton Dupris of Chicago. Dupris
was Welch's brother-in-law.
The purpose of the corporation was to do publishing.
lithographing, printing, book making (not that kind of
bookmal-ting) binding, and manufacturing and selling
all kinds of bank, office and school supplies, desks,
tables. and other furniture and articles used in schools.
banks and offices. This was to be for 20 years with the
right to renewal, unless sooner terminated by threefourths
of the stock issued. In regard to the stock
178
it could be used in the book. Patient Pat, friends, family,
strangers, and co-workers became unwilling to even
hear the word ‘Produce’ come from my direction. Well.
after three years, here it is oi‘ buddies. If your response.
after your perusal is, "Big Deal", please whisper it
softly.
division of profits, it was provided the capital stock
was to be $200,000 divided into shares of $100,000
preferred stock and $100,000 common stock.
By July of 1903, with legalities and negotiations out
of the way, excavation began. By October, 23
carpenters and masons were at work. William Foley
had the contract for the masonry and carpenter work
and J .A. Smith of Cedar Rapids was awarded the brick
work on the 280x75-foot building. By November, the
first of 14 train carloads of machinery arrived from
Maquoketa. When the last shipment pulled out of that
city, the factory whistle blew a long and plaintive
farewell to its lost industry and $1500 weekly payroll.
In May 1904, Julius Shipkowsky of Milwaukee joined
the Welch Company. He was purported to have special
skills and knowledge and also to own several patents
for writing desks. ofilce desks, roll-top desks, hall trees
and other commercial furniture.
An addition was needed to accommodate this new
line. Shipkowsky was with the Welch Company only a
few months when he named Welch as defendant in a
lawsuit, asking for back wages of $100 per month. He
also claimed that he was hired to be the head of the
Special Furniture Department, but Welch interfered
with his department and allowed inexperienced
workers to damage his special machinery; and
furthermore, Welch locked him out of his own office.
Welch. in his turn, charged that Shipkowsky, while
on the road as a salesman for the Welch Company,
undertook to use the company's time to look after his
own personal business. He further answered the
petition by stating that Shipkowsky made false
statements conceming his ability, and that in reality.
he was not a skilled inventor or designer, and that he
well knew he was not competent to perform the duties
of superintendent. After three or four months
experiment on the "interior finish" work, it was found
that Shipkowsky was incompetent to handle the work,
charged Welch. And in addition, Shipkowsky requested
to go on the road, but later told Welch that he could do
better somewhere else and voluntarily terminated his
relations and quit the employ, which was done by
—-R
.-fkfi — ‘
(Photo submitted by John and Bettie Miller)