industrialization and progressivism, 1877-1919
Industrial Columbus
Large-scale industrialization began in the United States during the late 1800s as a result of increased demand following the Civil War and new technology. An industrial region emerged on the near North Side (present-day Italian Village) of Columbus.
In 1876, banker Joseph Jeffrey and several others formed a partnership to develop a machine to mine underground coal. In 1887, Jeffrey bought out the other partners and formed The Jeffrey Manufacturing Company on E. First Avenue. By the early 20th century, Jeffrey was a national leader in the production of coal mining equipment, and the largest single employer in Columbus with 3,400 employees. The company formed a cooperative store that offered employees quality goods at fair prices, established an employee cafeteria, and created the Jeffrey Building & Loan Association to assist employees in buying their own homes.
Other major industrial employers in the neighborhood included the Clark Grave Vault Company, the Berry Boltworks, Case Crane, the Kilbourne & Jacobs Company, and Smith Brothers Hardware Company.
In 1876, banker Joseph Jeffrey and several others formed a partnership to develop a machine to mine underground coal. In 1887, Jeffrey bought out the other partners and formed The Jeffrey Manufacturing Company on E. First Avenue. By the early 20th century, Jeffrey was a national leader in the production of coal mining equipment, and the largest single employer in Columbus with 3,400 employees. The company formed a cooperative store that offered employees quality goods at fair prices, established an employee cafeteria, and created the Jeffrey Building & Loan Association to assist employees in buying their own homes.
Other major industrial employers in the neighborhood included the Clark Grave Vault Company, the Berry Boltworks, Case Crane, the Kilbourne & Jacobs Company, and Smith Brothers Hardware Company.
Railroads and Related Industries
Between 1860 and 1900, the miles of railroad track in Ohio increased from 2,950 to 8,950. Columbus was home to a major rail yard and shops operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad Panhandle Division. Located north of Leonard Avenue between Joyce and Cleveland Avenues, the Panhandle shops employed as many as 8,000 workers after World War I.
Several Columbus industries manufactured products related to the railroad industry. In 1881, James Kilbourne and H.L. Jacobs established the Kilbourne & Jacobs Company, a manufacturer of scrapers for railroads, steel tubular wheelbarrows, warehouse trucks, and road graders. James Kilbourne supported workers' rights and criticized other industrial leaders who tried to crush labor organizations.
Buckeye Steel Castings began as the Murray-Hayden Foundry and became the Buckeye Automatic Car Coupler Company in 1891. The company thrived as the expansion of railroads increased demand for railroad car couplers, which were mandated by federal law. Buckeye Steel moved to its Parsons Avenue location in 1902. Frank Rockefeller (brother of John D. Rockefeller) was president from 1905-1908. Samuel Prescott Bush served as Buckeye Steel President from 1908-1928. Bush lived in a large mansion in the Marble Cliff neighborhood.
Several Columbus industries manufactured products related to the railroad industry. In 1881, James Kilbourne and H.L. Jacobs established the Kilbourne & Jacobs Company, a manufacturer of scrapers for railroads, steel tubular wheelbarrows, warehouse trucks, and road graders. James Kilbourne supported workers' rights and criticized other industrial leaders who tried to crush labor organizations.
Buckeye Steel Castings began as the Murray-Hayden Foundry and became the Buckeye Automatic Car Coupler Company in 1891. The company thrived as the expansion of railroads increased demand for railroad car couplers, which were mandated by federal law. Buckeye Steel moved to its Parsons Avenue location in 1902. Frank Rockefeller (brother of John D. Rockefeller) was president from 1905-1908. Samuel Prescott Bush served as Buckeye Steel President from 1908-1928. Bush lived in a large mansion in the Marble Cliff neighborhood.
Immigration
The rise of industrialization in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries increased the demand for workers. With this demand, immigrants came from other countries to take jobs in industrial centers.
The Flytown neighborhood of Columbus was the main port-of-entry for the immigrant settlers of Columbus. The Irish were the first to arrive in the neighborhood, escaping religious persecution and the Great Irish Potato Famine of the 1840s. The neighborhood became an American "melting pot" by the late 1800s as Italian and Eastern European immigrants moved in. African Americans began moving to Flytown in the 1910s.
Industry developed in Flytown after its annexation to Columbus in 1880. The United States Pipe and Foundry Company, the Columbus Forge and Iron Company, the Commercial Paste Company, the Franklin Lumber and Furniture Company and the Columbus, Piqua and Indianapolis Railroad shops all hired immigrant workers in their Flytown factories. Other immigrant communities emerged near the Milo-Grogan and present-day Italian Village neighborhoods, in close proximity to major industrial employers like Jeffrey Manufacturing.
The Flytown neighborhood of Columbus was the main port-of-entry for the immigrant settlers of Columbus. The Irish were the first to arrive in the neighborhood, escaping religious persecution and the Great Irish Potato Famine of the 1840s. The neighborhood became an American "melting pot" by the late 1800s as Italian and Eastern European immigrants moved in. African Americans began moving to Flytown in the 1910s.
Industry developed in Flytown after its annexation to Columbus in 1880. The United States Pipe and Foundry Company, the Columbus Forge and Iron Company, the Commercial Paste Company, the Franklin Lumber and Furniture Company and the Columbus, Piqua and Indianapolis Railroad shops all hired immigrant workers in their Flytown factories. Other immigrant communities emerged near the Milo-Grogan and present-day Italian Village neighborhoods, in close proximity to major industrial employers like Jeffrey Manufacturing.
Buggy and Automobile Production
Organized in 1875, the Columbus Buggy Company became the largest buggy manufacturer in the United States by 1900. The company's first automobile, the Columbus Electric, was limited by its speed (20 mph) and range, and took several hours to recharge the batteries. In 1904, production moved from a plant at the southwest corner of Naghten (present-day Nationwide Boulevard) and High Streets to a site on Dublin Road.
Five years later, the Firestone-Columbus became the first gasoline-powered automobile made by the Columbus Buggy Company. The company closed its doors in 1913, following damage from the flood that year. Competition from the low-cost Ford Model-T also contributed to the demise of the Columbus Buggy Company. From 1914-1939, the Model-T was assembled at a Ford Motor Company plant at the northwest corner of Cleveland Avenue and Buckingham Street (Jack Gibbs Boulevard). The Allen Company manufactured Allen cars from 1919-1923 at the former Columbus Buggy Company plant.
Automobile production required greater use of steel, giving a competitive advantage to cities like Detroit, Chicago, and Cleveland, which were closer to sources of steel than Columbus.
Five years later, the Firestone-Columbus became the first gasoline-powered automobile made by the Columbus Buggy Company. The company closed its doors in 1913, following damage from the flood that year. Competition from the low-cost Ford Model-T also contributed to the demise of the Columbus Buggy Company. From 1914-1939, the Model-T was assembled at a Ford Motor Company plant at the northwest corner of Cleveland Avenue and Buckingham Street (Jack Gibbs Boulevard). The Allen Company manufactured Allen cars from 1919-1923 at the former Columbus Buggy Company plant.
Automobile production required greater use of steel, giving a competitive advantage to cities like Detroit, Chicago, and Cleveland, which were closer to sources of steel than Columbus.
The Rise of Labor Unions
The changing nature of work during the Industrial Era led members of the working class to form labor organizations to protect their rights. They sought to address issues such as poor working conditions, long hours, and low wages. Labor organizations also grew as a result of the violence toward supporters of organized labor.
The American Federation Labor was founded in 1886 in Columbus by the merger of the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Union and the Knights of Labor. The National Progressive Union and the Knights of Labor District Trades Assembly 135 met in convention at old City Hall in Columbus and founded the United Mine Workers of America in 1890.
The Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees (AASERE) struck the Columbus Railway and Light Company for higher wages and union recognition in 1910. The strike became one of the most violent strikes against a public utility in the United States.
The American Federation Labor was founded in 1886 in Columbus by the merger of the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Union and the Knights of Labor. The National Progressive Union and the Knights of Labor District Trades Assembly 135 met in convention at old City Hall in Columbus and founded the United Mine Workers of America in 1890.
The Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees (AASERE) struck the Columbus Railway and Light Company for higher wages and union recognition in 1910. The strike became one of the most violent strikes against a public utility in the United States.
Skyscrapers
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, cities needed to expand upward and outward to accommodate their growing populations. Improvements in steel technology and the invention of elevators made possible the construction of taller buildings. Unlike the stone or brick frameworks that could only support a few stories, internal steel skeletons allowed buildings to be over thirty stories high.
Designed by Architect Daniel Burnham, the twelve-story Wyandotte building on West Broad Street became the first steel-framed skyscraper in Columbus in 1898. In the 1927, the American Insurance Union Citadel (later LeVeque Tower) became the tallest skyscraper in the city (and the fifth tallest in the world) at 555ft 6 inches, six inches taller than the Washington Monument. The Citadel was a brick structure on a steel frame faced with oak-bark terra cotta. The building's main meeting hall was designed to look like the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.
Designed by Architect Daniel Burnham, the twelve-story Wyandotte building on West Broad Street became the first steel-framed skyscraper in Columbus in 1898. In the 1927, the American Insurance Union Citadel (later LeVeque Tower) became the tallest skyscraper in the city (and the fifth tallest in the world) at 555ft 6 inches, six inches taller than the Washington Monument. The Citadel was a brick structure on a steel frame faced with oak-bark terra cotta. The building's main meeting hall was designed to look like the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.
Progressivism: Child Labor Laws
Progressivism, an urban, middle-class reform movement, advocated a more active role for government in addressing public health and welfare issues.
John Jacob Lentz, founder and president of the American Insurance Union (AIU), was a progressive reformer who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1897-1901. Founded in 1894, The AIU was an insurance company and fraternal organization that marketed their services to working-class Americans.
A strong supporter of William Jennings Bryan, Lentz campaigned for causes such as women's suffrage, prohibition, and child labor laws. In 1922, the AIU proposed a 20th amendment to the Constitution that would "provide as plainly therein against child labor and child slavery as they provide in the 13th and 14th Amendments against Negro slavery…"
John Jacob Lentz, founder and president of the American Insurance Union (AIU), was a progressive reformer who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1897-1901. Founded in 1894, The AIU was an insurance company and fraternal organization that marketed their services to working-class Americans.
A strong supporter of William Jennings Bryan, Lentz campaigned for causes such as women's suffrage, prohibition, and child labor laws. In 1922, the AIU proposed a 20th amendment to the Constitution that would "provide as plainly therein against child labor and child slavery as they provide in the 13th and 14th Amendments against Negro slavery…"
Progressivism: The Social Gospel
The ideas of the Social Gospel Movement influenced the Progressive Movement. The movement applied Christian ethics to issues of social justice such as poverty, alcoholism, crime, racial tensions, child labor, and workers' rights. Rev. Washington Gladden was one of the primary the leaders of the Social Gospel movement.
From 1871-1875, Gladden was the religious editor of the New York Independent. In this capacity he helped expose the corruption of Boss Tweed and his New York political machine. Living in the industrial city of Springfield, Massachusetts from 1875-1882 confirmed Gladden’s support for workers against what he considered the evils of capital. Labor union support became a major component of Gladden’s social gospel thought.
Gladden came to Columbus in 1882 and began a 36 year tenure as pastor of First Congregational Church. Like many Progressive reformers, Gladden was concerned about corruption in city government, especially the open defiance of laws requiring Sunday closing of saloons. In 1900, Gladden was elected to a two-year term on Columbus City Council. He worked to secure an equitable fare on the street railways and municipal ownership of a power plant large enough to provide electric lighting for the city.
From 1871-1875, Gladden was the religious editor of the New York Independent. In this capacity he helped expose the corruption of Boss Tweed and his New York political machine. Living in the industrial city of Springfield, Massachusetts from 1875-1882 confirmed Gladden’s support for workers against what he considered the evils of capital. Labor union support became a major component of Gladden’s social gospel thought.
Gladden came to Columbus in 1882 and began a 36 year tenure as pastor of First Congregational Church. Like many Progressive reformers, Gladden was concerned about corruption in city government, especially the open defiance of laws requiring Sunday closing of saloons. In 1900, Gladden was elected to a two-year term on Columbus City Council. He worked to secure an equitable fare on the street railways and municipal ownership of a power plant large enough to provide electric lighting for the city.
Progressivism: The Settlement House Movement
The settlement house movement was an approach to helping immigrant families adapt to life in American cities. Settlement houses were typically run by college-educated middle class women. The most famous one was the Hull House in Chicago, founded by Jane Addams in 1889.
Godman Guild on West Goodale Street was founded in 1898 by Anna Keagle, a teacher at North High School and a Sunday School teacher in the Flytown neighborhood. In 1900, trustees raised $6,000 to buy land for a settlement house. Henry Godman of the Godman Shoe Company gave $10,000 for the building fund. The Godman Guild provided a variety of services including sports and recreation clubs, English classes, cooking and sewing classes, youth camps, and milk distribution to young mothers.
The Southside Settlement House opened in 1899. Rev. Washington Gladden established the Gladden Community House in 1905 as a neighborhood outreach mission.
Godman Guild on West Goodale Street was founded in 1898 by Anna Keagle, a teacher at North High School and a Sunday School teacher in the Flytown neighborhood. In 1900, trustees raised $6,000 to buy land for a settlement house. Henry Godman of the Godman Shoe Company gave $10,000 for the building fund. The Godman Guild provided a variety of services including sports and recreation clubs, English classes, cooking and sewing classes, youth camps, and milk distribution to young mothers.
The Southside Settlement House opened in 1899. Rev. Washington Gladden established the Gladden Community House in 1905 as a neighborhood outreach mission.
The New Middle Class
A new group of middle-class Americans emerged as a result of the Industrial Revolution. This new middle class enjoyed the luxury of greater disposable income and increased leisure time. New forms of entertainment and recreation developed for the middle class in Columbus.
The Sells Brothers operated a circus that became the second largest in the United States by 1890. Minerva Park opened as an amusement park in 1895. Olentangy Park opened in 1899 and eventually became the largest in the United States. Indianola Amusement Park opened in 1905 at the corner of N. 4th Street and E. 19th Avenue in the University District.
Columbus residents also enjoyed spectator sports. The Columbus Senators minor league baseball team began playing in 1888 in Recreation Park and moved to Neil Park on Cleveland Avenue in 1905. Ohio State played its first football game in 1890 in Recreation Park. Samuel P. Bush, at that time a mechanic for the Panhandle Railroad, officiated some of the early OSU football games. OSU football games first attracted large crowds in 1916, when East High School graduate Chic Harley starred at halfback. In 1920, the Columbus Panhandles, a team formed by workers of the Pennsylvania Railroad Panhandle shops, played the first NFL game against another NFL opponent.
The Sells Brothers operated a circus that became the second largest in the United States by 1890. Minerva Park opened as an amusement park in 1895. Olentangy Park opened in 1899 and eventually became the largest in the United States. Indianola Amusement Park opened in 1905 at the corner of N. 4th Street and E. 19th Avenue in the University District.
Columbus residents also enjoyed spectator sports. The Columbus Senators minor league baseball team began playing in 1888 in Recreation Park and moved to Neil Park on Cleveland Avenue in 1905. Ohio State played its first football game in 1890 in Recreation Park. Samuel P. Bush, at that time a mechanic for the Panhandle Railroad, officiated some of the early OSU football games. OSU football games first attracted large crowds in 1916, when East High School graduate Chic Harley starred at halfback. In 1920, the Columbus Panhandles, a team formed by workers of the Pennsylvania Railroad Panhandle shops, played the first NFL game against another NFL opponent.
The Great Migration
In the first three decades of the 20th century, an estimated 1.5 million African Americans left the predominantly rural South to live and work in northern industrial cities. The African-American population of Columbus increased from 12,379 to 32,774 between 1910 and 1930.
Despite Ohio’s Civil Rights Law of 1884 and 1896 antilynching legislation (known as the Smith Law), Ohio’s color line stiffened in the wake of the Great Migration, as whites reacted in fear to the increasing number of African Americans. African-American migrants in Ohio faced a number problems including poor housing conditions in increasingly segregated neighborhoods, increased crime, discrimination in public accommodations, and racial intolerance that often culminated in violence and intimidation.
The King-Lincoln-Bronzeville neighborhood on the Near East Side of Columbus became the cultural and commercial center of Columbus for African Americans. The Columbus Urban League, Young Men’s Christian Association (African-American Branch, Spring Street), Young Women’s Christian Association (African-American Branch, E. Long Street), National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (Columbus Chapter), Columbus Home for Colored Girls, and the Columbus Citizens Law and Order League worked to provide needed services and weaken the color line in Columbus.
Despite Ohio’s Civil Rights Law of 1884 and 1896 antilynching legislation (known as the Smith Law), Ohio’s color line stiffened in the wake of the Great Migration, as whites reacted in fear to the increasing number of African Americans. African-American migrants in Ohio faced a number problems including poor housing conditions in increasingly segregated neighborhoods, increased crime, discrimination in public accommodations, and racial intolerance that often culminated in violence and intimidation.
The King-Lincoln-Bronzeville neighborhood on the Near East Side of Columbus became the cultural and commercial center of Columbus for African Americans. The Columbus Urban League, Young Men’s Christian Association (African-American Branch, Spring Street), Young Women’s Christian Association (African-American Branch, E. Long Street), National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (Columbus Chapter), Columbus Home for Colored Girls, and the Columbus Citizens Law and Order League worked to provide needed services and weaken the color line in Columbus.
