As soon as the Saginaw Lumber Tycoon, Wellington R. Burt, celebrated his seventieth birthday August 26, 1901, when he was party to occupy a portion of its assets in the field of sugar beet timber awakening.
The mantra of real estate agents around the world "location, location, location." But in the business world in general, it should be, "Timing, timing, timing." Wellington Burt times in regard to his interest in sugar was bad.
Like many others, had filled theirDays in the fast again, but the timber industry now moribund, had time on your hands and money in the bank. At first, as was the other, has spent many years in politics. He had a term from Senate (1893-1894) served then a U.S. Congress was looking for, but had the misfortune seat as a Democrat to run in 1900, the year opened the Republican star. Classified as one of the richest men in America, Burt vote on ideas for new investment and therefore you home sugar. MiseEyes in Owosso, Michigan, a village about thirty miles southwest of Saginaw, where he resided some remains clothed by the timber industry in villas along Washington Avenue. Too many attributes Owosso is the influence of Joseph Kohn, a sugar technologist living in Bay City, Michigan. Kohn also the chairman of the Michigan Chemical Company, which had been put in place to buy and then generates growing process of this City beet molasses number of factories. Its successto close in Michigan Chemical encouraged investors to pull when he talked about investment in beet sugar factories.
For Kohn, it was easier, the more molasses beet sugar factories in Michigan for most chemicals, alcohol, a fact built enthusiasm for the construction of another factory could be distilled. Fat with profits, attempted Michigan Chemical and its parent company, Pittsburgh plate glass factory in Owosso build their own and did not need the interference of anotherMillionaire with time on his hands and money in your pocket. Wellington R. Burt was not invited to participate in a joint venture with the chemistry of Michigan and its ambitions to go on his languid behind a curtain of international events
The U.S. war-American vote had agreed to reduce the completion Spanish-Filipino is the import duty on sugar to 75 percent of the general duty and allows the import of sugar from Puerto Rico, U.S. possessions, free from everything. ThePhilippines had the added advantage of shipping up to 300,000 tons of duty-free, and Congress was the bill, which takes would be to approve a contract on reciprocity with Cuba dithering. The agreement of this country be granted a 20 percent preferential tariff.
the nation's newspapers devoted ample space to plan, dampening the spirits of those who showed for the first, a lot of enthusiasm on projects factory Burt had. He found it in some other join in a jointOwosso, although it has promised $ 200,000 from his personal fortune and claimed others had signed another $ 50,000 in stock. He was convinced farmers to grow beet sugar three thousand acres and start a contract with a company with experience Fuehrman Hapke and the building when it fell apart because it is not evident from investors with the balance of the required investment - about $ 600,000 .
Michigan Chemical Company waited in the wings, while other investors did not. Materializing Elsewhere, the excitement of beet sugar factories just slowed down. Sixteen were in the United States 1900-1902, built eight in Michigan. Burt's attention turned to Alma, Michigan, where he met with more success through the combination of time and talent with those of Aimee Wright, another industrial Saginaw.
Owosso in 1902, was a candidate for a sugar beet factory, like any city in Michigan, maybe better. He lines, established industry, a senior and class sizesagricultural workers, as well as a region open. Burt stepped aside, allowing the project to die stillborn. Fuehrman Hapke went to Sebewaing factory next year to build, creating a sugar beet most successful era. Michigan chemistry emerged from the shadows and took the reins.
Owosso was the home of two families with remarkable results in American politics. They both play different roles in the creation of a sugar beet plant in Owosso. TheBentley family of Alvin Bentley, whose grandson led, also named Alvin, achieved success with great personal effort in 1954 when as a junior member of Congress, he the strongest of the five victims of an armed attack wounded in Congress, while in the meeting was. Four Puerto Rican terrorists thirty shots fired by visitors to the gallery on the floor of the House of Representatives chamber, the representatives discussed during an immigration bill.
The family had Deweyhas been in politics since the founding of the Republican party in the near Jackson, Michigan, in 1854 it worked. In Owosso, in line with tradition, was one of the leaders of the political party then in power for the position of postmaster. Edmund O. Dewey, Thomas Edmund Dewey uncle, a future governor of New York and twice presidential candidate of the United States, was that the starting position with the presidency of William McKinley and ending with the presidency of Woodrow Wilson. ItsBrother George, the father of Thomas Edmund Dewey, secured the nomination in 1921.
Edmund Dewey, 1902, Wellington Burt Recovery Plan for a sugar beet plant in Owosso. He organized the purchase of a suitable site of 40 acres at the western end of Oliver Street, raised $ 10,000 and asked the City Council of Commissioners a bond sufficient to pass the cost to the country fair. The municipality denied the band, and then the idea fails a second time, and for the same reason - lack ofEnthusiasm.
Joseph Kohn has been introduced and shot himself in sugar Michigan, one of the richest nation, the family Pitcairn Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The family controls the Pitcairn Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company (now known as PPG Industries) headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The glass company had almost completed the American dependence on Europe suitable for large glass panels for windows, cabinets and mirrors. During theOpening of the 20th Century, the company produced 20 million square meters of glass per year.
In seeking a source of potash for its glassworks, Pittsburgh Plate Glass turned to Kohn, who try to get it from sugar beet molasses extract, and found he could earn profits INSTEAD insured by conversion of molasses into alcohol production. He was also a consultant was used for German-American Sugar Company (later the monitor Sugar Company) and previously held a similar position with a KilbyManufacturing, which was very involved in turnkey, sugar beet factory construction projects. Kohn's Bay City Distillery, due to the large volume of molasses, has promised the three sugar factories and more from the German-American Sugar Company factory building, shot in Pittsburgh substantial profits glass plate.
John Pitcairn seen first bank of five years, from his immigrant parents, John and Agnes, together with two sisters in America and America has brought aBrother. Pitcairn amassed a personal fortune in railroads, oil, coal mines, and the founding of the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company in collaboration with John Ford, who has sixty years, when his attention was attracted Kohn, potential and the failure of Owosso first Wellington Burt, Edmund Dewey then become a society of sugar beet.
Three is the charm of Owosso. 29 October 1902, the Owosso Sugar Company, came to be activated at one million dollars. Over 75Percent of shares by members of the Pitcairn family and friends. 62 500 John Pitcairn of outstanding shares owned outright. A handful of Owosso residents have their names on the list of shareholders, including the Bentley above and brothers Alvin and George Edmund Dewey. George Dewey's son, Tom, the future presidential candidate, one day he would spend school holidays working in chamber sugar packaging of the new company.
The company was turned presidentialW. Charles Brown, owner of 5,600 shares of stock just baked. Brown was also the president of the Pittsburgh Plate Glass. Day after day went to the financial functions of 36 years Edward Pitcairn, one of many grandchildren John Pitcairn. Edward was in 1910, is treasurer of the Pittsburgh Plate Glass, a position that could keep the rest of his career. Carmen Smith, a lawyer with a long collaboration with Charles Brown, who moved from a period where the couple lived in Minneapolis,The responsibility for overall management of the new company. Moreover, he assumed the title of Secretary-Treasurer. He recently had his wife Isabella and their three children, Daisy, Carmen, Cedric and moved to Bay City, where he served as treasurer of the Michigan Chemical Company. Joseph Kohn has taken the role of the general superintendent of the factory.
Trained at the Institute of Technology in Prague, Kohn graduated in 1883 with a degree in mechanical engineering and process engineering. After hisSchool, was employed by Breitfeld, Danek from Prague and later acquired experience in a sugar factory in Moravia, a region in the czech Republic was present, but then part of Austro-Hungarian Empire, and has also worked with the designer evaporator, Hugo Jelenik. In Moravia, worked with Carl Steffen, the inventor of molasses sugaring process that bears his name. While Kilby Manufacturing Company employees, Kohn Kilby developed the set in the factory.
KilbyManufacturing has contracts to build two factories of 1,000 tonnes in Michigan, one after another in Owosso and Menominee. The two would hold the record as the largest of sugar beets in Michigan, was made from 1,200 tonnes a plant in Mount Pleasant was built in 1920. In addition to the two plants of 1,000 tons, Kilby had a contract for a standard system of 600 ton in East Tawas. It would be a busy year for Kilby, that contracts for three plants in Colorado, had ever received for a Fort Collins,Longmont, Windsor and Fort Collins wins the largest factory built by Kilby-1, 200 tons per day capacity slicing. The price for the Owosso plant to $ 675,000, on a per tonne of sugar was cut to $ 675 $ 1,197 lower than $ 785 in East Tawas and Menominee. In fact, the cost of factory built Owosso less per tonne of each slice factory in Michigan.
The Owosso plant came to life December 9, 1903, without the usual fanfare assigned new beet sugar factories,Usually include bands, parades and much fun talking about opportunities for local celebrities and politicians attended. In a sense, more peaceful, Charles W. Brown, of Pittsburgh came and brought with him as a guest of honor, James Wilson, the Minister of Agriculture. He rose to national prominence when President William McKinley appointed him Secretary of Agriculture in 1897. His stature was such that President Roosevelt and Taft kept him as secretary, and onlysweep in the 1912 Republican nomination in a train from office, he completed his term of Woodrow Wilson. He served as Secretary of Agriculture 4 March 1897-3 March 1913, served the longest term served by an official of the U.S. government.
After a brief ceremony, the Secretary Wilson pulled the whistle cord, causing the beets out of the channel. was in contrast to many of the sugar beet factory built in Michigan, was the central figure, the local currency and prestige on the line for the setFactory. The majority stake was far lived in Pennsylvania, their officers and managers elsewhere, Bay City, in the case of Joseph Smith and Kohn and Carmen near Pittsburgh for Brown and Pitcairn. It was not unusual for absentee owners to overlook the obvious - input by farmers. If a lack of farmer interest manifested itself does not cause heart palpitations in the boardrooms of the Pittsburgh Plate Glass. After all, who twenty years earlier, John Pitcairn forged a new AmericanIndustry from the ruins of the similar but unsuccessful attempts, as he struggled away from the glass market in Europe, and has developed one of the largest and most modern factories of its kind in the world
Farmer apathy was a slight inconvenience, not a devastating blow to a person for the manufacture of flat glass is transformed into a single American industry had. The answer was at hand and Carmen Smith, has appointed its ambassador, had explored the possibilities of how to reach the walls of the building against the skyOwossians who had the surprise of the weekend throughout the summer of 1903 gathered to take in width and weight of the industry Goliath is growing in their midst. Of course, people's minds Pittsburgh Plate Glass great. They were thinking even bigger factory Sidewalk Superintendent imagine, bigger than any factory tour until that date. They were not only the construction of a sugar beet factory provides almost twice bigger than all the sugar factories are in the UKStates, were both on the board of the foundation of the largest companies of sugar beet in the United States and the largest single transaction company east of the Mississippi River.
formed the south and west of Saginaw, Michigan was a vast marshy area during the last ice age. The bottom edges of the convergence of several major river systems, the Saginaw River, which was then and now flows 22 miles north of Lake Huron. The eighteen thousand acres of marsh served as an important stepBreeding ground for migrating waterfowl, ducks, geese, swans. It 'was the biggest natural habitat of wild animals in the American Midwest. Has properties that protect the low interest to farmers - frequent flooding. But that changed when Harlan B. Smith, a producer who speculates Saginaw buggy also in real estate, a partnership with two lawyers, Charles H. Camp, and George B. Brooks has come to acquire and then develop about 10,000 hectares of heathland. Your effortsSpanning fifteen years, a big drain which led to almost two miles extended across the prairie, which allow them to turn hundreds of hectares of marshland into arable land.
When Carmen Smith was looking for a stretch Which great demonstration of beet operation, while ensuring the Owosso plant would all want to beet it would be, he must install the Prairie Farm quickly and efficiently. Smith completed the purchase of 22 February 1903 and soon a steam excavator, aMonster to dig into the ground is designed to download Mucky immediately after the Saginaw River in the prairie. He bit into the ground face and form a dam 20 feet high and creating a channel that used to be until the morning traffic from acres, he said, the country, half a million years HAD waited for the arrival giant mechanical .
Finally created Owosso Sugar Company thirty-six miles of levees, some of which eighty meters wide at the bottom, forty feet high and winds up.Others were designed by smaller, but all for the same purpose - and then drain the country dry. Roads crowned the tops of the levees and the pages turned to grass for use as grazing sheep. Half the country was drained by open ditches and a half have been with large pumps and discharge their cargoes sent to the nearby Flint River. Once it was dry, the reclamation was very similar to playing chess in twelve lines, place the parcels 1640 acres. Almost overnight, for aCapital expenditures of $ 400,000, Smith turned the Prairie Farm from a loss of activity of the larger properties and sugar beet in Michigan, and probably the United States, if not the world - ten thousand hectares. The new factory could now put aside concerns about an adequate supply of sugar beet.
Owosso Sugar Company's first campaign
The first campaign for the operating system Owosso Sugar Company, as usual, with turnkey factories developed Kilby reached, the guaranteed rate of Slices1,000 tons of beets for twenty-four hours. Construction contracts usually require that a new plant to meet its guaranteed interest rate for a certain time, determined by negotiation, and one for ten days and Kilby Between Were usually under the supervision of engineers a few days after the beginning . The same engineers could retire once the new owner the certificate of completion, delivery signed for the factory managers. The record rateOwosso decreased after the plant reaches the guaranteed rate for the same reasons, probably share prices in most of the new factories in decline - the inexperienced operators.
Since the Prairie Farm was still in its infancy, produces less than turnips in subsequent years, the treatment period, defined as "campaign" by the industry, to last only 48 days to January 26, 1904. During her maiden voyage of the new wafer factory in an average of 542 tonnesmuch lower than expected 1,000 tons per day. The second campaign was five days shorter, but nearly doubles the rate washer and reached 930 tons per day for 43 days.
While the Owosso plant was under construction, the manufacture of sugar beet Lansing, Benjamin Boutella, a major investor in several sugar beet factories in Michigan and two years before, built by a lack of management control suffered. Cancer diagnosed early in 1902 his wife Amelia died Nov. 27 at Boutellathe age of 52 years, despite its efforts to find a cure. Not having the heart to its commercial interests, sold the plant in Lansing, Owosso Sugar Company.
Kohn and Smith now had four main operations: two sugar factories, the Prairie Farm, and the Chemical Society of Bay City Michigan under their control during the previous year had used only the chemical company of their time and thoughts. The Prairie Farm employs 160 people and 58 teams of horses and a draft of eachtwo beet sugar, plus hundreds more workers and employees of chemical factory located in Bay City. The two managers, 45 were in constant movement, visit properties, headquartered in Pittsburgh and attending industry conferences In addition to meeting with members of Congress and the Department of Agriculture. In 1910 Joseph Kohn was the first to calculate the cost of doing so. He suffered a heart attack and died at the age of52.
In the year preceding Kohn's death, 8,500 Prairie Farm acres had been diked and equipped with gravity drainage and pumping systems and for the first time, grew a square mile of sugarbeets. Peppermint provided additional revenue (35,000 pounds of peppermint oil in 1909) while cabbage followed in importance behind sugarbeets.
For the six years following Kohn's death, Carmen Smith continued on as before, shouldering Kohn's responsibilities in addition to his own, until 1916 when he places two factories under the direction of Charles D. Bell, who had served as a manager at Alma before joining the staff Owosso in 1907. Owosso Bell remained for sixteen years, so that after Michigan Sugar Company has acquired Lansing Owosso and factories in 1924, after which he returned to the family ranch in Los Alamos, Calif., where he soon discovers oil and retirement.
In 1920, aged 62 years, Carmen Smith, like his friend and collaborator,Joseph Kohn, died suddenly of a heart attack while driving home on the train from Chicago. Carmen Smith was a revolutionary era. Joseph Kohn in 1910, Joseph Kilby in 1914, John Pitcairn in 1916, and Carmen Smith in 1920 - those who had lived the dream of building a factory beet largest and most modern in the world sugar, then topping with the country largest single beet farm had passed from the scene. Unfortunately, that did not last.
AfterDaniel Gutleben history of the sugar beet Michigan (sugar tramp -1954), Pittsburgh plate glass, has worried that the sugar beet Michigan, too small to compete with the major refiners of raw sugar as a process imported built to compete was not the volume of duty-free sugar in the country. He decided to both Owosso and Lansing, Michigan Sugar Company at a price, the press reported on the preference shares in more than $ 2,000,000. La PrairieFarm remained in the hands of the heirs of John Pitcairn.
Michigan Sugar Company operated Owosso combined for the next four years, until declining interest of farmers with the avalanche of imported sugar in 1928 caused the factory to close. Michigan Sugar was missing when the main advantage of the former owners - the Prairie farm could take place, therefore, farmers do not grow turnips command when other crops, corn and soybeans at low prices attracted less investment and less work. Reopenedfor another year in 1933, was closed, however, be kept in readiness for hope. Hope finally surrendered to the reality that farmers would not be returned. The factory buildings were sold in 1948. Evidence that the final failure of the Owosso Sugar Company had no rest, lay on the shoulders of the administration in the appointment of the Secretary Owosso Edward Bostock, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Michigan Sugar Company.
Sources:
Denslow, William R, and Truman, Harry S.,10,000 Famous Freemasons from A to J Part One (according to Charles W. Brown career with Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company)
MILLER, Ed and the beach, Jean R.. He has published the Hall of Fame, Saginaw, Saginaw Hall of Fame, 2000. (In connection with Wellington R. Burt)
GUTTLEBEN, Daniel, sugar Tramp - printed in 1954 by Bay City Duplication Company, San Francisco, California
THE CUREUX, history Keith Albee Township, Saginaw, County, Michigan, Chapter V, PrairieFarm.
Betzold, Michael, Detroit Free Press Magazine, December 26, 1993, Utopia Revisited - an article describing the history of Prairie Farm.
Copyright 2009, Thomas Mahar - All rights reserved
Author: Thomas Mahar served as Executive Vice President About the Monitor Sugar Company, 1984-1999 and as president of Gala Food Processing, a company packing sugar, 1993-1998. He moved in 1999 and now devotes his free time to write the storythe sugar industry. Wrote, Sweet Energy, the story of Monitor Sugar Company in 2001 and in Michigan History of sugar beet (Newsbeet, Autumn, 2006). Contact: Thomas Mahar E-mail
