List of Glass Companies Led by Former Employees of Hobbs, Brockunier and Company
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]
- Barnes, Hobbs & Company
- Hobbs, Barnes & Company
- Barnes, Hobbs & Company
- Hobbs & Barnes
- J. H. Hobbs, Brockunier & Company
- Hobbs, Brockunier & Company
- Hobbs Glass Company
- Factory H of United States Glass Company
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.
Company | City | State | Year | Employees | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Beatty-Brady Glass Company | Dunkirk | Indiana | 1896 | Charles N. Brady | Former 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/Findlay | Ohio | 1876 | John Robinson, Charles Henry Over | Former 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 | Bellaire | Ohio | 1861 | John Robinson, Charles Henry Over, Henry Crimmel | Robinson, Over, and Crimmel left the Hobbs works to help start this factory. Robinson was plant superintendent.[4] |
3 | Bonita Art Glass Company | Wheeling | West Virginia | 1901 | Otto Jaeger | Former Hobbs manager Jaeger was company's first president and part owner.[5] |
4 | C. H. Over Glass Company | Muncie | Indiana | 1889 | Charles Henry Over | Former 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] |
5 | Central Glass Company | Wheeling | West Virginia | 1863 | John Oesterling, John Henderson, Peter Cassel | Co-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] |
6 | Dalzell, Gilmore & Leighton Company | Findlay | Ohio | 1888 | William 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/Moundsville | Ohio/West Virginia | 1887 | Lucian B. Martin, William S. Brady, James B. Russell, Benjamin M. Hildreth, Otto Jaeger, Henry Crimmel, Jacob Crimmel | Former 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 | Fostoria | Ohio | 1890 | William 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 | Wheeling | West Virginia | 1901 | Harry Northwood | Harry Northwood, former etcher at Hobbs & Brockunier, founded this company in the old Hobbs glass works.[18] |
10 | Hazel Glass Company | Washington | Pennsylvania | 1885 | Charles N. Brady | Former Hobbs bookkeeper and salesman Charles N. Brady founded this company and was first president.[19] |
11 | King, Son and Company | Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | 1869 | James B. Russell | Former Hobbs employee was manager of this Pittsburgh glass plant.[20] |
12 | Kopp Glass Company | Swissvale | Pennsylvania | 1900 | Nickolas Kopp Jr. | Former Hobbs employee Kopp was famous for his ruby–colored glass, and was considered one of the industry's greatest chemists.[21] |
13 | Libbey Glass Company | Toledo | Ohio | 1888 | Michael Joseph Owens | As plant superintendent, former Hobbs worker Owens helped rescue financially–troubled company.[22] |
14 | Libbey–Owens Sheet Glass Company | Toledo | Ohio | 1916 | 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 | Fostoria | Ohio | 1888 | Benjamin M. Hildreth, James B. Russell | Former Hobbs and Fostoria employees Hildreth (secretary) and Russell (manager) were among the founders of the company.[24] |
16 | Novelty Glass Company | Tiffin | Ohio | 1891 | Henry Crimmel | Crimmel was plant manager and one of the founders.[25] |
17 | Owens Bottle Machine Company | Toledo | Ohio | 1903 | Michael Joseph Owens | Formed by former Hobbs worker Owens and Edward Libbey to market the Owens bottle machine.[22] |
18 | Riverside Glass Company | Wellsburg | West Virginia | 1879 | William S. Brady, Charles N. Brady | Former 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] |
19 | Robinson Glass Company | Zainsville | Ohio | 1893 | John Robinson | John Robinson was president and son Edwin was secretary-treasurer.[26] |
20 | Seneca Glass Company | Fostoria | Ohio | 1891 | Otto Jaeger | Former Hobbs manager Jaeger was company's first president and part owner.[5] |
21 | Sneath Glass Company | Tiffin/Hartford City | Ohio/Indiana | 1892 | Henry Crimmel | Crimmel was plant manager and part owner of reorganized version restarted in Indiana during 1894.[27] |
22 | Toledo Glass Company | Toledo | Ohio | 1895 | Michael Joseph Owens | Research firm formed by Michael Owens and Edward D. Libbey.[22] |
Notes
- "Hobbs Brockunier Glass, Wheeling, WV 1886". Ohio County Public Library. Retrieved 2013-11-24.
- Bredehoft & Bredehoft 1997, p. 28
- Paquette 2002, pp. 56–57
- Paquette 2002, p. 57
- "Otto Jaeger, founder of Fostoria, Seneca, and Bonita Art Glass (1923)". Ohio County Public Library. Retrieved November 17, 2013.
- Paquette 2002, pp. 57 & 117
- "Central Glass Company". Glass Lovers Glass Database. Retrieved 2013-11-24.
- Baker 1986, p. 118
- Crammer et al. 1890, p. 246
- Paquette 2002, p. 61
- Paquette 2002, p. 62
- Paquette 2002, pp. 179–180
- Paquette 2002, p. 248
- Murray 1992, p. 58
- Murray 1992, p. 41
- Murray 1992, p. 62
- Paquette 2002, p. 202
- "Wheeling Hall of Fame, Harry C. Northwood". Ohio County Public Library. Retrieved November 29, 2013.
- Crammer et al. 1890, p. 229
- Murray 1992, p. 40
- Hawkins 2009, p. 311
- "Owens the Innovator". University of Toledo library. Retrieved 2013-11-29.
- Paquette 2010, p. 28
- Paquette 2002, pp. 189–190
- Paquette 2002, p. 205
- "The Robinsons of Zainsville 1893-1900" (PDF). Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors. Retrieved 2013-11-24.
- Paquette 2002, pp. 439–440
References
- Baker, Gary E. (June 1986). The Flint Glass Industry in Wheeling, West Virginia: 1829-1865 (MA). University of Delaware. Archived from the original on 2023-07-12. Retrieved 2023-07-12.
- Bredehoft, Neila M.; Bredehoft, Thomas H. (1997). Hobbs, Brockunier and Co., Glass: Identification and Value Guide. Paducah, KY: Collector Books. ISBN 978-0-89145-780-0. OCLC 37340501.
- Crammer, Gibson L.; Jepson, Samuel L.; Trainer, John H.S. and William Morrison; Taneyhill, R. H. (1890). History of the Upper Ohio Valley: with family history and biographical sketches. A statement of its resources, industrial growth and commercial advantages… Vol. I & II. Madison, WI: Brant & Fuller. OCLC 49762897.
- Hawkins, Jay W. (2009). Glasshouses and Glass Manufacturers of the Pittsburgh Region: 1795–1910. Bloomington, IN: iUniverse. ISBN 978-1-4401-1494-6.
- Murray, Melvin L. (1992). Fostoria, Ohio Glass II. Fostoria, OH: M. L. Murray. OCLC 27036061.
- Paquette, Jack K. (2002). Blowpipes, Northwest Ohio Glassmaking in the Gas Boom of the 1880s. Xlibris Corp. ISBN 1-4010-4790-4. OCLC 50932436.
- Paquette, Jack K. (2010). The Glassmakers, Revisited. Xlibris Corp. OCLC 650854108.