PHOTOS: Jacob Haish Mansion

We are continuing to share Jacob Haish-related images from the Floyd Ritzman Collection. The Joiner History Room has generously allowed me to share these images on this website.

The below photos capture the Jacob Haish mansion in all its glory, and later, at its demise.

Jacob Haish home in 1930 | Photo courtesy of Joiner History Room, DeKalb County Archives

Residence of Jacob Haish, 1901 | Photo courtesy of Joiner History Room, DeKalb County Archives

Jacob Haish home in 1941 | Photo courtesy of Joiner History Room, DeKalb County Archives

Haish house being razed in 1961 | Photo courtesy of Joiner History Room, DeKalb County Archives

Haish house being razed in 1961 | Photo courtesy of Joiner History Room, DeKalb County Archives

From the Joiner History Room website: "Over 700 photos from the Floyd Ritzman Collection which are part of the Northern Illinois University Digital Library are now available on Flickr at https://flic.kr/s/aHskqwXroS. This collection of photos, taken in and around DeKalb County, was formerly part of the Taming the Wild Prairie website. Thanks to Matthew Short at NIU for making these historical photos available."

According to the Joiner History Room's website, "Floyd R. Ritzman (1885-1975) was a teacher and administrator in the DeKalb public school system. His passion was photography." Special thanks to the Joiner History Room for allowing me to share these images.

PHOTOS: Jacob Haish's employees

Over the next few blog posts, I will be sharing some incredible Jacob Haish-related images. These images are part of the Floyd Ritzman Collection, and the Joiner History Room has generously allowed me to share these images on this website.

The below photos capture some of the hardworking men "behind the scenes" in Jacob Haish's empire. Although they are not named, the faces of Haish's employees are captured below: the first photo shows some of his factory employees in 1910, and the second photo shows the engine room's work force in 1901.

Haish Factory Employees, 1910 | Photo courtesy of Joiner History Room, DeKalb County Archives

Work Force in Engine Room of Haish Plant, 1901 | Photo courtesy of Joiner History Room, DeKalb County Archives

From the Joiner History Room website: "Over 700 photos from the Floyd Ritzman Collection which are part of the Northern Illinois University Digital Library are now available on Flickr at https://flic.kr/s/aHskqwXroS. This collection of photos, taken in and around DeKalb County, was formerly part of the Taming the Wild Prairie website. Thanks to Matthew Short at NIU for making these historical photos available."

According to the Joiner History Room's website, "Floyd R. Ritzman (1885-1975) was a teacher and administrator in the DeKalb public school system. His passion was photography." To learn more about Ritzman, click here.

Special thanks to the Joiner History Room for allowing me to share these images. Stay tuned for more!

Haish's manure spreader patent

Jacob Haish had the creative, working mind of an inventor. If he thought there was a better, more efficient way of doing something, he was going to create it.

And then patent it.

This patent is for a "manure spreader," which would be used to spread manure on a field for fertilizing.

The application was filed in December 1904, and awarded in November of 1905.

The patent reads: "This invention is intended to combine within itself a perfectly-regulated and easily-operable manure-spreader adapted to carry down and discharge the manure from a suitably-disposed wagon-body, the parts of which are so arranged as to be entirely under the control of the driver on the front seat, who will be enabled without moving his position to control and regulate the movement of a carrier-apron and rotary spreader and the power for actuating the same."

Click the below images to enlarge.

Page 1 | Google Patents

Page 2 | Google Patents

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More information from the patent papers can be found here.

Haish Factory Changes

"S" barb wire sample as displayed at the Ellwood House Museum. | Photo by Jessi LaRue

The below article was published in the Aug. 2, 1889 edition of the Sycamore True Republican:

HAISH FACTORY CHANGES

The consummation of a plan long cherished by Jacob Haish was realized last week when the organization of the Haish Wire & Implement Co. was completed. The concern is capitalized at $100,000 and will control and operate both of Mr. Haish's manufacturing enterprises in DeKalb, the wire fence factory and the implement works, now being rebuilt.

Of the capital stock Mr. Haish retains $50,000 and Mrs. Haish $10,000. The balance $40,000, he gives outright to those in his employ fifteen years or more, the distribution being made on the basis of the relative importance of the positions held by them.

Exclusive of Mr. and Mrs. Haish, the stockholders number fifteen, all of whom, with one exception, have served the requisite number of years. Their names are given as follows: C.H. Salisbury, B.S. White, Fred Westerberg, Fred W. Smith, J.F. Berquist, Peter Lindberg, Erik Anderson, Ole Nelson, Andrew Anderson, August Johnson, John P. Anderson, E.F. Collins, Andrew Nelson, Carl Swanson and J. Nelson.

At a meeting held at the office the last of the week the following officers and directors were chosen: President Jacob Haish; vice-president and secretary, C.H. Salisbury; treasurer B.S. White; S.A. Haish and Fred W. Smith. In making this disposition of his industrial enterprises Mr. Haish provides for the perpetuation of the great business which he gave the best years of his life to building up and he rewards the old and faithful employees who aided him in the work.