There were only small, one man shops in Sidney by the 1850s. The first man to help direct Sidney down the path to an industrial powerhouse was Philip Smith (shown at right). He arrived from Dayton in 1859 after he had learned the trade of a molder. With his brother, Michael, he founded P. Smith Bro. & Co. They made plows, bells for churches and schools, kettles, steam engines, boilers, fire escapes, and many other iron and steel products.  Mr. Smith eventually bought out his brother. He expanded the business in 1886 to make iron cookware, then known as hollow ware. In a few years, he added a line of aluminum cookware. This segment of the business grew rapidly.