The canal feeder not only provided access to transportation, but ‘power’ as well in an era before commercial power companies. There were a multitude of industries located at various points on the canal feeder that went through the heart of Sidney, Ohio. At right is a picture of the Slusser-McLean Scraper Company. |
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| 1880 also saw the formation of another
competitor, The Sidney Steel Scraper Co., by William Haslup and J. H. Doering.
This business expanded rapidly. It once had 14 sales offices in foreign countries, from
Hong Kong to Rio De Janeiro to Cape Town, South Africa. It was located west of the Sidney Grain & Milling Company on Poplar Street (where
the fire department is today). The May 11, 1906, edition of the "Shelby County
Democrat", reported that the company was manufacturing five train car loads of
scrapers and wheel barrows for use in the construction of the Panama canal. A decade or so
later, the company’s products were used by many governments to construct airfields
and other earthworks. All three firms made scrapers, dirt excavators, and wheel barrows of
all sizes. This equipment played a major role in building the railroad beds across the
continent, and forming the Mississippi River levees. Sadly, little trace of these once
great companies remains. [Back] [Next] [Up] [New Search] Industry segment written in January, 1998 by Rich Wallace |