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| Wood, not metal or plastics, was the basic resource for
everyday objects. Two woodworking shops dated from the 1840s. Mr. Murray's shop, featuring
a 'power lathe' operated by a plodding horse, was located on North Miami Avenue. Caleb
Nutt was a craftsman noted for his high quality work. His business was located on West
Poplar Street. Another of the early shops in the village (this one commencing in 1856) was George Vogel's cooperage business. Vogel made wooden barrels. His business employed between 50 and 75 men by 1879. The wooden barrel staves, or pieces, were bound together by iron hoops. Mr. Vogel was using 350 tons of iron a year for that purpose by 1880. A useful product made locally to serve the needs of early citizens was wooden tool handles. The C.R. Benjamin & Son Sidney 'D' Handle Factory was built by Charles R. Benjamin to produce handles for shovels, forks and scoops in about 1880. It grew steadily. Charles W. Benjamin took over the reins of the business at the death of his father. The factory was built at 608 Broadway Ave., where the Recycling Haus is now located. The Benjamin residence is the home directly south of the structure occupied by Freytag and Associates on North Miami Avenue. [Back] [Next] [Up] [New Search] Industry segment written in January, 1998 by Rich Wallace |