Racine County

The S. Freeman & Sons Manufacturing Company, one of the foremost business enterprises of Racine, was established in 1867 by S. Freeman, who in a small way began manufacturing and repairing boilers. A few months later he entered into partnership with William E. Davis and opened a little machine shop. In 1868 they admitted John R. Davies to a partnership, at which time Mr. Davies was operating a foundry in the old Star mills, located where the William Pugh coal yards are now found. At that time the firm name was Davies, Freeman & Davis. After a brief existence the … Read more

The Gold Medal Camp Furniture Manufacturing Company had its inception in a business started by R. B. Lang in 1890 and incorporated in 1892, its first officers being R. B. Lang, president ; William G. Gittings, vice president; and J. G. Teall, secretary. This company manufactures all kinds of camp furniture and outing outfits, although at the beginning the output included only six or seven articles, among which was the Gold Medal Cot invented by Louis Latour. Since that time the output has been extended in its scope until there is no accessory to camp furnishings that cannot be supplied … Read more

Joseph S. Hartmann, president of the Hartmann Trunk Company, of Racine, was born in Germany, in 1846, and was a youth of sixteen years when he made the long voyage across the briny deep to the United States in 1862. He first settled in New York but afterward made his way- westward to Wisconsin, establishing his home in Milwaukee. A few years later he embarked in the trunk business there under the name of Carpeles-Hartmann & Company, and later removed to Chicago although he established his business in Racine. The Hartmann Trunk Company was organized in November, 1889, and the … Read more

Henricksen & Jacobson is the firm name of a well known commercial enterprise of Racine, organized on the first of October, 1910, by Henry M. Henricksen and Jacob Jacobson. Although it has been in existence for but a few years its business has grown steadily and has now become of a very substantial character. The business was first located at No. 1309 Mound Avenue. On the first of September, 1915, a removal was made to No. 1200 State Street. The firm is wholesale jobbers in groceries of which they carry a large line, including butterine, butter, eggs and cheese, and … Read more

The American Mangle & Roller, Company of Racine was established in 1903 by Willis L. Cahoon and E. E. Cahoon. They handle laundry machinery of all kinds and manufacture laundry mangles which were invented by E. E. Cahoon. Their factory is located at Racine Junction and a well developed business is now bringing to them substantial success. Their product is sold by mail and through jobbers all over the United States, being sent to every state of the Union. They sell to hotels, public buildings and to institutions of all kinds and they handle everything necessary for laundry equipment. For … Read more

The American Seating Company of Racine was incorporated under the laws of New Jersey in 1899 as the American School Furniture Company, but the name was changed to the American Seating Company in 1906. In the former year they took over the plant of the firm of Thomas Kane & Company at Racine, that company having been organized in 1894 by Thomas Kane and business associates. Prior to that date the business was carried on under the style of the Racine Hardware Manufacturing Company. It was instituted and organized about 1876 by F. H. Head, Thomas Kane, E. G. Durant … Read more

A. Rasmussen and C. Rasmussen are treasurer and vice president respectively, of the Peerless Machine Company, which was incorporated in 1916. This company was formed for the manufacture of high speed power hack saws and their machines are now upon the markets of England, Denmark, Holland and Japan. In the conduct of this undertaking they have shown a most enterprising and progressive spirit and each month marks a notable advance in the success of the business. The brothers have been lifelong residents of Racine County, their birth having occurred in North Cape Township in 1878 and 1880, respectively, the parents … Read more

The Perfex Radiator Company, of Racine, established business in Chicago in 1910 and was removed to this city on the 12th of October, 1912, a location being secured on Fifteenth Street, at the Northwestern railway tracks, where they occupy a three-story brick building one hundred and twenty by one hundred and ten feet. The business was established in Chicago under the name of the Aero Sheet Metal Works and afterward was incorporated there under the name of the Automobile Radiator & Parts Manufacturing Company in 1911. With the removal to Racine the name was changed to the Perfex Radiator Company … Read more

The Racine Auto Tire Company was organized as a partnership February 1, 1910. by L. J. Elliott and Clarence H. Wright and was incorporated November 28, 1914, with Mr. Elliott as president, J. H. Wright as vice president and Clarence H. Wright as secretary, treasurer and manager. The plant is located at No. 1220 Fourteenth Street. They started with small space and three employees, while the output amounted to three tires per day. Something of the growth of the business within the short space of less than six years is indicated in the fact that they now employ one hundred … Read more

The Racine Carriage Company is one of the most recent additions to the corporations which are doing business in Racine and which promote the commercial and industrial activity and consequent prosperity of the city. This company was organized in December, 1914, and succeeded to the vehicle business of the Racine-Sattley Company and also to that of the Richardson-Kennedy Company. William H. Richardson became the president of the new concern, with Joseph O. Kennedy as vice president and J. C. Lund as secretary and treasurer. All three are well known to the vehicle trade throughout the United States, for Mr. Richardson … Read more