With a trade that extends to all parts of the United States, the industry conducted under the name of the Racine Iron & Wire Works is manufacturing household supplies, chemical fire extinguishers, and wire and iron railings and fences. Wherever man has felt a need, ingenuity has sprung into the breach and genius has brought forth something that has met the need. Thus in our constantly developing and complex civilization the manufacturing interests have multiplied and here and there have sprung up cities that. are largely given over to supplying the world’s demand for labor saving devices. Such a concern is that conducted at the corner of Prospect and Superior streets under the style of the Racine Iron & Wire Works. This business was organized and established in 1870 by Charles Goehner and after a number of years a corporation was formed, which bought out Mr. Goehner in April, 1906, George L. Buck being elected president and treasurer of the company, with J. P. Hochgurtel as vice president and Charles W. Peck as secretary. There has been no change in the officers since that time. The company occupies a building one hundred and twenty-nine by forty-five feet and three stories in height and a basement. This is all mill construction, and the equipment of the plant is most modern. The company manufactures chemical fire extinguishers, weaves brass and copper cloth, makes wire and iron rails and fences, wire protections for machinery and also manufactures various household specialties. On the pay roll are found the names of from forty to fifty men, most of them are skilled laborers. They sell to jobbers and their output is sent to every part of the country. They manufacture under the name of the Buck hardware specialties and use as a trade mark a buck’s head. Their household specialties include broom holders, wonder hooks, plate scrapers, food stirrers, can openers, ironing sheet holders, pie lifters, potato mashers, fly swatters, coat hangers, trouser hangers, skirt hangers, wardrobe hanger rods, flower brackets, hanging baskets, window shelves, carpet beaters, lamp guards, sewing bag frames and many other useful articles made of wire. These meet many a need in the household and the output is therefore growing in popular favor.
Source: Stone, Fanny S. Racine, Belle City of the lakes, and Racine County, Wisconsin : a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement; Chicago: S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1916.