Blog

JB went to work on the opportunity. The Waynesburg plant had a well-equipped machine shop and some skilled machinists experienced in extrusion die making. After months of trial and error, they had enough success to make some trial pieces. These trials at The Timken Company, using hollow tile materials, failed as the hot tops broke …

Hot Tops The automobile business had grown enormously from the start of the Ford Motor Company in 1903. Better car manufacturing required higher quality steel for critical parts. The Republic Steel Corporation and the Timken Company plants in Canton, Ohio, were among the early leaders in the United States in the development of specialty steels …

The last few months have been filled with highs and lows as construction played out.  Now, take a look! We’re still working out some of the kinks, but the renovated kiln is running! Thus far we’ve produced 4x8x2-1/4 Bevel Lug shade 30. Test runs of additional colors will be produced in coming weeks. In addition …

John’s story continues: The many miles of underground mines at Waynesburg, Magnolia and Malvern were a large fixed cost for the company. The electric power bill to keep the water pumped out of the mines was too expensive to continue. The Ohio Department of Mines supervised the mines’ closing by blocking the entrances at the …

During this period, JB married Augusta Lines and they had two children, John B., Jr., born in 1926 and Ann, born in 1928. DD married Eddy Crane and had two children, Bette, born in 1925 and Daniel Crane, born in 1927. Kate and Art Estep never had children. JB build and lived in a house …

In 1920, the Volstead Act made Prohibition the law of the land. The Whitacres were ‘wets,’ except JJ’s wife, Cora, who was a ‘dry.’ Some time and energy were spent in the 1920s to provide beer and liquor for the family group. I was born May 22, 1926. JJ customarily spent the winter in Miami. …

Many wonderful families contributed to the company’s success over the years. The Dagenhards, the Williams and the Costellos are just a few. Their stories follow: Joe Dagenhard was the underground mine boss. He was Irish. Joe and his brothers were renowned barroom fighters. Fifty years later, Joe attended a Magnolia/Navarre high school football game and …

John’s story continues: When JB returned from France and was mustered out of the Army, he brought a piece of ordnance, a Thompson submachine gun. From time to time, he would clean the weapon and test fire it. Reports were that the test firing of the weapon coincided with periods of serious labor unrest at …

JJ’s older son, JB, graduated from Case School of Applied Science in 1914 with a degree in mechanical engineering. In World War I, JB served in France as a first lieutenant in ordnance. He served with skilled engineers, machinists and maintenance personnel and some of them returned with him to Whitacre-Greer after the war. He …

Hollow tile known as fireproofing continued to be the material of choice for large major buildings such as the Merchandise Mart in Chicago and the Cleveland Hotel and Union Commerce Building in Cleveland. The economy and building were strong and the Whitacre Fireproofing Company grew and prospered. The Waynesburg factory was enlarged to 50 kilns, …