Jackson County GaArchives History .....History of Harmony Grove-Commerce, Chapter 11 1949 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 August 21, 2004, 8:46 pm CHAPTER XI INDUSTRIES THE HARMONY GROVE MILLS Harmony Grove Mills, a Commerce manufacturing industry, incorporated under the laws of Jackson County and locally owned and operated, has completed fifty-five years of successful operation. The local plant, which has contributed much to the advancement of the community and whose payrolls have aided materially in the development of the city and county, was organized in 1893. The corporation was chartered with a capital stock of $50,-ooo.oo which was subscribed by local capital and a majority of this stock is now held by citizens of Jackson county. The amount of capital stock has been increased from time to time and now amounts to $300,000.00, seventy-five per cent of which is held by families of the original 45 stockholders. Three of the stockholders who bought some of the original stock are living and have held their stock. They are Mrs. E. C. (Henry) Hardman, and Misses Genie and Alice Sheppard. W. T. Thurmond was foreman of the construction job when the original plant was built. The building occupied 15,000 square feet of floor space while the present structure contains more than 130,000 square feet. Only 6o forty-inch looms were placed in the original plant. The capacity of the mill was increased in 1902; again in 1923; again in 1941 and the last time in 1947 and 1948. The present plant now operates 586 looms. Originally fired with wood, the plant is now operated by electricity and the mill has the very latest machinery. There were only 28 original employees of the corporation, but today 513 employees are on the payroll who are making their homes in this section. Several of the original employees are still living. The first officers of the corporation were G. W. D. Harber, President; W. B. J. Hardman, Vice-President; C. J. Hood, Secretary-Treasurer. The other original directors were L. G. Hardman, T. E. Key, C. W. Hood, C. D. Stark, W. T. Harber, W. B. Hardman and W. T. Thurmond. Mr. G. W. D. Harber served as President from 1893 to 1899 and was succeeded by L. G. Hardman who served as President of the company until his death in 1937. SOME FACTS AND STATISTICS RELATING TO THE HARMONY GROVE MILLS, INC. The company was organized April 3, 1893. A charter was granted in June of the same year. The real estate property was purchased from Mrs. M. S. Webb and Dr. L. G. Hardman in May, 1893, at $75.00 to $100.00 per acre. Dr. E. F. Adair named the mill "Harmony Grove." The first bale of cotton was bought at 6 15/16 cents on May 25, 1894 by T. E. Key, buyer. First dividend of 6 per cent was paid June 10, 1895. OFFICERS Presidents: G. W. D. Harber Served 5 years L. G. Hardman Served 39 years L. G. Hardman, Jr. Served 11 years Vice-Presidents: W. B. J. Hardman Served 5 years W. W. Stark Served 35 years L. G. Hardman, Jr. Served 3 years J. B. Hardman Served 2 years T. C. Hardman Served 10 years Secretaries and Treasurers: C. J. Hood Served 2 years L. G. Hardman Served 3 years W. B. Hardman Served 20 years C. J. Hood Served 25 years C. W. Hood, Jr. Served 5 years Directors: G. W. D. Harber T. C. Hardman L. G. Hardman, Sr. W. D. Sheppard T. E. Key E. B. Anderson C. W. Hood, Sr. John D. Barnett C. D. Stark J. B. Hardman C. J. Hood W. Y. Harber W. T. Harber C. W. Hood, Jr. W. B. Hardman L. G. Hardman, Jr. W. T. Thurmond F. M. Hubbard W. B. J. Hardman W. B. Rice P. O. Pittman C. M. Scoggins A. P. Rice Hardman Jones W. W. Stark Johnston McCorkle Superintendents: W. B. Iler J. W. Black M. R. Crystal C. M. Sears Daniel Schofield J. W. Black J. R. Donaldson J. A. Asbelle Johnston McCorkle Some comparison in the cost of material, machinery, cotton and wages between the beginning of the operation of the mills in 1894 and 1948. Construction 1894 1948 Cost of brick per M $5.75 $26.50 Cost of lumber M ft. 8.00 80.00 Cost of nails per keg 1.52 8.75 Cost of brick layers per hour .20 2.25 Operation Operated by steam Cost of wood per cord 1.10 Operated by electricity Cost of current per M. KW $9.00 Cost of wages per Mo. 1200.00 100,000.00 Cost of wages per annum 15000.00 1,250,000.00 Cotton per bale $30.00 165.00 720 bales used at cost of 21000.00 18000 bales used at cost of 3,000,000.00 Annual sales about 8,000,000 lbs. Value $6,000,000.00 Machinery 7 cards 93 cards 40 looms 586 looms 1500 spindles 18000 spindles Total Cost of Machinery $21,000.00 New machinery installed in last 12 years $850,000.00 Buildings Floor space mill 15,000 sq. ft. 130,000 sq. ft. Warehouse 10,000 sq. ft. 70,000 sq. ft. Interesting Items Mill began night operation in 1898. Contracted and furnished street and residential lights to the city for eleven years--1906 to 1917. Bought first auto truck in 1918. Built new office in 1923 and new warehouse in 1947 and 1948. All the houses of the mill village have been brick under-pinned, remodeled and painted at an expenditure of $100,000.00. The New Warehouse One new addition in 1947 and 1948 was the building of the new warehouse on the railroad mill siding with capacity for 6,000 bales of cotton and a floor space of 52,000 square feet at a cost of over $100,000.00. It is equipped in every detail on the most modern plan and accessible to railroad cars, trucks, and wagons. This enables the mills to buy local cotton from the producers which has been a mutual advantage to both the farmer and the company. This splendid structure adds to the appearance and symmetry of the mills plant and completes a well rounded manufacturing unit. The Harmony Grove Mills was one of the first industries in Harmony Grove and is now the largest in the city of Commerce and pays approximately 12 per cent of the total city tax. COMMERCE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, INC. The overall industry for Commerce, Ga., was started in 1917 by Fred E. Durst of Winder. He came to Commerce at that time to start the first factory in the T. C. Hardman building which is now occupied by A. D. Bolton Chevrolet Company. At this time the factory employed 35 people and Mr. Durst had to get labor from as far away as North Carolina due to the labor shortage here at that time. Soon after its opening, The Commerce Overall Company adopted as its brand for its leading overall "Gander Brand" and soon Commerce became noted all over the South as the home of Gander Brand Overalls. This plant grew quite steadily and in spite of the depression of 1921 grew and prospered, giving employment to a growing number of people. Around 1925, Mr. Durst was joined in the business by Mr. A. D. Harris and they operated the National Overall Company and in 1927 they combined and the industry became Commerce National Manufacturing Corn-pang. At this time the company grew until it was occupying four buildings in the town. In 1928 the entire company was sold to the Globe Superior Corporation, a company with headquarters in Abington, Ill. This company soon built a new factory in Commerce, one of the most modern of its time. This firm was headed by three of the leaders in the overall industry, namely Mr. B. D. Adams as President; Mr. Lloyd 14osser as Vice-President; and Mr. C. H. Synder as General Manager. The local plant was man-aged by Mr. H. F. Mosher and Mr. Durst was Southern Sales Manager. In 1934 the Globe Superior Corporation sold to Blue Bell and the industry became known as the Blue Bell Manufacturing Company. In 1936 Mr. Durst left the firm and at the insistence of the local people began to make plans to start an-other sewing industry for Commerce. In 1937 a building was started and a new industry was born and was called Commerce Manufacturing Company. At its head was C. W. Hood, Jr., as President; F. E. Durst, as Vice-President and General Manager; W. D. Sheppard, as Vice-President and H. F. Bray as Secretary. C. M. Scoggings was Treasurer and the following, other than the officers, were directors: C. J. Hood, W. B. Rice, J. M. Carlton and J. B. Hardman. The plant started operations on January 3, 1938 with 117 people on its payroll and started a long hard road to its present size and position. It was very fortunate to get the services of Mr. C. W. Lomax, the dean of overall sales people, to head its sales organization and a large part of its growth is due to his efforts. The company has never been idle a day since its inception due to a lack of business. On February 9, 1943, Mr. F. E. Durst, Sr., passed away and the management of the Commerce Manufacturing Company passed to his son, F. Edward Durst, Jr., who is now Vice-President and General Manager. It has grown from the 117 people who started to 400 today. Forty-three of the original 117 are still with the company. It has grown from a sales volume of $135,000.00 per year to over $4,000,000.00. The garment industry, from its meager beginning in 1917 by Fred E. Durst, has grown until it .is a very vital factor in the economic life of Commerce and the area around it. Today its two plants employ over 800 people and have contributed greatly toward making Commerce the growing, thriving place that it is. BLUE BELL, INC., COMMERCE PLANT In 19361 Blue Bell purchased The Globe Superior Corporation. At the time of this merger, these two companies, Blue Bell and Globe Corporation, were of about equal importance in the work clothing business and were two of the largest in size in the United States. Immediately after Blue Bell made this purchase, the Commerce Plant of Blue Bell was overhauled, putting in a new system of manufacturing and a considerable amount of new equipment was installed. The chief type of clothing produced in the Commerce Plant has always been blanket-lined coats and cossack jackets. At various times since 19361 both a night and day shift have been operated in this plant, but for the past several years only one shift has been in operation. An average of 430 people are used regularly to carry on operations in this plant. The annual output is 6,000,000 garments or 24,000 per day. A branch sewing factory is located at Comer which employs 220 people, making a total of 650 people operating the plant. All of the cutting and shipping is done from the Commerce Plant. The shipping to and from Commerce to market is one-half by Railroad and one-half by trucks owned by the company. This large plant has been of mutual financial interest both to the city of Commerce and community and to its own corporation. This enterprise is recognized as a valuable asset to our industrial economy. FROZEN FOOD LOCKERS, INC. Frozen Food Lockers, Inc., was organized in February, 1943, by 27 local individuals as a community service. Through the Federal Government they were able to secure a priority, construction starting' in July and operation beginning February , 1944. This plant has 500 lockers and is serving from 500 to 750 families each year, giving them better food and meat to eat and also helping them in the preserving of the products grown in their own gardens and on the farm. This plant has been handling on an average of 200,000 pounds of meat, fruits, and vegetables per year. It is incorporated for $25,000.00 and is recognized as one of the outstanding plants in the State. The present officers are L. G. Hardman, Jr., President; Dr. A. A. Rogers, Vice-President; and W. M. Booth, Secretary-Treasurer. COMMERCE MILLING COMPANY In the spring of 1883, H. W. Peeler and W. P. Lovin set a saw-mill just where the Roller Mill is now located. They sawed timber from the W. B. J. Hardman and S. M. Shankle land that was blown down by the northeast storm on the second Sunday in September, 1882. In the fall, Peeler and Lovin erected a cotton gin at the same place and ran it some ten years and later put in a grist mill. After Mr. Peeler's death, there was incorporated the Farmers Mill and Gin Company, which was operated by different ones for a few years. About the years 1902 to 1904, L. G. Hardman bought the property and organized a stock company known as the Hardman Roller Mill. There was installed a roller mill outfit and corn mill. This mill was operated by various ones as Superintendent and lessee for some twelve years, when it was liquidated and the property sold to A. D. Harris, who after operating it for a few years sold it to M. A. and T. T. Benton in 1919. This enterprise was then organized into a stock company known as the Commerce Milling Company. Later grain and feed crushing machinery was added. This plant has been successfully operated and is an asset to the city and community and a help and encouragement to the farmers of the surrounding country. Mr. T. T. Benton is the President of the company and the operator of the plant. This mill has a 60-bbl. daily capacity. HARDMAN OIL MILL - SOUTHERN COTTON OIL COMPANY This oil mill and ginnery, situated on South Elm Street in South Commerce, was organized and built by W. W. Stark, W. T. and G. W. D. Harber in 1897. After operating two years the property was sold to the Hardmans and became known as the Hardman Oil Mill. After two years operation this company sold and deeded the property to the Southern Cotton Oil Company, the present owners. During the period of the Hardman Oil Mill Company the managers were W. M. Thurmond and W. S. Mize. The Southern Cotton Oil Company employed W. D. Sheppard as manager until 1910. Mr. T. C. Robinson of Pickens, South Carolina, was manager from 1910 to 1915. He was succeeded by W. R. Gresham, who was manager until 1923. In 1923, W. L. Smith took charge of the plant and has remained in this position since. For some years he has operated under a lease. The oil mill feature was discontinued in the year 1923. Since then the ginnery has been renewed and brought up to modern equipment. The annual output averages about 2,500 to 3,000 bales. During all this period most of the seed and products have been handled by the plant. When the oil mill feature of this plant, which had a daily capacity of 35 tons, was discontinued in 1923, the Southern Cotton Oil Company centralized their small plants and the seed products of this plant are now sent to Athens for crushing. This industry has drawn a large patronage from quite a distance and has added trade to the City of Commerce. THE FARMERS OIL MILL This industry was founded and organized about the year 1902 and the plant was located just off Homer Street on a large lot now owned by W. N. Harden. The stockholders were made up of farmers and some men in town. The Southern Railway was deeded land for a siding November 2, 1903 and the sidetrack was constructed which was to be perpetual. This plant operated a ginnery in connection with the oil mill. The first manager was W. S. Mize. It was operated for a few years, then leased to H. O. Williford, who operated it for some time under the management of W. D. Sheppard. Mr. Williford was the first President of the company. He later leased, or rented, this property to W. D. Sheppard who continued with the ginnery and seed buying after the oil mill part had been practically destroyed by fire. Mr. Ellis Gober was for sometime the manager of this part of the business. Mr. Gober later went to Macon where he was a successful business man. This Oil Mill property was bought by A. D. Harris and dismantled and passed into the hands of Mrs. I. H. Harris. Finally it was liquidated. W. N. Harden bought the real estate and the remaining buildings in 1933. On this plant he developed a manufacturing plant and established a whole-sale oil business. A. C. CARSON PLANING MILL AND GRIST MILL In 1906, A. C. Carson and Emmet Kemp opened a wood and blacksmith shop on South Elm Street near Sanders Furniture Store in the building formerly occupied by J. R. N. Baugh, a wagon maker, continuing here about six years. Mr. Carson built a planing and grist mill on Atlanta Avenue in 1912, which served the trade until his death in 1937. This combined mill was patronized by customers from a large territory. Since his death the plant has been continued by his son, O. H. Carson, as manager. REIDLING'S GINNERY Near the northern incorporate limits on the Southern Railway is T. D. Reidling's large and modern ginnery which has been in operation some five years and was first established by Harold Nix. Mr. Reidling has enlarged the plant and does an extensive business in seed and seed products as well as cotton ginning. Near by is also a large feed crushing mill that has a splendid patronage. MONUMENTS In the same vicinity Clyde Langford has a plant for manufacture of tombstones and monuments of every description, both of granite and of marble. Mr. Langford has had more than twenty years experience and has operated his plant in Commerce for some five years. He is constantly enlarging his facilities and puts out an article of splendid quality. These plants are a good asset and add much to the City's industrial life. MOSE GORDON LUMBER COMPANY Mr. Gordon came to Commerce in 1928 and established a lumber business on the Southern Railroad, two miles north of the city. His business has grown to an extensive plant. His mills saw timber over a wide area and he purchases lumber from over a large section of Northeast Georgia. He has some 30 or 40 employees and ships several million feet of lumber annually. This industry contributes much to the growth and development of this community. COMMERCE FERTILIZER COMPANY This corporation was organized in 1911 by L. L. Davis, A. P. Rice, George Rice, W. B. Burns, and P. W. Sheppard. Affiliated with The Virginia-Carolina Chemical Corporation of Richmond, Va., on a 50-50 basis, L. L. Davis was elected President; W. B. Burns, Secretary-Treasurer. The original capital stock was $15,000.00. At the annual stockholders meeting in 1947 it was voted to increase the capital stock to $50,000.00. C. M. Scoggins came into the company in 1917 as bookkeeper and later buying a part of the stock and becoming Secretary-Treasurer, which place he filled until his death in February, 1946. The plant is located on the Southern Railroad a short distance north of the city limits. This corporation has served the vicinity and surrounding sections in a large way for the last thirty-seven years. They have weathered two or three depressions and have had a steady and continual growth. Their present annual production is more than $150,000.00. Mr. L. L. Davis, the President, exercises full rights as manager and is owner of a large majority of the local stock. Mrs. T. A. Minish is the present efficient Secretary-Treasurer. Commerce is proud of this member of our valuable industries. THE SITICIDE COMPANY In 1890 after several years of careful study and experimenting, Dr. Lemuel J. Sharp, a well known practicing physician, of Commerce, Georgia, perfected a formula for curing Scabies (Parasitic Itch), and put it on the market under the name PARASITICIDE. The cure was quick acting and found immediate favor with sufferers from the disease so often spoken of as the seven-year-itch. The medicine sold well and the business of making it prospered. At first Parasiticide was sold only locally, but after growth began, Dr. Sharp put his brother, Mr. B. B. Sharp, on the road as travelling salesman in Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee. In about 1924 the name was changed to Siticide and a contract was made with Harvey-Massengale Advertising Agency for advertising this product in the Southern States. In 1927 after the death of Dr. Sharp, Mrs. Sharp sold stock in the business to Drs. O. E. Shankle and W. D. Sheppard thus organizing a stock company. For a number of years they used the Sharp building where Dr. Sharp had his office, but as business increased they felt the need of a larger place and in 1936 built the brick structure, which they continue to use. The Company now has seven stockholders. Dr. J. C. Verner is President and Mrs. L. J. Sharp, Secretary and Treasurer of the Company. At present this product is being advertised and sold in the Mid-West and Eastern states. The gross sales of the company have more than trebled since 1936. W. N. HARDEN CUSHION FACTORY On the property of the old Farmers Oil Mill, W. N. Harden constructed a plant to manufacture cushions for baskets, boxes and other containers. He also established oil storage tanks and warehouses for the wholesale trade and is now whole-sale distributor for the Sinclair Oil and Refining Company. The cushion factory was opened May, 1934, and continued until February, 1948. This plant employed an average of 25 operatives, all Negroes. The products were sold generally over the Southeastern states in the fruit and vegetable areas. Since the discontinuance of the cushion manufacture, the buildings are used for his enlarged oil business. This small industry has added to the financial assets of the city and has advertised this town in the areas where the products have been shipped. W. T. STAPLER - HARMONY GROVE MANUFACTURER OF PLOW-STOCKS AND CULTIVATORS Mr. W. T. Stapler was a pioneer in the invention of new types of plow stocks and cultivators at the time when old home-made stocks were made in the shops. He began making the iron brace foot stock at Hood's Mill in the 70's and later at Harmony Grove about the time Haiman built the bent foot stock that bore his name. The Stapler stock was manufactured in a small way in a shop near the railroad in front of C. W. Hood's store, then later in a shop on Broad Street near the Methodist Church. During this period, Mr. Stapler made connection with Bailey Foundry & Machine Works at Athens, Ga., for whom he was salesman for a short time. Later he became salesman for B. F. Avery & Son, Louisville, Ky., through whom he got several patents on his plow stock and cultivators. He retained his connection with this firm until his death. Mr. Stapler at one time made three-foot cultivators on a rather large scale in a shop run by T. Cole. Often he would ship a thousand or more in a season to his South Carolina customers, in addition to his local sales. A history of Harmony Grove is not complete without some notice of this man who was not only a genius in inventions and experiments but one who had a store of wit and original stories: He was an adept at telling jokes and entertaining his listeners. Mr. Stapler was a landmark in the town of Harmony Grove. Though himself of limited education, he was interested in the promotion of schools. He was a member of the Board of Trustees for awhile, a pillar in the Presbyterian Church and all phases of civic life. He was indeed a unique character. THE BARBER INDUSTRY The barber trade in villages and small towns is of recent date. From seventy-five to a hundred years ago the housewife was the chief dependent to shingle husband's hair and cut the children's hair, sometimes clipping their ears. The man of the house did his own shaving with a Wade and Butcher or a George Wostenholm old time razor. In Harmony Grove in the 80's, it was customary on Saturday night to go to L. G. Hardman's old drug store on the corner near the depot and cut each other's hair. J. D. Barnett was the chief artist in hair cutting. As the town grew larger a Negro, or two, set up a white barber shop. In fact in the South all the white barber shops in the 70'S to 1890 were operated by Negro barbers in cities like Athens, Macon, and Atlanta, as well as the smaller towns. In Harmony Grove the first white man to open a barber shop was a man named Farrabee, a relative of W. C. Farrabee. Then came Young Davis of Athens and possibly some others before W. D. Pierce who was here for many years. Pierce was the first to open a first class shop with several chairs. His shop was located on North Elm Street. Associated with him were H. C. Sims, A. F. Fillingim, W. C. Dowdy and others who later opened shops for themselves. H. C. Sims and Dowdy opened in the Harber building on North Broad Street which was later operated by Sims and Duckett. About the same time, or later, Curt Massey opened a shop in the Pittman building on South Broad Street, now operated by Elmer Minish. A. F. Fillingim ran a shop for a while near Sander's Furniture Store as also did Howard Saxon. In South Commerce, the pioneer barber shop was P. Y. Waters', followed by quite a number of others, among whom were Fonny Gibson, Henry Talbert, Bud Strickland and other good barbers who made a livelihood at this trade. The barber shop became years ago a place for the discussion of politics, the weather, town-talk, dogs and hunting, as well as the gossip and scandals of the time. In fact, this was the place of news report before the coming of the radio. How-ever, the barber shop has lost its prestige since the advent of mi-ladies-beauty shops where all shades and types of news are freely dispensed. These trades, or institutions, have become a necessity to our city and are growing marvelously. Additional Comments: From HISTORY OF HARMONY GROVE - COMMERCE JACKSON COUNTY, GEORGIA BY THOMAS COLQUITT HARDMAN 1810-1949 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/jackson/history/other/gms159historyo.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 26.4 Kb