Bartholomew-Rush-Henry County IN Archives Biographies.....Reeves, Marshal T. 1851 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 21, 2007, 5:50 pm

Author: B. F. Bowen (1904)

MARSHAL T. REEVES.

   Marshal T. Reeves, manufacturer and inventor, and president of Reeves &
Company, Reeves Pulley Company and American Foundry Company, all of Columbus,
Indiana, was born in Rush county, Indiana, March 5, 1851, the son of William F.
and Hannah M. Reeves. He spent his boyhood on the farm, and early in life gave
evidence of possessing inventive genius, by the improvement of farm implements
and machinery. His first practical invention was a two-horse, tongueless corn
plow, which he invented in 1869, and later improved upon and patented and
manufactured under the name of "The Hoosier Boy Corn Plow." During the winter of
1871-2 he completed a common school education at Lebanon, Ohio, and then taught
a four-months school at Red Lion, near that place, then continued teaching
during the three following winters in Rush county, Indiana, near his home. In
the spring of 1875 he, with his father and an uncle, Alfred B. Reeves, formed a
company known as the Hoosier Boy Cultivator Company, and began the manufacture
and sale of the "Hoosier Boy Tongueless Corn Plow," at Knightstown, Indiana. In
the fall of the same year the company purchased and moved to their present
location in Columbus. In 1881 the "Reeves Straw Stacker," another of the
subject's inventions, was placed on the market, and met with good success. The
"Reeves Clover Huller" was added next for manufacture in 1891, then the "Reeves
Separator," 1894, and "Reeves Engine," 1895, and other machines later.

   In about 1879 the company's name was changed to Reeves & Company and
consisted of the subject of this sketch, Alfred B. and Milton M. Reeves. Some
fifty patents have been taken out by the Reeves Company on inventions with which
the subject has been identified, either as sole inventor or as a co-inventor
with other members or employes of the firm. The manufacture of the cultivator
was abandoned in about 1883 or '4, the object being to confine 
the output to other lines, and since then the company has manufactured straw
stackers, clover hullers, separators, engines, corn shellers, saw mills and a
full line of threshing machinery, most all their own inventions. In 1888 the
company was incorporated and since has sold a portion of its stock to outside
parties. The subject has been the company's president almost continuously since
its organization. On August 20, 1890, Milton M. Reeves died and on April 3,
1891, Alfred B. sold the larger part of his interest in the company to Mr.
Reeves and retired from active relations in the company and a little later
disposed of the balance of his stock, which leaves Mr. Reeves the only surviving
member of the original firm.

   From a comparatively small concern, Reeves & Company have grown and expanded
from year to year until it is now one of the largest plants in its line of
manufacture, with an annual output of over six hundred complete threshing
outfits, and in addition to this has a large trade in clover hullers and their
other specialties. They now employ over six hundred men in the home factory,
which has over six acres of floor space. The shops are located on a plat of
ground containing something over twenty acres. They also have eleven branch
houses located in the principal wheat-growing districts of the United States,
each of which is equipped with a manager and a full complement of office .and
traveling sales people.

    In 1888 Mr. Reeves joined his two brothers, Milton O. and Girney L. Reeves,
in organizing the enterprise known as the Reeves Pulley Company, for the
manufacture of wood split pulleys. This company, which is situated just across
the street from Reeves & Company, employs from one hundred and fifty to two
hundred men, and has a floor space of about two acres. Mr. Reeves was early made
president of this organization and has since continued in that capacity. Mr.
Reeves is also president of the American Foundry Company, a new enterprise which
is run in connection with the Reeves Pulley Company and gives employment to
quite a number of men. The aggregate shop pay-roll of these three concerns is
now more than seven thousand dollars weekly.

   On October 17, 1872, Mr. Reeves was married to Louisa J., the daughter of
William J. and Nancy A. McBride. Mrs. Reeves was born in Rush county, Indiana,
October 4, 1851. To this union one daughter, Grace May, was born October 6,
1873, and married Dr. J. L. Morris, of Chicago, now of Columbus.

   Mr. Reeves in politics was a Democrat until his party espoused free silver as
an issue, when he left them and since, on national issues, has voted mainly with
the Republican party. In religion he and his wife, daughter and son-in-law are
members of the Christian (or Disciples) church. Mr. Reeves is now and has been
for many years an officer in this church, and served as superintendent of the
Sunday school from 1892 to 1894 inclusive. Mr. Reeves is a member of the board
of directors of Butler University, having been twice elected as such. He is a
member of Columbus Commandery No. 14, Knights Templar, and Indianapolis
Consistory, and is a thirty-second-degree Scottish Rite Mason. He is also a
member of the Knights of Pythias, and has served two terms in the city council.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from

BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY
INDIANA

INCLUDING BIOGRAPHIES OF THE GOVERNORS AND OTHER REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS OF INDIANA

ILLUSTRATED

1904

B. F. Bowen PUBLISHER


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