Bio of Wabasha Foundry and Machine-Shop Wabasha Co., MN
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Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Barbara Timm and Carol Judge
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This bio comes from "HISTORY OF WABASHA COUNTY" 1884.
Check out Barbara's site for more great information on this book:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~mnwabbio/wab1.htm
There are also some pictures and information from descendents for some 
of the bios on her pages.

Wabasha Foundry and Machine-Shop: This industry is located on the west
half of block 17, original town site of Wabasha, the east half being
occupied by the mill of the Wabasha Milling Co. The entire block is
traversed by the spur tracks of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railway,
which afford ample facilities for shipping purposes. The business was
established in 1869 by M. F. Lowth & Co., who erected the buildings that
year and started their machinery the following spring. These buildings
are: a two and one-half story machine-shop, 40x50 feet; a foundry, 40x50
feet; a paint shop, 36x40 feet, and a blacksmith-shop with two forges.
Lowth & Co. were succeeded, in 1874, by Dayton, McDougall & Co., and they
in turn by the Wabasha Manufacturing Co., who gave place to the firm of
Downer & Porter, and this latter, on the death of the senior member, John
B. Downer, in October 1882, to the firm of Campbell & Porter, the present
proprietors. During all these changes Mr. Porter has stood by the concern,
having been a member of the original firm of Lowth & Co. The business
consists in the manufacture and repair of portable and stationary engines
and steamboat-work, as well as general foundry and machinery business. The
shops are equipped with two lathes (fifteen-foot bed), an iron planer, an
engine of fourteen-horsepower, and all the other necessary machinery for
their line of work, which is largely for the lumbermen of the Chippewa and
Beef Slough logging companies. Their cupola has a capacity of from two and
one-half to three tons of metal, and they are well equipped for filling
all orders. Their present working force is from six to eight hands. The
present members of the firm are W. H. Campbell and O. H. Porter. O. H.
Porter is a native of Pennsylvania, a moulder by trade, and has been a
resident of this city about fourteen years. He was born in 1833; came into
Michigan at nineteen years of age; learned his trade in Tecumseh, in that
state, and in 1856 removed to Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, and was there until
the breaking out of the war of the rebellion, July 13, 1861. He enlisted
as a musician; was afterward promoted fife-major, and was mustered out of
service in 1863, returning to Wisconsin. December 6, of that year, he
married Barbara Yambor. One daughter was born to them on October 3, 1864,
Miss Nellie J., who graduated from the high school of this city in class
of 1882; is now pursuing her studies at the State Normal School, Winona,
from which she will graduate in the class of 1884.