BIO: R. F. KLEINGINNA, Clearfield County, PA
 
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From Twentieth Century History of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania,
and Representative Citizens, by Roland D. Swoope, Jr.,
Chicago: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company, 1911, pages 581 & 582.
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  R. F. KLEINGINNA, a representative business man of long standing and excellent 
repute, who is engaged in the manufacture of cupboards and wardrobes at DuBois, 
Pa., came to this borough in its infancy and is identified at present with its 
best interests.  He was born in Schuylkill county, Pa., in 1867, and is a son of 
John and Sarah (Smith) Kleinginna.  The mother died when her son was four years 
old and he was reared by a maternal aunt, with whom he came to DuBois in April, 
1881.
  R. F. Kleinginna is a self made man in every sense of the word.  He had few 
opportunities in his youth and that he has developed into a well informed and 
successful business man and respected and valued citizen, is owing entirely to 
his own steling traits of character.  His first work was in the coal mines, 
where he was a trapper.  Later he was employed for two years in the sash and 
door factory of Barber & Scully, after which he engaged with John E. DuBois for 
two years and then was employed for a short time by Sidney Fuller but soon 
returned to Mr. DuBois and worked two more years for him.  He then was employed 
for one year by the Whirlpool Washing Machine Company.  All this time he had 
been hoping that some turn of fortune might give him a little unemployed capital 
so that he could work out his own practical mechanical ideas for he has a 
natural gift in that line.  Securing an old barn as a work-shop, about this time 
he started to construct musical instruments and later, at the suggestion of John 
Goodyear, who was a pioneer furniture dealer here, he began the manufacturing of 
something needed in every house, kitchen cupboards.  Mr. Kleinginna soon had 
three compact, durable and attractive appearing cupboards finished and these Mr. 
Goodyear immediately took off his hands and paid for them at once.  This was the 
beginning of what he has developed into a very large enterprise, one that 
requires the assistance of seven traveling men to cover the wide territory of 
his business, his shipments going to New York, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland 
and Ohio.
  There are men who at once would have gone into debt for proper machinery, with 
this encouragement, but Mr. Kleinginna was not of that kind.  As he had no money 
and would not borrow, the only way he could solve what was a very important 
question, was to make his own machinery and his first work was done in the old 
dilapidated cow-barn, with a foot-power rip saw and with the other machinery 
that he fashioned for himself, and after his goods became known he installed a 
four-horse power engine and boiler and built wings on each side of the barn.  
Business grew so rapidly that in a comparatively short time he had to find more 
commodious quarters and he purchased two acres of land and built his plant, on 
Hamor street.  His factory occupies two floors of the building at Nos. 14-16 
Hamor street, each floor 70 x 48 feet, with sufficient power and modern 
machinery, although some of this which is best suited to the work, is of his own 
invention and construction.  He has large ware-rooms and a dry-house with 
dimensions of 20 x 38 feet.  Mr. Kleinginna is justified in the pride he takes 
in the success he has won and DuBois respects him and points to him as an 
illustration of what an honest, industrious, persevering youth may become if he 
be willing to strive hard enough.