McDonald & Company Agricultural Works
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- Name
- McDonald & Company Agricultural Works
- Wholesale
- Merchant Wholesalers - Durable Goods
- Founded
- 1858
Wooster,Ohio
- Dissolved
- 1875
- Founders
- 0000 Corner West Liberty St. and Walnut St., Wooster, 44691, Ohio, United States
McDonald & Co. was founded in 1847 when Angus McDonald and Alexander Laughlin, who previously worked together in the Patridge & Kessler's machine works in Massillon, Ohio (Stark County), formed a partnership to establish the McDonald, Laughlin & Co. that was later shortened to McDonald & Co. but Laughlin was still a partner. In 1873 the business was listed in the city business directory as A. McDonald, A. Laughlin, J. A. Saxton. [1]
The two continued in partnership and bought land in Wooster in 1858 and built massive brick buildings on this property in 1859 to house their agricultural machinery factory. The company continued to operate in this location until Oct. 16, 1875 when it went insolvent after the the nation suffered a severe economic recession that ran from 1873 through 1875. Adding to the economic problems was the fact that the company had been involved in long-running patent lawsuit with the Birdsell Manufacturing Co. that did not end until April 1874 when U.S. Supreme Court Justice / Police order / and Safety in the Northern Ohio District Court, upheld the Birdsell patent.
However, reports indicate that after 1875, John H. Kauke became the assignee for the McDonald & Co. and by 1877 there were ads in local newspapers that the factory was running again under the name of, Wooster Agricultural Works, with John H. Kauke listed as "trustee". However, creditor claims against the old McDonald & Co. were not disposed of until as late as 1887.
A good time frame for the McDonald & Co. being in operation is from 1847 to 1875. However, actual manufacturing of products in Wooster, Ohio likely did not happen until 1859-1860 after the factory buildings were erected along S. Walnut street in the block from W. Liberty to South streets. Furthermore, production at the factory during the Civil War time period was likely minimal at best which is as the company's record books for statements of receipts and expenditures started in 1866.
Quick Facts
- 1873 --- Manufacturers of Agricultural Machines. Office South-east corner of West Liberty and Walnut Sts. Wooster Threshing Machines for home and Pacific trade; Climax and Cary's Patent Horse Power, for eight and ten horses; Wooster Self-raking and Dropping Reapers and Mowers; Wooster Combined and Single Clover Huller. Particular attention paid to orders by mail. For the above, send for pamphlets. [2]
Maps
Sanborn Maps 1888
Newspaper articles
- May 04, 1871: "McDonald & Co.'s Agricultural Works.", Wooster Republican, p. 3.
- December 02, 1875: "McDonald & Co.", Wooster Weekly Republican, p. 3.
- December 30, 1875: "To The Creditors of McDonald & Co.", Wooster Weekly Republican, p..
- July 28, 1887: "Nearly Ended. The Duties of Capt. J.H. Kauke and Jehiel Clark as Assignee and Trustee of A. McDonald & Co.", Wooster Weekly Republican, p. 2.
McDonald & Co. was founded in 1847 when Angus McDonald and Alexander Laughlin, who previously worked together in the Patridge & Kessler's machine works in Massillon, Ohio (Stark County), formed a partnership to establish the McDonald, Laughlin & Co. that was later shortened to McDonald & Co. but Laughlin was still a partner. The two continued in partnership and bought land in Wooster in 1858 and built massive brick buildings on this property in 1859 to house their agricultural machinery factory. The company continued to operate in this location until Oct. 16, 1875 when it went insolvent after the the nation suffered a severe economic recession that ran from 1873 through 1875. Adding to the economic problems was the fact that the company had been involved in long-running patent lawsuit with the Birdsell Manufacturing Co. that did not end until April 1874 when U.S. Supreme Court Justice / Police order / and Safety in the Northern Ohio District Court, upheld the Birdsell patent. However, reports indicate that after 1875, John H. Kauke became the assignee for the McDonald & Co. and by 1877 there were ads in local newspapers that the factory was running again under the name of, Wooster Agricultural Works, with John H. Kauke listed as "trustee". However, creditor claims against the old McDonald & Co. were not disposed of until as late as 1887. A good time frame for the McDonald & Co. being in operation is from 1847 to 1875. However, actual manufacturing of products in Wooster, Ohio likely did not happen until 1859-1860 after the factory buildings were erected along S. Walnut street in the block from W. Liberty to South streets. Furthermore, production at the factory during the Civil War time period was likely minimal at best which is as the company's record books for statements of receipts and expenditures started in 1866. Before the 1873 recession it was reported in 1871 that the company was producing for this year:
- 1,000 Wooster Reaper and Mowers
- 500 Wooster Threshing Machines
- 200 Wooster Clover Hullers
- 1,000 plows and a large number of other articles used in farming
An official report printed in local newspapers attribute the failure of the McDonald & Co. in 1875 to four main causes:
- The fact that the company had no cash capital when production started in 1866 and have put no cash capital into the company since.
- The consequent high rate and enormous amount of interest having to be paid.
- The great expenses incurred in selling their machines and paying their sales agents.
- Injudicious sales of their machines.
Some time after 1875, the factory continued to operate but under a new name, Wooster Agricultural Works, as part of an agreement to try to help pay back creditors of the McDonald & Co.
- Wooster, Ohio Sesquicentennial Celebration, June 14-21, 1958, p. 87.