The Industrial Development of Springfield, Ohio
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THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO: A STUDY IN ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By MAHAVIRA PRASADA SHREEVASTAVA, B. A., M. A., M. Sc. The Ohio State University 1956 Approved by: Department of Geography ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The challenge of industrial geography first became apparent to me at the University of Wisconsin, and led me to pursue further work at The Ohio State University. During my stay here, several staff members have given valuable aid and encouragement during the writing of this dissertation. I want to express appreciation especially to Professors Alfred J. Wright, my adviser, Guy-Harold Smith, Eugene Van Cleef, John R. Randall, Lawrence A. Hoffman, and Henry L. Hunker. Working in Springfield, I encountered many persons who gave generously of their time and attention. To each one of these gentlemen (listed in Appendix B) cordial thanks are extended. Finally, feelings of deep gratitude are expressed for the encouragement and moral support of my father, Mr. Mukat Behari Lai Srivastava, whose ambition it has been that I pursue graduate work in the field of "geography", up to the doctor's level. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I Point of View................... 1 II Factors of Production............. »........ 15 III Factors of Distribution and Consumption.... 88 IV Springfield's Industrial Complex........... 115 V Antecedents............................ 1^6 VI Retrospect............................ 176 VII Problems of Concern to Manufacturers....... 225 VIII Past Experiences and the Prospect.......... 251 Appendices................................................ 275 Bibliography.............................................. 512 Autobiography........................................... 522 iii LIST OF TABLES Number Page 1 Growth of Population in Springfield, Ohio........ 4l 2 Selected Data for Springfield — 1950........... 42 3 Per Cent of the Employed Population Engaged in Manufacturing........................ 52 4 Average Weekly Earnings in Manufacturing Industries....................................... 57 5 Nature of Industrial Concerns in Springfield, Ohio............ 79 6 Number of Establishments in Springfield, 1899-19^+7.................................. Si 7 Value Added by Manufacture in Springfield, Ohio, 1899-19^7... ............................ 115 8 Average Number of Wage Earners in Springfield, Ohio, 1899-1947................................ 116 9 Employment in Industry Groups of Springfield in 1950............. 117 10 Age of Industrial Concerns in Springfield, Ohio............................... 124 11 Geographical Extent of the Market for In dustries in Springfield........................ 127 12 Contribution of Local Market to the Total Market for Springfield Industry...... 130 13 Plants that Employ More Females than Males in Springfield...... 133 14 Proportion of Out-going Goods Moving by Rail and/or by Truck................................ 139 15 Proportion of In-coming Goods Moving by Truck and/or by Rail................. 140 iv LIST OF TABLES C Continued.) Number Page 16 Per Cent of Increase in the Value Added by Manufacture, for the State of Ohio and the City of Springfield, by Decades................. 170 17 Value Added by Manufacture in Springfield, as a Percentage of the Same in Ohio................ 170 18 Ranking of Industrial Groups in Terms of Num ber of Employees................................. 182 19 ■ Mother Companies in Springfield, Ohio............. 211 20 Names of Companies Which 0we Their Existence Partly to the So-called Splintering Effect..... 211 21 Number of Companies That Came from Outside... 213 22 Ranking of Industrial Groups in Terms of Number of Establishments......................... 260 23 Possible Areas of Plant Expansion in Spring field............................................ 26k v LIST OF MAPS Number Page I Population Map of Ohio, 1950............ 5 II Map of the Bedrock, Present and Pre-Wisconsin Drainage........... -........................... 20 III Map of the Alluvial and Glacial Deposits...... 22 IV Springfield Quadrangle Topographic Map (attached to back cover) V Annexations and Growth of Springfield, Ohio...... VI Clark County (Highways)............................ 96 VII The City of Springfield, Ohio (N. E. Quarter)..... 188 VIII The City of Springfield, Ohio (S. W. Quarter)..... 189 IX The City of Springfield, Ohio (S. E. Quarter) 191 X The City of Springfield, Ohio (N. W. Quarter)..... 19^ XI Central Business District in Springfield......... 199 XII Proposed Industrial Site........................... 2k9 vi LIST OF PLATES Number Page I Boulevard on the West North Street......... ...... 97 II The Interior of The James Leffel and Company...... 110 III The Ridgely Trimmer Company.................... 163 IV The International Harvester Company, Springfield Works........ 179 V The Steel Products Engineering Company............ 180 VI An Aerial View of the City of Springfield..... 186 VII K. and A. Aluminum Foundry, Inc................ 195 VIII The Thompson Grinder Company................... 198 IX Springfield Manufacturing Company............. 197 X The Springfield Metallic Caskets Company, Inc. ... 201 XI Shuey Building................... 202 vii LIST OF CHARTS Number Page I Geologic Column............ ............ * 19 II Springfield's Share of Ohio's Manufacturing.................................. 121 III Per Cent of Increase in the Value Added by Manufacture', by Decades.*.................. 123 viii CHAPTER I POINT OF VIEW Identity of the Industrial Center This is an investigation of the industrial development of Springfield, Ohio, ranking ninth among Ohio cities on the basis of value added by manufacturing. The agricultural implement industry started in Spring field about 1850 and gave it national prominence during and after the Civil War; achievement of further growth made it world-known by 1880. Decline set in in the late 80's, only to be revived in the early 20th century when the transporta tion equipment industry began there. The trend of diversifi cation which became conspicuous in early 1920's continues to the present and is evinced by the variety of products made in Springfield today, such as trucks, magazines, incubators, motors, machine tools, production machinery, piano plates, paper hangers' tools, chemicals, caskets, dresses and awnings, road building machinery, lawn sweepers, thermometers, etc. These products indicate the broad scope of.manufacture, the relatively broad base of Springfield's industrial economy. Evolution of different types of industries in Springfield exemplifies the response by manufacturers to natural and economic advantages offered by its location. Goals of Study Why are the products named above made in Springfield? Why is industrial production in Springfield highly diversified as suggested by the nature of its products? What combinations of productive factors have made Springfield what it is today? Have there been any changes in the particular combinations of productive factors in Springfield over the passage of time and have such changes modified the general economy of this center from time to time? In addition to making an attempt at answering the types of questions raised above, this study aims to achieve the following goals: (1) An understanding and appraisal of the foundation on which the well-being of Springfield's industrial economy depends. (2) Collection of scattered threads in the story of indus trial development of Springfield, and putting them together in order to present a continuous series of events that help to account for significant changes in the picture of indus trial Springfield from time to time. (3) Comparison of the industrial status of Springfield with that of other cities jin Ohio, with a view to pointing out the former's place in the hierarchy of the latter. (k) Functional analysis of present-day Springfield's manu- factural effort. (5) Setting up some hypotheses and testing them against the background already presented. (6) Acquiring familiarity with the literature dealing with Springfield, knowledge of source materials, increased aware ness of what goes on in the manufacturing affairs of Spring field, and acquaintance with the manners in which general economic-geographical principles find an application with regard to the city's industrial growth. (7) Investigation of future prospects for Springfield in the light of the factors of localization for industries. Why Springfield? For the case study of an area which has experienced a predominantly industrial economy ever since its occupance and settlement, an urban center is deemed as the best possible unit of research. But such an urban center, if too large, presents problems of getting adequate information and involves a very long time; if too small, it has very few industries, and generalizations based on a small number of industries are apt to have very little validity. Therefore, the very first consideration that was applied in selecting a particular city for this study, was that the city be not too big and not too small. Springfield is not a 100,000 city, but among Ohio cities with a population of less than 100,000, it is the biggest (Map I). Another feature which was considered an essential for the city to be chosen was that it should have diversified industry. Many towns in Ohio, which are slightly larger than or slightly smaller than Springfield, are dominated by just one or two