Antique barbed wire society




The Antique Barbed Wire Society is committed to collecting, preserving, exhibiting, and interpreting the historical heritage of barbed wire and barbed wire related items...



Thomas H. Dodge





1823

Thomas H. Dodge was born September 27, in Eden, Vermont.


Early Childhood
Thomas was privileged to be able to attend the best district schools as his father was a well-to-do farmer. The family moved to Lowell, Vermont, where they lived until Thomas was 14 years old.


1837
The Dodge family moved to Nashua, New Hampshire. Dodge decided to become a lawyer and manufacturer. He told his parents that he was going to pay all of his own expenses to prove what he could accomplish.


1843
On June 30, Thomas married Eliza Daniels of Brookline, New Hampshire. Dodge decided to learn the cotton manufacturing business. He went to work for a cotton manufacturer as a roll carrier. After earning enough money in the factory, he enrolled in Gymnasium Institute at Pembroke, New Hampshire.


1850
Dodge published a famous review of the Rise, Progress, and Importance of Cotton Manufacturing in the United States.


1851
Thomas joined the firm of George Y. Sawyer and A.F. Stevens of Nashua, New Hampshire, to train for the law. After three years he was admitted to the bar at Manchester, Massachusetts.


1853
Dodge was at the forefront of his profession as an advocate and jurist.


1854
At the age of 31, Dodge opened a law office in Nashua, New Hampshire.


1855
Dodge was appointed as the first assistant in the U.S. Patent Office and shortly thereafter was appointed examiner-in-chief.


1858
Dodge resigned from the patent office to concentrate on his law practice.


1864
Thomas moved to Worcester, Massachusetts, to continue his law practice and become a third owner of the Union Mowing Machine Company.


1878
Dodge received a patent for a barbed wire which was 201,507. This was the first of his seven patents.


1881
Thomas became associated with Charles G. Washburn and organized the Barbed Fence Company of Worcester, Massachusetts. He was named president of the company.


1881
On November 29, Dodge received his second patent for a barbed wire, which today is called the Dodge Star and is considered a very rare wire.


1882
Dodge and Charles G. Washburn obtained a patent on a four point barbed wire.


1883
Dodge had a serious break in his health and was required to retire from the active routine of business.


1905
Thomas and his wife each made a $500 donation to a boys and girls camp.


1910
Thomas H. Dodge died on February 12 at the age of 86.



William Edenborn





March 30, 1948
William Edenborn is born in Westphailia, Prussia.


1860
He was apprenticed to a manufacturer of steel wire, and shoemakers', and saddlers' awls.


1867
He came to the United States and followed the trade of wire drawing, working in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Cincinnati, Ohio, and St. Louis, Missouri.


1868
Takes a business course and later a course in mechanical drawing.


1870
In association with Frank M. Ludlow, he erected the first wire mill in St. Louis, Missouri and produced the first coil of wire west of the Mississippi.


October 5, 1876
Married Sarah Drain of St. Louis, Missouri


1877
He organized the St. Louis Wire Mill Company, and as its president, he developed it into one of the largest industries of its kind in the United States.


1882
He began manufacturing barbed wire.


1885
Edenborn built the Braddock Wire Company Plant at Rankin, Pennsylvania.


1898
The American Steel and Wire Company of Illinois was incorporated and Edenborn was elected president.


1899 - 1901
The American Steel and Wire of Illinois was known as the American Wire and Steel of New Jersey until it was sold to United States Steel Corporation for $50,000,000.00 in preferred and common Stocks.


1901 - 1908
He was president of the Louisiana Railroad and Navigation Company, Pittsburgh & Southern Coal Company, and the American Musical Company of New Jersey. He was a director of the Urania Lumber Company of Louisiana and the St. Louis Iron and Machine Works.


1926
William Edenborn died in 1926, at the age of 78 and is buried in Forest Park Cemetery in Shreveport, Louisiana.

The tremendous growth of the wire industry was chiefly due to his inventive and executive ability, his genius as an organizer and his farsightedness. He may well be called the "father" of the barbed wire industry. He invented and patented many machines and devices that were installed in barbed wire manufacturing plants, which reduced the cost of wire manufacturing.





Isaac Leonard Ellwood





August 3, 1833

Isaac Ellwood was born in Salt Springfield, New York


1851
After working for a few years as a teamster on the Erie Canal, young Ike Ellwood set out for California and the gold fields.


1851 - 1852
Ellwood works in the gold fields.


1852 - 1855
He clerks in a Sacramento store.


1855
At the age of 22, Ellwood moves to DeKalb County, Illinois, with $2,600.00 in his pocket. He takes a a job on the Miller farm at Kingston. Later, with help from William Miller, Ellwood opens a hardware store in downtown DeKalb. The store is in business until 1875.


January 27, 1859
I.L. Ellwood marries Harriet Augusta Miller and by 1874 they had 7 children.


1873
At the DeKalb fair, Ellwood observes an idea for barbed wire fencing.


July 1874
For $265.00, Joseph Glidden sells Ellwood one-half interest in his barbed wire invention. Production begins on Glidden's farm.


1875
Ellwood and Glidden build their first barbed wire factory, on South Second Street in DeKalb. The factory building is still standing.


1876
Ellwood becomes a partner in the Washburn and Moen Manufacturing Company of Worchester, Massachusetts.


1877
Ellwood and Washburn and Moan build a new factory in DeKalb. The factory extends from 4th to 6th streets on both sides of Locust Street. Ellwood buys 1200 acres of land west of North First Street.


April 1, 1879
Construction begins on the Ellwood house.


1881
By a "secret deal," Jacob Haish comes to terms with I.L. Ellwood & Co.


1887
Ellwood begins purchasing 640,000 acres of Texas ranch land.


1892
I.L. Ellwood and Company build their Wire and Nail Mill in DeKalb.


1895
Ellwood works long and hard to see that the new Northern Illinois State Normal School is located in DeKalb


1898
I.L. Ellwood and Company is bought out by John W. ("Bet-a-Million") Gates, becoming part of the new American Steel and Wire Company.


1900
After serving on the Governor's staff Ellwood has bestowed upon him the honorary title of "Colonel" by Governor John Tanner of Illinois.


July 1901
Mrs. I.L. Ellwood dies at the age of 73.


Sept. 11, 1910
Col. I.L. Ellwood dies at the age of 77




Joseph Glidden





January 18, 1813

Joseph F. Glidden was born in Charleston, Sullivan County, New Hampshire.


1835 - 1838
Glidden teaches school.


1837
Glidden marries Clarissa Foster. He is 24 years old.


1838 - 1841
Glidden owns a small farm.


1842
Joseph Glidden leaves New York with his brother, Josiah Willard, and moves to Mt. Morris, Illinois.


1842 - 1843
Glidden buys a 600 acre farm in DeKalb, Illinois. He is now 30 years old.


1843
Joseph Glidden's young sons, Homer and Virgil, die in an epidemic.
Clarissa comes to De Kalb.


1844
Clarissa Glidden dies in childbirth. The baby dies a few months later.


1844 - 1851
Very little is known about Glidden during this time period.


1851
Glidden marries Lucinda Warne. He is 38 years old.


1852
Glidden is elected county sheriff. A daughter, Elva Frances Glidden is born.


1853
The railroad acquires right of way access across the Glidden farm.


1861
Glidden hires Jacob Haish to build a house and barn.


1863
Glidden is elected to the County Board of Supervisors, at the age of 50. He remains on in office until 1873.


1874
In July, Glidden sells Isaac Ellwood half interest in his barbed wire patent for $265.00. On November 24th he is granted a patent by the U.S. Patent Office.


1875
Glidden and Ellwood build a barbed wire factory in DeKalb.


1876
Glidden sells the other half interest in his patent to Washburn and Moen Manufacturing Company of Worcester, Massachusetts. He receives $60,000.00 plus royalties.
Glidden Builds the Glidden House hotel.


1879
Glidden buys the DeKalb Chronical and publishes it until death.


1881
Glidden is elected mayor of DeKalb. He becomes a partner with Henry Sanborn in a 250,000 acre ranch in Texas.


1887
Elva Frances Glidden marries William H. Bush of Chicago. At 74 years of age, Glidden moves into the Glidden House Hotel.


1895
Glidden donates 63 acres of land for the site of Northern Illinois State Normal School.
Lucinda Glidden dies at the age of 69.


1903
Joseph F. Glidden is honored by the leaders of DeKalb and his long time friends on the occasion of his 90th birthday.


October 9, 1906
Joseph F. Glidden dies at the age of 93.




Jacob Haish





March 9, 1826​

Jacob Haish is born in Germany.


1835
At age 9, Jacob Haish comes to America with his parents.


1845
Now 19 Jacob Haish moves to Illinois.


1847
At age 21, Haish marries Sophia Brown.


1847 - 1853
The Haish's buy a farm in Pierce Township.


1853
Haish and his young wife move to DeKalb, Illinois.


1853 - 1873
Haish operates a successful business as a carpenter in DeKalb. Late in the 1860's he grows orange osage hedges in an attempt to develop a durable form of fencing.


January 20, 1874
Jacob Haish is granted a barbed wire patent issued by the U.S. Patent Office. He at once files a suit against Joseph Glidden for infringing on his patent. The legal controversy has begun and is finally settled by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1882.


1876
Haish builds an Opera House in downtown DeKalb. Haish is now 50 years old.


1891
Haish builds a large factory in which to manufacture his wire.


1894
Haish erects his palatial mansion at the northwest corner of Third and Pine in DeKalb. It served as a memorial to the outspoken inventor until it was torn down in 1961. Jacob Haish entered the banking business with the founding of the Barb City Bank. He was active in the bank until his death.


1895
Haish joins his long time rival, I.L. Elwood and Joseph Glidden, in fighting to have Northern Illinois State Normal School located in DeKalb. He donated $10,000 for the school library.


1902
A new city school is built and is named for Jacob Haish, now 76 years old.


1914 - 1916
Jacob Haish refuses to sell barbed wire for use in World War I.


1916
Haish sells his barbed wire factory to P.A. Nehring. The curtain is drawn on a 45 year career in the barbed wire industry. Jacob Haish retires to devote his last years to the banking business.


September 9, 1918
Sophia Haish dies at the age of 90.


February 19, 1926
Jacob Haish dies in his mansion just 19 days before his 100th birthday. He has provided for his entire estate to be left to charity. Money was left in his will to build a monument on the site of his grave, for the construction of a public library and for the operation of the Jacob Haish Memorial Hospital.




Phillip Moen





1824

Phillip Moen was born November 13, in Wilna, New York.


1836
The Moen family settled in Brooklyn, New York.


1840
Phillip Moen enrolled in Columbia College but had to quit school because of eye problems. He began to work for his father to learn the fundamentals of business.


1846
Phillip married the eldest daughter of Ichabod Washburn of Worcester, Massachusetts. Washburn was the founder of a wire production facility.


1847
Moen and his wife moved to Worcester where he became a partner in a firm to construct a rolling mill.


1850
Moen purchased a half interest in the Washburn Company. Washburn appointed Moen vice-president.


1854
Moen’s first wife dies


1856
Moen married Maria Grant.


1866
To raise capital and increase capacity the Washburn Company incorporated under the name of Washburn & Moen Wire Works.


1850-1868
The firm developed a process to manufacture crinoline wire and steel wire to make sewing machine needles.


1868
The company continued to expand with new plants in South Worcester and Quinsigamond, Massachusetts, and re-organized under the name of Washburn and Moen Manufacturing Company.


1868
Moen became president and treasurer of the company upon the death of Washburn.


1890
The company established a rolling mill and barbed wire producing plant in Waukegan, Illinois.


1891
Phillip Moen died April 23, 1891. Moen was survived by his wife, one son, and two daughters.


1895
The Washburn and Moen Manufacturing Company was producing 100,000 tons of barbed wire annually.




Ichabod Washburn





1798

Ichabod Washburn and his twin brother, Charles, were born August 11, in Kingston, Massachusetts.


1798
Ichabod’s father died of yellow fever in October.


1807
At the age of nine, Ichabod was bound as an apprentice to a chaise and harness maker in Duxbury, Massachusetts.


1809
Ichabod returned home to work in a cotton factory where he operated a hand-loom.


1814
Washburn moved to Leicester, Massachusetts, to work as an apprentice for Jonathan and David Trask in a blacksmith shop.


1820
Ichabod went into business with William H. Howard manufacturing lead pipe.


1822
Washburn bought out Howard and took in Benjamin Goddard as his partner, creating the firm of Washburn and Goddard.


1830
Washburn developed a process to draw wire from steel rods. The process was crude and production could not exceed 50 pounds per day.


1832
Ichabod married Ann Brown of Worcester, Massachusetts.


1833
Washburn gradually refined the wire drawn process by developing the drawn block method and was able to produce 2,500 pounds of wire a day.


1835
The Washburn and Goddard partnership was sold January 30, and Washburn moved to Grove Mill, Massachusetts, where he established a new wire production facility.


1842
Ichabod and his brother Charles formed a partnership under the name of I. & C. Washburn.


1849
The I. & C. Washburn firm was dissolved.


1850
Washburn formed a new company with his son-in-law Phillip L. Moen who served as vice president.


1850-1868
The firm developed a process to manufacture crinoline wire and steel wire to make sewing machine needles.


1868
The Washburn & Moen Manufacturing Company was organized with Philip Moen becoming president and treasurer. The firm grew to be one of the largest wire producers in the United States.


1868
Ichabod Washburn died on December 30.




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