Hammond Historical Flashback

O. K. Champion Company

The company first began operations in 1898 under the guidance of owner Otto Knoerzer a Hammond blacksmith. It manufactured the world's first automatic potato digging machine. The business moved to larger headquarters in 1903. The success of the company lead it to purchase an even larger factory, just a short year later. Expanded products included a line of various farm, harvesting, cultivating and seed planting equipment. Now located on Sheffield Avenue, the company is still in operation as the Champion Corporation, making it one of the oldest surviving manufacturing companies left in the city.

Chicago Steel Manufacturing Company

Opened in 1905 and located in the former Lakeside Nail Factory, which had been closed since 1904 after being burned by a fire. Company property consisted of thirty acres with buildings covering ten of those acres. Its 250 employees produced Bessemer, high carbon, crucible and open hearth steel plates, iron nails and cut steel, scoops, spades, shovels, steel fence posts and steel-rubber padded horseshoes. Sales were $1,000,000 annually. The plant also had access to five rail lines.

W. B. Conkey Printing Company

Established in 1898 near the northwest corner of Calumet Avenue and Conkey Street, which was the southern reaches of the city at that time. The plant was set in a parklike atmosphere surrounded by lakes, trees and flowers. The facility was an immense one story structure covering five acres. This design was quite revolutionary at the time, and allowed all of the departments to be located on one level to maximize productivity. At its height 2,000 were employed at the company. Later sold to the Rand McNally Company, the plant was closed in the 1980's and then donated to the city. (The building is now the city of Hammond Government Complex).

Hammond Distilling Company

Established in December 1902. This plant was located on the banks the Grand Calumet River and the adjoining Chicago Junction and Michigan Central railroads (now the southeast corner of present day Calumet Avenue and 150th Street), encompassing six acres of land and had buildings covering one and one-half acres. At the beginning of the 19th century this facility had the distinction of being the most modern, up-to-date of its kind in the country. Total plant capacity was 25,000 gallons per day. Annual sales amounted to over $6,000,000. The plant produced whiskey until prohibition forced its closure.

Hammond Elevator Company

Hammond Lumber Company

First organized in 1891 this company was one of the largest lumber yards in the region. Corporate offices were located at the north end of the Hohman Avenue bridge which crossed at the Grand Calumet river. Situated on ten acres of real estate with several hundred feet of dock along the adjacent river, its storage facilities, sales and offices covered one and one-half acres. A fairly large planing mill was also located on the property. Its yard held four million square board feet of lumber. Sales amounted to six million square board feet of lumber yearly.

G. H. Hammond Packing Company

Founded in 1869 under the partnership of George Hammond, Marcus Towle and C. Ives. In 1903 the company had annual sales of over $50,000,000. With that large amount of sales for just one year, the company slaughtered on an yearly basis 350,000 heads of cattle, 400,000 heads of sheep and 350,000 swine. In order to do all of this the, company employed over 2,000 workers. The expansive packing plant and slaughter houses covered over thirty acres of land (near present day Hohman Avenue and Willow Court, just north of the downtown). The facility was the single largest employer in the city for many years, until it was destroyed by a fire in 1901.

Mackie Steel Tube Company

Originally opened as the Kingsley Foundry in 1892 under the ownership of Marcus M. Towle. Served by three railroads, the Monon, the Michigan Central and the Chicago Junction. This company was situated on just three acres of property. Its product line included the manufacturing of steel conduit piping, used in the fireproof insulation of electrical wiring in buildings, and various other metal specialities. The plant employed 100 and had a daily capacity of forty tons.

Simplex Railway Appliance Company

This Hammond company got its start in 1898. Located just northeast of the downtown area of the city on the north bank of the Grand Calumet River (Now current day Hohman Avenue and Hoffman Streets). The company had 400 feet of dock frontage and occupied a total area of eight acres with the buildings alone covering four acres, or half the company's property. The company was in the business of manufacturing steel truck, body bolsters and brake beams for locomotives and freight cars. 350 men were employed and were the best paid labors in the city. Annual sales were in the neighborhood of $2,500,000 to $3,000,000.

All above photos from Calumet Room / Hammond Historical Society.

United States Locomotive Corporation