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{{short description|Bicycle manufacturer}}
{{short description|19th century industrialist}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix =
| honorific_prefix =
| name = John W. Kiser
| name = John W. Kiser
| honorific_suffix =
| image = CAB 1918 John William Kiser.jpg
| image = CAB 1918 John William Kiser.jpg
| image_size=175px
| caption =
| caption =
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| pronunciation =
| birth_name = John William Kiser
| birth_name = John William Kiser
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1857|06|20}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1857|06|20}}
| birth_place = [[St. Paris, Ohio]] U.S.
| birth_place = [[St. Paris, Ohio]], US
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1916|10|31|1857|06|20}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1916|10|31|1857|06|20}}
| death_place = [[Chicago]], US
| death_place = [[Chicago]], US
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| monuments =
| monuments =
| nationality = <!-- use only when necessary per [[WP:INFONAT]] -->
| nationality = <!-- use only when necessary per [[WP:INFONAT]] -->
| citizenship = United States
| education =
| education =
| alma_mater = [[Wittenberg University|Wittenburg College]]
| alma_mater = [[Wittenberg University|Wittenburg College]]
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}}
}}


'''John William Kiser''' (June 20, 1857 – October 31, 1916) was an 19th century [[industrialist]] who owned the [[Monarch Cycle Manufacturing Company]] in [[Chicago Illinois]]. His company became one of the largest bicycle manufacturers in the world.
'''John William Kiser''' (June 20, 1857 – October 31, 1916) was a 19th-century [[industrialist]] who owned the [[Monarch Cycle Manufacturing Company]] in [[Chicago, Illinois]]. His company became one of the largest bicycle manufacturers in the world.


== Early life ==
== Early life ==
Kiser was born in [[St. Paris, Ohio]], 20 June, 1857. Hs parents were farmers, George R. Kizer and Margaret Ellen (nee McVey) Kiser. in 1884 he graduated with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree from [[Wittenberg University|Wittenburg College]].<ref name="White">{{cite book |last1=White |first1=J.T. |title=The National Encyclopedia of American Biography Volume XVII |date=1920 |publisher=James T. White and company |location=New York |page=72 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_National_Cyclopedia_of_American_Biog/sNQYR8t7n-UC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=Kiser%20 |access-date=22 December 2021}}</ref><ref name="Chicagology">{{cite web |title=Monarch Cycle Manufacturing Company |url=https://chicagology.com/cycling/monarch/ |website=Chicagology |publisher=Chicagology |access-date=22 December 2021}}</ref>
Kiser was born in [[St. Paris, Ohio]], June 20, 1857. His parents were farmers George R. Kiser and Margaret Ellen (née McVey) Kiser. In 1884 he graduated with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree from [[Wittenberg University|Wittenburg College]].<ref name="White"/><ref name="Chicagology"/>


== Career ==
== Career ==
[[File:Monarch Cycle Manufacturing Company bike riders 1896.jpg|thumb|Monarch Cycle ad depicting bike riders 1896]]
[[File:Monarch Cycle Manufacturing Company bike riders 1896.jpg|thumb|Monarch Cycle ad depicting bike riders 1896]]


In 1889 Kiser moved to Chicago and he was "practically penniless.<ref name="Artisan" /> That same year he took job as manager of the Chicago Sewing Machine company. He rose to become the president of the company. He and his partner Chandler Robbins then started Monarch Cycle Manufacturing Company to manufacture bicycles.<ref name="White" />
In 1889 when Kiser moved to Chicago, he had few resources, with his obituary in the ''American Artisan and Hardware Record'' later describing him as "practically penniless".<ref name="Artisan" /> That same year he took a job as manager of the Chicago Sewing Machine company. He rose to become the president of the company. Taking advantage of a boom in bicycle usage in the United States at that time,<ref name="Artisan" /> he and his partner Chandler Robbins then started Monarch Cycle Manufacturing Company to manufacture bicycles.<ref name="White" /> The company, which was established with $500,000 in capital, built its factory at the corner of [[Lake View, Chicago|North Halsted]] and West Lake Streets in Chicago.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=McAuliffe |first=Chris |title=Cycling in Chicago |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |year=2017 |isbn=978-1-4671-2602-1 |location=Charleston, SC |pages=17 |language=en}}</ref>


In 1892, his company (Monarch Cycle Manufacturing Company), had only 35 employees and made 150 bicycles. By 1896 the company had 1200 employees, and they were producing 50,000 bicycles. The company sold bicycles worldwide.<ref name="Mitchell">{{cite news |title=A Wonderful Record |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/other-articles-clipping-apr-09-1897-2898692/ |access-date=22 December 2021 |publisher=Mitchell Capital |date=9 April 1897}}</ref>
In 1892, Monarch Cycle had only 35 employees and made 150 bicycles. By 1896 the company had 1200 employees, and they were producing 50,000 bicycles. At its peak, the Monarch Cycle employed around 400 engineers.<ref name=":0" /> The company sold bicycles worldwide.<ref name="Mitchell"/>


In 1899 he sold his company to the Bicycle Trust.<ref name="White" />
In 1899 he sold his company to the Bicycle Trust.<ref name="White" />


In 1902 he became the treasurer of the Phoenix Horseshoe Company of Chicago. By 1907 he was made president of the company. He was also the director of the first National Bank and the Miehle Printing Press.<ref name="Artisan">{{cite book |title=American Artisan and Hardware Record |date=4 November 1916 |publisher=Daniel Stern |location=Chicago, Illinois |page=28 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/American_Artisan/jeeh67w50ZIC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=kiser |access-date=22 December 2021}}</ref>
In 1902 he became the treasurer of the Phoenix Horseshoe Company of Chicago. By 1907 he was made president of the company. He was also the director of the [[First Chicago Bank|First National Bank]] and the Miehle Printing Press.<ref name="Artisan"/>


== Personal life ==
== Personal life ==
He married Thirza Wilhelmina (nee) Furrow on September 18, 1884. They had one son born June 10, 1889; he was also named John William Kizer.<ref name="White" /> It was reported that Kiser had amassed a fortune of 8&nbsp;m by the time of his death.<ref name="Artisan" />
He married Thirza (in some places spelled Thyrza) Wilhelmina (née) Furrow on September 18, 1884. They had one son born June 10, 1889; he was also named John William Kiser.<ref name="White" /> It was reported that Kiser had amassed a fortune of $8&nbsp;million (approximately US$200 million, adjusted for inflation as of December 2021) by the time of his death.<ref name="Artisan" /><ref name="bls"/> Kiser had an interest in sailing and, in 1923, commissioned a 157-foot steel motor yacht from Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Williams |first=Greg H. |title=World War II U.S. Navy Vessels in Private Hands: The Boats and Ships Sold and Registered for Commercial and Recreational Purposes Under the American Flag |publisher=McFarland |year=2014 |isbn=978-0-7864-6645-0 |location=Jefferson, NC |pages=172 |language=en}}</ref> The 375-ton vessel was purchased by the Maritime Commission and was used in the navy during World War II.<ref name=":1" />


== Death ==
== Death ==
Kiser spent his time in St. Paris Ohio, and New York and Chicago. He died October 31, 1916 in Chicago Illinois, at the [[The Blackstone Hotel|Blackstone Hotel]] and his body was sent back to St. Paris for burial.<ref name="Passes">{{cite news |title=John W. Kiser Passes Away |publisher=The Piqua Daily Dispatch |date=1 November 1916}}</ref><ref name="Artisan" />
Kiser spent his time in St. Paris, Ohio, and New York and Chicago. He died October 31, 1916, in Chicago Illinois, at the [[The Blackstone Hotel|Blackstone Hotel]] and his body was sent back to St. Paris for burial.<ref name="Artisan"/><ref name="Passes"/>


== Reference ==
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name="Passes">{{cite news |title=John W. Kiser Passes Away |work=The Piqua Daily Dispatch |date=November 1, 1916}}</ref>
<ref name="bls">{{cite web|url=https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm|title=CPI Inflation Calculator|author=U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics|access-date=Jan 27, 2022|archive-date=July 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180705073629/https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="Artisan">{{cite book |title=American Artisan and Hardware Record |date=November 4, 1916 |publisher=Daniel Stern |location=Chicago, Illinois |page=28 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jeeh67w50ZIC&q=kiser |access-date=December 22, 2021 |archive-date=February 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220226152812/https://www.google.com/books/edition/American_Artisan/jeeh67w50ZIC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=kiser |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name="Mitchell">{{cite news |title=A Wonderful Record |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/other-articles-clipping-apr-09-1897-2898692/ |access-date=December 22, 2021 |publisher=Mitchell Capital |date=April 9, 1897 |archive-date=December 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222171844/https://newspaperarchive.com/other-articles-clipping-apr-09-1897-2898692/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name="White">{{cite encyclopedia |editor-last=White |editor-first=J.T. |editor-link=James Terry White |title=Kiser, John Wlliam |encyclopedia=[[The National Cyclopedia of American Biography]] |volume=17 |year=1920 |publisher=James T. White & Company |location=New York |page=72 |url=https://archive.org/details/nationalcyclopae17newy/page/72/mode/2up?q=Kiser |access-date=January 28, 2022}}</ref>
<ref name="Chicagology">{{cite web |title=Monarch Cycle Manufacturing Company |url=https://chicagology.com/cycling/monarch/ |website=Chicagology |access-date=December 22, 2021 |archive-date=December 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222220457/https://chicagology.com/cycling/monarch/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}


== External links ==
== External links ==
[https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/44455020/john-william-kiser John William Kiser at Find a Grave]
* [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/44455020/john-william-kiser John William Kiser at Find a Grave]


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Kiser, John William}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kiser, John William}}
[[Category:1858 births]]
[[Category:1857 births]]
[[Category:1916 deaths]]
[[Category:1916 deaths]]
[[Category:19th-century American businesspeople]]
[[Category:20th-century American businesspeople]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Ohio]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Ohio]]
[[Category:18th-century German businesspeople]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Chicago]]
[[Category:People from Champaign County, Ohio]]
[[Category:American industrialists]]

Latest revision as of 23:39, 10 July 2024

John W. Kiser
Born
John William Kiser

(1857-06-20)June 20, 1857
St. Paris, Ohio, US
DiedOctober 31, 1916(1916-10-31) (aged 59)
Chicago, US
Resting placeSpring Grove Cemetery Saint Paris, Champaign County, Ohio
Alma materWittenburg College
OccupationIndustrialist
Known forBicycle manufacturer
Notable workMonarch Cycle Manufacturing Company
SpouseThyrza (nee) Furrow
Children1
Signature

John William Kiser (June 20, 1857 – October 31, 1916) was a 19th-century industrialist who owned the Monarch Cycle Manufacturing Company in Chicago, Illinois. His company became one of the largest bicycle manufacturers in the world.

Early life

[edit]

Kiser was born in St. Paris, Ohio, June 20, 1857. His parents were farmers George R. Kiser and Margaret Ellen (née McVey) Kiser. In 1884 he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wittenburg College.[1][2]

Career

[edit]
Monarch Cycle ad depicting bike riders 1896

In 1889 when Kiser moved to Chicago, he had few resources, with his obituary in the American Artisan and Hardware Record later describing him as "practically penniless".[3] That same year he took a job as manager of the Chicago Sewing Machine company. He rose to become the president of the company. Taking advantage of a boom in bicycle usage in the United States at that time,[3] he and his partner Chandler Robbins then started Monarch Cycle Manufacturing Company to manufacture bicycles.[1] The company, which was established with $500,000 in capital, built its factory at the corner of North Halsted and West Lake Streets in Chicago.[4]

In 1892, Monarch Cycle had only 35 employees and made 150 bicycles. By 1896 the company had 1200 employees, and they were producing 50,000 bicycles. At its peak, the Monarch Cycle employed around 400 engineers.[4] The company sold bicycles worldwide.[5]

In 1899 he sold his company to the Bicycle Trust.[1]

In 1902 he became the treasurer of the Phoenix Horseshoe Company of Chicago. By 1907 he was made president of the company. He was also the director of the First National Bank and the Miehle Printing Press.[3]

Personal life

[edit]

He married Thirza (in some places spelled Thyrza) Wilhelmina (née) Furrow on September 18, 1884. They had one son born June 10, 1889; he was also named John William Kiser.[1] It was reported that Kiser had amassed a fortune of $8 million (approximately US$200 million, adjusted for inflation as of December 2021) by the time of his death.[3][6] Kiser had an interest in sailing and, in 1923, commissioned a 157-foot steel motor yacht from Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft.[7] The 375-ton vessel was purchased by the Maritime Commission and was used in the navy during World War II.[7]

Death

[edit]

Kiser spent his time in St. Paris, Ohio, and New York and Chicago. He died October 31, 1916, in Chicago Illinois, at the Blackstone Hotel and his body was sent back to St. Paris for burial.[3][8]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d White, J.T., ed. (1920). "Kiser, John Wlliam". The National Cyclopedia of American Biography. Vol. 17. New York: James T. White & Company. p. 72. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  2. ^ "Monarch Cycle Manufacturing Company". Chicagology. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e American Artisan and Hardware Record. Chicago, Illinois: Daniel Stern. November 4, 1916. p. 28. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  4. ^ a b McAuliffe, Chris (2017). Cycling in Chicago. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. p. 17. ISBN 978-1-4671-2602-1.
  5. ^ "A Wonderful Record". Mitchell Capital. April 9, 1897. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  6. ^ U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "CPI Inflation Calculator". Archived from the original on July 5, 2018. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  7. ^ a b Williams, Greg H. (2014). World War II U.S. Navy Vessels in Private Hands: The Boats and Ships Sold and Registered for Commercial and Recreational Purposes Under the American Flag. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. p. 172. ISBN 978-0-7864-6645-0.
  8. ^ "John W. Kiser Passes Away". The Piqua Daily Dispatch. November 1, 1916.
[edit]
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