John William Kiser: Difference between revisions
Eejit43Bot (talk | contribs) m [Task 1] Fix non-plural section headers |
Darwin Naz (talk | contribs) more info |
||
| (2 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown) | |||
| Line 48: | Line 48: | ||
[[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 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" /> |
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, Monarch Cycle 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"/> |
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" /> |
||
| Line 57: | Line 57: | ||
== Personal life == |
== Personal life == |
||
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 million (approximately $200 million |
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 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 == |
||
| Line 68: | Line 68: | ||
<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="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="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 | |
<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> |
<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> |
||
}} |
}} |
||
Latest revision as of 23:39, 10 July 2024
John W. Kiser | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | John William Kiser June 20, 1857 St. Paris, Ohio, US |
| Died | October 31, 1916 (aged 59) Chicago, US |
| Resting place | Spring Grove Cemetery Saint Paris, Champaign County, Ohio |
| Alma mater | Wittenburg College |
| Occupation | Industrialist |
| Known for | Bicycle manufacturer |
| Notable work | Monarch Cycle Manufacturing Company |
| Spouse | Thyrza (nee) Furrow |
| Children | 1 |
| 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]
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]- ^ 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.
- ^ "Monarch Cycle Manufacturing Company". Chicagology. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b McAuliffe, Chris (2017). Cycling in Chicago. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. p. 17. ISBN 978-1-4671-2602-1.
- ^ "A Wonderful Record". Mitchell Capital. April 9, 1897. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
- ^ U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "CPI Inflation Calculator". Archived from the original on July 5, 2018. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "John W. Kiser Passes Away". The Piqua Daily Dispatch. November 1, 1916.