In 1898, one of the most promising industries in the development of the Lykens Valley was begun in Lykens Borough, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, by George W. Sheesley and his son, Harvey E. Sheesley. It was a brush factory on North Street in Lykens, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
A comprehensive article appeared in the Lykens Register of January 26, 1899, describing the new business and its value to the community:
BRUSH FACTORY
George W. Sheesley & Son Have an Up to Date Plant and Turn Out Any Kind of a Brush You Can Want
Since August 22, 1898, Lykens can boast of a fully equipped, up-to-date brush factory. It is located on the north side of North street on which most of our factories are located and which is fast becoming a busy beehive sort of thoroughfare.
The building is 18 by 26 feet, two stories high, substantially and well built of frame, nicely painted and made large enough to turn out all the work needed by the business even after several years of steady growth. The owners, George W. Sheesley and his son Harvey E. Sheesley, believe in looking to the future as well as present needs and have built accordingly.
The first floor contains the business office and the finishing and shipping departments. All brushes after they are made are uneven in the length of the bristle or brush portion and are here trimmed smooth and even on the latest improved trimmer. Here the backs are put on and varnished when necessary. The senior member of the firm, a practical carpenter and painter, has personal charge of all the finishing work and their customers are assured by this fact that no inferior work is sent out from this factory.
The second floor is where the brushes are really made. Here are four drawing machines which automatically draw out from a bunch of bristles just enough to make one of the tufts contained in the brush. These are caught on a wire and drawn into the block. Here also brushes are drawn by hand, one of the young men being quite quite an expert at selecting just enough bristle for each hole in the block.
Here also is a new machine, added quite recently, on which they are able to turn out an bore any kind of a brush block desired, While they often buy their blocks ready made, yet they are able to manufacture them here just as well. They can turn out any shape of block in any kind of brush.
Brushes are made of sea grass, hair, bristle, fibre, etc. They manufacture fifteen different styles of scrub brushes, six styles of stove brushes, four styles of horse brushes, three styles of hair brushes, four styles of clothes, besides several styles of shoe and dusting brushes, etc.
While they do not manufacture whisk brooms, tooth or lather brushes, they are jobbers in these and can therefore furnish anything made in the brush line.
Business has been steadily improving ever since the plant started. They have never lost a day’s work for want of orders, and have shipped more goods during the past month than in any previous one. They are now busily engaged in getting out their spring orders. The outlook is indeed very bright.
Every factory that has been started here has been successful and this one is but another proof of what we have always held — that any factory carefully managed can build up a nice business here and always find a market for its product.
This factory is now one of the substantial industries of Lykens, and if business keeps on improving in the future as in the past, who can tell what a large plant it may be in a few years? We wish it every success.
A series of more brief news items about the factory or related to the factory appeared over the first few years of operation.
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From the Lykens Register, April 21, 1898:
George W. Sheesley has begun excavations on his new brush factory on North Street.
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From the Lykens Register, August 4, 1898:
The New Brush Factory
The machinery for the new brush factory of George W. Sheesley and Son, erected on North street, has arrived, and it is expected that the mill will be put in operation next week. Power will be supplied from the engine of Fisher and Jones’ Hosiery Mill, located west of the brush factory. All kinds of brushes will be made. We heartily wish the new concern success.
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From the Lykens Register, August 25, 1898:
The new brush factory began operations this morning. We wish the new venture every success.
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From the Lykens Register, May 18, 1899:
Harvey Sheesley was exonerated from borough taxes on his brush factory for a period of five years.
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From the Lykens Register, September 28, 1899:
The brush factory of Sheesley and Son, this place, is now running day and night in order to fill their increasing orders.
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From the Lykens Standard, December 19, 1902:
H. E. Sheesley‘s brush factory and H. E. Snyder’s Livery Stable have been connected with the United Telephone during the past week.
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Two major events occurred in the history of the brush factory. The first occurred in late October 1899, a little more than one year after the factory opened. It was the death of George W. Sheesley, a Civil War veteran. Following his father’s death, Harvey E. Sheesley became the sole operator of the business.
The second event was a fire that occurred in November 1912. The fire began in the next-door hosiery mill and spread quickly to the brush factory. It completely destroyed those business as well as several residences and outbuildings. The brush factory was never re-built. When Harvey E. Sheesley died in 1932, his obituary noted that he went into the hardware business in Lykens after the fire.
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News articles from Newspapers.com.
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