Historical Images of Porter County

Glass Factory
Chesterton, Indiana

Date: Circa 1910
Source Type: Postcard
Publisher, Printer, Photographer: M. L. Photo Company (#4)
Postmark: Unknown
Collection: Steven R. Shook
Remark: The Chicago Flint & Lime Company, locally referred to as the Glass Works, was located immediately west of the American China Products Company on Broadway and Eleventh Street. The business was organized in 1901 by Chicagoans James K. Hastings, Charles T. Murphy, and Louis D. McCall, and Charles J. Bockius of Marion, Ohio. Bockius served as the company president. Capitalization of the company was a significant sum of $100,000. The manufacturing facility began operations in 1902 with 102 employees and was approximately 4,000 square feet in area and included one ten-pot furnace, three two-pot furnaces, mold shop, sandblasting area, and grinding area. Separate buildings included a manager's house (which may be the house shown in the image below), a cooper shop, and a warehouse. The company produced both pressed and blown glass products such as liquor sets, vases, tumblers, sugars, creamers, butter dishes, and tableware. Flint glass production included clear, white, canary, and blue glass products. Under the management of J. E. Hill and J. F. Miller, the glass works began a decline; by 1905, only 51 individuals were employed at the facility. In 1905, the plant indefinitely shut down, although there was on-and-off again production taking place at the facility through April 1911, when the plant suffered a major explosion and manager David Neuhauser fired all employees and closed the facility permanently.

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Image and related text prepared by Steven R. Shook