Headquarters:

Columbus, Ohio

Also sold under the names (if applicable):

History:

JOHN ARMSTRONG MCANULTY (1850 – 1936)

Screen Shot 2016-02-13 at 9.04.19 AMJ.A. McAnulty was born in Clearfield County, middle of the state of Pennsylvania in 1850. Married in 1871, he is credited with inventing and receiving a patent on the McAnulty Elevator and Conveyor and Horse Fork, dated March 7th, 1876. He sold a part interest to Schwan, Clouse, Grosscup & Co., of Columbus, Ohio, who manufactured the machine for the trade. Eight were sold in 1877; 24 in 1878; 1100 in 1879; and for 1880, 4000 were scheduled for manufacture. The 1888 Farm Implement News Buyer’s Guide classifieds continued to show the Columbus Hay Tool Company as an active supplier.The 1876 patent appears to be the extent of Mr. McAnulty’s foray into the design and sale of hay trolleys. He does appear to have been quite prolific and successful at designing equipment for and operating roller mills of the period. During the 1880s and well into the 1890s he operated roller mills for both grain and flour milling in Minnesota and Pennsylvania and received patents on numerous related equipment such as a force feeder, purifier, scalper, aspirator, reels and a circuit bolter. In 1897 it was reported he had sold all the aforementioned patents and manufacturing rights to a successor.

FRED PAUL GROSSCUP (1854 – 1925)

For many years the name Grosscup has figured prominently in West Virginia and especially in the development of natural gas, oil and real estate in the southern counties and also in connection with the ownership and operation of public utilities in Charleston and vicinity. Fred Paul Grosscup, son of the late Benjamin and Susan Bowermeister Grosscup, was born on a farm in Ashland County, Ohio, in 1854, and passed away in Chicago after a protracted illness in 1925. In 1882 Colonel Grosscup married Bertha Maria Coffey, of Wooster, Ohio, to which union was born one son, Paul Benjamin Grosscup. During his younger days he represented various farm implement manufacturers, but in 1884 he moved to Abilene, Texas, where he built one of the first waterworks installed in that state. In 1890 Colonel Grosscup came to Charleston, and with other Charleston associates organized the Buckeye Cart Company, which did a flourishing business until the panic of 1893. In 1899 Colonel Grosscup organized the Big Sandy Oil & Gas Company, which afterwards became the United States Gas Company, eventually the United Fuel Gas Company. In this venture Colonel Grosscup opened up the southern Roane County gas fields, which are now the nucleus of the United Fuel Gas Company and Columbia Gas & Electric Company, and laid the first pipe line to the City of Charleston from the Roane County field. After selling the United States Gas Company he organized the Charleston-Dunbar Natural Gas Company, having extensive acreage and supplying the towns of Dunbar and Saint Albans with natural gas. Colonel Grosscup and his associates at one time owned and operated what is now known as the Charleston Interurban Railroad and the Charleston-Dunbar Traction Company. They also owned and operated the West Virginia Water & Electric Company, which is now part of the Appalachian Electric System.

Scan 3Colonel Grosscup was fundamentally a developer, as his real estate ventures attest. He was one of the first to build houses for his employees in connection with his manufacturing enterprises. In 1908 he started to build the Town of Dunbar, now having a population of 3,500 people. He also owned and developed, with his associates, a large portion of the residential and business part of Charleston proper. He was active in the politics of that state, and in 1896 was Kanawha County chairman when the state first went Republican. After that he was member and speaker of the House in the state legislative body. It was largely through his efforts while speaker that adequate appropriations were made to finance the geological department of the state. In 1920 he ran for nomination for governor, and was defeated by a narrow margin in the primary. Colonel Grosscup was a member of the State Commission at the St. Louis Exposition and San Francisco Exposition, and also represented the Government in the disbursement of its million dollar loan to the Jamestown Exposition.

FREDERICK SCHWAN  (1839-1915)

Frederick Schwan the youngest son of David and Johanna Schwan was born in Vermillion Ohio, February 6th 1839. He married Maria E. Clouse in 1863. Maria would sadly pass away only two years later at the tender age of 23. At some point around this time Frederick would enter into a business partnership with Maria’s brother George Washignton Clouse. They started out in the grocery business together and would later form a partnership with Fred Paul Grosscup in the Columbus Hay Tool Company. Frederick would serve as the Secretary of The Columbus Hay Tool Company. George Washington Hildebrand (1852 – 1943) would act as the traveling salesman for the company. George Washington Hildebrand was also a brother in law to Frederick Schwan, through his 2nd wife Sarah. In his later years Frederick would move to southern California and start the first successful fruit packing business there.

GEORGE WASHINGTON CLOUSE (1835 – 1903)

George Washington Clouse was the son of Jacob and Mary Magadelana Clouse. He was born August 18th 1835, in Richland county Ohio. He entered into a partnership in the grocery business with his brother in law Frederick Schwan sometime around 1865. He later continued this partnership with Frederick in forming the Columbus Hay Tool Company around 1877. George would serve as President of the Columbus Hay Tool Company.

Source: Articles compiled and written by Clint Flack and Dennis Mcgrew

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