Part 1: Work: 1920-30

Work: 1920-1930

In 1930 the overall population dropped to 651 individuals, 64% adult, 36% children. Adult males still out-numbered adult females 61%-39%, while male children continue to outnumber female children by a smaller margin, 52%-47%. The total number of persons listed as “boarders” held steady at 12% of the total population.

US-born individuals far out-numbered the foreign-born, at 61% of the total population. Mexicans, up dramatically from just 2% in 1920, led the foreign-born at 18% of the total, followed by Italians at 14%, other Europeans at 3% and Russians at 2%.

Black people dramatically increased in number to 31% of the total population, from 12% a decade earlier. The influx of blacks, mainly from the south, accounts for the increase in the US-born population generally, both for adults and children. Children of foreign-born parents still out-numbered children of US-born parents 71%-29%. By 1930, black people living on Market street had been born in almost every state in the upper and deep south: 14% were from Mississippi, 12% from Alabama, 11% from Georgia, 10% from Arkansas, with others born in Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, Kansas, Virginia and Texas.

The number of individuals listed as widows increased in 1930 to 32, from 11 a decade earlier. Of these, 12 were men and 20 were women. Of the men, 7 were white and 5 were negroes, while the women were split 10 to 10 between white and negroes.

Refugio Alba, of Mexican descent, was 36 in 1930, and a widow living at 225 Market with her 7 children. The youngest child, Carlotte was less than a year old, her oldest, Jennie, was 18.

The number of individuals listed as divorced remained the same as in 1920, a total of 4. In 1920 all the divorced were black, 3 men and 1 woman.

In 1922 the average life expectancy for a man living in Chicago was 52 years, according to the United States Department of Commerce. Women in Chicago had a life expectancy of 55. For the state of Illinois, men were at 55 and women 57. (Nationally, Pittsburgh has the lowest life expectancy, at 47 years and Washington the highest at 58 for men and 59 for women. Kansas had the highest life expectancy of any state at 59 for men, 60 for women.)  (1)

Of the 81 residences listed in the 1930 census for Market Street, there were approx. 236 workers. 75% of people rented their home, 25% owned, down from 30% in 1920. The average rent was around $24 per month, and the home values averaged $5,000, ranging from $3,000 to $10,000.

The tannery was the largest single employer in 1930, employing 17% of Market street workers; Johns-Manville, building materials, employed 14% of workers; general construction employed 8%, the railroads 7%; while the steel mill was down to 5% of Market street workers along with utilities like coal and gas at 5%. “Service sector” jobs increased since the previous decade, including, household workers and servants, hotel workers, restaurant owners, worker or cooks, grocery store owners and workers,  barber shop owners and barbers.

Union membership expanded into new industries and there were small strikes of short duration throughout the decade. Transit workers successfully struck the north shore electric train line in 1922 to prevent a proposed pay cut; wages remained at “73 cents an hour on the main line and 56 cents on the Waukegan lines.” (2) Auto mechanics struck in 1924, demanding an increase from 65c to $1.25 an hours, though it is not clear that they won the large increase. (3)

A.  Terminal Building

Early in the new decade, the terminal building suffered another fire. Losses were estimated at $500,00. The Berger overall factory, which employed about 40 on the upper two floor, suffered the greatest damage, and the fire “put them out of commission completely and it is now doubtful whether they will ever re-open again….The origin of the fire is very mysterious and following the fire also of mysterious character in the overall plant about three weeks ago, whose origins were never explained.” also affected were the Domestic supply company, manufacturers of ironing boards, Falwell-Alstott company, contractors and the Kelly steel company, manufacturers of elevator shafts. Fortunately the fire was contained before it threatened the Curtis Airline Company immediately to its south. (4)

By the fall of 1921, new concerns were moving into the Terminal, including the Waukegan foundry company, and the J S Heath company of Chicago, which manufactured “ornamental metal and all kinds of fixtures.” City boosters saw the industrial outlook for Waukegan as bright. (5)

Ahlbell Battery Container Corporation developed a thriving business from the Terminal building manufacturing one-piece rubber containers for automobile batteries, replacing wooden boxes which had been used previously.(6)

By the end of the decade, home to 25 light manufacturing concerns, the Terminal Building was sold to Charles Surface of Chicago for a reported $1,300,000, with ambitious plans for expansion. (7)

American Steel and Wire, too, announced plans for a major $900,000 expansion, due to demand, hoping to add 100 employees to operate the new machinery anticipated. This announcement, however, came within 3 weeks of the stock market crash of October, 1929 which triggered the great depression. (8)

B. Johns-Manville

Much hope had been generated by the beginning of construction of the large Johns-Manville plant on the north end of the shoreline in 1920, but construction was suspended in March of 1921 without explanation. Curiously, the Manville superintendent leased his Waukegan residence to a Tannery employee and moved back to Milwaukee, where the firm had been based. (9) The pause in construction was expected to last one to two years. By September of 1922, however, the first plant was in operation. (10) By later that fall the company had applied for the postal address of “Asbestos City,” as more of the factory started production.  (11)

Thomas F Manville, who had led the company for 25 years, steering its growth into a major industrial concern, died in 1925 and left his company stock to his brother Hiram and his son Thomas Jr. (Tommy).Over the next several years, Hiram bought back worker’s stock of the company, as well as some of Tommy’s, before selling his controlling interest to JP Morgan in 1927. Morgan brought in Theodore Merseles, former head of the Montgomery Wards chain as president. Merseles, however, died suddenly of a heart attack in 1929 and was replaced by his personal assistant, 35 year old Lewis H. Brown.(12)
In 1924, the British Medical Journal published the first serious study of health risks associated with asbestos, noting the link between asbestos exposure and chronic bronchitis and fibrosis. (13)

Despite being the manufacturer of fire-proof materials, the Johns-Manville Waukegan plant had some significant fires of its own. A fire at the Waukegan Johns-Manville plant in April of 1926 caused an estimated $300,000 in damage and took all night for five fire companies to bring under control. The fire was believed to have started in the laboratory. (14)

In 1927, Dr. Cooke, who had authored the 1924 British study, published another report detailing the health risks of asbestos, first naming the disease “asbestosis,” for the scarring of the lungs that occurred from breathing asbestos dust. In his study of an asbestos “carding room” only one worker of ten survived. (15)
Independent studies in the late 1920s and early 30s show that the dangers of asbestos were being widely accepted in the medical community. Another British study of 360 asbestos textile workers found that a quarter of them suffered from pulmonary fibrosis (16) A letter in 1932 from the US Bureau of Land Management to an asbestos company stated "It is now known that asbestos dust is one of the most dangerous dusts to which man is exposed.” (17)

In 1929, Johns-Manville and other asbestos companies began to sponsor a series of medical studies which would downplay the dangers of asbestos. Met Life doctors found in 1933 that 29% of workers at Johns-Manville had “asbestosis,” though these finding were publicly suppressed by the company. That same year the company began making cash settlements with affected workers, provided they forego any further litigation.(12)

Notes

(1) Average life of Chicago man put at 52 years Libertyville independent, Aug 10, 1922, p11

(2)     Men on north shore electric vote no strike Chicago Tribune Thu Aug 31, 1922, p5

(3) Auto mechanics walk out in a strike at Waukegan  Daily Times, Davenport, Io, Wed Sept 3, 1924, p1

(4) $500,000 fire at Mfgs’ terminal Libertyville independent, Jan 27, 1921, p6

(5) New Foundry is in operation in Mfg terminals Libertyville independent, Oct 6, 1921, p1

(6)   The Pantograph, Bloomington, Ill Thur Sept 23, 1926, p5

(7) Chicagoan Buys Waukegan Lake front property Chicago Tribune,  Fri May 24, 1929, p 34

(8)  American Steel & Wire co enlarges plant The Times, Munster, Indiana, Mon Oct 7, 1929, p 17

(9) Construction by Manville co halted indefinitely Libertyville independent, Mar 31, 1921, p9

(10) Paper mill at Manville plant in operation Libertyville independent, Sept 28, 1922, p3

(11) Johns-Manville post office to be asbestos city Libertyville independent, Nov 23, 1922, p4

(12) Dying for Work: Workers' Safety and Health in Twentieth-Century America (Interdisciplinary Studies in History) Published by Indiana Univ Press (first published February 22nd 1989)

(13) Cooke, W. E. (1924). "Fibrosis of the Lungs Due to the Inhalation of Asbestos Dust". British Medical Journal. 2 (3317): 147–140.2

(14) Johns-Manville factory burned at Waukegan Ill, The Daily Times, Davenport, Iowa, Wed April 28, 1926, P1

(15) Cooke, W. E. (1927). Pulminary Asbestosis BMJ. 2 (3491): 1024–5.

(16) Merewether, E.R.A. and Price, C. W. (1930) "Report on Effects of Asbestos Dust on the Lung" H.M. Stationery Office

(17) Brodeur, Paul (1985). Outrageous Misconduct: The Asbestos Industry on Trial (1st ed.). Pantheon Books.

Appendix

(1) Average life of Chicago man put at 52 years Libertyville independent, Aug 10, 1922, p11

Average life of Chicago man put at 52 years

The life expectancy of the women of Illinois is 57.37 years and 55.01 years for the men, according to the life tables for cities and states just published by the United States Department of Commerce.

For residents of Chicago the periods are shortened, being 55.33 for women and 52.19 for men. Illinois ranks sixteenth in the table for longevity of its residents.

Chicagoans live longer than New Yorkers, the statistics show. And Pittsburgh occupies the cellar position in life expectancies, the tabulations indicating the natives are to look forward to only 47.16 years of life.

Washington heads the cities with an expectancy of 58.33 for men and 59.83 for women. With all that has been said about Kansas, it heads the list of long lived persons with the average expectancy for men at 59.73 years and for women 60.89.

The table shows that women may expect to live from one to three longer [sic] than men in the same locality.

(2)     Men on north shore electric vote no strike Chicago Tribune Thu Aug 31, 1922, p5

Men on north shore electric vote no strike

Waukegan, ill Aug 30—Special—at a special meeting today employees on the night crews of the Waukegan line and main lines of the Chicago North shore and Milwaukee electric railroad, the employees agreed to accept the company’s offer of the same wage for which they were working before the strike agitation was started. This means they will receive no cut in pay.

When the company made an offer of a wage cut three months ago the men refused to accept it. Hover they did not go on strike when the Chicago employees went out.

Recognizing the faithfulness of the employees, the company came back with an offer of leaving the wage scale where it was.

Another meeting will be held tonight by the day employees, but it is almost certain they will accept also.

The scale is 73 cents an hour on the main line and 56 cents on the Waukegan lines.

 

(3) Auto mechanics walk out in a strike at Waukegan  Daily Times, Davenport, Io, Wed Sept 3, 1924, p1

Auto mechanics walk out in a strike at Waukegan 

Waukegan, Ill, sept 3—all union automobile mechanics in Waukegan walked out today when the garage owners ordered them to withdraw from the newly organized union local or quit. The mechanics demanded a scale double what they have been receiving. The old scale ranged from 65c to $1.25 an hour. The owners of the entire county agreed to close their repair department rather than pay the increase.

 

(4) $500,000 fire at Mfgs’ terminal Libertyville independent, Jan 27, 1921, p6

$500,000 fire at Mfgs’ terminal

Fire of mysterious origin early Saturday afternoon started in the Berger overall factory in the Manufacturer’s terminal and spread to three other manufacturing plants in the big three-story building, the loss has been approximated at $500,000.

The other concerns that sustained heavy loss are:

1. Domestic supply company, manufacturers of ironing boards
2. Falwell-Alstott company, contractors
3. Kelly steel company, manufacturers of elevator shafts

The Berger overall company carried a stock valued at $150,000.

The building is located at the north end of the terminal and covered an area of 200 x 250 (?)…

The origin of the fire is very mysterious and following the fire also of mysterious character in the overall plant about three weeks ago, whose origins were never explained and which was investigated by the state fire marshal which caused other concerns in the terminal to insist upon investigations being taken anew to determine the cause of the fire.

The fact that nobody had been in the building since last night at 5 o’clock together with the knowledge that none of the working force had been on duty all today added further mystery to the blaze and its origin.

The superintendent of the overall company is a Mr Alswein. C A Berger of Chicago is president of the company.

The overall company employed about forty hands and it is said that they had taken steps recently to open up full force employing about fifty hands or more when operating to capacity. It is said the company had taken steps to accept the loss consequent to the present condition and make cheaper goods.

The fire, however has put them out of commission completely and it is now doubtful whether they will ever re-open again.

…The overall company occupied the two upper floors and the other concerns were on the first floor…

…The building stands just north of the Curtis Airplane factory and fortunately at no time did the blaze break out to such an extent where the concern was in danger…

(5) New Foundry is in operation in Mfg terminals Libertyville independent, Oct 6, 1921, p17

New Foundry is in operation in Mfg terminals

Waukegan Foundry company starts work; Heath company to start Nov 1

Factory output larger

The Waukegan foundry company yesterday opened up for business in the Manufacturers terminal, the first pouring metal taking place in the afternoon.

This is a local concern and in it are A K Barr (?), formerly with the Barr Pattern company of North Chicago and Elmer Skidmore former credit man for the Chicago hardware foundry company. They are both well-known in Waukegan ad North Chicago and their new business venture will be very successful it is believed as they are enterprising young men and have practical experience. The building they occupy has been extensively remodeled to meet their needs.

Another new concern, the J S Heath company of Chicago, a long established firm which has taken a large space in the Terminal, expects to be in operation by the first of November and the necessary improvements are well under way. This concern manufactures ornamental metal and all kinds of fixtures.

The industrial situation in factory circles in Waukegan and North Chicago is much better than in many communities.

(6)   The Pantograph, Bloomington, Ill Thur Sept 23, 1926, p5

The Ahlbell Battery container corporation has developed a one-piece rubber battery container to replace the old-fashioned wooden battery box with its three containers. It does an enormous business whole-selling to the battery manufacturers. I was told that this is the only plant in the United States making this type of battery container.

(7) Chicagoan Buys Waukegan Lake front property Chicago Tribune,  Fri May 24, 1929, p 34

Chicagoan Buys Waukegan Lake front property

Charles R Surface of Chicago has purchased the Manufacturer’s terminals, an industrial site housing 25 light manufacturing firms at Waukegan, it was learned yesterday. The price was reported to be $1,350,000. It is the plan of the new owner to erect several new buildings on the site, which is located on the lake front.

(8)  American Steel & Wire co enlarges plant The Times, Munster, Indiana, Mon Oct 7, 1929, p 17

American Steel & Wire co enlarges plant

Owing to increased demand for wire the American Steel and Wire company has started a large addition to its Waukegan works. The work will cost $900,000 and will be rushed so as to be ready for use within a few months. The building will be 800 by 80 feet in size and will be equipped with the modern wire drawing machinery which will increase the wire drawing capacity of the Waukegan plant 25 to 30 per cent when in operation, as well as requiring 100 more employees.

 (9) Construction by Manville co halted indefinitely Libertyville independent, Mar 31, 1921, p9

Construction by Manville co halted indefinitely

Will not resume April 1; perhaps not for 1 or 2 years, report says

Supt has leased home

Waukeganites who have been banking upon the resumption of the activities at the H W Johns-Manville plant on the north flats to bring an era of prosperity to the city are doomed to disappointment if one is to credit the persistent rumors which are begin circulated.

The statement has been made many times that the work of building this monster plant would be resumed about the first of April and would be in full swing about the middle of the month. Report has it there will be no resumption of the construction work on the date announced—in fact it is even stated that nothing will be done for another year or perhaps two years.

L H Spangler, 130 (?) Stewart avenue, the superintendent in charge her declined to make any statement with regard to the matter. He referred all inquires to the heads of the Manville company in Milwaukee.

Mr Spangler did admit however that he has leased his home to an employee (?) of the Pfiger tanning company for a term of months said to be at least eight months, and plans to return to Milwaukee immediately. This lends considerable color to the reports that building operations on the plant will be at a standstill for a long while to come.

Construction on the plant was stopped last December due to the cold weather. At the time it was announced that work would be resumed as soon as the weather would permit. Everything has pointed to the fact that construction would start about April 1^st. Just what caused the change in plans is not known.

(10) Paper mill at Manville plant in operation Libertyville independent, Sept 28, 1922, p3

Paper mill at Manville plant in operation

Is first plant of first unit in monster factory to start operating

Active operation of a portion of the first unit of the Johns-Manville plant in Waukegan, the paper mill in which is manufactured asbestos paper, much of which is used for fireproofing purposes and especially for the fireproof roofing material, started Monday at ten o’clock. Inside of another thirty days it is of construction and installation of machinery is being rushed with all possible speed.

The paper mill was completed last Saturday and was tested out Sunday with a full force of employees. Everything was found to be in splendid working order and orders were given to have it put into general operation today.

So far as the construction part is concerned the heads of the Manville plant are confident that cold weather will not interfere with the plans as all buildings are under cover.

 

(11) Johns-Manville post office to be asbestos city Libertyville independent, Nov 23, 1922, p4

Johns-Manville post office to be asbestos city

Post office department asks for applications for position of postmaster…

(12) Dying for work: Worker’s safety and health in twentieth-century America, edited by David Rosner, Gerald E Markowitz Indiana University Press (February 22, 1989) 256 pages

…A British physician reported a case of asbestosis, confirmed at autopsy, with no signs of tuberculosis—showing that asbestos dust alone caused the disease asbestosis. By 1935, a goal of 28 asbestos fatalities had been reported in Great Britain and the US.

By 1924, asbestos-related disease became a major subject of inquiry in the medical community. It was also the last full year of Thomas F Manville’s management of the Johns-Manville company. During his twenty-four years as company president, Manville oversaw the firm’s growth from a small family operation to a large corporation with $40 million in sales annually. There is no indication, to this author’s knowledge, of any action taken by Thomas Manville about possible asbestos health hazards.

Manville died in 1925 and left his stock in the company to his brother, Hiram E Manville; his son, Thomas F (Tommy) Manville, Jr; and K-M workers. As a result, J-M employees owned about a third of the company’s stock. During the next two years  Hiram gained control of the company by buying back large amounts of stock from workers and from his nephew Tommy. Then in 1927 he in turn sold his controlling share of stock to the financial giant JP Morgan and Co.

Morgan immediately brought in Theodore F Merseles, formerly head of Morgan’s Montgomery Ward chain to become president of Johns-Manville. With regard to the growing number of reports of asbestos health hazards, the company made no public statements, but did begin in 1928 funding animal studies involving asbestos exposure at the Saranac Laboratory of the Trudeau Foundation, a leading US pulmonary disease center in upstate new York.

Merseles, however, died suddenly of a year attack in March 1929—after only two years as president—and was replaced by his relatively inexperienced personal assistant, Lewis Herold Brown. Brown, then 35 years old, was elected president and Chief Executive officer of Johns-Manville, posts he held until 1946. At that time he gave up his administrative responsibilities and was elected chairman of the J-M board, a post he held until his death in 1951.

(13) Cooke, W. E. (1924). "Fibrosis of the Lungs Due to the Inhalation of Asbestos Dust". British Medical Journal. 2 (3317): 147–140.2

(14) Johns-Manville factory burned at Waukegan Ill

Waukegan Ill April 28—(Associated press) The principle building of johns-Manville, Inc, manufacturers, a structure 500 feet by 200 feet and containing the plant, offices, etc, was swept through by fire today with a loss estimated at $300,000 or more. The fire is supposed to have originated in the laboratory in the east section of the building.

Firemen from Zion city, North Chicago, Lake Forest, Great Lakes and Waukegan joined in fighting the blaze in an all-night battle and succeeded in preventing the flames from spreading to other units of the huge plant.

The Johns-Manville concern manufactures asbestos roofing and other fireproof materials.

The Daily Times, Davenport, Iowa, Wed April 28, 1926, P1

(15) Cooke, W. E. (1927). Pulminary Asbestosis BMJ. 2 (3491): 1024–5

(16) Merewether, E.R.A. and Price, C. W. (1930) "Report on Effects of Asbestos Dust on the Lung" H.M. Stationery Office

(17) Brodeur, Paul (1985). Outrageous Misconduct: The Asbestos Industry on Trial (1st ed.). Pantheon Books.