A Thought to Remember: Highland Embroidery Works, 1881
Highland Embroidery Works was organized in November 1880 by Johann Rusch. Rusch was trained in Switzerland, on a Heilman Embroidery Machine, that had been invented in 1838. He immigrated to Highland and succeeded in finding 14 local men to invest from $50. to $200.
They pledged $2,000 to start the project and were to be paid back within a year at no interest, or 2% the second year, 3% the 3rd year and 4% the 4th year. The men read like Highland’s Who’s Who of the 1880’s. With monetary assistance from Dr. Gallus Rutz, Jacob Eggen, Charles H. Seybt, Martin J. Schott, John J. Spindler, Sr. David Suppiger, Bernhard Suppiger, Joseph C. Ammann, Fred B. Suppiger, Otto Brodtbeck, John Wiggenhauser, John M. Kamm and the following young men, John Wildi, Jr. John B. Knoebel and John J. Spindler, Jr. who became partners.
“Highland Embroidery Works was started in 1881, as Johann Rusch rented a building from Dr. Gallus Rutz, set up his Schiffli Embroidery Machine and went to work. He had no additional capital, could not lay in much stock and had no sales organization. In 1883 he succeeded in getting two young men of Highland, John Wildi, Jr. and John J. Spindler, Jr. to invest some money and work with the new company.
“Wildi had been in partnership with the merchandising firm of Ammann & Wildi and Spindler had worked for his father, John J. Spindler, Sr. in his large store and he knew merchandising. Spindler became President, plus the main salesman, Wildi the Secretary & Treasurer and Rusch was the plant Superintendent. Then in 1885, Wildi went with the Helvetial Milk Condensing Co. and became their Secretary & Treasurer. He sold his interest to his brother Alfred Wildi, who became the designer and L.J. Ruhr, a nephew of Spindler, also joined the company.
“Sept. 4, 1883 Highland Embroidery Works was incorporated and they purchased the large Lot, in Block #65 in Joseph Suppiger’s addition, which was at the corner of Lindenthal and Pine, going half the way to Washington Street. (Here they built their first building and later added three addition buildings plus an office. Only the office building, now turned into a home, is all that remains.) They ordered new Schiffli Embroidery Machines from Switzerland, purchased an ample stock of raw materials and went to work in earnest. Beginning with just a few employees and at their peak, over 100 employees.
“The sales force was also enlarged, adding two salesmen in New York and one in Chicago. Now their product of the factory was to be found in all of the best stores, in the big cities of the U.S. and also marketed in Europe. The Highland Embroidery Works in 1893, stands at the head in quality, beauty of design and new patterns being added by Alfred Wildi, one of the owners, who gives the design department his full attention. Their success is due to their rule to excel and lead, not just to follow.
“Their four Schiffli machines have 312 needles each, which equal 624 hands; two with 208 needles and the two new machines purchased in 1893, with 350 needles. With 8 experienced men operators who earn from $2. to $2.50 per DAY, depending on the skill of the operator. Some 50 women, with the girls doing piece work, earn 80 cents a DAY and those not doing piece work get 50 cents a DAY, to start. The eight machines do the work of 2,164 hands. They are crowded to their full capacity year round, to fill their orders.
“Beginning with just a few employees and at their peek over 100 employees, with John J. Spindler, Jr. President and manager, a keen conscientious business man, the factory in 1893 was doing over $100,000. Annually. L.J. Ruhr, Spindler’s nephew was the new Secretary-Treasurer, was also born and raised in Highland, as was Spindler and Wildi.
“After the death of John J. Spindler, Jr. in 1916, the factory continued to prosper under the management of his son Julius J. Spindler and his associates. During the ‘Great Depression’ the demand for embroidered dress goods fell off, the plant was shut down, in 1933.
“The plant remained idle until 1937, when George Glassmaker, a former employee, bought the Embroidery Works from the Spindler family and changed the name to Highland Embroidery Co. The Glassmaker factory started as a family business but at its peak had 21 employees. Embroidered yard goods for ladies and girls dresses was its main product, then embroidered mattress siding was started in 1941, selling the siding to mattress companies.
In 1947 they bought the buildings and rented the north buildings to C.J. Hug for his Imperial Clock Company. In 1950, embroidery for baby shoe material was started and continued until 1966. (Then Victor Seifried in 1959 opened his V.L. Seifried Products, baby shoe manufacturing, in the building at the alley behind 1008 Laurel Street, using Highland made embroidery.) In 1960 the emblems on sports caps and work caps, for the Advertising Industry. In 1966 the Glassmaker family closed the factory and sold the embroidery machines to a New Jersey firm and they moved the machines to Los Angeles.
“The buildings were leased to Jet Lite for a few years, then Highland Supply rented the buildings for storage. In 1976 the Glassmaker family sold the property to Jim and Pearl Houseman and the buildings were razed. The Houseman’s built an apartment complex, then sold as condos. (Now called ‘Parkview Condos’.)
(Two additional half-page advertisements from 1893 are:) “B. SENN & CO. B. Senn and T.W. Moehlheinrich. Dealers in Boots, Shoes & Clothing. Hats, Caps, Gents Furnishing Goods, and a nice clean stock of Groceries, always on hand, sold at the lowest prices. Three blocks east of Public Square, at Main and Cypress. Highland”. “FRANK ZOLK’S STORE. Free gifts with goods purchased for cash. We have a full line of Boots and Shoes, Groceries and Dry Goods. We are paying best prices for all Country Produce. Examine or Call”.
Quotes from the Brief History of the City of Highland, Centennial History of Highland, plus the Sesquicentennial book. My thanks to the late George and Russell Glassmaker & their families, my columns #874 of July 28, 2011 and #959 of Feb. 6, 2014.