Up: Fry

H. C. Fry Timeline Home  > Insulators  > Fry  > Timeline

H.C.Fry: 1 of 3

Sep 17, 1840	Born near Lexington, Kentucky of Thomas and Charlotte Fry.
1856	Moves to Pittsburgh, joins William Phillips and Company (glass manufacturers) as shipping clerk.
1860	Meets Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois while traveling as sales representative.
1862	Joins the Army, attached to the 15th Pennsylvania Cavalry
	Marries Emma Mathews
1866	First child, Harry C.
1867	Second child, E. Gertrude
1868	First patent for cut glass (#?)
1869	Third child, Clara B.
	Returns to Pittsburgh after Civil War, joins Lippincott, Fry and Company.
	Company becomes Fry and Scott, then...
	Fry, Semple and Reynolds
1869	Disposes of business interest, accepts position as general manager of O'Hara Glass Works, James B. Lyon and Company, Pittsburgh.
1872	Fourth child, Jesse Howard
	Moves family to Rochester, Pennsylvania
	Forms Rochester Tumbler Works with a number of area businessmen; first president; George W. Fry (a brother) also involved
1874	Helped organized First Baptist Church in Rochester
1875	Using natural gas from own wells
1876	Fifth child, Mabel M.
1879	Director and stockholder of Olive Stove Works (through 1922)
1884	Wife Emma, R.I.P.
1890	Marries Belle McClintock
1897	Owens Punch-Tumbler Machine introduced
1897	Tumbler works joins the National Glass Company (a combine of 19 formerly independent glass manufacturers); Fry is president.
1900	Resigns from National
1901	Forms Rochester Glass Company with sons Harry C. and J. Howard.
1902	Name change to H. C. Fry Glass Company
	Founds and heads Beaver Valley Pot Company (making batch pots for glass furnaces)
1905	Opens showroom for cut-glass designs
	Award-winning exhibition at the Lewis and Clark Exposition in Portland, Oregon.
1906	50' × 100' warehouse added.
1910	Park built next to company grounds.
1911	Factory improvements double business; mold department capacity increased by 1/3 (2,400 different molds at this time!)
	General offices of Beaver Valley Glass Company and H. F. Fry Glass Company are consolidated (all orders go through Fry)
1913	Two-story brick office replaced old building (cost: $17,000)
1918	Guarantee Liquid Measure Company (manufacturing Fry Visible Gasoline and Oil Dispensers).
1920	$35,000 in factory improvements made, including a two-story addition. Order placed with Amsler-Morton Co. of Pittsburgh for continuous lehrs.
1924	J. Howard leaves to join the staff of Libbey Glass Co., Toledo, Ohio. George Kenneth takes over Harry C. and J. Howard interests.
1925	George E. Gerwig and W. H. Green appointed receivers.
1926	H. C. petitions to have Gerwig and Green replaced by Edward T. Davis; granted June 15; company remains in receivership
Jan 3, 1929	R.I.P., Rochester, New York
	Company reorganized under new president. S. C. Stebbins and remains in operation through Great Depression
1933	Stebbins requests the company be placed in receivership; W. A. Kleeb appointed receiver; one of his first acts: dismiss the office, shop and other employees. H. C. Fry Glass Co. is done.