On November 29th, 1872  A fire consumed a large frame warehouse of the Hemingray Glass Company located at the foot of Madison Street in Covington, Kentucky.  The building was filled with glass ware packed in straw.  The type of glass ware was not identified and no estimate of the value of goods destroyed was given. 

In 1873 Richard Evans is named Vice-President; Edward D. Swasey became Secretary-Treasurer, and James L. Foley moved to St. Louis, Missouri, to be Warehouse Manager. and Hemingray Glass Company opened a warehouse at 15 South Main Street, St. Louis, Missouri.  James L. Foley was listed as Manager.

From September 3rd to October 4th 1873 the Hemingray Glass Company participated in the 1873 Cincinnati Industrial Exposition and received awards and recognition as follows.   “Department H — OF THE HOUSEHOLD.  Class No. 12, Glass, Earthern, and Stone Ware.  The Hemingray Glass Company was awarded “a large silver medal” for their exhibit of glass ware.  The Judges report stated: “Glass ware from the Hemingray Glass Company, of Covington (store on Walnut street), was extensive, and the articles useful and of good manufacture.  The establishment has long been favorably known and does not require any special notice from you Judges.”    Class No. 45, China, Glass, Earthenware, etc.  A Silver Medal was awarded to the Hemingray Glass Company for their exhibit of an “Assortment of Glassware.”  The Report of Jurors states: “From the glass manufactory of the Hemingray Glass Company was exhibited a very extensive display of articles in their line.  Their coal oil lamps consisted of a great variety of useful styles, shapes, and patterns.  The improvement of an inside glass top, so as to bring only glass in contact with the contents of their far-famed fruit jars, deserves special note, as being the most desirable for use known to us.”    “Department K — Scientific, Class No. 60, Lightning Rods and Fixtures.  A silver medal was awarded to the Chambers’ National Lightning Protection Company for an exhibit of an insulator.  (Note:  The Chambers Insulators were manufactured by the Hemingray Glass Company.)  The Report of Jurors states: “The exhibits under this head are of two classes — one based upon the generally accepted theory of electrical phenomena announced by Franklin, in which the rod is employed to conduct the electricity from the cloud to the earth as a reservoir; the other upon the idea that a charge of electricity may be dissipated in the atmosphere, and therefore regards a ground connection as unnecessary.  The jury do not feel themselves called upon to consider the claims of opposite scientific theories as a basis for their action, and therefore, confine themselves to an examination of the relative quality of the rods and fixtures as electrical conductors according to the established principles of electrical science, and recommend the rods and fixtures exhibited by J. H. Weston for the award of their class; and the Insulator exhibited by the Chambers’ National Lightning Protection Company, for the award of its class”. 

On February 23rd 1875  Robert Hemingray received Patent No. 160,016:  “Improvement in Paper Perforating Machine.” 

Sometime during 1876-1877  Hemingray Glass Company closed the St. Louis warehouse (listed in 1876 directory but not in 1877 directory).  The St. Louis warehouse was essentially a two-year operation. 

On February 27th 1877  Adam Dickey, Middletown, Ohio, received Patent No. 187,827:  “Improvement in Fruit-Jars.”  This jar, manufactured by the Hemingray Glass Company, was made of black glass for the alleged purpose of preventing discoloration of the preserved fruit by sun light.

On September 11th 1877  The Local, a Newport, Kentucky, newspaper reported that the Hemingray Glass Company had successfully connected a telephone line between their Cincinnati sales room and the glass works in Covington. 

On October 16th 1877  Ralph G. Hemingray received Patent No. 196,092:  “Improvement in Cleaning Glass From the Ends of Blow-Pipes.” 

On May 14th 1878  Robert Hemingray received Design Patent No. 10,678:  “Lamp-Shades.”

 On March 4th 1879 Robert Hemingray received Patent No. 212,850:  “Improvement in Machines For Flaring and Crimping Lamp-Chimneys and Other Glass Articles.”

 


Thanks to Glenn Drummond for this and much more Hemingray historical information included in this timeline.


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