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.