Newsletters
SUMMER 2024
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Focus on Knapp-Monarch Manufacturing
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Growth through Innovation, Merger, and Acquisition
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Ernest S. Johnson moved to Webster City, Iowa in 1917 and immediately purchased a small plant that manufactured hog troughs. He incorporated it as Monarch Company Sanitary Stock Trough Company in 1917. Production included stock feeders, stock waterers, and an insulated jug called the Therma-jugTM. The company was again incorporated in 1918 as Monarch Company. Funds to enable increasing production were secured by issuing preferred and common stock giving the company a valuation of $150,000.
Johnson was a prolific inventor and chose to manufacture his inventions. Between 1916 and 1934 twenty-five patents were issued in the U.S. and Canada with Johnson as inventor or coinventor. Other patents were invented by employees and assigned to Knapp-Monarch Company. Many of the inventions were small electrical appliances. Expanded production included toasters, irons, heaters, curling irons, blenders, mixers, vaporizers, waffle irons, a propane lantern, and two sizes of Therma-a-jugTM. As new products were added to the companies’ line more stock was issued resulting in capitalization of $350,000 by mid-1919. Monarch Company employed 300 workers at its peak. Johnson was the driving force behind the design and sales of Monarch’s products. He was the major salesman and in charge of manufacturing and product development.
Johnson was a prolific inventor and chose to manufacture his inventions. Between 1916 and 1934 twenty-five patents were issued in the U.S. and Canada with Johnson as inventor or coinventor. Other patents were invented by employees and assigned to Knapp-Monarch Company. Many of the inventions were small electrical appliances. Expanded production included toasters, irons, heaters, curling irons, blenders, mixers, vaporizers, waffle irons, a propane lantern, and two sizes of Therma-a-jugTM. As new products were added to the companies’ line more stock was issued resulting in capitalization of $350,000 by mid-1919. Monarch Company employed 300 workers at its peak. Johnson was the driving force behind the design and sales of Monarch’s products. He was the major salesman and in charge of manufacturing and product development.
Interested in expanding his company’s sales of home appliances, Johnson contacted A.S. Knapp and Company. He hoped to utilize their sales force with its’ extensive exposure in chain and department stores. Leading sales efforts required much of his time. The agreement with Knapp allowed Johnson to refocus his efforts on his passion: inventing new gadgets. Knapp was primarily a sales company but did manufacture luggage. Monarch merged with Knapp Company of St Louis, Missouri in 1929 becoming Knapp-Monarch (K-M). The new company then operated manufacturing facilities in Webster City and St Louis. Headquartered in St Louis, Knapp was president and Johnson served as vice-president and Director of Research and Development. Knapp operated the St Louis facilities while Johnson managed the Webster City plant. By 1931 company leadership recognized operation of two plants was not practical. A new manufacturing plant was built in Belleville, Illinois. City Business Directories list Knapp-Monarch Company at 9400 Carbon Street, Belleville in 1931 and 1932. The structure for the plant is gone now. The property was eventually repurposed as Signal Hill Park.
Belleville seems like a logical area to build the new plant. Andrew S. Knapp lived at 23 Country Club Drive in 1929. Johnson followed suit and relocated his family to 9 Signal Hill Blvd Belleville in 1931 (see the next article to learn more). The company’s presence in Bellville was short. It was no longer listed in the 1935 Belleville Business Directory. The National Museum of American History, Washington D.C, has many K-M objects in its’ collection. A blurb in the description of a K-M tabletop oven manufactured in Belleville confirms K-M left Belleville in 1934, three years after Johnson’s death.
The new company continued to grow after moving from Belleville. Galvin Electric Manufacturing Co of St Louis was acquired by K-M in 1932. Dover Manufacturing, of Dover, Ohio, producer of electric flatirons, was purchased by K-M in 1936. Much of K-M’s business was to manufacture a variety of private labeled products. Kwikway Company of St Louis was one of K-M’S toll manufacturing customers. National Enameling and Stamping Company (NESCO) of Granite City was acquired by K-M in 1960. K-M was purchased by Hoover Company in 1969. Hoover was acquired by Maytag Corporation in 1989.
The tenure of the Knapp-Monarch Electrical Appliance factory in Belleville was short but it left a mark on its history. The Labor & Industry Museum proudly displays several artifacts manufactured by Knapp-Monarch during its short time here.
Belleville seems like a logical area to build the new plant. Andrew S. Knapp lived at 23 Country Club Drive in 1929. Johnson followed suit and relocated his family to 9 Signal Hill Blvd Belleville in 1931 (see the next article to learn more). The company’s presence in Bellville was short. It was no longer listed in the 1935 Belleville Business Directory. The National Museum of American History, Washington D.C, has many K-M objects in its’ collection. A blurb in the description of a K-M tabletop oven manufactured in Belleville confirms K-M left Belleville in 1934, three years after Johnson’s death.
The new company continued to grow after moving from Belleville. Galvin Electric Manufacturing Co of St Louis was acquired by K-M in 1932. Dover Manufacturing, of Dover, Ohio, producer of electric flatirons, was purchased by K-M in 1936. Much of K-M’s business was to manufacture a variety of private labeled products. Kwikway Company of St Louis was one of K-M’S toll manufacturing customers. National Enameling and Stamping Company (NESCO) of Granite City was acquired by K-M in 1960. K-M was purchased by Hoover Company in 1969. Hoover was acquired by Maytag Corporation in 1989.
The tenure of the Knapp-Monarch Electrical Appliance factory in Belleville was short but it left a mark on its history. The Labor & Industry Museum proudly displays several artifacts manufactured by Knapp-Monarch during its short time here.
The museum’s Knapp-Monarch display: These appliances were manufactured in Belleville between 1930 and 1934. KoldaireTM electric desk fan, waffle iron, two-basket toaster, wall-mount electric fan, Steam-KingTM flatiron and box, ReversoTM chrome two-slice toaster, and Therm-a-jugTM insulated beverage container.
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Ernest Sidney Johnson Sr: family man, mechanic, inventor, entrepeneur
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Like many of the nineteenth and early twentieth century success stories in the United States, this one begins in Europe. Ernest Sidney Johnson Sr. was born in Hycklinge, Östergötland, Sweden on May 3, 1880. His family immigrated to the United States between 1881 and 1882. There is no evidence of him in the USA again until 1907 when he married Elizabeth Dorothy Rauche in St Joseph, Michigan. She was a lifetime resident of Iowa. Ernest resided in Cedar Rapids, Iowa at the time.
Their first daughter, Margaret, was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1910. Ernest worked as a mechanic in an ironworks. The next time Ernest and Elizabeth show up in records is 1912 when their first son, Ernest Sidney Jr., was born in Washington, Iowa. By 1915 the family was living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Ernest Sr. was a salesman while he lived in Cedar Rapids. It is not clear what he sold but surely something inspired him to start creating gadgets. His first US Patent was a device to perforate bank checks. It was filed in December 1916 and issued in December 1917. Johnson was 36 years old. He probably spent his spare time tinkering with those gadgets using his mechanical skills, until he produced an invention novel enough to patent. Johnson was then residing in Waterloo, Iowa.
Ernest’s trail next lead to Webster City (originally Newcastle), Iowa. He had moved his growing family again. His 1917 draft registration card shows an address in Webster City. He may have needed a facility to produce his inventions, therefore he purchased a hog trough manufacturing plant. The company changed names twice as it attracted investors and expanded. Elizabeth gave birth to another daughter Justine in 1918. Sadly, Margaret passed away in the same year. The Johnson’s youngest son John R. was born in 1920.
Five more of his patents were issued between 1917 and 1918. Four of them dealt with devices for the care of animals. The fifth was an automatic typewriter actuator. Johnson patented one final device for animal care in 1919. The five animal stock care patents were certainly in support of the core business, but Ernest had much larger ideas. He was working concurrently on other gadgets. Ernest filed for patents for the growing leisure, domestic appliance, and automotive industries. He filed eight more patents between 1919 and 1926. A total of twenty-five patents, with Ernest as inventor or co-inventor, were issued by 1934.
Continuing to grow his manufacturing and sales business, Ernest joined forces with A.S. Knapp Company of St Louis. Johnson continued to live and run appliance manufacturing in Webster City. In 1931 K-M’s appliance research and development, and manufacturing moved to Belleville, Illinois.
The 1930 census shows 20-years old Lota M. Knapp living with the Johnsons in Webster City as a servant. Lota continued living with Elizabeth in Belleville after Ernest Senior’s death. In 1940 Lota was still Elizabeth’s servant in Decatur, Illinois.
Johnson moved his family to Belleville in September 1931. He passed away from complications related to gallstone surgery
Their first daughter, Margaret, was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1910. Ernest worked as a mechanic in an ironworks. The next time Ernest and Elizabeth show up in records is 1912 when their first son, Ernest Sidney Jr., was born in Washington, Iowa. By 1915 the family was living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Ernest Sr. was a salesman while he lived in Cedar Rapids. It is not clear what he sold but surely something inspired him to start creating gadgets. His first US Patent was a device to perforate bank checks. It was filed in December 1916 and issued in December 1917. Johnson was 36 years old. He probably spent his spare time tinkering with those gadgets using his mechanical skills, until he produced an invention novel enough to patent. Johnson was then residing in Waterloo, Iowa.
Ernest’s trail next lead to Webster City (originally Newcastle), Iowa. He had moved his growing family again. His 1917 draft registration card shows an address in Webster City. He may have needed a facility to produce his inventions, therefore he purchased a hog trough manufacturing plant. The company changed names twice as it attracted investors and expanded. Elizabeth gave birth to another daughter Justine in 1918. Sadly, Margaret passed away in the same year. The Johnson’s youngest son John R. was born in 1920.
Five more of his patents were issued between 1917 and 1918. Four of them dealt with devices for the care of animals. The fifth was an automatic typewriter actuator. Johnson patented one final device for animal care in 1919. The five animal stock care patents were certainly in support of the core business, but Ernest had much larger ideas. He was working concurrently on other gadgets. Ernest filed for patents for the growing leisure, domestic appliance, and automotive industries. He filed eight more patents between 1919 and 1926. A total of twenty-five patents, with Ernest as inventor or co-inventor, were issued by 1934.
Continuing to grow his manufacturing and sales business, Ernest joined forces with A.S. Knapp Company of St Louis. Johnson continued to live and run appliance manufacturing in Webster City. In 1931 K-M’s appliance research and development, and manufacturing moved to Belleville, Illinois.
The 1930 census shows 20-years old Lota M. Knapp living with the Johnsons in Webster City as a servant. Lota continued living with Elizabeth in Belleville after Ernest Senior’s death. In 1940 Lota was still Elizabeth’s servant in Decatur, Illinois.
Johnson moved his family to Belleville in September 1931. He passed away from complications related to gallstone surgery
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Labor & Industry Lend a Hand
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Although most of our donated artifacts are brought to the museum by a person or persons, some are offered to us with the caveat “come and get it”. This usually means large or heavy or both!
The millstone pictured below was donated from the Schlueter Farm and Orchard south of Belleville. Journeyman Lineman Jason Adams operated a line truck to load, transport, and unload it against a pole outside of our Annex. The donors of the millstone told us the millstone was found while excavating on their property and there was another similar stone still buried much deeper. The two stones were probably positioned with one horizontal and the other vertical in a mill along Richland Creek. When in use, the millstones were utilized to grind grain for use as flour or meal. One doesn’t need much imagination to determine how it worked.
The large bandsaw below was donated from a country home near Freeburg, Illinois where it was stored in a two-car garage. It was originally used at a factory in St. Louis. To remove the saw from the garage we had to lift it a few inches off the floor with a large motor jack. With much difficulty, we moved it out of the garage using four separate one-inch steel pipes installed beneath the base to roll it outside. Removing the pulley wheel enabled us to barely clear the garage door by one-quarter inch. Assisted by a line truck operated by Journeyman Lineman Jason Adams, we loaded, transported, and unloaded this machine into our museum Annex building.
Also pictured below is a vertical steam engine which was featured in an article in the Labor Tribune. It was donated to the museum by a retired employee of Imbs’ Mill. The mill was located on West Main Street at Richland Creek. Our friend and frequent volunteer, Norbert Hohrein, offered to sandblast, rebuild, and paint the engine. Now it is a functioning exhibit. Transporting the engine to and from his farm north of Lebanon, Illinois was made easy with the use of a line truck operated by Journeyman Lineman Loren Bergman.
Once again, cooperation between Industry (Ameren Illinois) along with Labor (Loren Bergman and Jason Adams; both members of The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 309) enabled the museum to continue its mission.
We thank Ameren management, Loren, and Jason for their assistance now and, hopefully, in the future.
Journeyman Jason Adams with the millstone on display outside of the Annex and the bandsaw inside the Annex.
Above: Museum volunteer Jim Berger (retired from Ameren Illinois) discusses the job with Journeyman Lineman Loren Bergman after loading the vertical steam engine for transport to Lebanon, IL for rebuilding.
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Above: Norbert Hohrein stands beside the freshly painted vertical steam engine that he and museum volunteers disassembled and rebuilt. Photo from Labor Tribune February 7, 2022
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Thank You!
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Recent Donations, Contributions, and Services
Dee Caumiant
Susan R. Roesch
William Gaul
Dawn Freiberger
Gerald Botkin
Sheila K. Fritze
Kevin Oelrich
Ken Schaefer
Ronald Kissel
Mike & Barb Oldenspring
Marilyn G. Simmons
Sherry Rodenmeyer
Robert Poole
Belleville Historical Society
St. Clair County Historical Society
Susan R. Roesch
William Gaul
Dawn Freiberger
Gerald Botkin
Sheila K. Fritze
Kevin Oelrich
Ken Schaefer
Ronald Kissel
Mike & Barb Oldenspring
Marilyn G. Simmons
Sherry Rodenmeyer
Robert Poole
Belleville Historical Society
St. Clair County Historical Society
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• Special thanks to William Shannon of the St Clair County Historical Society for providing instruction to our volunteers in use of museum software.
• Special thanks to Dee Caumiant. Dee stepped up to join us a volunteer. She is reorganizing our office, learning how to best utilize our museum software, and helping edit the newsletter.
• Very special thanks to Charles (Chuck) Solinski for donation of many hours of pro bono time upgrading the Labor & Industry Museum’s computer and Wi-Fi. More recently Chuck guided us through modernizing and migrating our website.
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Notice to our members: During the mandated shutdown of operations from 2020 through 2022 our museum lost contact with our valued supporters and membership. Earlier this year we restarted out effort to reconnect with you. Response to our January renewal letter has been disappointing. In the letter we informed you that future membership renewals will all occur in January. The Board of Directors decided to continue sending this Newsletter to the full membership (including those who did not renew) through December of 2024. Beginning in January of 2025 only members who renewed will continue to receive the newsletter.
Thank you for your continued support…… The Labor & Industry Museum Board of Directors
Contact us:
www.laborandindustrymuseum.org
Labor.Industry.Museum@gmail.com
618-222-2430 (leave a message)
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www.laborandindustrymuseum.org
Labor.Industry.Museum@gmail.com
618-222-2430 (leave a message)
Like us on Facebook