This file part of www.watertownhistory.org website
Watertown Table Slide
DOES NOT make tables,
only the table
sliding mechanism
Ad from Watertown Daily Times,
Profile of the Company
The Watertown Table-Slide Company was established in 1889 with Emil W. Schultz (early business man) as president; Max H. Gaebler
and Richard Blaesius; and the
business was incorporated in 1891. Its capital in 1917 is twenty-fine
thousand dollars with an earned surplus of sixty thousand dollars also in the
business.
The company's plant is located on Hart street south of the Chicago,
Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad tracks and has its own spur track. Here they
have three and a half acres of ground on which are several buildings and three
dry kilns. They manufacture patented slides for extension tables and their
product is sold exclusively to table manufacturers, mostly in carload lots,
throughout the United States and Canada.
The material used is principally birch and the annual consumption is a
million and a half feet of lumber. The dry kiln capacity is two hundred
thousand feet and the equipment of the plant is first class, all special
machines used being designed by the company's secretary and treasurer, Max H.
Gaebler. Employment is furnished forty hands, one-half of whom are
skilled workmen and over thirty thousand dollars are annually paid out in
wages.
This is today one of the most prosperous and successful enterprises of
Watertown and its success is largely due to the stubborn energy of its former
president, Emil W. Schultz, who was its manager until his death, June 27, 1916.
The officers are now Mrs.
Estella Schultz, president, widow of the former president, William C. Schultz, vice president,
and H. Gaebler, secretary and
treasurer. Its superintendent, Henry
Winkler, has been in charge of the factory since the establishment of
the business.
It is the only concern in its line in Wisconsin and one of the two
largest in this class of manufacture in the United States.
Above derived from Jefferson County Wisconsin and its People: A
Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement, Vol. II, S.
J. Clarke Publishing Co (Chicago), 1917.
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Watertown Table Slide stock
certificate
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Table Slide Firm Formed Here in 1889
Blaesius
Brothers Had Original Plant Here
Watertown
has been making nationally famous table slides since 1889 when the Watertown
Table Slide Co., now a corporation, was organized by E. W. Schultz, Max H.
Gaebler and Richard Blaesius. Prior to that time there had been a small
table slide shop here operated by Blaesius Brothers and the Watertown company,
launched in 1889, was the outgrowth of that earlier concern.
1889
Jefferson
Banner, 10 10 1889.
Tuesday
evening a fire destroyed Edward Blaesius’ furniture factory and his dwelling
house at Watertown, together with machinery, lumber and stock, the entire loss
being estimated at about $8,000, upon which there is not a cent of insurance. This is the most serious fire that has
visited this town in several years. The
fire department fought hard against the flames, but without avail. The furniture factory is adjacent to the
depot, and was one of the best employing manufacturers in the city. The cause of the fire is as strange as the
absence of insurance.
In
1924 another table slide company, known as the Perfection Table Slide
Manufacturing Co., was launched here under the leadership of E. W. Schultz,
That concern continued to operate until last year when announcement was made
that it was going out of business, that the factory building had been sold to
the Hevi Duty Electric Co. of Milwaukee, and that
the Watertown Table Slide Co. had purchased its equipment and inventory.
Mrs.
Muriel Thauer, wife of Attorney Wallace Thauer, was president of the company at
the time the announcement was made last July 15 that it was going out of
business. She had headed the company for many years, being a daughter of the
late E. W. Schutz. She was not connected with the Perfection Table Slide
Manufacturing Co. at the time her father helped organize it, but became
interested in the company a few years after it was organized.
She
became head of the company upon the death of her father and had also been
general manager. As a girl she had assisted her father in his office and
accompanied him on many of his business trips and was practically brought up in
the table slide business, gaining much experience which was to prove valuable
in a business way for the company when she later became head of the concern.
Last year, after many years in business, she decided to retire and began
negotiations for the sale of the property.
At the
time of her retirement, Mrs. Thauer acknowledged the efficient and helpful
services to the company of Benjamin R. Krueger who was for 19 years the
company's secretary and treasurer. Fred W. Pfeifer of this city was for many
years associated with the company and had-served as its first vice
president. Otto Fischer was superintendent since the company was
organized and had over 50 years experience in the manufacture of table slides.
Several other employees had more than 40 years experience.
One Company Now
Today
the Watertown Table Slide Corp. the remaining such plant in Watertown, is one
of five table slide manufacturing concerns in the United States. From the start
its policy had been to turn out the best and most efficient product that could
be produced and its products have been used throughout, the United States, and
some foreign countries as well.
Approximately
one million board feet of lumber is used in the company plant. Only hard
wood, such as birch and maple, is used. One of the secrets of its successes
always has been in the long and special treatment of the wood used.
In addition
to standard size table slides, the company has turned out a great number of
special contract jobs, with slides ranging to vast sizes for special tables.
Much
machinery and special equipment, some of it being of the most ingenious nature
and design, is required to turn out the many types of table slides produced in
the plant.
Years
ago the special wood treatment process employed in the Watertown table slides
attracted the attention of U. S. government wood experts who came here to study
the method.
A. M.
(Dip) Ellington has been president of the Watertown Table Slide Corp., for many
years. He is also secretary. Lois P. F. Ellington is vice president and
treasurer. Edward Dobbratz is the firm's
sales manager. [Profile of Ed Dobbratz, 1924-2008]
Watertown
Daily Times / Centennial Edition, June 26, 1954
1906
11 28 1906
The Leader is pleased to note the evident prosperity
of one of the local manufacturing industries, which has grown from modest
beginnings, till it is now an important factor in the industrial activity of
Watertown and gives promise of becoming an institution of far greater
importance, due in a large measure to the excellence of management.
. . .
It will be a source of pleasure to all . . . to know that [the Watertown Table
Slide company] has commenced the erection of two large additions to its plant
in order to accommodate the rapidly increasing business . . . The plant at the
present time is being operated day and night in order to complete their
contracts at specified times. The working force has been increased from time to
time as necessity demanded, till today there is a force of fifty people employed.
The building operations of the new addition is under the supervision of E. W.
Schultz, the president of the company.
1953
11 19 1953
Announcement
was made by Mrs. Muriel Thauer, president of Perfection Table Slide
Manufacturing Company, of this city, that negotiations have been completed for
the sale of its equipment and inventor to the Watertown Table Slide Corporation
and for the sale of the Perfection factory building and real estate to Hevi
Duty Electric Company of Milwaukee. It is expected that the Hevi Duty Company
will take possession before the end of this summer and thus bring to Watertown
a substantial new industry.
The
Perfection Table Slide Manufacturing Company was organized about 1924 and has
since then been engaged in the manufacture and sale of high-grade extension
table slides to table manufacturers in various parts of the country.
Mrs.
Thauer had no connection with the Perfection Company when it was organized but
a few years later she became interested in the company and has since then been
its president and general manager.
A few
years later a separate corporation, the Perfection Realty Corporation, was
formed to take over the factory building and real estate.
1974
Watertown Daily Times, 02 01 1974
Watertown Table Slide -
Pioneer in use of Aluminum for Slides
An
innovative approach using aluminum in the table slide industry, pioneered by
Watertown Table Slide,
The
Watertown firm had made wood table slides for many years, and which 15 years
ago began the use of steel in table slides, has now become the first company in
the nation to make use of aluminum in its table slide product.
Wooden Table Slides Discontinued
The
wood line, which for many years was the only line made, was discontinued a year
ago and with the discontinuance came many changes in the plant.
Some
of the old buildings used in the old process were torn down and replaced by a
new 60 foot by 120 foot building with additional areas for office space.
The
completely new facilities handle all manufacturing and business portions of the
company. The remaining old facilities
are used primarily for storage of the new raw materials and for some of the old
wood slides.
Dobbratz
said that while the steel table slides account for the biggest volume of the
business, the real future lies in the use of aluminum.
He
explained that use of steel is limited by its size and shape, but aluminum can
be shaped exactly to the requirements of any particular project.
Dobbratz
said “With aluminum there are no design restrictions. We can make any type of table slide or slide
for other purposes and can meet the needs of our clients with aluminum.”
The
firm is presently manufacturing slides only for tables with the aluminum and
steel, but future applications are limitless, Dobbratz emphasized. He said “There are many slides which remain
to be designed and we feel we will be able to produce them in our new
facilities.”
Can Expand Building
The
new structure was built with expansion in mind.
Dobbratz said future expansion is planned by adding to the west side of
the existing new building.
The
building was designed and constructed by Metal Structures, Inc., of Oconomowoc. In addition to the bright production area,
the office space includes the president’s area, business office, private
meeting room, drafting room and waiting room and entrance. The floor is attractively carpeted.
Watertown
Table Slide functions with 27 employees handling both the aluminum and steel
lines.
The
president of the firm takes pride in the equipment used at the facility, most
of which was designed for its specific use by officials of the firm. Several of the machines were designed by Earl
Olson of Watertown.
Dobbratz
is proud of the accomplishments of the firm, noting that the company sells
slides in Australia, West Germany, Switzerland, England, Italy, Sweden, France
and other countries in addition to its business in the United States.
Has Long History
Watertown
Table Slide has a long history in Watertown, having been formed in 1889 as the
Watertown Table Slide Company. It is now
a corporation.
The
firm was originally formed by E. W. Schultz, Max H. Gaebler, and Richard
Blaesius.
Prior
to that time there had been a small table slide shop here operated by Blaesius
Brothers. The Watertown company was the outgrowth of that earlier concern.
In
1924 another table slide company, known as the Perfection Table Slide
Manufacturing Company, was launched under the leadership of Schultz. That concern operated until 1953 when it was
purchased by Watertown Table Slide.
A.M.
(Dip) Ellington has been associated with the firm since the late 1920s, having
served as its president for many years.
Cross
References:
Reiss Industries purchased Watertown
Table Side Corp. in 1985.
Watertown Daily Times /
Special Supplement, August 3, 1987
