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Sneath Glass Company History
| Sneath Glass Company History |
This history is based solely on the limited information available on the Internet at the time of this writing (5/16/2008).
The Gas Boom that started in the 1880's brought numerous glass manufacturing companies to central Indiana. Among them was the Sneath Glass Company, which located and began operations in Hartford City in 1890 (although one source said 1884). The company was owned and controlled by the "Sneath interests" in Tiffin, Ohio, which may have also owned the Sneath Glass Works in Tiffin, which subsequently burned on the afternoon of March 14, 1894. Early production included illuminating ware - lamps, globes, and lenses. At some point in time, Sneath Glass came under the direction of the Crimmel family, first by Alvie Clyde Crimmel and later by Henry Hayes Crimmel and John R. Crimmel, all of whom were granted U. S. patents for various glass or glass-related items.
Beginning in 1905 and continuing until the start of World War II, Sneath Glass produced the glassware that accompanied the free-standing wooden kitchen cabinets commonly referred to as "Hoosier Cabinets" that were manufactured in that region. Gradually other glass companies like Anchor Hocking, Hazel-Atlas, Jeannette, and Owens-Illinois would also supply glassware to the cabinet manufacturers, but Sneath Glass was the first. By the beginning of the 1940's, innovations and changing tastes resulted in an ever-increasing demand for built-in kitchen cabinets, which led to the demise of the Hoosier Cabinet.
After the war, the Sneath line included heat-resistant ware, novelties and specialties, and private mould work. In September, 1952, a labor strike forced the company to close down production, which in turn prompted the stockholders to dispose of the plant. The Indiana Glass Company of Dunkirk, Indiana, purchased a controlling interest in Sneath Glass in April, 1953. H. H. Crimmel and J. R. Crimmel agreed to continue with the firm in a sales and advisory capacity.
Indiana Glass president Charles L. Gaunt stated that operations would be resumed at Hartford City just as soon as possible. The intention was to produce sealed beam headlights which had replaced headlamp lenses in automobiles. This operation failed and the plant closed.
In March, 1958, William M. Wright, president of the Canton Glass Company, relocated the Canton plant to the former Sneath Glass Company building (then occupied by the Lancaster Lens Company of Lancaster, Ohio). In 1969, Canton was operating six continuous tanks and six day tanks. In 1970, the operation switched to two continuous tanks and seven day tanks. In 1971, the Glass Factory Directory listed the company as the Canton Glass Division, David Lilly and Company, Inc., Hartford City, with F. R. Hodges president. In 1991, the Glass Industrial Directory still listed the company, still with F. R. Hodges president. In 1999, the Canton Glass Company office (200 N. Wabash Avenue) existed, but no glass was being made. It still remains listed the same today. No glass is being made in the plant today but the office still remains open. |
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