Union Furniture Factory - Batesville Indiana
The Union Furniture Factory was located on George Street between Vine and Elm Street
in Batesville, Indiana, on the rail line which passed thorough the town.
The business was established in 1867.
It was completely destroyed by fire in the fall of 1874. It was rebuilt during the
next year, 1875 and resumed operations in 1876. Fire also destroyed another of the
town’s industries, the Shrader Furniture Factory earlier in the year. Both factories
had been of wooden frame construction and were two stories in height. Neither factory
had fire insurance. The Shrader Factory was rebuilt in 1875 also. Both buildings were
constructed using brick the second time. These two fires destroyed Batesville’s
entire industrial base and with the resulting loss of income many of the workers
moved to Shelbyville, Indiana to find employment in that town’s furniture
factories.
The Union Furniture employed 65 men, with a payroll of $23,000 annually. It had
annual sales revenue of $75,000.
The Union Furniture Factory burned completely down again in 1885. This event
crystallized the community to form the Batesville Volunteer Fire Company in the late
1880’s.
1893 was a year of depression, and the resulting financial panic caused the Union
Furniture Factory to close for five months during the summer. It reopened on
August 6, 1893.
In 1895 its annual sales were $51,000 and in 1899 a sales record was set.
Business continued to grow and in 1906 a second addition to the factory was
constructed. It was four stories tall, thirty two feet wide and forty feet in
length.
The Union added another section in 1920, again four stories tall and twenty eight
feet wide and one hundred feet long. In 1921 a larger steam engine was installed,
the dry kiln was enlarged and lumber track extensions were installed. The entire
plant was modernized at this time.
1924 saw the Union Furniture factory add a large warehouse, 116 feet long and
80 feet wide. It was three stories in height. This is the second warehouse, built
on the same plan as the first. All the new construction was of brick.
The Union ceased production in the 1980’s and was torn down in the 1990’s.
Written by Paul Wonning using Builders Of A City By Minnie Wycoff as a souce.
