Early times were marked by a great many and great variety of manufactures in small establishments and in the homes of the people; the Civil War stimulated these local enterprises and called forth certain ones unknown before; the last two or three decades have seen most of the small factories give up their business to a few large ones.

Some of the first manufacturing establishments in Rockingham County and in Harrisonburg, and perhaps the most important of all, were flouring mills, built on the banks of the numerous power-giving streams.

The Bird, Zirkle and Strickler Mills, on Smiths Creek; Plains Mill, below Timberville, Bowman Mill on Linville Creek; Pauls Mill on Beaver Creek, Carthroas Mill at Port Republic and other mills on South River and tributary streams, were all likely built a hundred or more years ago. The 40 mills now in the County form one of our most important branches of industry.

Tanners, shoemakers, harness and saddle makers, cabinet makers, weavers and blacksmiths, were of necessity, on the ground from very early days. In 1839 Wm.J.Ford was a saddler in Harrisonburg in 1840. Henry Seals was a shoemaker in Bridgewater; for 50 years beginning in 1850, John W. Jacobs was a shoemaker at the same place. In 1826, Jacob Houck and Samuel Liggett were hatters in Harrisonburg, Liggett had perhaps been at McGaheysville before. In 1826, John Crummey had a gun shop in Harrisonburg. Other gunsmiths in the same town about 1850, were Alex. Hulvrey, George S. Logan, and Wm. Gibbs. In 1854, chairs and furniture were being made in Harrisonburg and in Dayton.

A large number of tanneries were operated from time to time in various parts of the County. Soon after 1800, tanneries were in operation at Timberville; Bridgewater and in Harrisonburg there were five. In 1870 the Zigler tannery at Timberville, declared to be one of the best in the Valley, was still running. In 1826, Henry Tutwiler made buckskin gloves in Harrisonburg and kept postoffice. About the same time, John Zigler had a hemp mill at Timberville. At the same time and later Nelson Sprinkel had a shop in Harrisonburg in which he made all sorts of spinning wheels, at times working 25 hands; sending out his product in wagons into all the adjoining counties in exchange for trade and for money.

In 1839, threshing machines; corn shellers cc.were being made in Harrisonburg as were air-tight stoves and improved sausage machines at Mt. Crawford; in 1858, Col. Henry Miller of East Rockingham, invented and patented the Virginia Corn Planer, a half interest in which he sold to H.J. Gray for $5,000.00 in 1871, Miss Mary M. Long of Lacey Spring, made a skein of fine white sowing silk from cocoons of her own raising; in 1873, S. Loewner at Harrisonburg was manufacturing combs of different styles, and F. Staling was making paint.

For many years J.G. Sprinkel, Harrisonburg, was a skillful metal worker and in 1857 he with Basford invented and patented an engine. He made engines under his patent and four of his make were in use in 1861—one of them driving the press of the Rockingham Register.

In the 1840s, shoe pegs; shoe blacking; cigars and whiskey also were being made. It is said that at this time more cigars were made in Harrisonburg than anywhere else in the state outside of Richmond. Carriage and wagon makers and potters were important in early years and much manufacturing was done in these lines in the county.

During the Revolution Conrad Hansbarger had a woolen mill on Elk Run site of Elkton. Prior to 1815 Jonathan Shadmer owned a woolen mill at or near the site of Spring Creek; and the Blossers at Dayton were operating a "Silk, Woolen and Cotton Dyeing Establishment." In the 1860s no less than 12 factories for carding, spinning, weaving, or dyeing wool were operating in the county of Rockingham.

Iron furnaces too, and factories have been operated in the county from 1800 until late in the nineteenth century. The Bradley foundry operated in the 1850s by Nelson Bradley, is still going as B. Bradley & Sons with orders for more of their product than they can supply.

May 5^th, 1936 Geo.W.Fetzer.

Harrisonburg, VA