John W. Stoddard
Encyclopedia
John Williams Stoddard was a manufacturer of agricultural implements and automobile pioneer. He was a cousin of General William Tecumseh Sherman
.
to Henry and Susan (Williams) Stoddard. Henry Stoddard (1788–1869) was a pioneer citizen and distinguished lawyer of Dayton. John was educated in the private schools of Dayton, and spent his freshman and sophomore years at Miami University
. He next entered the junior class at Princeton College, where he graduated in the class of 1858. Following his father's profession, Mr. Stoddard graduated from Cincinnati Law School in 1860. He practiced law in Dayton for two years but decided to abandon the legal profession for a business career. In May 1861 John W. Stoddard married Susan Keifer (1841–1921).
In 1862 John Stoddard began the manufacture of linseed oil
in partnership with his brother Henry, and Charles G. Grimes, under the firm name of Stoddard & Grimes. That business was continued for three or four years when it was enlarged, and the manufacture of varnishes was added, the firm also dealing by wholesale in paints, oils, window glass, etc., under the name of Stoddard & Company. In 1869, Stoddard sold his interest to his brothers. The company later became part of the Lowe Brothers Company of Dayton.
In 1869, John Stoddard then began the manufacture of agricultural implements in partnership with John Dodds, under the firm name of John Dodds & Company. The Farmers Friend Manufacturing Company was incorporated as a stock company in 1871 as producers of high class agricultural implements constituting a complete line of planting
, harvesting and tilling
machinery under the Farmers Friend, Excelsior, Monarch brands. This was succeeded by J. W. Stoddard & Company and in turn, in 1884, was incorporated as the Stoddard Manufacturing Company, of which Stoddard was the president and principal stockholder. Their distinctive brand of "Tiger" was a mark of excellence in agricultural machinery the world over. The chief implements made by the Stoddard Manufacturing Company were mower
s, hay rake
s, press drills
, and disc harrows
. The best known of these were the famous Tiger Rake, Tiger Harrow, and Havana Press Drill. More than 200,000 of the Tiger Rake had been sold by 1890. In the mid-1890s, they diversified to take advantage of the bicycle
craze then sweeping the United States, manufacturing the Tiger (and Tigress), Cygnet, and Tempest lines of bikes until 1898.
His interest in the financial possibilities of transportation was revealed by his involvement as Secretary in the Third Street Railway, five miles (8 km) of urban streetcar rails that ran the full length of Third Street in Dayton, and which gradually acquired other urban rail operators in Dayton. In the 1880s, Stoddard was also Vice President of Milburn, a Toledo, Ohio wagon manufacturer that originally built farm wagons but then evolved to produce bodies for Willys
& Pope-Toledo
in 1909 and then several models and styles of its own electric vehicles from 1915-1923 called the Milburn Light Electric. Milburn was sold to General Motors in 1923.
In 1903, John W. Stoddard and his son Charles (1866–1921), having made a fortune in agricultural equipment, turned to making automobiles. John sent his son to Europe where he toured continental auto manufacturers. In 1904, Stoddard Manufacturing Company was reincorporated as Dayton Motor Car Company and they began the manufacture of the Stoddard-Dayton
automobile. It became the second largest employer in Dayton, second only to Barney & Smith, occupying the 68000 square feet (6,317.4 m²) plant at Third and McDonough Streets that had been built for the agricultural implements forerunner in 1871. That landmark stood until 1994.
The Stoddards competed in those years with other local Dayton companies including the Speedwell Motor Car Company
, the Dayton Electric Car Company
, the Darling Motor Car Company, the Apple Automobile Company
, and the Custer Specialty Company, but without question, the Stoddard-Dayton was one of the highest quality automobiles made in its time. In 1909, the Stoddards formed the Courier Car Company (effectively a division of Dayton Motor Car) to manufacture smaller, cheaper automobiles, heavy trucks and taxicabs. The Courier company occupied an earlier Stoddard building at Fourth Street and Wayne Avenue.
A Stoddard-Dayton won the first race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
in 1909 and was the pace car in 1911 for the first Indianapolis 500
. In 1910, the Dayton Motor Car Company was sold to United States Motor Company
of Detroit, a rival of General Motors.
John W. Stoddard died in Dayton in 1917. His son and partner Charles Grimes Stoddard died less than four years later and Susan Stoddard, John's wife, died a few months after Charles. The Queen Anne-style Stoddard mansion stood on Grafton Hill overlooking the Great Miami River
and the city of Dayton. In 1926, it was razed to make way for the Dayton Masonic Temple (now Masonic Center).
The John W. Stoddard family, including his parents, brothers and children, are interred at Woodland Cemetery, Dayton, Ohio
.
William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman was an American soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War , for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched...
.
Biography
John Williams Stoddard was born in Dayton, OhioDayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
to Henry and Susan (Williams) Stoddard. Henry Stoddard (1788–1869) was a pioneer citizen and distinguished lawyer of Dayton. John was educated in the private schools of Dayton, and spent his freshman and sophomore years at Miami University
Miami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
. He next entered the junior class at Princeton College, where he graduated in the class of 1858. Following his father's profession, Mr. Stoddard graduated from Cincinnati Law School in 1860. He practiced law in Dayton for two years but decided to abandon the legal profession for a business career. In May 1861 John W. Stoddard married Susan Keifer (1841–1921).
In 1862 John Stoddard began the manufacture of linseed oil
Linseed oil
Linseed oil, also known as flaxseed oil, is a clear to yellowish oil obtained from the dried ripe seeds of the flax plant . The oil is obtained by cold pressing, sometimes followed by solvent extraction...
in partnership with his brother Henry, and Charles G. Grimes, under the firm name of Stoddard & Grimes. That business was continued for three or four years when it was enlarged, and the manufacture of varnishes was added, the firm also dealing by wholesale in paints, oils, window glass, etc., under the name of Stoddard & Company. In 1869, Stoddard sold his interest to his brothers. The company later became part of the Lowe Brothers Company of Dayton.
In 1869, John Stoddard then began the manufacture of agricultural implements in partnership with John Dodds, under the firm name of John Dodds & Company. The Farmers Friend Manufacturing Company was incorporated as a stock company in 1871 as producers of high class agricultural implements constituting a complete line of planting
Sowing
Sowing is the process of planting seeds.-Plants which are usually sown:Among the major field crops, oats, wheat, and rye are sowed, grasses and legumes are seeded, and maize and soybeans are planted...
, harvesting and tilling
Tillage
Tillage is the agricultural preparation of the soil by mechanical agitation of various types, such as digging, stirring, and overturning. Examples of human-powered tilling methods using hand tools include shovelling, picking, mattock work, hoeing, and raking...
machinery under the Farmers Friend, Excelsior, Monarch brands. This was succeeded by J. W. Stoddard & Company and in turn, in 1884, was incorporated as the Stoddard Manufacturing Company, of which Stoddard was the president and principal stockholder. Their distinctive brand of "Tiger" was a mark of excellence in agricultural machinery the world over. The chief implements made by the Stoddard Manufacturing Company were mower
Mower
A mower is a machine for cutting grass or other plants that grow on the ground. Usually mowing is distinguished from reaping, which uses similar implements, but is the traditional term for harvesting grain crops, e.g...
s, hay rake
Hay rake
A hay rake is an agricultural rake used to collect cut hay or straw into windrows for later collection . It is also designed to fluff up the hay and turn it over so that it may dry. It is also used in the evening to protect the hay of the dew...
s, press drills
Seed drill
A seed drill is a sowing device that precisely positions seeds in the soil and then covers them. Before the introduction of the seed drill, the common practice was to plant seeds by hand. Besides being wasteful, planting was very imprecise and led to a poor distribution of seeds, leading to low...
, and disc harrows
Harrow (tool)
In agriculture, a harrow is an implement for breaking up and smoothing out the surface of the soil. In this way it is distinct in its effect from the plough, which is used for deeper tillage. Harrowing is often carried out on fields to follow the rough finish left by ploughing operations...
. The best known of these were the famous Tiger Rake, Tiger Harrow, and Havana Press Drill. More than 200,000 of the Tiger Rake had been sold by 1890. In the mid-1890s, they diversified to take advantage of the bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
craze then sweeping the United States, manufacturing the Tiger (and Tigress), Cygnet, and Tempest lines of bikes until 1898.
His interest in the financial possibilities of transportation was revealed by his involvement as Secretary in the Third Street Railway, five miles (8 km) of urban streetcar rails that ran the full length of Third Street in Dayton, and which gradually acquired other urban rail operators in Dayton. In the 1880s, Stoddard was also Vice President of Milburn, a Toledo, Ohio wagon manufacturer that originally built farm wagons but then evolved to produce bodies for Willys
Willys
Willys was the brand name used by Willys-Overland Motors, an American automobile company best known for its design and production of military Jeeps and civilian versions during the 20th century.-Early History:In 1908, John Willys bought the Overland Automotive Division of Standard Wheel Company...
& Pope-Toledo
Pope-Toledo
The Pope-Toledo was one of the makes of the Pope Motor Car Company founded by Colonel AA Pope, and was a manufacturer of Brass Era automobiles in Toledo, Ohio between 1903 and 1909. The Pope-Toledo was the most expensive of the Pope range and was the successor to the Toledo of the International...
in 1909 and then several models and styles of its own electric vehicles from 1915-1923 called the Milburn Light Electric. Milburn was sold to General Motors in 1923.
In 1903, John W. Stoddard and his son Charles (1866–1921), having made a fortune in agricultural equipment, turned to making automobiles. John sent his son to Europe where he toured continental auto manufacturers. In 1904, Stoddard Manufacturing Company was reincorporated as Dayton Motor Car Company and they began the manufacture of the Stoddard-Dayton
Stoddard-Dayton
Stoddard-Dayton was a high quality car manufactured by Dayton Motor Car Company in Dayton, Ohio, USA, between 1905 and 1913. John W. Stoddard and his son Charles G...
automobile. It became the second largest employer in Dayton, second only to Barney & Smith, occupying the 68000 square feet (6,317.4 m²) plant at Third and McDonough Streets that had been built for the agricultural implements forerunner in 1871. That landmark stood until 1994.
The Stoddards competed in those years with other local Dayton companies including the Speedwell Motor Car Company
Speedwell Motor Car Company
The Speedwell Motor Car Company was an early United States automobile manufacturing company established by Pierce Davies Schenck that produced cars from 1907 to 1914. The company's factory rented space for the Wright Company to build its airplanes from February to November 1910 while the Wright...
, the Dayton Electric Car Company
Dayton Electric
The Dayton Electric was an American electric car manufactured in Dayton, Ohio from 1911 until 1915; the company offered a complex range of vehicles.-See also:*List of defunct United States automobile manufacturers*History of the electric vehicle...
, the Darling Motor Car Company, the Apple Automobile Company
Apple (automobile)
The Apple was a short-lived American automobile manufactured by Apple Automobile Company in Dayton, Ohio from 1915 to 1917. Agents were assured that its $1150 Apple 8 model was "a car which you can sell!"...
, and the Custer Specialty Company, but without question, the Stoddard-Dayton was one of the highest quality automobiles made in its time. In 1909, the Stoddards formed the Courier Car Company (effectively a division of Dayton Motor Car) to manufacture smaller, cheaper automobiles, heavy trucks and taxicabs. The Courier company occupied an earlier Stoddard building at Fourth Street and Wayne Avenue.
A Stoddard-Dayton won the first race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the Brickyard 400....
in 1909 and was the pace car in 1911 for the first Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
. In 1910, the Dayton Motor Car Company was sold to United States Motor Company
United States Motor Company
The United States Motor Company was organized by Benjamin Briscoe in 1910 as a selling company, to represent various manufacturers. It had begun life as the International Motor Company in 1908 in an attempt to create the first major consolidation within the industry with Maxwell-Briscoe and Buick,...
of Detroit, a rival of General Motors.
John W. Stoddard died in Dayton in 1917. His son and partner Charles Grimes Stoddard died less than four years later and Susan Stoddard, John's wife, died a few months after Charles. The Queen Anne-style Stoddard mansion stood on Grafton Hill overlooking the Great Miami River
Great Miami River
The Great Miami River is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately long, in southwestern Ohio in the United States...
and the city of Dayton. In 1926, it was razed to make way for the Dayton Masonic Temple (now Masonic Center).
The John W. Stoddard family, including his parents, brothers and children, are interred at Woodland Cemetery, Dayton, Ohio
Woodland Cemetery, Dayton, Ohio
Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum , located at 118 Woodland Avenue, Dayton, Ohio, is one of the oldest "garden" cemeteries in the United States....
.