Magnificent Millersburg - Part 1, The Rise
G & S Thistlewood
Based on original research by Glen Thistlewood and with sincere thanks to Mark Boley, Director of the Millersburg Glass Museum (Holmes County Historical Society). The Millersburg Glass Museum exists “to enhance and preserve the heritage of the Millersburg Glass Company, founded by designer, John W. Fenton”. The glass museum has the same hours as the Victorian House Museum, located next door in the Holmes County Cultural Center.
Many Carnival collectors may be familiar with the narrative of Millersburg and John W Fenton - the story of how John started up the Fenton Art Glass Company with his brother Frank, took on the role of president of the company then left shortly afterwards to begin his own glass works in Millersburg.
Here however, we take a fresh approach to this story, and we look at events through the “eyes” and “ears” of people as they were reported at the time, with original archive material to chronicle events and to bring it all alive.
These photos (courtesy and copyright Millersburg Glass Museum), show the construction of the new glass works at Millersburg. Right: taken on September 14th 1908, ground is being “broken” for the construction to begin. Just eight months later, the first glass was being made in the new plant. Below: construction is well underway. The outer walls take shape, and the stack rises over the countryside.The building was impressive and dominated the surrounding area. The “monster” stack was over 125 feet high. |
Prospects must have seemed optimistic for John W Fenton as investors had purchased “lots” by subscription in his new glassmaking venture. The signs were auspicious: local sand and abundant natural gas gave the area great advantages for the manufacture of glass. The Holmes County Farmer wrote that it was “the best equipped and most modern plant of its kind in the United States”. In May 1909 the Crockery and Glass Journal reported that: "Mr. John W. Fenton also has acquired some profitable oil and gas well property, so that the town is ready to launch a large-sized boom. It is situated in excellent farming country and has substantial reasons for growth beyond matters of glass, gas and energetic promotion." |
They were “moving into Millersburg so fast no houses can be secured”. In 1909, John Fenton broke his ties with Fenton Art Glass; he resigned from his position of president and sold his interest in the company. His interest was now completely focussed on Millersburg Glass and it would seem that he gave it his all. No sooner had glass production begun there in May than gifts (reputedly Ohio Star toothpick holders) were being distributed in the town. The press reported that “thousands” of dishes, tumblers and more were being made every day. New employees were being hired and reputedly families were “moving into Millersburg so fast no houses can be secured”. On the left is the first advertisement for Millersburg's Carnival to appear in Butler Brothers catalogue - it shows a Hobstar and Feather punch set with 12 cups, for $2.25 in crystal, and 60 cents extra at $2.85 for "golden irridescent finish". In May 1909, there was a very significant event - the birth of a Royal Princess in Holland, Europe. Although it was far away, the effect was felt in Millersburg, as we believe it was the stimulus for Millersburg's most iconic design: the Peoples Vase! Read All About It! Also in 1909, the first signs of a problem appeared, a problem that would ultimately prove to be the undoing of the good times. In August 1909, just a couple of months after production first began, the Hipkins Novelty Mould Company initiated proceedings against Millersburg Glass Company and John Fenton, claiming that bills for moulds were unpaid. It was a problem that ultimately did not go away. |
Millersburg's Radium Glass.
The dawning of 1910 brought the glitter of Millersburg’s signature Radium glass. The trade press was full of reports of Millersburg’s new glass, with its Radium effects—the exceptionally mirror-shiny iridescent effect that characterises some of their Carnival. The Crockery & Glass Journal reported: “The new ‘Radium’ glass of the Millersburg Glass Co. has made a decided ‘hit’ with the trade, and is being ordered even more liberally than the company anticipated—much to the gratification of J. Fenton, its creator.”
The words of 1910 bring a vividness in a way that today’s words never could hope to. It was described in the January 1910 issue of China, Glass and Lamps thus: “the glass glowed and sparkled with a thousand varying tints and shades, glistening like beaten silver or flashing like sodden gold”.
January 1910, Crockery & Glass Journal: "Radium, the very latest colored glass made, is the creation of J. W. Fenton of the Millersburg Glass Co. , and is now being shown after several years of costly experiments. It is almost impossible to describe. "Prismatic" is hardly the word to designate its brilliancy, for it has all the soft colors of changeable silk. This new glass will be made in a complete line of both table and lighting goods. This factory gives promise of being the largest independent plant of its kind in the country."
"The "Radium" glass of the Millersburg Glass Co. is proving a great attraction for buyers at the Ft. Pitt hotel. Everyone who has looked at the line has ordered. President J. W. Fenton announces that the line will be increased at once owing to the great demand. Three shops are now working on molds for this special creation. During the last few days several new items have been added to the already large line."
The dawning of 1910 brought the glitter of Millersburg’s signature Radium glass. The trade press was full of reports of Millersburg’s new glass, with its Radium effects—the exceptionally mirror-shiny iridescent effect that characterises some of their Carnival. The Crockery & Glass Journal reported: “The new ‘Radium’ glass of the Millersburg Glass Co. has made a decided ‘hit’ with the trade, and is being ordered even more liberally than the company anticipated—much to the gratification of J. Fenton, its creator.”
The words of 1910 bring a vividness in a way that today’s words never could hope to. It was described in the January 1910 issue of China, Glass and Lamps thus: “the glass glowed and sparkled with a thousand varying tints and shades, glistening like beaten silver or flashing like sodden gold”.
January 1910, Crockery & Glass Journal: "Radium, the very latest colored glass made, is the creation of J. W. Fenton of the Millersburg Glass Co. , and is now being shown after several years of costly experiments. It is almost impossible to describe. "Prismatic" is hardly the word to designate its brilliancy, for it has all the soft colors of changeable silk. This new glass will be made in a complete line of both table and lighting goods. This factory gives promise of being the largest independent plant of its kind in the country."
"The "Radium" glass of the Millersburg Glass Co. is proving a great attraction for buyers at the Ft. Pitt hotel. Everyone who has looked at the line has ordered. President J. W. Fenton announces that the line will be increased at once owing to the great demand. Three shops are now working on molds for this special creation. During the last few days several new items have been added to the already large line."
Read much more about Millersburg's "Radium" glass here: Radium!
Production expands!
January 1910, Indiana Evening Gazette: "This factory was considered one of the best equipped glass factories in the country … but it seems that he (John Fenton) was not satisfied, however, and is now adding nearly $20,000 worth more of equipment and is getting ready to operate the plant with two shifts of workmen which virtually means day and night service."
January 1910, Indiana Evening Gazette: "This factory was considered one of the best equipped glass factories in the country … but it seems that he (John Fenton) was not satisfied, however, and is now adding nearly $20,000 worth more of equipment and is getting ready to operate the plant with two shifts of workmen which virtually means day and night service."
The January 1910 issue of China, Glass and Lamps had the following vivid description of Millersburg’s iridescent glass. The narrative is likely to have been referring to Millersburg’s Trout and Fly pattern (shown, left) or possibly to their Big Fish: “Move the dish and the fish seems to move with it, each scale a flashing glimmering sky of rainbow hue. Never did a monster sport in tropical waters surrounded by greater beauty nor accompanied by prettier lights.”
February 1910, Crockery & Glass Journal: Because of the success of Radium glass the Millersburg Glass Co. will soon be operating double the capacity worked six months ago. Another furnace has been completed and will be put in use within a fortnight. March 1910, Crockery & Glass Journal: Additional capacity has been completed at the plant of the Millersburg Glass Co. to take care of the constantly increasing orders for Radium glass, the new creation of this company. The plant is running full time and orders for their entire line are very heavy. Sales of Radium glass are increasing in such a manner that the fondest hopes of General Manager John W. Fenton have been exceeded. June 1910, Crockery & Glass Journal: Trade conditions with Millersburg Glass Co. were never better than now. Berry sets have had a very large sale, and the department store and five-and ten-cent trade have sent in liberal business. Paul Joseph has received a substantial consignment of new samples from the Millersburg Glass Co., which embraces items in Crystal and Radium tableware, appropriate for the summer trade. They include lemonade, claret, berry and salad sets, nappies, bowls, and novelties. The wonderful colorings on the Radium glass are new and distinct. Swung vases, water and claret jugs, with tumblers to match, nappies, bowls, and punch sets, have added considerable strength to the famous Radium ware, and finally, the colonial ware has received similar accessions. |
November 1910, Crockery & Glass Journal: J. W. Fenton recently said that the capacity of the plant had been increased one-third. Six new lines are to be shown next year at the Ft. Pitt exhibit.
Novelties were amongst the repertoire of the Millersburg Glass Co. and there are a number of shapes that might qualify for that description. Perhaps intriguing pieces such as the Pipe Humidor, the Butterfly & Corn vase, the Elks paperweight, the Seacoast pintray and maybe even the Hobnail Swirl cuspidor would have all been considered as such.
Through 1910, a wide range of splendid shapes and beautiful patterns were made by Millersburg. Some of the patterns were allegedly inspired by John Fenton’s interests and his life in Millersburg. Lucille Lowe, an antique dealer and Millersburg glass collector, wrote a fascinating article that was reprinted in the Texas CGC newsletter in 1993. In it she reminisced about her grandfather who had personal memories of John Fenton and his “pesky, dirty peacocks that flew all over Millersburg”. According to Lowe, Fenton had a flock of peacocks that were allowed to roam at will in the environs of the glass plant. They also took a liking to the Courthouse lawn! Other patterns such as Nesting Swan, Big Fish, Trout & Fly and Hanging Cherries all reflect things that had personal significance for John Fenton. Lucile Lowe wrote that he was especially fond of cherries and used to ask his younger workmen to climb the trees near the glass plant and throw down the cherries for him. He also enjoyed fishing and admiring wildlife.
Check out Millersburg's amazing Carnival Glass in our Millersburg Gallery.
Novelties were amongst the repertoire of the Millersburg Glass Co. and there are a number of shapes that might qualify for that description. Perhaps intriguing pieces such as the Pipe Humidor, the Butterfly & Corn vase, the Elks paperweight, the Seacoast pintray and maybe even the Hobnail Swirl cuspidor would have all been considered as such.
Through 1910, a wide range of splendid shapes and beautiful patterns were made by Millersburg. Some of the patterns were allegedly inspired by John Fenton’s interests and his life in Millersburg. Lucille Lowe, an antique dealer and Millersburg glass collector, wrote a fascinating article that was reprinted in the Texas CGC newsletter in 1993. In it she reminisced about her grandfather who had personal memories of John Fenton and his “pesky, dirty peacocks that flew all over Millersburg”. According to Lowe, Fenton had a flock of peacocks that were allowed to roam at will in the environs of the glass plant. They also took a liking to the Courthouse lawn! Other patterns such as Nesting Swan, Big Fish, Trout & Fly and Hanging Cherries all reflect things that had personal significance for John Fenton. Lucile Lowe wrote that he was especially fond of cherries and used to ask his younger workmen to climb the trees near the glass plant and throw down the cherries for him. He also enjoyed fishing and admiring wildlife.
Check out Millersburg's amazing Carnival Glass in our Millersburg Gallery.
The illustration left is from the Butler Brothers’ catalogue in December, 1910 (Santa Claus Edition). The top row features three Millersburg bowls (l to r): Primrose, Nesting Swan and Whirling Leaves.
Look at the prices! They are quoted per dozen for each of the rows of bowls shown. The top row is Millersburg’s, the middle row is Fenton’s and the bottom row is Dugan’s. Even allowing for the fact that the Dugan and Fenton bowls are somewhat larger than the Millersburg ones, the price of those Millersburg pieces looks very low. Furthermore, these Millersburg bowls have a different and very complex exterior pattern, specifically matched to the main pattern. Fine Cut Hearts is only found on the back of Primrose bowls; Diamond & Fan is only found on the back of Nesting Swan bowls and Fine Cut Ovals is only found on the back of Whirling Leaves bowls. Consider the cost of making a specific mould for the exterior to go with each plunger for the interior design. It wasn’t just a “one-off”. Millersburg’s Carnival has nine different complex exterior designs, seven of which were used on seven individual interior patterns. Only two exterior patterns, Wide Panel and Hobnail, saw any kind of multi-use. It has to have been very expensive to make so many complex and detailed moulds. Millersburg's amazing exterior patterns are complex designs and must have required laborious and very skilful execution. They are fully covered in a separate article: The masterpieces of Millersburg's Exterior Patterns It begs the question: was Millersburg charging enough for their glass? |
What next for Millersburg?
By late 1910 we have a situation where, by all accounts Millersburg had had a good year in terms of orders and sales. John Fenton was reported to be spending yet more money: a new furnace had been added and the capacity of the plant had been increased by a third. Expenditure must have been huge. Not only on the glass plant itself but also on all the moulds and the new lines that were constantly being introduced.
But..... were the prices of the glass high enough to give Millersburg a profit? To make the situation a little trickier, John Fenton was also giving away glass. In June 1910, it was reported that Millersburg Courthouse bowls were given away to those who had helped to secure a supply of natural glass for the plant. And what about those legal proceedings from Hipkins for unpaid bills for moulds?
A fascinating discovery.
December 1910, Crockery & Glass Journal: Announcement is made that the Millersburg Glass Co. plans to enter the specialty glass business at an early date; the first production will be a patented glass item for use in railroad block signal systems. We have not seen any mention of this in any other reports or books on John Fenton or Millersburg, and we can’t confirm that it ever went into production.
The very existence of this unusual, proposed diversification prompts the question--was John Fenton and the Millersburg Glass Company already in trouble?
Read more in Magnificent Millersburg (Part 2, The Fall).
See a great video about the Millersburg Glass Museum on You Tube.
By late 1910 we have a situation where, by all accounts Millersburg had had a good year in terms of orders and sales. John Fenton was reported to be spending yet more money: a new furnace had been added and the capacity of the plant had been increased by a third. Expenditure must have been huge. Not only on the glass plant itself but also on all the moulds and the new lines that were constantly being introduced.
But..... were the prices of the glass high enough to give Millersburg a profit? To make the situation a little trickier, John Fenton was also giving away glass. In June 1910, it was reported that Millersburg Courthouse bowls were given away to those who had helped to secure a supply of natural glass for the plant. And what about those legal proceedings from Hipkins for unpaid bills for moulds?
A fascinating discovery.
December 1910, Crockery & Glass Journal: Announcement is made that the Millersburg Glass Co. plans to enter the specialty glass business at an early date; the first production will be a patented glass item for use in railroad block signal systems. We have not seen any mention of this in any other reports or books on John Fenton or Millersburg, and we can’t confirm that it ever went into production.
The very existence of this unusual, proposed diversification prompts the question--was John Fenton and the Millersburg Glass Company already in trouble?
Read more in Magnificent Millersburg (Part 2, The Fall).
See a great video about the Millersburg Glass Museum on You Tube.