Western Toy Company, Western Wheel Works, Scholls Manufacturing Co
Life Span: 1880/1890-Present
Location: Wells and Schiller (213 W Schiller Dr Scholl)
Architect: Various
Go to Novelty Manufacturing Company for history.
- Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1880
Western Toy Co. A, Schoeninger, supt; 495, 497, 499, 501 and 503 N. Wells
Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1885
Western Toy Co. A, Schoeninger, pres; L. A. Schoeninger, sec; 495 to 503 N. Wells
Lakeside Business Directory of the City of Chicago, 1899
Western Wheel Works 503 N. Wells
- Western Toy Company Advertising Card
495, – 501 N. – 503 North Wells St., and 134 – 146 Schiller St.,
Circa 1885
New York Times, March 15, 1896
BICYCLES BY THE TRAINLOAD.
Interesting Facts About the Western Wheel Workg’ Special Irom Chicago.
That the manufacture of bicycles is a rapidly increasing industry, no one will for a moment deny, but very few persons are aware of its present immensity.
The output of the Western Wheel Works, makers of the well-known Crescent bicycles, has generally been understood to be larger than that of any other bicycle manufacturing concern, last year they having made and sold the enormous quantity of 57,000 bicycles, and the Crescent people expect that their 1896 output will exceed that of last year. For the past twelve weeks they have been shipping their 1896 models by the carload from their immense plant in Chicago to agents in every part of the United States. An average of five carloads a week have been shipped to their Eastern branch at 30 Warren Street, this city, which is a distributing point for the Eastern and Southern States. Even this quantity has been insufficient to supply the ever-increasing demand, and the Western Wheel Works now advises that on last Thursday, morning a special train consisting of fifteen large furniture cars loaded with 3,085 Crescent bicycles, started from Chicago, and will reach via the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, and will reach the Sixtieth Street freight station of the New-York Central about the middle of this week.
The Western Wheel Works were the first concern to ship bicycles by the carload, and this is the first time in the history of the industry that these popular pleasure vehicles have been transported by train load. Bicycles by carload have always been considered an immense shipment, as it certainly is, but when one stops to consider an actual shipment of fifteen carloads of wheels, the quantity can hardly be appreciated. The train will reach Buffalo to-day.
Inter Ocean, May 29, 1898
But few people of Chicago have an idea of the immensity of the plant of the Western wheel works, which occupies the square block bounded by Wells, Schiller, and Sigel streets and North Park avenue. The visitor is bewildered at the tremendous proportions of the work which is carried on in this great five-story brick factory, and covering as it does an acre of many acres, and teeming with the characteristic buzz and whirl and bustle of an extensive and yet thoroughly systematized factory.
This firm manufactures only one make of bicycle, the well-known Crescent. The fact that 83,000 of these wheels were made and sold during 1897 speaks volumes for their popularity.
The total number of Crescents sold during the past four years exceeds 261,000. This shows that the demand for this favorite wheel is not confined to a few localities, or to a few large cities, but indicates that this energetic and successful North Side factory has built up and sustained a uniform demand for its product throughout the length and breadth of the land.
Probably one of the greatest elements of the Western wheel works’ success is their “double guarantee,” in which both the quality and selling price of Crescents are guaranteed over the signature of the manufacturers.
The Crescent line is composed of the following models: Chainless bevel gear, $76: tandems, $75; racer, $50; men’s and ladies’ roadsters, $50 and $35; wheels for youths and misses, $30; for boys and girls, $25; for little tots, $20.
Factory, Wells, Schiller and Sigel sts., North side, main office, 501 Wells st. The largest bicycle manufacturing establishment in America. The factories of this company contain 25,000 square feet of floor space and employ one thousand men. No less than 25,000 safety bicycles were made and sold in 1891. The facilities of the establishment have been doubled. Among the most popular bicycles manufactured here are the Blackhawk, Crescent No. 2, Escort, Crescent No. 1, Juno, Rob Roy No. 3, Rob Roy No. 2, Rob Roy No. 1. Here are also manufactured the Cinch, Combination Junior, Boy’s Junior and Pet. These machines have a market in every part of the world, and owing to their popularity the export trade is constantly increasing. They are everywhere considered among the most reliable and popular. Some of the makes mentioned have been ridden by champions in prize contests throughout the country. Eastern agents, R. L. Coleman & Co., 35 Barclay st., New York.
- Western Wheel Works
201 W. Schiller Street
1897
Chicago Tribune, December 14, 1900
ADOLPH SCHOENINGER IS DEAD.
Maker of Toys and Bicycles Expires in Los Angeles, Where He Went for His Health.
Adolph Schoeninger, founder and former President of the Western Wheel works and President of the Home Rattan company, died yesterday in Los Angeles, Cal., of consumption. Mr. Schoeninger left Chicago for California in the latter part of October, hoping to regain his failing health, but the change of climate proved of little benefit. Mrs. Schoeninger, who accompanied him, will bring the body to Chicago for interment.
Mr. Schoeninger laid foundation of his term fortune in the manufacture of children’s toys, and later when his manufacturing business had drifted into the bicycle field he turned over his interest in the Western Wheel works to Richard Boericke, his son-in-law, and established the Home Rattan company, thus returning to the manufacture of children’s playthings.
Adolph Schoeninger was born in Wiel, Schwaben, In 1833, his first work being as a dry goods clerk in Rastaat, Baden. He came to America in 1854, locating in Philadelphia, and on the beginning of the civil war he took a Captaincy in the Seventy-fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers.
After the close of the war he moved to Chicago, a year later starting a small furniture factory, which was soon after destroyed by fire. Undaunted, he secured another factory and began the manufacture of toys, prospering until 1871, when the great fire wiped away his property. Friends in Europe came to Schoeninger’s assistance, and on borrowed money he had rebuilt his plant within three months of the fire disaster. Ten years later he was out of debt and his plant, which soon after was made the Western Wheel works, had been increasing in size.
Mr. Schoeninger was married on Aug. 20, 1857, to Miss Augusta Riemann of Philadelphia. Three children, one son and two daughters, were born to them, the son and one of the daughters dying. The surviving daughter is Mrs. Richard Boericke..
In 1900, Western Wheel Works, a company that was selling 70,000 bikes a year in 1896, went out-of-business as bike sales declined. The huge complex was then bought by Dr. William Scholl, who parlayed a line of shoes and foot care products into a corporation grossing more than $250 million a year. Scholl rented a little space in the bike factory at first, then bought the whole complex and sporadically built several additions to it.
Dr. Scholl. however, left Chicago and relocated their headquarters to Tennessee in 1981.The complex was then converted to a modern loft community called Cobbler’s Square.
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