Bergstrom Stove Works Owners
The earliest record of the company dates back to 1857, when W.N. Moore, A.K. Moore along with B.W. Wells bought the business, then making only stoves with the knowledge A.K. Moore gained during his travels to the Northeast. Shortly after (the date is unknown), Wells sold his portion of the company to the brothers. The company continued to grow under the brothers management. In 1870, A.K. Moore purchased his brother's share and W.N. Moore moves to Illinois. Then, in 1873, A.K. Moore dies, so his newly widowed wife sells the company to Smith, Van Ostrand, and H.P. Leavens. They change the name of the company to Neenah Stove Works. Five years later, H.P. Leavens, then the manager of the business, sold the business to George Bergstrom, Dedric (D.W.) Bergstrom, and H. Babcock, who then renamed the business to Bergstrom Stove Works Co. While the company continued to make stoves, George Bergstrom added the plow making knowledge he gained from his father to the Bergstrom Stove Works Co. Eventually, Babcock left the business. The business continued to grow. Then, around 1904, George bought out Dedric for $50,000 due to personal conflicts. George took his family to Florida for a year, but later returned to Neenah. Upon his return to Neenah, Dedric bought Winnebago Paper Mills in 1904, renamed the mill Bergstrom Paper Company, and doubled its profits. George, however, continued to run Bergstrom Stove Works and Co. until 1915, when the company went bankrupt due to a recession in the economy and poor business making decisions. Therefore, the company had to receive help from a manufacturing plant in Milwaukee to stay afloat, creating furnace castings. In 1928, George Bergstrom sold his interest to James W. Bergstrom. James continued to run the company while creating furnace castings for the Milwaukee plant. By now, the company was no longer an independent business from Neenah. In 1948, James sold the business to Lyall Williams, who created a plumbing supply business known as Valley Supply Corp. in the east end of the building. Then, in 1951, Louis H. and Robert W. Hafemeister created Hafemeister Machine Corp, which moved into the west end of the building that provides machine work, repairing, building, and welding services. Hafemeister Machine Corp. still remains in this location today. The final change in owner comes in 1985, when the International Children’s Fund moved into the east end of the building. This business still remains in the east end of the building.
Works Cited
"About Us - Hafemeister Machine Corp." About Us - Hafemeister Machine Corp. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2016.
Bergstrom, Wally. Personal interview. 20 May 2016.
"Hafemeister Machine Corp." Hafemeister Machine Corp. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2016. <http://www.hafemeister.com/>.
"History, Winnebago County, Wisconsin." Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2016.
"The State: A History of Neenah: Contents." The State: A History of Neenah: Contents. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2016.
Works Cited
"About Us - Hafemeister Machine Corp." About Us - Hafemeister Machine Corp. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2016.
Bergstrom, Wally. Personal interview. 20 May 2016.
"Hafemeister Machine Corp." Hafemeister Machine Corp. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2016. <http://www.hafemeister.com/>.
"History, Winnebago County, Wisconsin." Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2016.
"The State: A History of Neenah: Contents." The State: A History of Neenah: Contents. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2016.