Remembering Monarch Range

Webmaster Note: This history came from pp. 68-70 of the Beaver Dam Sesquicentennial History Book: 1841-1991. Many thanks to the Dodge County Historical Society for allowing its reprint here. Also, A big thank you to Round Oak at MyAntiqueStove.com for sharing some of the early ads for Oscar Millsap, Dauntless Mfg. Co., and the 1901 ad for MIRCO. The Beaver Dam Daily Citizen articles were reprinted with permission.

Malleable Iron Range Company

It comes as a surprise to many folks to learn that the 13.5 acre area in central Beaver Dam, bounded by North Spring Street on the west, and Jackson Street on the east, manufactured products that figured in the settlement of the West, the exploration of Antarctica, two world wars, the making of the atomic bomb, and the recent energy crisis.

The story begins in 1896, when Silas McClure and A. C. Terrell established a stove factory in St. Louis, Missouri, and incorporated it in 1899 as the Malleable Iron Range Company with Monarch as a trademark (St. Louis ad; 1899 ad #1; 1899 ad #2). During the same time, the Dauntless Manufacturing Company operated in Omaha, Nebraska, with Oscar Millsap as president.

Sometime during 1900, the Dauntless Stove Manufacturing Company became indebted to the Beaver Dam Malleable Iron Works to the amount of $5000. After investigation by representatives of the Malleable Iron Works, all the machinery and equipment of the Dauntless Factory were loaded onto two boxcars and brought to Beaver Dam with Mr. Millsap and his foreman, and located in the former foundry building of the Beaver Dam Implement Manufacturing Company on North Spring Street (1901 ad).

On January 26, 1901, the Dauntless Steel Range Company of Beaver Dam was incorporated. It purchased the stock of the Dauntless Manufacturing Company, and changed its name to the same (March 1901 ad). On July 24, 1901, an agreement was signed with Silas McClure and A. C. Terrell of the Malleable Iron Range Company. They moved to Beaver Dam and became actively associated with the Dauntless Manufacturing Company (Aug 1901 ad). On February 2, 1902, the name of the company was changed to Malleable Iron Range Company, and the trademark Monarch was adopted for the coal or wood burning ranges which it manufactured.

On December 2, 1902 Andrew G. Hill and Fred W. Rogers became actively associated with the company. Andrew G. Hill served as president until January 1921. Fred W. Rogers was named vice president and spent much of his time during the first 10 to 12 years on the road selling Monarch ranges.

In 1902 fewer than 20 employees made the coal and wood burning ranges in a two-story factory building. Although these stoves or ranges cost $60.00 or twice as much as a typical nut, bolt, and stove putty range, their quality, durability and economy of operation won gold medals and the hearts of America's homemakers.

As sales grew, Monarch added its own malleable and cast iron foundry so it could be independent of other suppliers.

In 1905 gas surface burner plates were added to the side of some models, and thus the Monarch gas range was born.

When World War I occurred, portable Monarch coal-wood field ranges were developed for use by our European Expeditionary Forces.

On January 25, 1921, Fred W. Rogers became president of the Malleable Iron Range Company, and in 1922 Herbert T. Burrow became secretary.

After the War, Monarch received an important visit. In 1924 most electric utilities in the United States were controlled by a giant holding company headed by Sam Insull. The head of this "Federal Electric Company" wanted to know if Monarch could build a good baking, fast cooking, long-lasting electric range. The range was to be called the "Fedelco Range." Yes, Monarch could, and did. Tens of thousands of these ranges were manufactured and shipped to New York, Vermont, Texas, California, and other states until 1928.

Congress then passed anti-trust laws that broke up this giant utility monopoly into individual, independent companies. It was a simple matter to rename the "Fedelco Electric Range" the "Monarch Range" and to continue to sell them to these utilities. This market absorbed most of Monarch's production until the late 1960s when the utilities discontinued appliance merchandising.

In 1932 Admiral Richard Byrd came to Beaver Dam and assisted in designing a Monarch coal-wood stove to be used in his second exploration of the South Pole (Daily Citizen clipping; report of expedition). The range performed so perfectly that Admiral Byrd asked for an oil-burning Monarch range to be built for use on his third trip in 1940 to Antarctica (report of expedition). Both stoves are still in use there today.

Electric refrigerators, gas and electric water heaters, new porcelain, enamel and chrome plating departments were added as Monarch grew. Employment peaked at 750.

Fred W. Rogers died in 1932. Michael A. Jacobs subsequently served as president until 1936. In 1936 Herbert T. Burrow was named president of Malleable Iron Range Company. He served in that capacity until his death in 1970. Michael J. Maier served as vice president during those years.

When American went to war in 1941, Monarch was ready to pitch in and help the war effort. Artillery shells, truck bodies, and five gallon G.I. gas and water cans were produced continuously until 1946.

The Defense Department shut down U.S. home appliance manufacturing early in World War II, but came to Monarch in 1943 with an unusual request. Could the assembly lines be set up to build 1,000 of the 20-inch electric apartment ranges? It could, and it did. These were shipped to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, for use by the people building the atomic bomb, it was learned after the war.

When the war was over, Monarch worked "around the clock" manufacturing appliances for a hungry America. By 1948, the market was back to normal.

In 1951, the Korean War saw Monarch acquire property on Jackson Street and build an artillery shell plant in less than six months. Workers began making shells for the armed forces.

From 1952 through the late 1960s, great advances were made in the kitchen range market by many appliance companies. Although Monarch kept pace with most of them, a severe blow was delivered to Monarch when most electric utilities decided to give up kitchen appliance merchandising by 1970. It was difficult, if not impossible, to compete against the millions of dollars spent advertising competitive products which were sold by appliance dealers.

Following Herbert T. Burrow's death in 1970, Michael J. Maier became president of Malleable Iron Range Company. His son, Michael W. Maier became vice president; and later succeeded him as president in the late 1970s.

The oil and energy shortage in 1974 gave Monarch one last chance to sell its product to America. Highly efficient "air-tight add-a-furnaces" that could be hooked into an existing oil or gas furnace were manufactured and sold to a "waiting list" of customers.

By 1979 oil and gas were once again becoming available to the weary American consumer, tired of chopping and burning wood to heat his home. Tough new local solid fuel or wood burning ordinances were becoming law and the strict federal safety standards took most wood burning companies out of the market.

In March 1985, Malleable Iron Range Company filed for bankruptcy protection with assets of $7 million and debts of $5.8 million. About 260 people were employed at that time.

Four months later, Famco Machine Division of Belco Industries, Kenosha, purchased Malleable assets, excluding the buildings and lands, for $2.363 million. Production was grinding to a halt and less than 50 employees were working. The new company was named Mafco and operated in Beaver Dam less than three months before moving to Algoma.

In 1988 the property was given to Dodge County in bankruptcy court proceedings in lieu of delinquent property taxes. A fire set in a building on the south side of the property on February 16, 1990, led to the subsequent demolition of all of the buildings.

The correct firm name was the Malleable Iron Range Company, but it was always referred to as Monarch, its trademark.

<End of history from the Beaver Dam Sesquicentennial History Book: 1841-1991>

QUICK FACTS:
1905 - At the Lewis & Clark Exposition, the Monarch was awarded the highest prize offered (World's Fair Gold Medal), and it also received single recognition by the Jury.
1909 - At the Alaska Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle, Washington, the Monarch was again awarded the gold medal.
1934 - First Admiral Richard E. Byrd expedition to South Pole had a Monarch range.
1940 - Second Admiral Richard E. Byrd expedition to South Pole had a Monarch range.
1941 - Henry Ford, Detroit, purchased a Monarch range for personal use.
1941 - Governor Walter Kohler, Sr. purchased a Monarch range for personal use.
1942 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt congratulated Charles Swain, Ranger, who was a Malleable Iron Range employee.
1943 - 4,000 Monarch ranges were shipped to the Atomic Energy Commission in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
1943 - On April 17, U.S. Undersecretary of War announced the Malleable Iron Range Co. had won the Army-Navy E. Award. By war's end four stars for quality and quantity produced had been added to the award.
1941-1946 - Malleable Iron Range Co. produced 3.5 million high explosive shells and five-gallon blitz cans each.
1945 - Brand name certificate was authorized; conferred in 1948.
1950 - Monarch Range was the champion in the cherry pie baking contest at the Morrison Hotel in Chicago.
1953 - Malleable Iron Range Co. was honored for its production of the one millionth high explosive shell-105MM-forging and machining.