The Algoma Foundry and Machine Company of

Algoma, Wisconsin Algoma is a city in Kewaunee County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 3,167 at the 2010 census. Algoma is part of the Green Bay Metropolitan Statistical Area. History The Ahnapee settlement, which eventually became known as Al ...

began its corporate existence in 1883 as a regional manufacturer of horse-drawn

farm machinery Agricultural machinery relates to the mechanical structures and devices used in farming or other agriculture. There are many types of such equipment, from hand tools and power tools to tractors and the countless kinds of farm implements that the ...

. However, in 1920 the company started making the "OK" silo filler or stationary

ensilage Silage () is a type of fodder made from green foliage crops which have been preserved by fermentation to the point of acidification. It can be fed to cattle, sheep and other such ruminants ( cud-chewing animals). The fermentation and storage ...

harvester. Immediately following its introduction the OK silo filler became very popular with the

dairy farming Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting or ...

market across the

Upper Midwest The Upper Midwest is a region in the northern portion of the U.S. Census Bureau's Midwestern United States. It is largely a sub-region of the Midwest. Although the exact boundaries are not uniformly agreed-upon, the region is defined as referring ...

of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Sales of the OK soon made the ''Algoma Company'' a leading producer of silo fillers in the entire nation. The ''Algoma Foundry and Machine Company'' was founded in 1883 as ''A. Hamacek and Company'' by Adolph and Anton Hamacek of Algoma Wisconsin. The Company manufactured horse-drawn farm machinery for the regional market. However, on August 28, 1891, Adolph Hamacek left the

business partnership A partnership is an arrangement where parties, known as business partners, agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests. The partners in a partnership may be individuals, businesses, interest-based organizations, schools, governments o ...

and moved to nearby

Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin Sturgeon Bay is a city in and the county seat of Door County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 9,646 at the 2020 Census. The city is well-known regionally for being the largest city of the Door Peninsula, after which the county is na ...

. Anton continued to operate the business alone at the building located in the 600 block of Fremont Street in Algoma until 1893, when he formed another partnership with Joseph Wodsedalek and August Ziemer. On August 6, 1895,

fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition ...

broke out at the building that on Fremont Street that served as the

Foundry A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals pr ...

's place of business. The two-story building was totally destroyed by the fire. Consequently, following the fire the business obtained new property located north of the Ahnapee River, just east of the Fourth Street Bridge in Algoma. This property was owned by John Ihlenfeld who happened to be the father-in-law of Joseph Wodsedalek. The business was fortunate to obtain this property because it was served by the nearby depot of the

Ahnapee and Western Railway The Ahnapee and Western Railway (A&W) was a common carrier short line railroad located in northeastern Wisconsin. The railroad ran from a connection with the Kewaunee, Green Bay and Western Railroad at Casco Junction to the lakeshore terminals ...

located just south of the Ahnapee River. Based on the new

transportation Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, ...

opportunities opened up by the connection with the

the foundry entered a period of business expansion as they began to serve the

farming Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

market of the entire multi-state upper Midwest area of the United States. In 1962, the company was sold for $800,000 to Badger Northland, Inc, of

Kaukauna, Wisconsin Kaukauna () is a city in Outagamie and Calumet counties, Wisconsin, United States. It is situated on the Fox River, approximately north of Milwaukee. The population was 15,462 at the 2010 census. It is a part of the Appleton, Wisconsin Met ...

, a manufacturer of mechanized farm equipment.

References

{{Reflist Kewaunee County, Wisconsin Companies based in Wisconsin