Weissenborn, Albert

1863 - 1938  (74 years)    Has 2 ancestors and 6 descendants in this family tree.

• Name	Weissenborn, Albert
  Born	6 Sep 1863	Newark, Essex, New Jersey, USA
  Gender	Male
  1910 Census	1910	Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA
  Albert Weissenborn 46 Annette I Weissenborn 23 Martha Godfried 23
  Biography	1911
  History of Outagamie County, Wisconsin Page 0679
  ALBERT B. WEISSENBORN, superintendent of the Appleton Wire Works, one of Appleton's largest industries, and the second largest concern of its kind in the United States, was born at Newark, New Jersey, in 1863, a son of Henry and Therese Weissenborn. Henry Weissenborn, who was born and educated in Germany, was a civil engineer by profession and came to the United States as a young man, becoming interested in the iron business. He built a blast furnace for the Bethlehem Iron Works, and later was employed by Mr. John Erickson, along with his two brothers, to develop the battleship "Monitor," which played such an important part as the "Cheese Box" during the Civil War. In 1896 Albert Weissenborn became connected with William Buchanan and his two sons, G. E. and John R. Buchanan, in organizing the Appleton Wire Works, and he is now superintendent of the company's large plant at Appleton, and has introduced many new innovations in the business, being the inventor of a method of utilizing electricity and compressed air in operating the looms. The company manufactures fourdrinier wires, cylinder covers and washer wires, and repairs and makes cylinder molds and dandy rolls, and has a business which covers the Fox River Valley and extends to China, Japan and Mexico. Mr. Weissenborn's wife is deceased, and he has one daughter, who is attending school .
  	Weissenborn, Albert Biography from History of Outagamie County, Wisconsin; 1911.
  1920 Census	1920	Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA
  Albert Weisenborn 55 Caroline Nicholson 52
  1930 Census	1930	Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA
  Albert Weissenborn 66 Mae Hartig 63 (housekeeper)
  Biography	International Paper Hall of Fame
  Albert Weissenborn was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1863, a son of Henry and Maria Theresa Weissenborn. Albert's father was educated in engineering by his father, a German blast furnace inventor. Henry came to the United States in 1848 at the age of 24, already experienced in the building of blast furnaces and flour mills. He built a blast furnace for the Bethlehem Iron Works. Henry and his engineer brothers Gustavus and Edward were employed by Mr. John Ericsson during the construction of the Civil War battleship "Monitor". Albert Weissenborn began his career in wire drawing as an apprentice at age 16. He began his inventive work on power looms during the 1880's while at Cheney Bigelow Wire Works in Springfield, Massachusetts where he met his wife Eleanor. His early inventions for power looms are documented in 1890 mechanical drawings signed by Albert and verified by witnesses. In 1896 Albert joined his brother-in-law William Buchanan; his close friend and nephew, Gus Buchanan; and John Buchanan in founding the Appleton Wire Works. He initially served as superintendent. Albert's wife Eleanor, whose father had been a master wire weaver and loom constructor in London, contributed her skill as a wire seamer in the early days of the company. Among numerous inventions, his major one was the electro-pneumatic loom in which the loom was powered by compressed air and electricity. Prior to this invention, wire-weaving always demanded both technical skill and physical strength. This invention not only reduced the number of men needed to operate a loom, it also allowed less physically taxed workers to focus on quality and improved uniformity. Patents were granted in the US, France, and Germany. The wires produced by this invention yielded higher quality paper on the paper machines and the growth of Appleton Wire Works accelerated due to this development. The focus on quality was exemplified by the adoption of the company motto "Appleton wires are good wires" in 1907, just one year after his first patents were granted. He continued to refine loom design and was granted another patent in 1910. By this time, Appleton Wire Works had grown to be the second largest wire weaving plant in the country and the largest in the West. In 1912, Appleton Wire Works was restructured and a new 50-50 partnership was formed between Albert and his nephew Gus. Albert was president and manager and Gus Buchanan was secretary and treasurer. Albert continued designing, supervising and directing every detail of the manufacturing including the machine shop where equipment and parts were designed and built for the plant. Albert Weissenborn was a prolific inventor whose contributions included loom design, wire drawing, annealing equipment, bobbin winding, pirn welding equipment and shuttle design. He was instrumental in the development of the technology of producing Fourdrinier wires. His improvements enabled the production of wider and longer lasting wires, leading to improved productivity in the paper industry. The power loom reduced the number of weavers per loom from two to one. However, at Appleton Wire Works, increased business provided work for the weavers. As an example, there were no layoffs during the Great Depression. Albert Weissenborn served as President and Manager of Appleton Wire Works from 1912 until his death in 1938. During his tenure, the company became a leader not only in the Fox Valley, but across the United States. He and his wife, Eleanor Gray, had one child, Annette, who married Roy Purdy. Their son, Albert's grandson, Bruce Purdy, carried on the family tradition of engineering innovation and invention. Bruce Purdy was inducted into the Paper Industry International Hall of Fame in 2005.
  Obituary	2 Jun 1938
  Appleton Post Crescent
  DIES TODAY Albert B. Weissenborn. 74. 803 E. College avenue, died at 1 o'clock this afternoon after an illness of three weeks. Mr. Weissenborn was president and general manager of the Appleton Wire Works and the last of the company's founders. Funeral services will be conducted Saturday. DIED JUNE 2, 1938-APPLETON A. Weissenborn, Wire Works Head, Succumbs Today Was President and General Manager of Appleton Concern Albert B. Weissenborn, 74, president and general manager of Appleton Wire Works and the last of the company's founders, died about 1 o'clock this afternoon in Appleton after a 3-week illness. Mr. Weissenborn, who lived at 803 E. College avenue, was one of the three men who organized the Appleton Wire Works in 1896. The first paper mill wire cloth plant in the Midwest. He designed most of the equipment now in operation at the plant and held numerous patents. William Buchanan and his son. G. E. Buchanan, were the other two founders of the plant. G. E. Buchanan died April 9. Mr. Weissenborn was born in Belleville, N. J., Sept. 6, 1863. Besides being president of the wire firm, he was vice president of Tuttle Press company and a director of Northern Paper Mills. He was a charter member of the Appleton Rotary club, a member of All Saints Episcopal church, and active in various Masonic bodies, the Blue Lodge, Appleton Chapter, and Knights Templar in Appleton and the Consistory and Shrine in Milwaukee. Survivors are one daughter, Mrs. R. H. Purdy, Appleton; one sister, Mrs. Albert Neale. Springfield, Mass.; two grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at 2:30 Saturday afternoon at All Saints Episcopal church with the Rev. W. J. Spicer in charge. Burial will be in Riverside cemetery. The body will be at Wichmann Funeral home from Friday afternoon to Saturday noon when it will be taken to the church. APPLETON POST-CRESCENT, THURSDAY JUNE 2, 1938---FRONT PAGE
  Died	2 Jun 1938	Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA
  Induction	Abt 2009
  International Paper Hall of Fame
  Founder, Appleton Wire Works, Appleton, Wisconsin Albert Weissenborn was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1863, a son of Henry and Maria Theresa Weissenborn. Albert's father was educated in engineering by his father, a German blast furnace inventor. Henry came to the United States in 1848 at the age of 24, already experienced in the building of blast furnaces and flour mills. He built a blast furnace for the Bethlehem Iron Works. Henry and his engineer brothers Gustavus and Edward were employed by Mr. John Ericsson during the construction of the Civil War battleship "Monitor". Albert Weissenborn began his career in wire drawing as an apprentice at age 16. He began his inventive work on power looms during the 1880's while at Cheney Bigelow Wire Works in Springfield, Massachusetts where he met his wife Eleanor. His early inventions for power looms are documented in 1890 mechanical drawings signed by Albert and verified by witnesses. In 1896 Albert joined his brother-in-law William Buchanan; his close friend and nephew, Gus Buchanan; and John Buchanan in founding the Appleton Wire Works. He initially served as superintendent. Albert's wife Eleanor, whose father had been a master wire weaver and loom constructor in London, contributed her skill as a wire seamer in the early days of the company. Among numerous inventions, his major one was the electro-pneumatic loom in which the loom was powered by compressed air and electricity. Prior to this invention, wire-weaving always demanded both technical skill and physical strength. This invention not only reduced the number of men needed to operate a loom, it also allowed less physically taxed workers to focus on quality and improved uniformity. Patents were granted in the US, France, and Germany. The wires produced by this invention yielded higher quality paper on the paper machines and the growth of Appleton Wire Works accelerated due to this development. The focus on quality was exemplified by the adoption of the company motto "Appleton wires are good wires" in 1907, just one year after his first patents were granted. He continued to refine loom design and was granted another patent in 1910. By this time, Appleton Wire Works had grown to be the second largest wire weaving plant in the country and the largest in the West. In 1912, Appleton Wire Works was restructured and a new 50-50 partnership was formed between Albert and his nephew Gus. Albert was president and manager and Gus Buchanan was secretary and treasurer. Albert continued designing, supervising and directing every detail of the manufacturing including the machine shop where equipment and parts were designed and built for the plant. Albert Weissenborn was a prolific inventor whose contributions included loom design, wire drawing, annealing equipment, bobbin winding, pirn welding equipment and shuttle design. He was instrumental in the development of the technology of producing Fourdrinier wires. His improvements enabled the production of wider and longer lasting wires, leading to improved productivity in the paper industry. The power loom reduced the number of weavers per loom from two to one. However, at Appleton Wire Works, increased business provided work for the weavers. As an example, there were no layoffs during the Great Depression. Albert Weissenborn served as President and Manager of Appleton Wire Works from 1912 until his death in 1938. During his tenure, the company became a leader not only in the Fox Valley, but across the United States. He and his wife, Eleanor Gray, had one child, Annette, who married Roy Purdy. Their son, Albert's grandson, Bruce Purdy, carried on the family tradition of engineering innovation and invention. Bruce Purdy was inducted into the Paper Industry International Hall of Fame in 2005.
  Person ID	I189066	1FamilyTree
  Last Modified	1 Aug 2016

  
  

  Father	Weissenborn, Henry,   b. Abt 1824, , , , Germany ,   d. Bef 1924  (Age ~ 99 years)
  Mother	Unknown, Unknownf,   b. Bef 1832,   d. Bef 1932  (Age ~ 100 years)
  Family ID	F64170	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Gray, Eleanor,   b. Abt Sep 1863, , , , England ,   d. 3 Sep 1906, Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA  (Age ~ 42 years)
  Married	Abt 1885
  Children	+ 1. Weissenborn, Annette,   b. 5 Jun 1886, Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts, USA ,   d. Abt 1951, Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA  (Age 64 years)
  Last Modified	9 Jul 2014
  Family ID	F64173	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map	Load the map	Born - 6 Sep 1863 - Newark, Essex, New Jersey, USA 1910 Census - 1910 - Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA 1920 Census - 1920 - Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA 1930 Census - 1930 - Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA Died - 2 Jun 1938 - Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA  = Link to Google Earth
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  Weissenborn, Albert