Horatio Keyes

Wabash Valley profiles : a series of tributes to hometown people and events that have shaped our history

Description:	One typed page including portrait; biography of Horatio Keyes, manufacturer of carriages, wheels, hubs, and spokes. ABASH VALLEY WP R O F I L E SA series of tributes to hometown people and events that have shaped our history.Horatio Keyesnative of Leaminster, Mass., 27-year-old Horatio Keyes located in Terre Haute in 1857 and soon became a major manufacturer of carriages, wheels, hubs and spokes. After working in a shoe store for a year, Horatio established a carriage factory--recognized as the first Terre Haute firm to market durable goods nationally--at Second and Wabash in partnership with John H. Crannell. For four decades, the ingenious Keyes ranked among the citys most successful entrepreneurs. By 1864 he had secured the right to manufacture the celebrated Sarven wheel, uniting with Samuel H. Thompson to found Thompson & Keyes--manufacturers of wheels, hubs, spokes and wagons--at the southwest corner of First and Poplar streets. In 1868 Horatio secured a patent for his popular Keyes wheel and, during successive alliances with Constantin Mancourt (18701872) and John H. Sykes (18721880), became one of the Midwests largest specialty manufacturers. By 1879 Keyes & Sykes was fabricating 12,000 wheels annually, four wagons daily and 100,000 spokes per month at its plant on the northeast corner of 13th and Plum streets. Products were shipped to every state and territory in the U.S. When a fire ravaged the four-year-old facility in 1880, Horatio organized Keyes Manufacturing Co. and built a larger industrial complex at the same site. Meanwhile, Keyes and his wife--the former Maria H. Smith--raised three children and were active in the First Baptist Church. The Keyes oldest son Sanford died in 1880. Their middle child Jay H. Keyes, born Feb. 21, 1859, became an officer in the hub and spoke business. When Horatio retired in 1891, the assets of Keyes Manufacturing Co. were separated. The wheel business was acquired by the American Wheel Co. and named Standard Wheel Company of Terre Haute. Another portion of the business became Terre Haute Carriage and Buggy Co., which relocated to First and Wabash. Meanwhile, Jay formed Automatic Mine Door Co., using patents secured by his father, and purchased a major interest in the Kentucky Lumber Co. Extremely active in community affairs, Jay founded the Terre Haute Golf Club in 1898 (renamed the Country Club of Terre Haute in 1900) and served as president for several years. The citys first golf course was located in Keyes Belleview Place subdivision east of the Standard Wheel plant. Soon after Horatio died on June 9, 1904, Jay was elected president of Standard Wheel Co. Retiring in 1909 due to ill health, he died at age 52 on May 26, 1911, at his residence at 723 S. Sixth St., recognized as one of the citys finest homes. He was survived by his wife Annie W. Warren, daughter of Terre Haute pioneer William B. Warren, and son Warren Jay Keyes. After graduating with honors from Yale University in 1915 and serving as an officer in World War I, Warren was active in the management of a pioneer New York radio equipment manufacturer. On Oct. 1, 1929, while the stock market was in the middle of the steep slide which resulted in the great crash, Warren leaped to his death from the 11th floor of the Hotel Shelton in New York City. He was 36 years old.ATERRE HAUTE(812) 238-6000NATIONAL BANKAlways Close to HomeDate published: Feb. 15, 2001Filename: Keyes, Horatio profile
Origin:	2001-02-14
Created By:	McCormick, Mike
Publisher:	Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Source:	http://indianamemory.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/vchs/id/556
Collection:	Vigo County Historical Society
Rights:	http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/
Copyright:	Copyright Undetermined
Subjects:	Keyes, Horatio, 1830?-1904 Carts & wagons Carriages & coaches Wheels Factories Business & Industry People

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