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THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[July 1, 1913. 



wall of the Hodgman company's New York office, being an en- 

 largement of the letter of patent granted Mr. llodgman in 1842 

 for "a new and useful improvement on overshoes," the document 

 lieiiig signed by no less a person than Daniel Webster, then 

 Secretary of State. These Hodgman overshoes were evidently 

 made of pretty good material, for the company has a pair now. 



Old Stoxe Building Constituting Hodcm.\n Factory in 1851. 



made in 1848. that time has not withered nor made brittle — they 

 are as pliable as if made last year. 



.^n e.xtremely interesting advertisement is still in existence, 

 clipped from the Evening Post of 1846, in which Mr. Hodgman 

 advertised a great variety of rubber wares, among them "Rubber 

 Pantaloons," considerably affected in those days but not now 

 worn, except as they form a part of the body boots used by 

 oystermen. Speaking of interesting advertisements, here is a re- 

 production of an old picture of a "Forty-niner,"' dressed all in 

 Hodgman rubber. When gold was discovered every able-bodied 

 easterner wanted to start for California ; and Mr. Hodgman saw 

 to it that as many of them as possible started well equipped 

 against the elements, in his rubber coats and boots and hats, with 

 rubber knapsacks on their backs, advertising his store across the 

 continent. 



In 1851 a certain H. B. Ames as- 

 signed to Mr. Hodgman — for a 

 consideration of $2,000 — a license 

 which he had obtained from 

 Charles Goodyear to manufacture 

 rubber door springs. Mr. Hodg- 

 man seems to have put a great 

 deal of energy into this particular 

 branch. He built it up into a large 

 business, as is shown by a little 

 pocket account book still extant in 

 which he recorded his monthly 

 payments to Goodyear on his door 

 spring sales ; and seven years 

 later, in 1858, a new indenture 

 was made directly between Good- 

 year and Hodgman — an interest- 

 ing document in Goodyear's own 

 writing. 



After a few years the factory on 

 26th street proved to be much too small, and in order to get more 

 room for future developments Mr. Hodgman moved his manu- 

 facturing business in 1851 to Tuckahoe, a suburb north of Xew 

 York City, where he bought a stone building, shown in one of 

 the accompanying pictures, that had been used as a cotton mill. 



This was the beginning of the big Hodgman plant at Tuckahoe. 

 This old stone structure still stands in good condition, tho it 

 was built just 100 years ago this year, and gives every evidence 

 of being able to weather another century. 



Daniel Hodgman died in 1874, but his two sons. George F. 

 and Charles A., had been well trained, so that they were able to 

 step immediately into the managemem of the large and success- 

 ful business their father had left them. Eleven years later the 

 company was incorporated, under the name of the Hodgman 

 Rubber Co., George F. Hodgman becoming president and Charles 

 .\. secretary- and a little later vice-president. In the mean time, 

 in 1879, tlu" store followed the up-town march and located at 

 425 Broadway; and in 1882, in addition to the large plant at 

 Tuckahoe a new factory was built in the adjoining town of Mt. 

 \'ernon, which is devoted exclusively to the manufacture of 

 mackintoshes and other rain coats. 



George F. Hodgman had all the sterling qualities of his father. 

 He had the same unswerving sense of honor and indefatigible 

 industry ; and in addition he possessed many social graces which 

 the elder man. like most men of his generation, had not — because 

 of the harder struggle of those early days — had time to develop. 

 Under the presidency of George F. Hodgman the business of the 

 company grew steadily from year to year. While he was a very 

 broad man, active in church, civic and social interests — a member 

 of the Union League, the Chamber of Commerce and other lead- 

 ing organizations — his chief concern was the big industry which 

 he had inherited ; and on his death, in 1906, it was passed on to 

 other hands, much increased in size and importance. 



For three years the company's president was Charles A Hodg- 

 man. tlie second son of Daniel, who then retired because of ill 

 health ; and George B. Hodgman, son of George F., took the 

 presidency, his brother, S. Theodore, being made secretary and 

 treasurer — while a cousin, F. A. Hodgman, a son of the retiring 

 president, was elected vice-president. 



A few years before this, in 1903, the New York store had been 

 moved to 806-808 Broadway, at 11th street, where it remains to 

 this time, the most commodious rubber merchandising house in 

 Xew York City. In the meantime the plant at Tuckahoe that 

 began in 1851 with one small stone building has grown by one 

 addition after another until it has assumed large proportions, 

 many subsidiary departments being added, as, for instance, a box 

 making shop, a machine shop, a printing department, an electrical 

 department and an e.xtremely modern laboratory, where a 

 corps of chemists is constantly at work in experimental and 



The Hol>gm.\-X Rubber Co. 1'l.\.\t of Tod.w. 



research investigation connected with rubber manufacture. 

 It can be safely said of the Hodgman company that, while it is 

 probably the oldest rubber company in .•\merica, there is none 

 that is more modern in its equipment or its methods. As in the 

 early days of Daniel Hodgman, its prodvicts cover a wide variety 



