#38 LaButa Cigar Factory in York; Top 50 York County Factories at the End of 19th Century
In my post Late 1800s Factory Inspection Reports Assist in Identification of an East Prospect Photo I wrote about finding these reports in the State Library of Pennsylvania. For this series on the Top 50 York County Factories at the end of 19th Century, I’m using data from the 10th Report of the Pennsylvania Department of Factory Inspection.
The 10th Factory Inspection Report is for the Department’s year ending October 31st 1899. I ranked the 479 York County factories by numbers of employees; #50 has 47 employees, on up to #1 with 510 employees. In the coming weeks, on Monday and/or Tuesday, I’m counting down to the top employer in York County at the end of 19th Century.
I’ve shaded one of the buildings red on a section of Plate 8 from the 1903 Atlas of York. That is the presumed location of the LaButa Cigar Factory in York.
At #38 in the countdown is the LaButa Cigar Factory in York. Very little has been discovered about this cigar company. Polk’s 1899 York City Directory notes that the principal owners are Kurwin L. Eisenhart, Samuel L. Gross and Alonzo Stouch. The directory also gives the location of the factory as 5 West Gay Avenue.
Looking at the 1903 Atlas of York, 5 West Gay would be directly behind the building at 200 & 202 North George Street. I’ve shaded that building red; it is the presumed location of the LaButa Cigar Factory in York. They were possibly renting space in one of William H. Yost’s buildings.
The 10th Factory Inspection Report notes that on March 29th 1899 the LaButa Cigar Factory in York has 65 employees; 45 male and 20 female. Of these 65 employees, 6 are between 16 and 21-years-old.
In my count down of the 50 top factories in York County at the end of 19th Century, there are 12 cigar related factories represented. Only one cigar factory shows up in the top 15; do any of my readers care to guess where this factory, that made cigars and also cigar boxes, was located in York County—I’ve already had readers guess, Dover, Red Lion & Dallastown; which are not the correct answer in 1899.
#38 LaButa Cigar Factory in York, with 65 employees, is the eighth cigar related factory in my count down of the top 50 York County Factories at end of 19th Century. Previous cigar factories that have made the list include:
- #39 A. F. Hostetter Cigar Factory in Hanover, 64 employees
- #41 William H. Raab Cigar Factory in Dallastown; 59 employees
- #42 Edwin Myers & Co. Cigar Box & Lithographic Works in York; 56 employees
- #43 Paragon Cigar Factory in York; 54 employees
- #46 George W. Gable Cigar Factory in Windsor; 50 employees
- #48 National Cigar Manufacturing Company in West Manchester; 50 employees
- #50 David S. Detwiler Cigar Factory in Wrightsville; 47 employees
