23 minute read
Oxford Historic Association
The Oxford Caramel Company
Submitted by Gail Roberts, Oxford Area Historical Association
Known locally as the Oxford Caramel Factory, this company had different names and changed ownership throughout the years. It first came to Oxford as the W.F. Parker & Company with William F. Parker and Charles M. Parker as major shareholders. It was also operated under the following names: the Williams Caramel Company, the Breish Williams Company and the Oxford Confectionery Company. Railroads came to Oxford in 1860. The Central Division of the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore, and the narrow gauge Lancaster, Oxford and Southern Railroads allowed Oxford to trade more easily with surrounding counties. The railroads facilitated Oxford continuing to be a center of trade between Philadelphia and Baltimore and allowed for the development of commercial and manufacturing interests. At about 1870 Oxford began the change from a mostly agricultural community to one which featured a variety of industries. Oxford experienced accelerated growth in the 1890s. The Oxford Land and Improvement Company, whose directors included merchants and bankers, was established in 1891 in order to attract new businesses to town. They had visions of developing an industrial area in the southeast portion of the Borough. This company sold stock to raise money to purchase land on the south edge of Oxford. The company planned to donate land grants to manufacturers to encourage them to locate in Oxford. They would also offer to help with the building and equipping of plants. New industries could be exempt from taxes for 10 years. The first sale of lots owned by this company took place in September of 1891. A large tract of land was divided into 100 lots. The town made this an event a celebration
Workers in the Oxford Caramel Factory. Courtesy photo.
which included band music to welcome visitors. Free train rides to Oxford were offered. Among the visitors were W.F. Parker, his family and employees. Henry Cope of Lincoln purchased the first two lots for $325. Charles M. Parker, brother of W.F Parker, purchased two lots. A total of 42 lots were sold. W.F. Parker had operated a caramel business located on Twentieth and Market Streets in Philadelphia since 1882. He needed a large quantity of milk for the production of caramels, about 4,000 to 6,000 quarts a day. Mr. Parker was interested in coming to Oxford because of the supply of milk available and lower costs of doing business. He entered into bonds with the Oxford Land and Improvement Company for land which fronted on South Street. The Oxford Land and Improvement Company had the land surveyed. Four new streets were created: Jacobus, Franklin, Garfield and Grant. The caramel factory building would be located at the corner of South and Franklin. Another organization, the Oxford Board of Trade was organized in 1892 and was a predecessor to the Chamber of Commerce. Their purpose was to promote the town of Oxford and represent the business owners. This organization had about 100 members initially. One of them was Milton Walker, Oxford’s well-known carpenter and contractor. Milton Walker also served as Chief Burgess (like today’s mayor) beginning in 1891. One of his roles was to chair Borough Council meetings. In July of 1891, the council passed an ordinance to encourage the new caramel business to locate in Oxford. The ordinance exempted this company from local taxes for 10 years as long as the company employed a minimum of 100 people during that time period.
Milton Walker was hired to build the structures the caramel factory would require. He had 36 men working including bricklayers, carpenters, roofers and masons. The main structure became a 200-foot- by-50-foot, two-story brick building. There was also a 45-foot-by50-foot boiler and engine house. This was the largest project Walker had ever undertaken. Subcontractors were employed to install elevators, a lighting system and equipment for production, milk storage and packaging. A steam engine and electric generator were located in the boiler house. Stephen Ringgold, a well digger, was the first to break ground. A 175-foot well with a capacity of 60 gallons per minute was dug. The stone work for the foundation was done by W. Harrison & Son of Oxford. Mr. Slack of Oxford delivered over 100,000 bricks, and J.L. Foulk and his sons laid 255,318 bricks in the main factory building, 70,412 in the stack and 44,000 in the boiler and engine room. William Burling had 16 men working on laying the water mains along South Street. George E. Jones and his workmen put in the boilers. McCommon & Smith did the roofing with sheet iron. They used 110 squares on the main building and 40 squares on the engine house. They also had the contract for putting in steam heating fixtures which required over 11,000 feet of pipe. This system was designed by John B. Wilson of the McCommon & Smith firm. Railroad siding connecting the plant to the railroad tracks was laid. An Oxford Press article in December of 1891 reported that the building was finished, and the caramel company was waiting for machinery to be delivered. Candy was to be made on the second floor, and the first floor would be used for packing and wrapping. The news article stated, “The establishment will give employment to over 200 persons, but no one under 14 years of age will be employed, and none but persons of good moral character.” The company was able to begin production in April of 1892. The first delivery of milk to the new factory was from the dairy of Lyburn Whittaker of East Nottingham. The business needed additional space, so Milton Walker built a large wooden warehouse in that same Continued on Page 64
The Oxford Caramel Company
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year. Also in 1892, H.U. Williams joined into a partnership with W.F. Parker. Oxford A Representative Pennsylvania Borough Described and Illustrated by The Board of Trade offers a glimpse of what the caramel factory was like in 1894. This publication describes the factory as the only one of its kind in the world. There were two large boilers and a 100 horse-power engine which was powered by steam from the boilers, and in turn drove the machinery necessary for the manufacturing process. There were steam elevators joining the two floors. An electric plant on the premises contained a generator which provided lighting for the building. The factory had equipment to weigh and store milk and could handle 20,000 quarts a day. A quote from this publication states, “The equipment includes numerous copper kettles, vacuum pans, cutting machines, roasting machines for nuts, machinery for manufacturing paper boxes and packing cases, a machine shop with extensive lathes, etc., and a complete printing establishment.” Seven or eight tons of candy of 50-60 varieties could be produced. There were about 300 employees. The candy was shipped throughout the United States and to Canada, Europe, South America, Mexico, and Australia. On November 1, 1894, the business was incorporated as “The Oxford Caramel Factory.” At the time, the business had $100,000 of funds available. According to an Oxford News article in February of 1906, the company was flourishing. Improvements to equipment were made. A new chocolate coating machine that cost $2,000 was added. Before the addition of this equipment, candy was dipped into a vat and then shaken to remove surplus chocolate. The finishing work had to be done by hand. With the new process, the candy was placed on a slowly moving wire screen which passed over top of the chocolate vat. An automatic ladle poured the chocolate on the candy. A mechanism lifted the candy off the screen so that the chocolate ran to the bottom. The surplus chocolate was blown off by an air current. The candy was deposited on a moving roll of wax paper and carried to the cold room so that it could be cooled. The made the whole process less wasteful. John Brock, the superintendent of the factory, was given credit for the reorganization of the plant. In 1907 the company was known as the Williams Caramel Company and even had a West Grove branch. In 1910 the name was changed to the Oxford Confectionary Company. Other varieties of candy besides caramels were being produced. A new department for the manufacture of cream
candies was added. A new trade mark featuring a yoke of oxen pulling a cart piled high with candy crossing a ford was designed in honor of Oxford. John and William Brock were supervising the company. During the company’s history, caramels were wrapped with pictures of candidates during election years. Trading cards featuring baseball players were included with candy items. These were very popular. An Oxford Press article reported that as of November 1913, 130 employees were working ahead to make Easter candy, such as chocolate coated rabbits. The payroll totaled $950 to $1,000 weekly during the busiest times of the year – August to December, January to April. Families had been employed by the company for years. Sixty brands of caramels were produced. The finest candies were boxed and labeled in gold “Selected Oxford Caramels.” Wooden pails of candies were also available and were popular in the South. During busy periods, $20,000 to $25,000 worth of shipments were made. The company also installed an automatic fire protection system that year. John and William Brock continued to be the candy makers, and the president was Christian Pflaum of Philadelphia. An Oxford Press article in September of 1916 reported that several girls were wrapping candy for the company in the Continued on Page 66
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The Oxford Caramel Company
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Masonic Building of North Third Street because the company needed additional space. 1916 was a good year. The profit was over $56,000 higher than in 1915. Six percent dividends were paid for preferred stock and 2 percent for common stock. Products were being shipped all over the United States and also to Cuba and the Philippines. Local stores carried an increasing amount of the products. The company had made the decision to cut back on the variety of candies sold and to stick to the popular standards. Over 100 men and women were employed, and weekly salaries totaled over $1,000. More modern machinery had been brought in, and less work had to be done by hand. Things took a turn for the worse when the depression hit. The caramel company was advertised for sale. A 1929 advertisement for the Trustee’s Sale of the plant of the Oxford Confectionery Company included a Partial list of Plant and Equipment: “Substantial Brick Building, 200x60, 2 stories. Annex 90x35, 2 stories. All floors supported with heavy timbers. Plenty of light, heat and ventilation. Boiler room 60x60. Sheet Iron Storage Room 60x30. Garage for three cars. Steam Boiler 150 H.P., practically new. Sprinkler Tank, 20,000 gallons, on steel tower 65 feet. Sprinkler System in entire plant. Power Freight Elevator. Artesian Kettles, 60 gal.; 5 Chocolate Melting Machines, 10 Copper Cooking Kettles, 1 Chocolate Melanger, 3 Double Caramel Cutters, 1 New Ice Machine and completely equipped refrigeration plant.” Frank E. Brown, the trustee for the first mortgage bond holders of the company, sold the real estate, buildings, their contents, and corporate rights at a public sale on October 31st to John H. Ware, Jr. for $6,425. Residents of Oxford and the surrounding areas still held bonds worth about $30,000. Mr. Ware began business the following morning, appointing L.G. Burns of Lancaster as superintendent. Mr. Ware invested a lot of money into the business, and advertised extensively. The factory produced novel products, but the candy market was not doing well in general. After 41 years, the Oxford Confectionery Company shut down in 1933. At the time, the average number of employees had been under 30 for a number of months. The plant would go on to be used by the Oxford Furniture Company and the Oxford Cabinet Company. The building was destroyed by a fire in January of 1947. Sources of information for this article came from OAHA Archives collection, Frank Peters Papers in the Oxford Public Library, the Oxford Board of Trade Publication and John Bradley’s book, Milton Walker: Builder of Oxford.
Oxford Caramel Factory, 1906. Courtesy photo.
The Emerging O Police Departm
Continued on Page 68 Co Con nCon o n tin tin i ti u ued dueed e o on n P Pa age ge eg 6 68 8
Oxford ment
By Mayor Phil Harris and Sergeant Chris Coverly
The Oxford Police Department has a longstanding tradition of service and dedication to the Borough of Oxford and in many ways, the greater Oxford Community. Since its inception in 1870, the men and women of the Oxford Police Department have provided consistent, dedicated and skilled police work, with a rigorous and steadfast commitment to their core values of integrity, professionalism and respect. Throughout the decades of the department’s tenure, the influence of varying leadership and its engagement with the community at large, has enabled the emergence of a well-rounded and dignified police force. In the fall of 2018, the Oxford Borough Council, in its search for a new Chief of Police, had the difficult task of finding someone that could uphold these principles. Their selection of Sam Iacono would turn out to be so much more than they could have hoped for. Having lived in East Nottingham Township for 26 years with his wife and children, Iacono was no stranger to the Oxford Community. His 32-year service as a Patrol Officer, Corporal, Sergeant and Lieutenant in the West Chester Police Department provided the experience necessary for this new role. Chief Iacono’s vision for the Oxford Police department is inferred in the Department’s Mission statement: It is our mission to improve the quality of life by providing the highest-level of professional police service through a partnership with the community. We are committed to creating a safe, crime free environment by enforcing the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and United States Constitution. We will accomplish this by practicing our core values of integrity, professionalism and respect. This mission is coupled by Iacono’s commitment to employing all the standards of best practice policing with an emphasis on, as Iacono explains: “training, training, training”. Municipal Police Officers Education and Training Commission (MPOETC) requirements lead Iacono to institute his own officers to become instructors, “Train the trainer” in the areas of having their own range officer, non-lethal self-defense instructor, including Taser instructor, training for narcotic interdiction, bias training, crash reporting, and weight/measures for commercial vehicles. “It is our intention, to instill our mission statement principles into our officers to become self-sustaining and begin to train other officers in the surrounding region,” said Iacono. Like many times before, these principles will be tested, reviewed and improved upon. With citizen and policing challenges unfurling across the landscape of our society, the words entwined within the Oxford Police Department’s mission statement and Iacono’s higher standards of best practice policing, would serve to promote the emergence of a new, committed, and dedicated police force. At the close of 2019, Philip Harris was appointed as Mayor of Oxford Borough and began working with Iacono to fully implement these well-defined principles. Harris would act as a liaison to the Borough Council and work to convey the needs of the emerging department. His constant involvement with the community, Borough Council, Oxford School District, local churches, and his focus to bring diverse cultures together have sparked crucial conversations and partnerships. Such as supporting LCH Health and Community Services move to the center of the Borough and his constant outreach to Lincoln University to complete the circle of communication with the police department. Chief Iacono said, “Mayor Harris and I developed a strategic plan to slowly proceed with creating a highly professional, accredited police agency to maintain the respect from the county Continued on Page 70
Photos by Jim Coarse, Moonloop Photography
Oxford Police Department
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and state. “As Oxford grows, so will the police department. We will be prepared for future growth expansion in the Oxford area.” To achieve this vision, Iacono and Harris first needed to set apart the Oxford Borough Parking Enforcement from the police department. By creating a separate parking authority, it has allowed the police to concentrate on police related issues. Additionally, Iacono and Harris secured several grants, thereby, offsetting taxpayer monies to implement a full line of bodyworn cameras, mobile video recorders for each patrol vehicle, and a digital evidence library to archive the massive amounts of data. Other grants were recently awarded, which have enabled the department to purchase updated equipment and weapons Ultimately these improvements would require the guidance from a newlyaligned command structure to include chief, sergeant, corporal, and a vital detective position to confront the daily challenges of criminal investigations. In February 2021, Oxford Borough assigned a full time detective to investigate major crimes and foster a regional collaboration to solve crimes. Later in the same year, Oxford Borough approved the promotion of Sergeant Chris Coverly to oversee the detective unit and begin the police department’s next phase to a firm foundation in community oriented policing. Sergeant Coverly stressed, “I am excited to be part of this new era as our police department continues to collaborate with our law enforcement and first responder partners (Chester County Detectives, Pennsylvania State Police, West Nottingham Police Department, West Fallowfield Police Department, Oxford Area School Police, Union Fire Company, the Oxford Ambulance Company and Federal FBI partners in Newtown Square.) Coverly explained, “As the newly promoted Sergeant, I am focused on three areas for our police department: Community Policing, Criminal Investigations and Accreditation.” Coverly continued, “First, I will always have a primary focus that encourages community policing as the forefront to prevent crime.” Currently, Coverly has five officers directly assigned to C.O.P. (Community Oriented Policing) to perform foot patrols in the schools, Lighthouse Youth Center, Business District, and to meet with community leaders to address quality of life issues that arise. These officers participate in school assemblies for subjects like Stranger Danger, Online Safety, Bullying, and Drug/Alcohol Awareness. There are also programs for parents and teachers such as, “What is Hiding in Plain Sight?” which is a program to talk to adults about what is trending in the community related to teenagers, including issues such as self- harm, online pitfalls, drugs, etc. Officer Shakira Greer continues with the annual OPD Toy Give-away. With help from local businesses, the Christmas gift giving parade within the Borough of Oxford fosters direct interaction with children. This year, OPD provided training to Continued on Page 72
Continued from Page 70 Officer Chris Galle to be an instructor for a program called, “IMPACT TEEN DRIVING”. This program develops, promotes, and facilitates evidence-based education to stop the number one killer of teens—car crashes, particularly those caused by reckless and distracted driving. According to Coverly, this Officer will collaborate with Oxford Area School Police and the PA State Police to develop a presentation for students behind the wheel to assist them with the “Do’s and Don’ts” of getting pulled over, and help answer questions teens have from police, related to underage drinking and accident statistics. Also planned is a pre-prom public safety announcement or demonstration for consequences to drinking and driving during prom. Another officer in the department enthused about sharing his experience is Corporal Scott Brown, now in his 23rd year in Oxford. Oxford is his hometown and most of the residents know him, so being a community police officer came naturally to him. “Working in my hometown is a blessing. I have a history here and that has come in handy on many occasions,” he said. Brown’s knowledge of the town is an asset helping with the many community events, such as First Fridays, parades or special holiday activities. Knowing the people, the generations of families, the struggles and successes also helps when it is necessary to resolve tense situations. Having intimate knowledge of the people in the community can sometimes create an instant trust during a delicate situation. “We do so much more than make arrests,” he said. “We are here to protect
Oxford Mayor Philip Harris and Police Chief Sam Iacono.
and serve and we take that duty very seriously. Now that the community is without a local hospital, having knowledge of residents with medical issues, or requiring special life-saving equipment can help save a life if the ambulance is called to aid.” His continued training helps him recognize the changing trends in policing work. “Just five years ago our primary focus included drugs, its domestic abuse and crimes against children. Keeping in mind domestic abuse isn’t just between husbands and wives, boyfriends and girlfriends, now it is families. The recent pandemic has increased domestic abuse with families being out of work, staying home with school closures, and being sick. You have to stay educated on this job to keep others and yourself safe,” he explained. Corporal Brown is excited to share his Continued on Page 74
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Oxford Police Department
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experience with the newly hired police officers including one now currently in the field training program. Sergeant Coverly continued to say, “Oxford Borough is a 1.9 square mile island and has become self-sustaining due to the generous equipment upgrades. Due to that generosity of donors, the OPD has one of the best evidence processing labs in the county. However, that being said, they are extremely fortunate to continue their relationship with the Chester County Detectives, and the PA State Police in Avondale, as they collaborate to solve crimes in the regional area.” This leads Coverly to his second area of focus, that when crime does occur, it is imperative that criminal cases are investigated with due diligence to ensure justice is served for all. In February 2022, Officer Adam Weaver was assigned as detective to handle all major cases and continue to develop the department’s Crime Scene Investigation skills. Technology continues to be any law enforcements’ largest challenge and financial burden. However, the OPD is committed to sending their officers
Offi cer Joe Devlin, Oxford Police Department
and investigators to the most up to date trainings to enhance their abilities to a capture and prosecute the offenders. Coverly was pleased to say, “We have implemented new scheduling software,
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training software, created a digital evidence workspace, established our command structure and developed a support staff”. One item that has changed the trajectory of the OPD is the launching of Crimewatch. Through that platform, the Oxford Police Department have become more transparent to the community. The public has immediate access to who is getting arrested/charged, current police events, and active investigations. This allows the community to submit timely tips to solve cases faster. The public is encouraged to follow them at: www. oxfordboropd.org By the time the Spring 2022 Oxfordian is published, the Oxford Police Department will have a new registry, the Special Needs Registry, added to their Crimewatch page. It is called: “Handle with Care”, and will enable community members to have peace of mind for their loved ones with Alzheimer’s, dementia, autism, etc., who may inadvertently wonder off in the community. Family members will be able to upload a photo, emergency contact, and let officers know favorite items or conversations their loved ones are comfortable talking about until they are reunited. “Our third area of focus is to insure our department is held at the highest standards for best police practices.” Coverly said. “This year the OPD will be seeking accreditation to secure PLEAC (Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission) which will allow the department to maintain the best police policies and practices specially tailored to the Oxford community. That process of PLEAC could take 12-18 months to complete. Chief Iacono said, “The process itself is a top to bottom department review of equipment, building, polices, standards, and implementing current best practices in today’s current policing model.” PLEAC started in July 2001 through the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association and since then 375 agencies have enrolled and 134 agencies currently maintain accreditation status out of 1,117 police agencies in Pennsylvania. Chief Iacono said, “From the men and women of the Oxford Police Department, we look forward to your cooperation. Together we can control crime. Our appreciation goes to those individuals who make every attempt to better our community.”
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Detective Adam Weaver, Oxford Police Department
