Harrington news

Harrington United

Methodist Church

Sunday, January 31, 2016, marked the close of 12.5 years of faithful service of Pastor Cyndi Wutz to the Harrington United Methodist Church and the Zion Rocklyn United Methodist Church. At 9:30 a.m., Pastor Cyndi preached her final sermon, “God Be With You,” to a full church, complemented by the Community Church congregation joining for the occasion of her retirement. By request, Terry Battermann performed on his guitar “A Prayer Like Any Other.” Linda Wagner played “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen and an arrangement, “Joyful, Joyful.” During the service, Grace Moeller provided “Reflections on Our Ministry,” an overview of the past 12.5 years. The youths of the Sunday School sang a special song.

The Zion-Rocklyn church presented the pastor with a framed picture of their country church, and the Harrington congregation gave her a picnic basket of goodies. Pastor Cyndi was wearing a green stole that belonged to her mother, who had also been a Presbyterian minister. She performed the tradition of “Surrrendering the Stole” as she took it from her shoulders and wrapped it around her children’s hands. Vivacious and energetic as ever, Pastor Cyndi left the Harrington church and preached her final sermon at the Zion-Rocklyn church at 11 a.m. Following this service, she returned to Harrington from 12:30 to 2:30 where a short service was held at the Memorial Hall in which tributes by her children were made. A luncheon was prepared of ham, potatoes, pasta salads, veggie salads, fruit salads, rolls and a dessert of cupcakes decorated by Carolyn Mattozzi. About 100 people paid tribute to the dedication and service of Pastor Cyndi Wutz.

Harrington history

Hard drive? Thirty years ago, a hard drive was getting behind the steering wheel of a car and driving from Connecticut to Washington state in three days; and now, this writer has to admit that a hard drive is where my body goes to retrieve long-term memories of the history of the town. These memories were not available for last week’s news column, because, sadly the hard drive died. Isn’t modern technology wonderful? A secondary hard drive? Yes, that too is a learning curve, but it is every bit as reliable for memories as a normal hard drive. All that said, where did the Grainbelt Company emerge from in early Harrington history?

In the spring of 1905, Gordon, Throop & Company built up a small draper factory and machine shop. E.R. Gordon and D.R. Throop were both experienced Holt Harvester men out of California. “We Manufacture Drapers, Header Boxes, Wheat Racks, etc. Have just opened one of the best equipped machine shops in the county, having everything necessary to do manufacturing and repairing. Can handle the heaviest machinery. We guarantee all work. We Repair Combined Harvesters, Threshing Machines, Headers, etc. We propose to conduct a complete machine and repair shop and will always be found at home. We are fitted up with steam hammers, steam drills, planing and band saws and all other accessories. Gordon, Throop & Co.” (Citizen ad of 7-28-1905)

In 1906, Delwin L. Wolfe, formerly of Almira, became the third member of the firm, having incorporated with a capital stock of $25,000. Shortly after he joined the firm in February, the company struck artesian water, which was the second to occur in Harrington. The first was by C.E. Keeran just south of this new one.

Gordon, Throop & Wolfe Co. was sold to L.A. Dunning and Chas. Erich in 1909. “Drapers For Any Machine. We make them and that is a guarantee that they are the best that money can buy. Leave your order with us early. Mail orders given prompt attention. All kinds Harvester repairing. Dunning & Erich. Harvesters Rebuilt. Gordon-Throop-Wolf Co.’s Old Stand. Harrington, Wash.” (Citizen: 5-28-1909)

By 1910 they had built their first Harrington Harvester and ads carried their name as Harrington Combined Harvester Manufacturing Company. By 1911, they incorporated another company, The Farmers Harvester Extras Company with a capital of $40,000. In 1913, Dunning and Erich contemplated moving their factory but decided to remain permanently in Harrington. In 1914, they dissolved the “Extras” corporation. During 1919 and 1920, at which time C.A. Erich held controlling interest in the company, bonds were being issued and sold for a company conservatively estimated to be valued at $212,000.

For several months during the transition of stocks, the factory was essentially motionless. “The giant is only sleeping. All it needs is a financial stimulus.” Assets were valued at $370,000 and liabilities were only $125,000. The Harrington Commercial Club stepped up with funding and renamed the enterprise The Harrington Manufacturing Company, incorporated under said name, with E.E. Lambirth, C.A. Erich, C.D. Ellis, E.N. Imus and W.W. Downie as signees.

The new company continued until September 8, 1923, when the main building of the factory caught fire. On two previous occasions fire had threatened the building, one a grass fire that did not reach the buildings, and another that was inside which the employees were able to control before the fire department arrived. This fire’s estimated cost “was $200,000 and $225,000 with insurance close to $40,000 on the building and contents. The main loss was the building and patterns. Other major losses were two harvesters, a track-laying tractor, the heating plant, machinery equipment and supplies.” In spite of offers from other towns and cities to move the factory to their locations, the November 9, 1923 headline read “Hammers Ringing at Factory.” The factory was not moving its location and was back to work.

C.D. Ellis, manager of the Harrington Manufacturing Company for six years, purchased the entire physical assets of the plant for $20,000 in October 1926. In 1930, the company was owned by Jake Lamparter, Emil Jahn and John Norin. The foundry was again producing and filling orders. Jake Lamparter died in 1935. In 1947, Emil Jahn and John Norin were ready to retire. Harrington Manufacturing Company was sold to the Grainbelt Manufacturing Company, headed by A.B. Carlock, president; O.R. McKinney, vice president, and L.A. Wilson, secretary-treasurer, and included many local stockholders. One of their main expansion programs was to make hay bale loaders and bulkers. They continued the factory until 1949 when they sold to Birge-Swenson. They in turn sold in June of 1949 to Albert Armstrong and Del Dimig, hence the A & D Welding yet visible on the building. John Eckhart purchased A & D Welding in May 1960 following the death of Dimig.