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The H. Barkow Company was one of a handful
of heavy truck
and wagon manufacturers active in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the late
Nineteenth
and early Twentieth Century. Unlike the bulk of his competitors,
Barkow’s
offspring successfully adapted the business over to manufacturing
bodies for
auto trucks and today H. Barkow Inc. is a leading supplier of specialty
transport
equipment for the glazing industry. Operated nationally with four
branches in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Upland, California; Norristown, Pennsylvania; and
Lancaster Texas.
Its founder, Herman August William Barkow,
was born in November
of 1844 in Kammin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany to Johann and
Sophie
Fredericke (Damstreich) Barkow. Trained in the Friedrich Krupp works as
a
wheelwright and wagon maker, he emigrated to the United States in 1869
and took
a position with a currently undiscovered Milwaukee wheelwright and
wagon
builder.
In 1872 he was united in marriage to
21-year-old Wilhelmine
aka ‘Minnie’ (Schmidt - b. Jul.1850-d.1924) another recent German
immigrant.
Over the next two decades their union was blessed by the birth of
eleven children:
William F. (b.1873-d.1947); John P. (b.1875-d.1936); Frederick Carl (b.
1876-d.1934); Henry Martin (b.1878-d.1957); Herman Arthur
(p.1880-d.1917);
Arthur (b.1883-d.1885); Edwin Gerhardt (b.1885-d.1934); Wilhelimine
(aka
Minnie, b.1887-d.19??); Martha Elisabeth (b. 1890-d.1893); Erwin
Richard Paul
(b.1893-d.1894); and an un-named female (d. at birth in 1896) Barkow.
On February 12th, 1879, Herman August Barkow
started
manufacturing heavy and light wagons, trucks, steel wheelbarrows, and
coal
carts on his own accord at 193-197 Milwaukee Street. The original
wooden
structure was destroyed in the Great Milwaukee Fire of October 28th,
1892, but
it was soon rebuilt as a two-story brick structure 60 ‘x 125’, and
within a
matter of months was back in operation.
An 1896 history of Milwaukee provides the
following
description of the Barkow Works:
“HERMAN BARKOW Wagons; Nos. 193
to 197 Milwaukee
Street
“A branch of industry which has attained
extensive
proportions in the 'Cream City' is the manufacture of wagons, and
among the number engaged in this line there is perhaps not one more
widely
known than Herman Barkow. He turns out very excellent work, and
sustains a
reputation second to none in the business. He is a manufacturer of
heavy and
light wagons and trucks, steel wheelbarrows, and coal carts, and the
vehicles
built by him are unsurpassed for strength, ease of draft and
workmanship. He is
also manufacturer of Barkow's patent Axle and skein support, and
Barkow's
patent coupling lock for tanks and tubs, and his productions, which
possess
distinctly meritorious features, are in use all over the United States.
Mr. Barkow, who was born in Germany, has lived in this city
since
1868. He is a practical wheelwright and a man of untiring industry, as
well as
of skill and experience, and is a popular and respected citizen. He
started in
business February 12th, 1879, at the present location, and was burned
out here
in the great fire of October 28th, 1892. Although he sustained a loss
of over
$10,000, he applied himself at once to the building of a new shop, and
in a
month or so was again in full operation. His factory is a two-story
brick
structure, 60x125 feet, and is well equipped. He employs a number of
skilled
mechanics, and is assisted in the business by his two sons, both of
whom are
practical workmen. Estimates are furnished by him on application, and
complete satisfaction
assured.”
Fred C. and William F. were the two sons
mentioned above,
and in 1910, the year they constructed their first auto truck body, the
US Federal
Census listed four Barkows as being involved in the wagon works:
“Herman A. Barkow (65yo) wagon works; wife,
Minnie S.(59yo);
Gerhardt E. (24yo); Minnie E.(22yo).
“Herman A. Barkow jr. (29yo) painter at
wagon works; wife,
Clara J. (25yo); Armond G. (4mo old).
“Fred C. Barkow (33yo) wagon works; wife, Alvina (29yo); Alvin (4yo);August (2yo)
“William F. Barkow (37yo) wagon works; wife,
Ida (36yo);
Helena (12yo); Hilda (9yo); Walter (5yo);Edna (3yo).”
Shortly thereafter Barkow constructed their
first known glazing
body (sheet glass carrier) on an unknown circa 1910 truck chassis.
Although this
early
body was constructed using a wooden framework, Barkow would later
expand into
the manufacture of glazing bodies and trailers constructed of steel,
stainless
steel and aluminum.
Like its competitor Charles Abresch Co,
Barkow also built
numerous commercial bodies on Kissel truck chassis. The January 1914
issue of
the Hub announced the firm’s incorporation as a stock company:
“The H. Barkow Co. has been
incorporated at
Milwaukee, Wis., to handle wagons, carriages and automobiles, capital
$15,000,
by Louis Lee, M. J. Lippert and Louis F. Koenig.”
The June 1, 1917 issue of the Automobile
Trade Journal announced
the passing of the founder's youngest son, Herman A. Barkow Jr.:
“Herman A. Barkow, Jr., of the H.
Barkow Co.,
Milwaukee, Wis., died on April 25th.”
A 1919 directory lists the firm’s
officers as:
“Herman
A. Barkow, Sr., pres.; “William F. Barkow vice-president; Fred
C. Barkow,
treas., sec. and pur. agt.”
Later that year, on October
29, 1919, the senior Barkow died and his eldest son,
William F. Barkow, assumed the presidency. Longtime employee John A.
Giebish
was elected vice-president and Fred C. Barkow retained his opposition
as
secretary-treasurer.
The three principals were profiled in a 1922
History of
Milwaukee as follows:
WILLIAM F. BARKOW.
“William F. Barkow is engaged in
the manufacture
of automobile bodies in Milwaukee and his business is the
outgrowth of one
of the old-time enterprises of the city, a wagon manufacturing concern
that was
established in 1879. Mr. Barkow has always been a resident
of Milwaukee, his birth having here occurred February 10,
1873, his
parents being Herman and Minnie (Schmidt) Barkow, both of
whom were
natives of Germany. The mother arrived in Milwaukee in 1858.
It was a
decade later when Herman Barkow came to this city and here he
established a wagon shop in 1879 at No. 195 Milwaukee street.
He began
the business in a small way, owing to his limited capital, but was
progressing
nicely when the third ward fire occurred and destroyed his plant. This
was in
1892 and his losses were so heavy that he was again forced to establish
his
business on a small scale. Gradually, however, he built up the trade
and the
nature of the business was changed to meet the demands along the lines
of
automobile sales rather than wagons. In 1914 the business was
incorporated
under the name of the H. Barkow Company, builders of
automobile
bodies, with Herman Barkow as president; William
F. Barkow as
vice president; and Fred C. Barkow as secretary and
treasurer. Upon
the death of Herman Barkow, October 26, 1919, William
F. Barkow became president. Their plant covers a ground space
two
hundred and forty by one hundred and twenty feet and they are enjoying
a
notable trade, their sales having rapidly increased year by year. The
business
is capitalized for one hundred and fifty thousand dollars and their
output is
sent to all parts of the United States and Canada and to various
sections of
the world through the automobile and truck manufacturers.
“In the year 1897 Mr. Barkow was
married to Miss
Ida Meschke, a daughter of Charles Meschke of Hubbleton, Wisconsin, and
they
have become the parents of eight children: Helen, the wife of A. J.
Hess;
Hilda; Esther, who has passed away; Walter; Edna; Arthur; Lydia; and
Carl. The
religious faith of the family is indicated in their connection with the
Nazareth Lutheran church.
“In politics Mr. Barkow has always
been a
republican since age conferred upon him the right of franchise, but the
honors
and emoluments of office have had no attraction for him, as he has
never been
an aspirant for political preferment. He belongs to the Association of
Commerce
and through that agency supports all those forces and plans which make
for
public progress and improvement. His cooperation can at all times be
counted
upon to promote the public welfare and as a business man he has
contributed in
substantial measure to the material development
of Milwaukee.”
FRED C. BARKOW.
“Fred C. Barkow, secretary and
treasurer of the
H. Barkow Company, manufacturers of automobile bodies and
tops, was
born in Milwaukee, September 17, 1876, his parents being Herman and
Minnie
(Schmidt) Barkow, who were natives of Germany. The mother
arrived in
Milwaukee in 1858. It was a decade later when
Herman Barkow took up
his abode in this city, where he was afterward connected with
industrial
activity. In 1879 he established the Barkow wagon shop at No.
195
Milwaukee street and this constituted the nucleus of the present
enterprise, of
which Fred C. Barkow is one of the owners. The father began
business in a
small way but was making gratifying and substantial progress when in
1892 his
establishment was destroyed in the great third ward fire. This left him
with
comparatively little capital, so that he was again forced to begin
business in
a restricted way, but he gradually built up the enterprise and
continued its
further development, eventually transforming the output from wagons to
that of
automobile tops and bodies. In 1914 the business was incorporated under
the
name of the H. Barkow Company and as such has since been
continued.
The father, however, died October 26, 1919.
“Fred C. Barkow obtained his early
education in
the parochial schools of Milwaukee but put aside his textbooks when
only
thirteen years of age and entered his father's shop. There he learned
the carriage making trade and since that time he has been
continuously connected with the business At the time of the
incorporation in
1914 under the name of the H. Barkow Company he became secretary and
treasurer
and has since occupied this official connection with the enterprise The
company
has a large plant two hundred and forty by one hundred and twenty feet
supplied
with the latest improved machinery for the building of automobile
bodies and
the business is capitalized for one hundred and fifty thousand dollars
Their
output is sold to automobile and truck manufacturers and in this way
reaches to
all parts of the United States Canada and various sections of the world
The
vice president of the company is John A. Giebish who has been
superintendent of
the paint department for eighteen years He learned his trade with the
house and
became vice president at the death of Herman Barkow It was in the year
1905
that Fred C. Barkow was united in marriage to Miss Alvina Rose a
daughter of
August Rose of Milwaukee and they have become parents of five children
Alvin
August Elizabeth Minnetta and Herman The parents are members of the
Bethany
Lutheran Evangelical church Mr. Barkow votes with the republican party
and on
the whole endorses its principles yet does not consider himself bound
by party
ties He is ready at all times to support any project of progressive
citizenship
and stands loyally in support of those interests which are a matter of
civic
virtue and of civic pride.”
JOHN A. GIEBISH
“John A. Giebish is the vice president of
the H. Barkow
Company builders of automobile bodies in Milwaukee He was well trained
for the
duties and responsibilities which now devolve upon him for in his youth
he
learned the carriage painting trade and has gradually advanced with the
increase of his powers and experience He was born in Milwaukee on the
8th of
June 1879 and is a son of Frank and Theresa Thoman Giebish, the former
a native
of Austria while the latter was born in Milwaukee. On leaving his
native land
Frank Giebish came to the new world and proceeded into the interior of
the
country settling in Milwaukee where he engaged in the liquor business
to the
time of his death. John A. Giebish obtained his education in the
thirteenth
ward school and in the Catholic parochial school and when his textbooks
were put
aside he learned the painter's trade In 1904 he entered the employ of
the H.
Barkow Company as a painter and has been associated with the business
continuously since, working his way upward to the position of
superintendent of
the paint department while upon the death of Herman Barkow, the founder
of the
business, he was elected to the vice presidency of the company which
position
he is now filling. His practical knowledge of the trade enables him to
direct
the services of many of the employes of the house which is now enjoying
an
extensive and growing business. On the 8th of June, 1904 Mr. Giebish
was united
in marriage to Miss Amalia Gormiller, a daughter of Casper Gormiller of
Milwaukee. They now have two children Edward and Victor. The religious
faith of
the family is that of the Catholic church and Mr. Giebish also has
membership
with the Catholic Order of Foresters, the Catholic Knights of Wisconsin
and St.
Joseph's Benevolent Society. Fraternally he is connected with the
Benevolent
Protective Order of Elks and politically he maintains an independent
course.
The activities of his life however have been concentrated upon business
and
today the major part of his time and attention is given to the
management of
the interests of the H. Barkow Company. He has fifteen high class
painters
under his supervision in the paint shop doing expert work and the
company
enjoys in this regard a reputation second to none.”
During
the Depression the firm manufactured small wood-bodied convertible
travel trailers, and in the late Thirties converted regular and COE
truck cabs into crew cabs.
The Schlitz Beer Company maintained a
small fleet of
insulated 1938-1939 Dodge Airflow delivery trucks whose bodies were
constructed
by
Barkow and the firm later constructed a series of streamlined trucks
bodies for
Miller Beer and Oscar Mayer. Designed by Milwaukee resident Clifford
Brooks
Stevens, the unusual ice bodies constructed for Oscar Mayer were
described in a
1939 article in Ice and Refrigeration:
“Streamlined Ice Delivery Trucks Tell story
of Modernized
Service
“Said the Wisconsin State Journal recently
regarding this
latest edition to the Mayer fleet of 20 ice trucks operated in Madison:
'Both figuratively and literally speaking,
Oscar Mayer’s ice
service has gone streamlined!'
“With the addition of a new custom
built ice delivery
truck, the Oscar Mayer Ice Service of Madison, Wis., has definitely
taken
another step toward providing its customers with a completely
streamlined service.
The new truck, of which illustrations are reproduced below,
has
already attracted attention both locally and nationally. The truck was
constructed by the H. Barkow Co., of Milwaukee, and designed by Brooks
Stevens
of Milwaukee, industrial designer in collaboration with officials
of the
ice company. The unit, according to Glen F. Weld, ice service
manager, was designed
for maximum eye appeal and while the streamlined appearance is extreme,
no
sacrifice in capacity was made. The careful handling of curves,
mouldings,
fenders and paint scheme, helped to create the streamlined appearance
and to
give the truck an illusion of length and decreased height over its
short
99-inch wheel base. Chromed side lights, wheel discs, and mouldings,
together
with white-walled tries and careful balancing of the paint and
lettering
scheme, give the truck a distinctive, refined appearance.
“Unusual Design Attracts
“According to reports from Joe Iverson,
driver of the new streamlined
unit, which made its initial appearance on Madison streets early in
December,
the new truck attracted much attention:
“‘This streamlined ice-delivery
truck sets a new
pace in modern customer service,’ says Joe Iverson, driver of this new
International, which made its appearance on the streets of Madison,
Wis., last
November.
“'The truck’s unusual design and its striking
color combination
must be the attraction that causes people to gather around whenever I
stop to
make an ice delivery,' Iverson said. The short wheel base and
cab-over-engine
chassis gives him clear vision and enables easy turning of the truck
even in
crowded areas.
“The new unit was designed and built over an
International
cab-over-engine 99-inch wheelbase truck. The body is insulated with a
2-inch
Dry-Zero blanket in the walls and a corkwood and welded metal floor.
The
telescopic covering is effected through a rolled water-proof canvas
cover over
the streamlined tail which folds up to a three-piece, sliding wood
cover over
the flat area on top. This enclosed area will keep the ice clean and
well preserved
during delivery. The body has a waterproof veneer interior and is
equipped with
side rails, floor racks and a drain.
“Because the walls and floor are heavily
insulated, and
because of the efficient cover design, they find that they have the
effect of a
completely closed job, yet giving them the accessibility of an open top
truck.
There is enough headroom in the body to carry block ice covered with a
tarpaulin, and bushel cube containers, or fifty and one hundred pound
crushed
ice containers stacked on top of the ice. The average daily load at the
present
time, consists of about 4,400 lbs. of block ice, 1,000 lbs. of crushed
ice and
approximately six bushels of cubes. This body design gives practically
the same
results as are obtained with a sliding top ice chest. The color scheme
is
carried out in two shades of green, aluminum moldings, spun aluminum
wheel
discs and running lights. The folding canvas, which is connected to the
last
sliding top panel, follows the contour of the rear and is so designed
that it
will stay put at any position desired.”
Fred C. Barkow’s son, Alvin H. Barkow (b.
Feb. 12, 1906-d.
Aug. 4, 1888), assumed ownership of the firm during the Second World
War. In 1947 his brother, August G. Barkow
(b.1908),
resigned to establish his own firm that specialized in the manufacture
of
shipping boxes and containers.
The August G. Barkow Mfg.
Co., 2230 S. 43rd St. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
later engaged in the manufacture of refrigerators – ‘Ben Bar’ – and air
conditioning units – although export packaging & international
freight forwarding
remained their primary focus. A 1980 listing provides the following
officers: President,
Richard C. Barkow; Vice President, R.
F. Barkow; Export
Manager, Joseph A. Visintainer; Purchasing Agent,- Jack Lindstrom.
Alvin H. Barkow’s son, Tom Barkow, took the
helm following
his retirement in 1973. A graduate of Purdue University with a degree
in
electrical engineering, Tom Barkow enlisted in the Navy for four years
before
joining his father in the family business, starting in production
before
eventually working his way into management. In 1973 he became the third
generation owner/president of H. Barkow. The company’s name changed to
F.
Barkow after it was sold in July of 1986 to its current owner, John R.
Weise. Barkow’s latest president was
mentioned
in a speech given by then-President George W. Bush on October, 3, 2003:
“Big John Weise is with us today. I say ‘Big
John’ because
he’s a big guy. His business is called F. Barkow, Inc. He helps
get glass
windows safely to factories and construction sites. This
company has been
doing this for 125 years. They have gone from
horse-drawn carriages to now make products for trucks to move
glass.
“He told me as a result of the tax plan
passed by Congress,
now in effect, that he is going to purchases a turret press to replace
the one
that his company has had in place since 1971. Somebody is going to have
to make
that turret press for him. There’s somebody who’s getting a job because
John
has decided to make an additional purchase because of a tax relief
plan.”
Today Barkow glass carriers and their
exclusive glass
holding system, featuring patented BARKLEATS®, BARPADS® and STAKE-LOC®,
are
specified and shipped around the world.
© 2013 Mark
Theobald for Coachbuilt.com
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