MEINARD RUMELY

and later on secured a position in Pittsburgh. He had learned the
machinist trade and his positions were in plants where mechanics
were employed. His desire was to go further west, so he went to
Chicago, but did not like it and pushed on to Milwaukee, later on
going to St. Paul. He then visited Lafayette, and while there was
induced to come to La Porte, Indiana. This was in 1853 when the
place was but a small town. Shortly after his arrival in La Porte,
Meinard Rumely induced his brother, John, to come to La Porte. John
hat’ come from Germany and was working for his brother in
Canton, Ohio. The two brothers opened a machine repair shop. As the
business increased the brothers took up manufacture of
horsepower’s and sugar cane crushers. The firms name was M
& J Rumely. In 1857 the making of threshing machines was
commenced and from that time on the plant grew and flourished. Its
products became known in every clime where grain was harvested, and
where steam engines are used, for the goods bear the stamp of
stability and thorough workmanship up on them. In 1882 Meinard
Rumely purchased the interest of his brother John Rumely, who died
February 9, 1894, when M. Rumely Company was incorporated for a
quarter of a million dollars, with Meinard Rumely as president and
general manager. These positions he filled until his death.
Previous to his illness he devoted much of his time to the
management of the large plant and every day found him at the works
carefully noting all that transpired and giving directions. No
change or improvement was undertaken excepting under the direction
of the president whose heart was in the institution that he had
watched grow as a father would a child.

‘Had Meinard Rumely survived another year and twenty days
more he and his wife would have celebrated the golden wedding
anniversary of their marriage, for on April 19, 1855, at Canton,
Ohio, Rev. Father Arnold united in marriage Theresa Fierstos and
Meinard Rumely. It was a union blessed with all that was noble and
good. Of the nine children that were born to the couple, eight, all
of whom are an honor to their parents, survive, with their
mother.

‘Mr. Meinard Rumely was a deeply religious man. He was one
of the few remaining charter members of St. Joseph’s Catholic
Church. He was always liberal in his gifts to the parish. He took
an active part in the establishment of the Holy Family
Hospital.

‘The beginning of his career also marks the beginning of the
manufacture of threshing machinery and hence he was a pioneer in
that industry, which has become one of the largest and most
important in the United States. He belongs to the same industrial
era which produced a J. I. Case, a Hiram Birdsell, a Cornelius
Aultman, an Abram Gaar, a Frederick Robinson, a John Nichols, an A.
W. Stevens, a George Frick, and an Edward Huber.

‘The large plant was operated throughout with Rumely boilers
generating the steam.

‘Three hundred and fifty men were their average
employees.

‘The Rumely was a locomotive style boiler. They also built
return flue and straw burners for the northwest trade. They also
manufactured the Ruth Feeder.’