Louis Henry Thurow

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Winona, Winona County, Minnesota, USA; proprietor, Thurow box company
• _UID: 0293EABA7ED54401859603B38741F1CA2519
• Immigration: 1877
• Residence: 1912-1937, Winona, Winona County, Minnesota, USA, 153 Harriet Street

Notes:

From The History of Winona County Minnesota, compiled by Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge, Editor in Chief, Assisted by William Jay Whipple, Reviewer of Manuscripts and a Large Corps of Local Contributors, Illustrated, Volume II, Chicago, H.C. Cooper Jr. and Co., 1913 (Copy in Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul), page 694:

Louis H. Thurow, extensive box manufacturer, was born in Pomerania, Germany, September 14, 1860, son of William and Wilhelmina (Voght) Thurow. He received a good education in the old country and learned his trade as a cabinetmaker. At the age of eighteen he came to Winona from Germany, and secured work in a flour mill for several years. Then he entered the employ of the Bohn Manufacturing Co., and remained in its employ for twenty-seven years. In 1907 he started a box manufacturing plant at 625 West Tenth Street. The business grew immediately, and is now one of Winona's large industries. The present shops are located on West Third street, at the corner of Wilson. Mr. Thurow is the sole owner and proprietor. He manufactures wooden boxes, box "shocks," crates, beer and soda cases, window and door frames, poultry coops and the like. Mr. Thurow is a member of the Dryads and of the Eureka Club. The subject of this sketch was married in May, 1885, to Emma Staack, daughter of M. Staack. Mr. and Mrs. Thurow have seven children: Herbert, Otto, William, Clara, Laura. Gertrude and Hildred. William Thurow died in Germany, in 1870, at the age of forty-six years. His wife Wilhelmina died in Germany, in 1911, at the age of sixty-eight. Louis H. was the only one of the family who came to America.

From the Winona Republican-Herald, 6 Mar 1907, p. 3:

AN INDUSTRY FOR WINONA

A Small Factory is to be Operatin in
This City by Two
Local Men
---------
MAKE EUREKA MOP WRINGER

The Device is Practical One and is
Being Received With Much Favor
--- Many of the Machines Are Now
in Use Here.
---------
A new manufacturing industry is now being started in Winona on a small scale with every prospect that it will grow to much larger proportions. The gentlemen back of the enterprise are L. Thurow and Arthur J. Smith, and the article which they have started to make is the Eureka mop wringer. The device is a practical one and has already found much favor with those who have given it a trial. It is the invention of Mr. Thurow. The first machine was made in WInona about four months ago.
The many good points of the device and the favor with which it has been received have encouraged Messsrs. Thurow and Smith to engage in its manufacture. Up to the present time they have had the machine made at some of the woodworking plants in the city, but now they have decided to engage in its manufacture themselves, and have accordingly proceeded to the erection and equipment of a small factory budiling and expect to begin making the mop wringers in a about a week or two. The factory builing is located on West Howard street and is a frame structure 20 by 35 feet in size and two stories high. The manufacturing business will be carried on on the ground floor and the second floor will be used for storage. An electric motor will furnish the desired power.
There are already fifty of these machines in use in WInona and these are creating a demand for more. At the courthouse and the Winona they are in use. A few shipments have been made outside the city. Withe the completion and equipment of the factory building an endeavor will be made to push the sale of the machines, and it is expected the business will grow very considerably in the near future.
The Eureka mop wringer is buildt and designed for speed, durability, service and strength. With it a a wonderful pressure is produced with only light leverage power aided by four rollers. Large rollers spread the mop and small rollers regulate the speed. The machine is being made in three different sizes, ten inch for flat or residnece use, twelve inch a medium size for general work, and the large fourteen inch for all around work. The movement of the mop thru the rollers is produced by turning a small crank, doing away with the use of both feet and also the strain of the back. The two main rollers of the wringer are of hardwood. The first or feed roller is deeply corregated as to more easily raise the mop thru the rollers. Both rollers are deeply grooved on each side crossways so to prevent the water from flowing over the edges of the pail. The pail may be quickly changed or emptied without moving any part of the wringer.

From the Winona Republican-Herald, 17 Oct 1907, p. 8:

INDUSTRY OF BOX MAKING
---------
Has Been Started in Winona and Ap-
pears to Have Bright
Future
---------
STARTED BY LOUIS THUROW

If it Secures the Home Patronage it
Deserves it Should Become a Very
Successful Undertaking - On West
Howard Street
---------
A manufacturing industry which has been started on a small scale but for which there appears to be a large field if the encouragement of home patronage is bestowed is being carried on by Louis Thurow at 625 West Howard street. Mr. Thorow has engaged in the manufacture of boxes. He has since the winter been associated wtih A.J. Smith in the making of patent mop wringers, and now the box making will be carried on at the same place, but it is expected to enlarge the industry considerably.
While Mr. Thurow has been interested in this business for some little time the work has been done by Charles Beeman, but now Mr. Thorow has resigned his poisition with the Empire Lumber company and is giving his whole time to this work. At present Mr. Beeman is not there owing to an injury he recently received to one of his fingers, but when he has recovered from this he will return.
The box factory is now at work on a large order received from the Interestate Packing company for crates for its products. The demand for these creates will be more or less permanent and will alone give quite a little business to the factory. THre are many other manufacturing institutions here which use a good many boxes in the shipment of their product and Mr. Thurow proposed to docnuct his buisness in such a way as to merit and receive this patronage.
The quarters at present occupied on West Howard street are a two story barn. The lower floor of this has been fitted up into a workshop, and the upper floor is used for storage. For the present it is large enough to meet needs, but if the business grows enlarged quarters will be provided as necessary. Mr. Thorow, who has carefully looked over the ground, figures that there is plenty of business in this line in Winona to give steady employment to at least eight hands and he hopes to work up to the point where this number will be engaged.
Meanwhile the manufacture of the mop wringers will not be abandoned. An extended writeup of these wringers and their particular merits was given in these columns last spring. There are quite a number of these wringers now in use in Winona and they have received the hearty endorsement of those using them. As their merits become better known outside the city the demand for them is expected to increase. As yet they have been but little represented on the road. But by pushing their sale the number to be made could be increased quite materially
Many a large manufacturing institution has grown from such a small beginning as this and Winona desires to encourage small as well as large manufacturing institutions.

(Medical):He lost four fingers of his right hand in an accident with a circular saw in his box company on 6 Oct 1910 according to a story in the Winona Republican-Herald on 7 Oct 1910, p. 3.

Immigration:
From Germany

Louis married Emma Lenore Staack on 24 May 1883 in Winona, Winona County, Minnesota, USA. Emma (daughter of Mathias Staack and Mary Peterson) was born on 23 Dec 1859 in Winona, Winona County, Minnesota, USA; died on 7 Nov 1941 in Winona, Winona County, Minnesota, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Herbert Richard S. Thurow was born on 8 Feb 1884; died on 13 May 1969 in Winona, Winona County, Minnesota, USA; was buried in Winona, Winona County, Minnesota, USA, Woodlawn Cemetery.
2. Clara Thurow was born on 13 Aug 1885 in Winona, Winona County, Minnesota, USA; died on 13 Jan 1966 in Ojai, Ventura County, California, USA.
3. Laura M. Thurow was born on 11 Nov 1887 in Winona, Winona County, Minnesota, USA; died on 3 Sep 1990 in Winona, Winona County, Minnesota, USA; was buried in Winona, Winona County, Minnesota, USA, Woodlawn Cemetery.
4. Otto Fredrick Thurow was born on 17 Jul 1889 in , , Minnesota, USA; died on 31 May 1974 in Fresno, Fresno County, California, USA; was buried in Fresno, Fresno County, California, USA, Liberty Veterans Cemetery.
5. Gertrude Helen Thurow was born on 18 Feb 1891 in Winona, Winona County, Minnesota, USA; died on 13 Oct 1976 in Winona, Winona County, Minnesota, USA.
6. William Julius Thurow was born on 7 Feb 1893 in Winona, Winona County, Minnesota, USA; died on 7 Feb 1978 in Winona, Winona County, Minnesota, USA; was buried in Winona, Winona County, Minnesota, USA, Woodlawn Cemetery.
7. Hildred Rosamond Thurow was born on 25 Sep 1897 in Winona, Winona County, Minnesota, USA; was christened on 24 May 1898 in Winona, Winona County, Minnesota, USA; died on 30 Aug 1993 in Winona, Winona County, Minnesota, USA; was buried in Winona, Winona County, Minnesota, USA, Woodlawn Cemetery.

Other Events and Attributes:

• _UID: 1BCE5B92410240CBA1C1467352B62D41B522

William + Wilhelmina Voght. Wilhelmina was born about 1843 in , , , Germany; died in 1911 in , , , Germany. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• _UID: A0BCCB4E16FA44FA8609695776FDA0E60BD9