American Brass Company employees outside the Kenosha plant

Creator

American Brass Company

Date

• ca. 1913

Summary

• Employees of the American Brass Company assembled outside the Kenosha plant. Circa 1913.
• The American Brass Company was based in Connecticut and active from 1893 to 1960. It was the first large brass manufacturing firm in the United States, and for much of its existence was the largest brass manufacturer in the country. In 1912, companies held by American Brass were dissolved and all of the firm's divisions began operating under this name. Expansion also occurred with the acquisition of the Chicago Brass Company located in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
• Kenosha was home to one of the American Brass Company's leading branches. In its early years, the plant covered an entire block and was primarily a one-story structure of steel, supplied with a sprinkler system and other equipment that safeguarded the employees as well as the materials and building. The Kenosha branch manufactured brass sheets, rods, tubes and bars which were sold to manufacturers and their output was distributed across the United States. Raw materials were converted into finished products using the most modern methods and processes. At one time, 1,800 people were employed, 20 percent being skilled labor. A night school for workers exemplified the firm's commitment to quality and innovation.
• In 1922, the Anaconda Copper Mining Company (of Montana) acquired American Brass, one of the largest deals in American business up to that time. It used American Brass' position as the dominant firm in the industry to engage in price fixing. The company name was changed in 1960 to Anaconda American Brass.
• Established in 1886 by the Chicago Brass Company as one of the largest and best-equipped brass and copper mills in the country, this plant, which grew over the decades to 30 acres (about 12 city blocks), finally closed in 1999. The City of Kenosha acquired the property in 2002 and used a Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund grant, funding from the State of Wisconsin, and local resources to conduct a site assessment, perform demolition and cleanup work, and create a redevelopment plan for the neighborhood.