The
Henry
Troemner
Company
The
Troemner
family
is
an
old
ancestral
line
of
Germany
and "its
representatives
have
distinguished
themselves
in
that
country
as
men
of
learning,
as
industrialists,
as
merchants,
as
professorial
figures,
and
as
educators."
Although
it
has
yet
to
be
confirmed,
it
is
believed
that
Henry
Troemner's
parents
were
Johann
Justus
Troemner
and
Catharina
Schneider
of Elnhausen,
jurisdiction
of
Marburg
in
the
Electorate
of Hesse,
Germany.
Henry
was
born
in
1809,
probably
in
or
close
to Elnhausen,
where
he
served
an
apprenticeship
of
eight
years
188
as
a
locksmith
or
machinist.
It
is
thought
that
Henry,
together
with
his
brother
John,
arrived
in
the
Port
of
New
York
on
or
about
May
18,
1832.
One
source
indicates
F.
Meyer
accompanied
them
to
the
United
States,
but
according
to
other
information,
Henry
met
F.
Meyer
after
coming
to
the
U.S.
Sometime
between
1832
and
1839
Henry
married
Catherine
Frederika
Ritter,
also
a
native
of
Germany.
According
to Godcharles,
they
lived
in
Camden,
New
Jersey
until
1844,
but
this
cannot
be
verified.
As
stated
by
the
Philadelphia
City
Directories,
John
Troenmer
worked
as
a
blacksmith
at
317
N.
Front
Street
from
1843
to
1845,
after
which
he
no
longer
appears
in
the
listings.
Henry
is
listed
as
a
scale
manufacturer
at 196
High
Street
from
1844
until
1852,
when
the
company
began
moving
to
different
quarters.
Godcharles states
that
until
sometime
in
1840,
the
principal
business
of
Henry
Troenmer
had
been
the
manufacture
of
sausages
and
that
he
was
one
of
the
first
to
make
sausages
in
this
country,
having
brought
the
knowledge
with
him
from
Germany.
He
is
also
credited
as
being
the
first
coffee
mill
owner
in
the
United
States.
Both
of
these
claims
are
certainly
subject
to
more
scrutiny;
it
is
hard
to
believe
that
no
one
was
making
sausage
or
owned
a
coffee
mill
in
the
United
States
at
that
time!
It
may
be
that
he
brought
over
a
special
recipe
for
German
sausage
and
that
he
gained
a
reputation
for
making
that.
It
could
also
be
that
he
was
the
first
to
"manufacture"
coffee
mills
in
this
country.
Certainly,
he
made
coffee
mills,
as
can
be
evidenced
by
the
accompanying
catalog
page.
It
has
also
been
stated
that
Troemner
worked
as
a
locksmith
during
the
construction
of
Girard
College
in
Philadelphia,
but
this
cannot
be
confirmed.
Henry
Troemner's
friendship
with
F.
Meyer
resulted
in
their
going
into
business
in
April
1840
as
F.
Meyer
and
Company
with
offices
on
Decatur
Street
(now
Marshall
St.).
Records
show
the
company
made
"prescription, jewelers
and grocers
scales
and
weights. ".
After
several
years,
Troemner
became
the
successor
to
this
business
and
although
the
name didn't change,
one
assumes
this
was
the
start
of
the
Troemner
Balance
Company.
Sometime
around
1844,
he
decided
to
establish
his
own
scale
and
balance
manufacturing
business
and
his
name
appears
in
the
1844
Philadelphia
Business
Directory
as
a
scale
manufacturer.
It
is
believed
he
established
his
first
office
with
$500
he
had
saved.
His
first
factory
was
located
at
196
High
Street
where
he
remained
until
1853,
when
he
moved
to
240
Market
Street.
At
this
time
he
employed
three
men
and
during
the
year
produced
goods
with
a
value
of
about
$5000.
During
one
year,
Troemner
encountered
many
obstacles
and
was
on
the
verge
of
discontinuing
his
business,
when
he
received
a
most
cheering
and
encouraging
letter
from
a
large
mercantile
house
in
New
York,
urging
him
to
maintain
his
special
line
of
manufacture.
This
letter
inspired
him
to
persevere
and
he
was
successful
in
overcoming
his
drawbacks
and
continued
to
thrive.
Not
long
thereafter.
he
received
a
contract
to
make
the
balances
for
the
U.S.
Mint
at
Philadelphia:
he
performed
his
work
so
satisfactorily
that
he
was
able
to
continue
making
bullion
balances
for
the
Treasury
Department.
"In
1857
he
constructed
all
the
balances.
weights.
etc..
required
for
the
U.S.
Mint,
Custom
Houses.
and
Repositories
and
several
scales
for
the
Mexican
Mint.
Some
of
the
balances
made
for
the
Assay
Office
in
New
York.
and
for
the
Branch
Mint
of
San
Francisco.
Troemner's
Special
Bullion
Balance
cost
as
much
as
$1,000,
and
one
made
several
years
prior
cost
$1.250.
Besides
balances
like
these,
which
must
turn
with
the
thousandth
part
of
a
grain,
Mr.
Troemner
constructs
Patent
Balances
that
will
weigh
twelve
tons.
"Henry
Troemner
probably
was
the
first
American
[manufacturer]
to
make
scales
on
the
principle
of
having
the
load
superimposed
on,
instead
of
being
suspended
from
the
beam,
the
invention
of
the
French
mathematician
G.
P.
Roberval
(1602-1675).
This
system
enabled
quicker,
if
not
as
accurate
weighing
although
the
Torsion
scale
which
was
later
developed
allowed
much
greater
precision
and
accuracy
in
the
type
of
scale
....
One
of
his
earliest
analytical
balances
is
illustrated
in
the
first
edition
(1888)
of
'Iron
Analysis',
by
Andrew
H.
Blair
(1848-1932),
the
noted
chemist
who
provided
America's
growing
iron
and
other
industries
with
analytical
methods. In
1858
Troemner
moved
to
710
Market
Street
in
Philadelphia,
establishing
an
office
and
factory.
He
built
his
first
major
factory
in
1862
on
the
northwest
comer
of
22nd
and
Master
Street
in
Philadelphia,
the
office
remaining
at
710
Market
Street.
At
some
time
during
these
early
years,
a
store
was
located
at
911
Arch
Street
Henry
and
Catherine
were
parents
of
thirteen
children:
William
Henry,
who
was
born
in
1839
worked
in
the
scale
company,
but
died
on
August
7,
1864,
predeceasing
Henry.
John
Louis,
born
June
2,
1841
(died
September
15,
1907)
worked
in
the
scale
factory,
married
Caroline
Kupfer
on
December
22,
1874.
Frederick
Washington
was
born
November
29,
1843
(died
April
7,
1902)
and
married
Eliza
B.
Stover.
He
worked
as
a
bookkeeper
at
the
scale
factory.
Charles
Edward
was
born
November
1850
in
Camden,
New
Jersey
(died
March
28,
1920)
and
married
Sarah
MUt
Margerum
on
January
24,
1877.
Franklin
Henry,
born
March
24,
1856
(died
March
5,
1892)
married
Emma
Zellor
on
June
27,
1883.
He
worked
for
the
scale
August
C.,
born
December
14,
1857
(died
May
25,
1935),
worked
for
the
scale
company
and
did
not
marry.
Robert
Wallace,
born
September
15,
1860
(died
April
21,
1877).
Two
daughters,
Emma
and
Lydia,
survived
to
adulthood
and
four
other
children
died
as
infants.
One
source
shows
that
sometime
prior
to
1870,
Henry
Troemner
worked
for
Becker
and
Sons
of
New
Rochelle,
New
York
as
journeyman
or
agent
for
their
analytical
and
assay
balances.
If
this
is
true,
it
was
perhaps
from
this
association
that
Troemner
got
the
idea
for
making
analytical
and
assay
balances
of
his
own
and
began
to
manufacture
them;
there
is
a
strong
resemblance
between
the
assay
balances
of
Becker
and
those
of
Troemner.
It
is
possible
that
a
connection
between
Henry
and
the
Becker
Company
was
established
when
the
Troemners
for
a
short
time
resided
in
Camden,
New
Jersey
(when
Charles
Edward
was
born).
However,
Henry
is
listed
in
the
Philadelphia
directory
continuously
from
1843
to
his
death
in
1873.
Additional
research
has
not
clarified
this
situation.
Upon
Henry's
death
in
1873,
his
wife
Catherine
inherited
the
business
and,
because
of
the
foundation
Troemner
had
built,
was
able
to
continue
quite
successfully.
In
1874
the
company
produced
scales
and
weights
with
a
cash
value
of
$165,000
and
gave
steady
employment
to
about
65
persons.
On
March
1,
1875,
Catherine's
three
oldest
sons
purchased
the
business
from
her
and
drew
up
Articles
of
Co-Partnership,
trading
as
Henry
Troenmer
in
the
manufacturing
of
scales,
weights
and
measures.
This
new
partnership
was
to
occupy
the
premises
of
No.
710
Market
Street
and
the
manufactory
at
22nd
and
Master
Street
in
Philadelphia.
Although
Henry
left
a
very
viable
business
and
Catherine
maintained
it,
much
credit
must
be
given
to
the
three
sons
for
continued
growth
and
expansion.
The
United
States
Centennial
Commission
at
the
International
Exhibition
of
1876
commended
the
Henry
Troemner
Company
"for
high
perfection
in
the
manufacture
of
balances
for
mint
and
assay
purposes,
as
well
as
of
a
great
variety
of
scales
for
druggists,
grocers,
and
other
dealers. "
In
1882
the
scale
works
at
1400
N.
22nd
Street
employed
50
men. A
quote
from
an
1889
publication
gives
evidence
of
continuing
quality
of
Troemner
balances.
"All
the
wood
used
by
the
house
in
the
manufacture
of
its
scale-boxes,
glass
cases,
etc.,
is
thoroughly
seasoned,
and
is
not
used
till
it
has
been
stored
for
five
years,
in
order
to
insure
against
all
shrinkage
and
warping.
All the marble work is the very best that can be produced, and is
polished
by
hand
with
putty
and
pumice.
Special
attention
is
given
to
the
superior
quality
of
'agate'
bearings,
as
in
damp
or
moist
climates
'agate'
is
invaluable,
as
it
will
not
rust
or
corrode
and
is
indestructible.
After
the
deaths
of
John
and
Frederick,
the
widows
were
bought
out
of
the
company
and
at
the
time
of
his
death
in
1920,
Charles
Troemner
was
apparently
sole
owner.
After
his
death,
the
company
was
managed
by
his
wife
Sarah
and
subsequently
by
their
daughter
Sarah
Edna.
Mr.
Laird
Park
purchased
the
company
in
1955,
at
which
time
it
was
incorporated.
The
business
continued
to
manufacture
precision
weights,
balances
and
laboratory
apparatus
at
6825
Greenway
Avenue,
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania.
The
company
is
still
thriving
today
under
the
name
"Troemner
Inc.",
operating
out
of
a
12,000
square
foot
factory
located
at
6825
Greenway
Avenue
in
Philadelphia.
In
addition
to
supplying
weights
and
laboratory
equipment,
the
company
provides
a
calibration
service,
checking
customers'
weights
against
its
own,
which
are
calibrated
by
the
National
Institute
of
Standards
and
Technology.
Henry
Troemner
was
by
far
the
most
prolific
of
balance
manufacturers
in
the
United
States,
making
scales
and
balances
for
almost
every
conceivable
use:
assay,
bullion,
analytical,
pharmaceutical,
egg,
yarn,
specific
gravity,
candy,
moisture,
babies,
photographic
uses,
diamond,
cream,
butter-fat,
silk,
hatter's
fur,
solder
testing,
sand,
hosiery,
paper
testing,
tack
-
nail
-
screw
count,
grain
tester,
and
others.
His
assay
balances
have
been
observed
quite
often
in
collections
and
in
various
sales
and,
although
the
company
never
seemed
to
have
developed
the
assay
balance
to
the
fine
art
achieved
by
William
Ainsworth,
George
Keller
and
Wilfred Heusser,
they
were
almost
as
widely
accepted.
Troemner's
early
bullion
balances
with
a
set
of
troy
weights
in
the
base
drawer,
although
rare,
remain
a
highly
desirable
and
collectible
balance
and
a
fine
example
of
the balance maker's
art.
Catalog
Record
By
1888,
the
James
W.
Queen
Company
was
offering
five
Troemner
models:
Nos.
1,
2,
3
(with
a
base
of
black
Belgian
marble),
5,
and
a
portable.
The
similarity
between
Nos.
1,
2,
and
3
and
the
Becker
models
is
apparent
and
lends
further
credence
to
the
supposition
that
Troemner
either
worked
for
Becker
or
sold
his
balances
for
a
short
time
before
beginning
to
construct his
own
models.
Model
No.
5
is
described
as
having
a
beam
and
hangers
made
of
pure
aluminum,
with
both
knife
edges
and
bearings
of
agate.
It
also
has
a
double
rider
arm.
The
beams
of
most
of
Troemner's
balances
at
this
time
were
made
of
aluminum.
Troemner
models
No.
1,
2,
3,
5
and
a
portable
were
shown
in
Henry
Heil's
1891
catalog,
in
1893
by
Bullock
and
Crenshaw,
in
1895
by
Taylor
and
by
Denver
Fire
Clay,
in
1896
by
Justinian
Caire
and
in
1897
again
by
Queen.
In
1897
Bullock
and
Crenshaw
again
listed
models
No.
1,
2,
3,
5
and
a
portable,
but
also
included
the
option
of
a
No.
5
with
a
6-inch
beam.
Denver
Fire
Clay
in
1898
and
1901
listed
these
same
models.
By
1904
Henry
Heil
was
showing
a
No.
1,
an improved portable,
nos.
2,
3,
5,
and
a
model
8
(with
the
option
of
an
aluminum
beam)
which
had
been
introduced
around
1899.
In
1905
Denver
Fire
Clay
offered
a
Special
No.
04
with
a
gold
plated
four-inch
beam
made
of
a
special
alloy,
as
well
as
No.
2,
3,
5,
7,
08
and
a
portable.
The
1910
catalog
of
Sargent
offered
a
No.
04
and
a
No.
30
as
well
as
the
"Lilliputian"
portable
assay
balance;
in
1916
Justinian
Caire
was
still
offering
the
full
range
of
Troemner
models.
Two
Troemner
balances
were
offered
in
the
1912
A.
H. Thomas
catalog
and
the
Eimer
and
Amend
1916
catalog
offered
three
models.
The
1916
Justianian
Caire
catalog
again
offered
the
full
range
of
nine
Troemner
assay
balances.
The
1919
Troemner
catalog
indicated
a
new
inverted
beam
assay
balance
type E.I.S.
had
been
introduced.
It
came
equipped
with
a
five-
inch
beam
and
either
a
gold-plated
or
a
gold
lacquer
finish.
Although
Denver
Fire
Clay
had
offered
seven
Troemner
assay
balances
in
1905,
by
1923
they
were
no
longer
listed.
Thanks to J.M & G.C. Shannon. Text source " The Assay
Balance "
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