My Genealogy Hound

WILLIAM WALLACE HUNTLEY, inventor and manufacturer of wheat, corn and buckwheat cleaning machinery, and one of the most active and successful business men of Silver Creek, is a son of Charles and Polly (Davison) Huntley, and was born one mile east of the village of Silver Creek, in the town of Hanover, Chautauqua county, N. Y., Feb. 5, 1831. His ancestors are of New England origin, and among those sons of Connecticut who went west before the middle of the present century, was Beth Huntley, the paternal grandfather of W. W. Huntley. He first settled in Michigan, but subsequently removed to Iowa, where he died in 1860. One of the sons born to him in his native city of New Haven was Charles Huntley (father) who learned the trade of ship-builder and came in 1829 to Silver Creek, where he followed boat and ship work until 1855, when he went to Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Ten years later he removed to a farm, purchased for him by the subject of this sketch, in Michigan, upon which he died in October, 1890, aged eighty-two years. Charles Huntley was industrious, and, though a good workman, yet never was very successful as a business man. He married Polly Davison, a native of Rutledge, Vermont, and a daughter of Henry Davison, who, at sixteen years of age, was present at Burgoyne’s surrender, with his father Col. Daniel Davison, one of the bravest of the “Green Mountain Boys,” who then commanded a regiment of State militia, and served throughout the Revolutionary war. Col. Davison (maternal great-grandfather) captured a pair of large iron steelyards at Burgoyne’s surrender, which have descended down through his family until they are now in the possession of the subject of this sketch.

W. W. Huntley was reared on the farm of his grandfather, Henry Davison, until the death of the latter in 1840. He received his education in the schools of Silver Creek, which he attended for a few years in the winter seasons, while the summers were spent on the lakes and in the ship-yards. He worked at carriage building for one year and then was engaged at blacksmithing at intervals, besides working on houses, railroad bridges and mills. In 1853 he and his elder brother, Albert, purchased a small sailing vessel with the intention of permanently engaging in the transportation of freight on the lakes, but the low freight rates of that year cost them all that they had invested in their vessel, and so disgusted them that they left the lakes. This apparent ill-fortune was the controlling circumstance that drove Mr. Huntley from an obscure life on the lakes and shaped his subsequent well-known career as a manufacturer. In 1858 he commenced working for K. Montgomery & Co., who were the first parties to establish the manufacturing of smut machines in Silver Creek, and while working for the first named firm he also built patterns for W. R. Greenleaf, an engine builder of Silver Creek. In 1861 Mr. Huntley invented his bran duster, known all over the world as the Excelsior, and in 1862 sold one half interest in the patent, when obtained, to Alpheus Babcock for the amount of $80.00, or the cost of obtaining it. This Excelsior Bran Duster was manufactured by Mr. Huntley in the shops of E. Montgomery & Co., at Silver Creek, until the close of the year 1865, when the firm of Howes, Babcock & Co., took possession by purchase from E. Montgomery & Co., January 1, 1866, Mr. Alpheus Babcock, Huntley’s partner in the manufacture, being one of the members of the purchasing firm. Mr. Huntley continued manufacturing in the same shops until 1868, when he built new shops of his own, which are known now as the Excelsior Works, and owned by Aug. Heine. In 1869, Mr. Alpheus Babcock sold his interest in the patent to Frank Swift, who in 1870 sold the same to A. P. Holcomb. Very soon after this, Mr. Huntley commenced to construct a Middlings Purifier, which proved a great success, and has been one of the original machines to work out the manufacture of new process flour, known all over the world as the very best brand ever produced from wheat, and for this result the world is indebted to Mr. Huntley as much, if not more than any other man living. Messrs. Huntley & Holcomb in 1872 sold one-third interest in the Excelsior Works, and patents to Aug. Heine, when the firm became Huntley, Holcomb & Heine, which firm continued until 1882, doing a large business in the manufacture of Bran Dusters, Excelsior Middlings Purifier and the importation and selling of the Excelsior Bolting Cloth, at which time Mr. Huntley sold his interest of one-third to Holcomb & Heine. About one and one-half years after this, Mr. Heine bought out Mr. Holcomb, and now owns and conducts the shops alone, and still manufactures the Excelsior Bran Duster, together with other milling specialities. In 1883, Mr. Huntley bought of Mr. Heine the entire stock and business of importing the Excelsior Bolting Cloth, and associated with himself in the business, Mr. C. G. Hammond, and these gentlemen now conduct the business under the firm name of Huntley & Hammond, and they have established a branch house in Minneapolis, Minn., besides having stocks to sell from in St. Louis, Missouri; Portland, Oregon; and in the provinces of Canada, and do a yearly business of over $100,000. In 1861 and 1862 Mr. Huntley assisted Mr. Alpheus Babcock in the remodeling of his smut machine, and they together brought out the best smut machine on the market at that time. In 1863 Mr. Huntley assisted Messrs. E. Montgomery & Co., in the remodeling of their smut machine, in which instance it was largely improved by them. In 1863 Mr. S. Howes returned from the seat of war on the Potomac, and, late in the season, became associated with Mr. Alpheus Babcock in the manufacture of the Babcock smut machine, the firm being known as Howes, Babcock & Co., Mr. Norman Babcock, a brother of Alpheus becoming a partner at the same time Mr. Howes was admitted. In 1864, a purchase of the Montgomery shops and the patents was consummated by Howes, Babcock & Co., they taking possession on the first day of January, 1866, at which time Alpheus and Norman Babcock together with Mr. Huntley, combined the best elements of the Babcock Smutter and the Montgomery Smutter together in one machine, and the firm of Howes, Babcock & Co., called it the Eureka Smut Machine.

Mr. Huntley was granted by the Patent Office, at different dates, two patents on the Excelsior Bran Duster, four patents on the Middlings Purifier, one patent on a sieve, one patent on a machine for testing rotating parts (or bodies) and two patents for improvements on smut machines and one on a ship’s rudder.

Mr. Huntley has never had any political aspirations, but has been since 1860, a strong supporter of the political party that saved the nation from disruption by the Rebellion, and is a strong protectionist in his views. He has served six years as one of the village trustees, and two consecutive years as president of the village of Silver Creek; during which two years there were a steam fire engine and hose-cart bought for the village. Mr. Huntley, being president at the time, organized a fire department, which has since proven one of the finest fire departments in western New York. In honor to Mr. Huntley, the Hose Company assumed the name of “Huntley Hose No. 1.”

In 1886, Messrs. Huntley & Hammond purchased one-half interest in the business of manufacturing buckwheat machines, from G. S. Cranson & Son, and, by the retirement of G. S. Cranson, now own two-thirds of the immense factory, which is now one of the largest of its kind in the world, and known as the Monitor Works, the business being conducted by the firm of Huntley, Cranson & Hammond. At the time of purchase by Huntley & Hammond, these works were only employing eight men, but under the new firm their orders began to increase, and they were compelled to enlarge their works, and added to the different kinds of grain cleaning and buckwheat machinery which they manufactured, until now they employ a force of 80 men, pay $60,000 yearly in wages and send out over 1,500 machines per year, and their yearly sales amount to over $150,000. Many of their machines have either been invented or improved by Mr. Huntley, and they now manufacture the following patented machines: Cranson’s Wheat Scouring, Polishing and Separating Machines; Cranson’s Buckwheat Scouring, Polishing and Separating Machines; Cranson’s Corn Scouring, Polishing and Separating Machines; Cranson’s Roller Buckwheat Shucker; Monitor Dustless Receiving and Elevator Separator; Monitor Dustless Milling Separator; Monitor Dustless Malt and Barley Separator; Monitor Malt and Barley Scourer; Monitor Oat Scourer; Diamond Dustless Corn Sheller and Separator; and Diamond Corn Sheller. Mr. Huntley receives orders for his machines from all parts of the United States and from England, Australia and New Zealand.

On November 24, 1854, he united in marriage with Mary Chapman, of Onondaga county, New York.

W. W. Huntley has been identified with the progress of Silver Creek since 1848. He is fully imbued with the New England spirit of enterprise, which has infused itself so largely and with such beneficial results into the social and business life of New York and the great West.