William P. Bettendorf
Encyclopedia
William P. Bettendorf invented the power lift sulky plow, the Bettendorf metal wheel and the one-piece railroad truck frame. By the age of 53 he held 94 patents. With his younger brother, Joseph W. Bettendorf, he founded the Bettendorf Axel Company. His first wife and children preceded him in death. He died as the company was rapidly expanding and before he moved into a palatial home he was building. The city of Bettendorf, Iowa
is named after the two brothers.
, William Bettendorf was the oldest of four children born to M. and Catherine (Reck) Bettendorf. His father immigrated to the United States when he was eighteen and became a school teacher. The family moved to Sedalia, Missouri
where the elder Bettendorf opened a grocery store, and then to Fort Leavenworth
in Kansas
where he became a government clerk. William Bettendorf was educated in the public schools and St. Mary’s Mission School in Kansas, which primarily educated Native American children.
in 1870. Two years later he moved to Peru, Illinois
where he became a clerk in the hardware store owned by A. L. Shepard. In 1874 he started work as a machinist’s apprentice at the Peru Plow Company. It was during this time that he invented the first power lift sulky plow in 1878. The device allowed the farmer to remain seated on his horse-drawn plow and press a lever to raise the plow from the earth. Prior to his invention the farmer had to manually lift the plow blade at the end of each furrow. Most farm implement manufacturers adopted the plow. Bettendorf went on to work at the Moline Plow Company in Moline, Illinois
for ten months before becoming the foreman in the fitting department of the Parlin & Orendorff Company in Canton, Illinois
,which manufactured plows and other agricultural implements. In 1882 he left Canton and returned to Peru as a supervisor at the Peru Plow Company, where he had been an apprentice. It was here that he invented the Bettendorf metal wheel.
after meeting with its president E. P. Lynch. With his brother, J.W. Bettendorf, he manufactured metal wheels at Eagle Manufacturing until 1889 when the brothers started the Bettendorf Metal Wheel Company in Davenport. In 1892 he developed a steel gear for farm wagons and the company manufactured those as well. He severed his ties with Bettendorf Metal Wheel and designed the machinery to manufacture the steel gears, which he eventually sold to International Harvester
in 1905.
He organized the Bettendorf Axle Company with his brother J.W. The company was incorporated on January 1, 1895. W. P. Bettendorf was the company’s first president and J. W. Bettendorf was the secretary. Two fires in 1902, one on January 28 and the other in May, destroyed the plant. The residents of the town of Gilbert, which was about three miles east of Davenport at the time, raised $15,000 to buy the old Gilbert farm between the Mississippi River
and the Davenport, Rock Island & Northwestern Railroad tracks. The brothers decided to establish a new plant in Gilbert. A year later the citizens of the town elected to change its name to Bettendorf.
The factory was built on a 70 acre (0.2832802 km²) plot of land. The company originally was a manufacturer of agricultural implements. Its rapid growth was spurred by Bettendorf’s design of a one-piece railroad truck frame that eliminated bolts, which would work loose as the train was moving and cause delays or derailments. The new frame was cast from a single piece of steel and revolutionized the railroad industry. By 1909 the building had grown to three times its original size. It contained two regenerative open-hearth basic steel furnaces, with a capacity of 25 tons of heat. They were able to output about one hundred tons of finished steel castings daily that were used in the construction of the railroad boxcars. A complete railroad car was built from raw materials in the east end of the plant to the finished product on the west end. The company expanded in the early 20th century to manufacture oil burners, toys, water pumps, ice crushers and other products. The company also built the Meteor automobile. Between 1903 and 1910 the workforce grew from 300 to 800 employees.
He began building a 22 acre (0.08903092 km²) estate on a bluff that overlooked Bettendorf and the river valley below. It was located in a grove of oak and maple trees. The house was built in the Spanish Revival style. The exterior of the home featured large porches, a grand fountain and a carriage house that could hold six cars. The interior featured linen tapestries, oak stairways and hand carved oak woodwork, murals on the ceilings, and a fireplace in every room. Artisans were brought in from Europe to complete the detail work. Entire trees were brought on site to be sawn and used for the paneling so an entire room would have paneling that matched exactly. The estate was built for more than $150,000.
The family lived in a bungalow adjacent to their new residence during the construction. William Bettendorf, however, did not live long enough to move into the new house. He had emergency surgery a week before they were scheduled to move into the house. He died on June 3, 1910 and was buried in Oakdale Cemetery
in Davenport. His wife and stepson lived on the estate until 1926 when they sold it to the Grand Lodge of Iowa AF & AM
. They added a 50-room wing and it became the Iowa Masonic Nursing Home.
Bettendorf, Iowa
Bettendorf is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Bettendorf is the fifteenth largest city in the U.S. state of Iowa and the fourth largest city in the "Quad Cities". As of the 2010 United States Census the population grew to 33,217. Bettendorf is one of the Quad Cities, along with...
is named after the two brothers.
Early life & Education
Born in Mendota, IllinoisMendota, Illinois
Mendota is a city located in north-central Illinois in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. The city has 7,272 residents, and is the fifth largest city in LaSalle County, though recent estimates have shown that the population has decreased to 6,995 residents. It is part of the...
, William Bettendorf was the oldest of four children born to M. and Catherine (Reck) Bettendorf. His father immigrated to the United States when he was eighteen and became a school teacher. The family moved to Sedalia, Missouri
Sedalia, Missouri
Sedalia is a city located about south of the Missouri River in Pettis County, Missouri. U.S. Highway 50 and U.S. Highway 65 intersect in the city. As of 2006, the city had a total population of 20,669. It is the county seat of Pettis County. The Sedalia Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of...
where the elder Bettendorf opened a grocery store, and then to Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
in Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
where he became a government clerk. William Bettendorf was educated in the public schools and St. Mary’s Mission School in Kansas, which primarily educated Native American children.
Early career
He started working as a messenger boy in Humboldt, KansasHumboldt, Kansas
Humboldt is a city situated along the Neosho River in the southwest part of Allen County, located in southeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,953.-History:...
in 1870. Two years later he moved to Peru, Illinois
Peru, Illinois
Peru is a city in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. The population was 10,295 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Ottawa–Streator Micropolitan Statistical Area...
where he became a clerk in the hardware store owned by A. L. Shepard. In 1874 he started work as a machinist’s apprentice at the Peru Plow Company. It was during this time that he invented the first power lift sulky plow in 1878. The device allowed the farmer to remain seated on his horse-drawn plow and press a lever to raise the plow from the earth. Prior to his invention the farmer had to manually lift the plow blade at the end of each furrow. Most farm implement manufacturers adopted the plow. Bettendorf went on to work at the Moline Plow Company in Moline, Illinois
Moline, Illinois
Moline is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States, with a population of 45,792 in 2010. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline and Rock Island in Illinois and the cities of Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa. The Quad Cities has a population of...
for ten months before becoming the foreman in the fitting department of the Parlin & Orendorff Company in Canton, Illinois
Canton, Illinois
Canton is the largest city in Fulton County, Illinois in the United States. The population was 18,288 as of the 2000 Census. The Canton Micropolitan Statistical Area covers all of Fulton County; it is in turn part of the wider Peoria-Canton, IL Combined Statistical Area .-Geography:Canton is...
,which manufactured plows and other agricultural implements. In 1882 he left Canton and returned to Peru as a supervisor at the Peru Plow Company, where he had been an apprentice. It was here that he invented the Bettendorf metal wheel.
Later career
Bettendorf established a shop to manufacture the wheel at Peru Plow and as the metal wheel branch of the business increased the name of the company was changed to Peru Plow & Wheel Company. Because the company was slow to increase capacity he moved his business to the Eagle Manufacturing Company of Davenport, IowaDavenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
after meeting with its president E. P. Lynch. With his brother, J.W. Bettendorf, he manufactured metal wheels at Eagle Manufacturing until 1889 when the brothers started the Bettendorf Metal Wheel Company in Davenport. In 1892 he developed a steel gear for farm wagons and the company manufactured those as well. He severed his ties with Bettendorf Metal Wheel and designed the machinery to manufacture the steel gears, which he eventually sold to International Harvester
International Harvester
International Harvester Company was a United States agricultural machinery, construction equipment, vehicle, commercial truck, and household and commercial products manufacturer. In 1902, J.P...
in 1905.
He organized the Bettendorf Axle Company with his brother J.W. The company was incorporated on January 1, 1895. W. P. Bettendorf was the company’s first president and J. W. Bettendorf was the secretary. Two fires in 1902, one on January 28 and the other in May, destroyed the plant. The residents of the town of Gilbert, which was about three miles east of Davenport at the time, raised $15,000 to buy the old Gilbert farm between the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
and the Davenport, Rock Island & Northwestern Railroad tracks. The brothers decided to establish a new plant in Gilbert. A year later the citizens of the town elected to change its name to Bettendorf.
The factory was built on a 70 acre (0.2832802 km²) plot of land. The company originally was a manufacturer of agricultural implements. Its rapid growth was spurred by Bettendorf’s design of a one-piece railroad truck frame that eliminated bolts, which would work loose as the train was moving and cause delays or derailments. The new frame was cast from a single piece of steel and revolutionized the railroad industry. By 1909 the building had grown to three times its original size. It contained two regenerative open-hearth basic steel furnaces, with a capacity of 25 tons of heat. They were able to output about one hundred tons of finished steel castings daily that were used in the construction of the railroad boxcars. A complete railroad car was built from raw materials in the east end of the plant to the finished product on the west end. The company expanded in the early 20th century to manufacture oil burners, toys, water pumps, ice crushers and other products. The company also built the Meteor automobile. Between 1903 and 1910 the workforce grew from 300 to 800 employees.
Personal life
William Bettendorf married Mary Wortman in 1879. Together they raised two children, Etta and Henry. She died in August 1901. In 1908 he married Elizabeth Staby, who was a widow.He began building a 22 acre (0.08903092 km²) estate on a bluff that overlooked Bettendorf and the river valley below. It was located in a grove of oak and maple trees. The house was built in the Spanish Revival style. The exterior of the home featured large porches, a grand fountain and a carriage house that could hold six cars. The interior featured linen tapestries, oak stairways and hand carved oak woodwork, murals on the ceilings, and a fireplace in every room. Artisans were brought in from Europe to complete the detail work. Entire trees were brought on site to be sawn and used for the paneling so an entire room would have paneling that matched exactly. The estate was built for more than $150,000.
The family lived in a bungalow adjacent to their new residence during the construction. William Bettendorf, however, did not live long enough to move into the new house. He had emergency surgery a week before they were scheduled to move into the house. He died on June 3, 1910 and was buried in Oakdale Cemetery
Oakdale Memorial Gardens
Oakdale Memorial Gardens, formerly Oakdale Cemetery, is located in east-central Davenport, Iowa, United States. It was established in 1856 and designed by Captain George F. de la Roche, who had finished the design of Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington, D.C. five years earlier. It is considered a...
in Davenport. His wife and stepson lived on the estate until 1926 when they sold it to the Grand Lodge of Iowa AF & AM
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
. They added a 50-room wing and it became the Iowa Masonic Nursing Home.