Four other wagon factories were in operation during this period. Muller and McWilliams had their wagon and farm implement shop in the middle of what is now the Corn Belt Park. Across the fence to the south, I. Lemon and his sons, Harvey, Oscar and Dick had a blacksmith shop in connection with their wagon factory. Just east of Jefferson Park John Henning had a wagon factory where the Thom residence now stands, and the Danner Bros. had a similar factory on the south side of the street where the Christian Church is now located.
Buggies and carriages were built by Bigham & McOmber in a plant on Main Street between Sycamore and Walnut. Bigham, a cavalryman in the Civil War, also operated a livery barn in this block, equipping it with their finest buggies.
Anton Huber built a brewery in 1866 on the south side of Main Street at East Commercial where Mrs. Kearfott now lives. Huber sold to Jacob Fix the next year; other beers proved more popular than his and the plant closed in a few years. Dr. J. Q. Adams purchased the walnut lumber which had been used in the buildings, using it on his farm. One of the great underground storage vats caved in only a few years back almost under the corner of Mrs. Kearfott's porch.
David Grafft established a large planing mill on Front Street between Walnut and Summit which provided most of the lumber used by the various factories and much of the buildings in the community.
Lee S. Straight and Elias S. Fursman founded the El Paso Tile and Brick Works and began manufacturing in 1883, digging the clay pits only recently filled. Their office was on the west side of Pine Street, just south of the T. P. & W. tracks. They averaged 15,000 bricks and from 3,000 to 7,000 tile per day, sizes of the latter varying from 3 1/2" to 12".
William Glimpse and son Clint, who manufactured brick in Kappa for many years, purchased a site here in 1890 and continued business for some time. The brick for the massive walls of the McKinley School had been hauled from the Kappa brick factory.
Agitation for sinking a coal shaft developed in the 1880's and in 1888 plans were made for sinking a shaft west of the Illinois Central at the south side of El Paso. Better terms were secured on the James McAlden land just north of town on the east side of the Central's tracks, and a shaft was dug to a depth of 610 feet at a cost of $1,467.50, paid for by contributions from men in the community interested in getting a coal mine. No coal worth digging was found, and the project abandoned in June, 1888.
In 1907 A. H. Wolk and Fred Crane built a greenhouse on South Walnut Street between Clay and Lincoln. Their building measured 12