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Note: Jacob met Barbara when he came to Enterprise to build a dam for Hoffman in 1869. They were married the next year. Jacob and Barbara had three daughters and three sons, all who along with their descendants have contributed to shaping Dickinson County. Barbara and Jacob also raised her two children fom her first marriage who were just toddlers when theri father died during the Civil War. All of these children attended college at a time when such an event was unlikely.
The Ehrsam Company was a pioneer that grew with Enterprise and Kansas. Jacob ehrsam, founder, was a Swiss immigrant with a keen knowledge or machinery. He arrived here in 1868 from Bannwyl, Canton Bern, Switerland at age 27. Opportunity came to him when fellow countryman and miller, C. Hoffman, began construction of dam across the Smoky Hill River to power the Hoffman Grist mill. You can still see some of the Ehrsam Machinery at the Smoky Valley Roller Mill in McPherson, Kansas (off of I35 north of Wichita). The Smoky Valley Roller Mill was built in 1898. Unlike a grist mill which uses stones, a roller mill uses a series of corrugated steel rollers to grind grain. This type of mill, known as the granddaddy of the modern mill became important in this area with the introduction of hard winter wheat in the 1870's. Untill 1955, the mill operated as a business, sending flour to places around the world.
The mill was originally water powered by turbines turning horizontally in the river. IN 1940 the dam wahsined out. Fortunately, though, by the 1930's the owners of the mill had already converted it to electric power. (The housing for the turbines and the remains of the dam can be seen behind the mill. Two of the turbines can be seen in the courtyard beside the mill.)
Four to six people were needed to operate the mill. It processed 30-35 bushels of wheat per hour, which yielded 1260 to 1470 pounds of flour per hour.
Efforts to restore the mill to operating condition began in the 1960's and were completed in 1981. Source: McPherson County Old Mill Museum. 2001
Ehrsam and Enterprise (from a typed/handwritten document, author unknown; in the possession of Michelle DeAngelo)
The Ehrsam Company was a pioneer that grew with Enterprise and Kansas. Jacob Ehrsam, founder, was a Swiss imigrant with a keen knowledge of machinery. He arrived here in 1668 from Bannwyl, Canton Bern, Switzerland, at age 27. Opportunity came to him when fellow countryman and miller, C. Hoffman, began construction of (a) dam across the Smoky Hill River to power the Hoffman grist mill.
1868 - Jakob (Jacob) Ehrsam, founder of the Ehrsam Company, came when Enterprise was no more than four or five log cabins on the south river bank. He trained as a mechanic and millwright in Switzerland. A modest repair shop, mostly for servicing machinery of C. Hoffman's grist mill, was the seed of the manufacturing establishment.
1872 - Ehrsam's began at Enterprise. Life of company began with life of the town. It was referred to as Enterprise Machine Shop.
1879 - Jacob built a shop, 48 X 24 ft., 1-1/2 story building. It was known as Central Kansas Machine Shops. Not a manufacturing company in modern sense, but Ehrsam acted as a manufacting agent for milling machinery, selling and installing it.
1883 - J. B. Ehrsam Machine Co. incorporated. 70-75% of total output sold to grain industries; 15-20% sold to plaster and gypsum companies. Deposits of gypsum had been uncovered in Dickinson county and Central Kansas.
1883 - Native stone building to house foundry, enlarge machine shop and other units of new plant constructed. Foundry located at east end of ground floor; machine shop west end; office and woodworking second floor; pattern-making and wood storage under mansard roof of third floor. (Present south end of hip roof machine shop area; foundry area is refered today as annex).
1888 - Contract signed with W. H. Hollinger, Rinehart, and J. W. Gillett, Woodbine, for manufacture of sample lot of patented Hollinger lister grain drills. Kept labor force busy during summer; HOllinger did not renew contract in 1889.
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