Fisher, Arbogast Carriages - Fountain Businesses

Attica, Ind Sept 30 – The oldest manufacturing concern in this county is the Fisher, Arbogast & Co carriage works, organized in 1865 by Joseph Fisher, Lee Arbogast and JH Finfrock. Although Mr. Fisher died in 1889, the firm still continued doing business under the name which was so well advertised throughout this section of the State and which had always creditably weathered every panic and season of hard times during the years since its organization. The commercial standing of Fisher, Arbogast & Co is so well known that it was a great surprise to the large trade enjoyed by the first to see a notice in the Journal recently stating that the firm had failed at one time.  It is plain that some one has imposed on the Journal and your correspondent desires to correct the statement and in addition tell the readers of the Journal something about the carriage works which have so long been a credit to Attica. More than ordinary credit is due Fisher, Arbogast & Co owing to the fact that the tornado of May 11, 1886 swept the works almost off the face of the earth. Their plant was laid flat, causing a loss of about $30,000 on which they had no insurance but they had stanch friends who enabled them to get on their feet again. The plant was rebuilt and carriages were being turned out by Jul 4 of that year. They paid off all claims against them, dollar for dollar and have a much more substantial plant now on Main Street than before the catastrophe which swept over this city.  

Joseph Fisher really established the carriage works in 1854, Lee Arbogast at that time being only an employee.  Until 1889 the firm continued unchanged. Mr. Fisher’s death resulted in a reorganization, the interest of the heirs being bought out by Lee Arbogast and JH Finfrock. Since then the firm has been adding to its previous good records. Its product consists in high-grade carriages, buggies, surreys and phaetons. The firm continues itself almost exclusively to the local met, the Fisher, Arbogast & Co carriages being largely in the majority for miles around in this part of the state. Sometimes the firm ships as far as California and Mexico but it does not cater to distant trade and prefers not to do a wholesale business.  “In good times,” says Mr. Arbogast, “there is plenty of business in this and adjoining counties and we find the home trade most appreciative and loyal. During the panic and the two years following we did a first-class business but last year was lighter and prosperity has not exactly struck the carriage business this year. This is probably because people got in the habit of making their old vehicles do during the hard times and they are still economizing as long as possible before laying out money for a new carriage. When the carriage business does open up again it will probably be better than for years.” The plant gives employment to 20 men the year round in good times and the firm has every confidence that in 1898 its business will be up to any previous year.