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Centennial Souvenir Program, 1954 In 1896 William G. Willard entered the range manufacturing business at his plant east of O'Fallon on the old Van Court property. He put up a small range works, designed by himself, and made from five to six ranges per day. From time to time he added to his factory until the plant turned out as many as two hundred and fifty ranges per day. He employed several hundred workers, as well as his seven sons.
Mr. Willard built twenty-three residences for his employees. He was loved by all his employees for they knew he had their interests at heart. He believed and lived up to the theory that a man should not devote his life to making money alone, but it should be his duty and his pleasure to be good to his workers and look after their comfort and welfare. Mr. Willard's life story is more like fiction than fact. He was born in New Jersey on June 7, 1852. At the age of eleven he was hired out to a farmer. This work was hard and irksome. He ran away from his home and employer and made his way to the Jersey Canal where he worked as a mule driver. Later he did the same kind of work on the Erie Canal, driving mules from Syracuse to New York City. He worked in New York until he was fifteen and then came west to McLean County, Illinois, where he worked on a farm until he was eighteen years of age. He then came to St. Louis and was employed on the Eads Bridge then in the course of construction. This gave him his first experience in structural iron work. He later worked on the St. Charles, Missouri and the Rock Island, Illinois bridges. In Rock Island, he and a young partner built a flat boat and started on a cruise down the Mississippi River. Their boat was equipped as a work shop and on the way down to St. Louis they did various kinds of work such as tinning, etc. Upon their arrival in St. Louis the two young men began the manufacturing of wash wringers. After a year, Mr. Willard bought the interest of his partner and continued the business by himself. He did business on the installment plan and carried a stock of wringers, bed springs, rugs, clocks, etc. In 1904 he bought a building at 219 Chestnut Street in St. Louis which was later used as a warehouse for ranges. At first, Mr. Willard sent out men with wagons to sell his ranges throughout the countryside. Later he shipped ranges all over the country. In the O'Fallon Progress issue of April 7, 1905, the following advertisement was noted: "W. G. Willard Steel Ranges, complete range with Japanned trimming $15.00; nickel front $16.00; full nickel trimming $17.00. Send $1.00 and I will ship a range to your freight office wherever you are for your examination. If you are satisfied remit the balance due." Mr. Willard died in February 1919. His sons continued to operate the business for several years after his death. The business was discontinued in the late 1930s. In 1869 [sic-1881] Mr. Willard married Augusta Weber of St. Louis. They had nine children. Four sons, Wm. G., Joe, Nap, Ted and their families are residents of O'Fallon at the present time as is one daughter, Miss Albertina Willard. Another daughter, Dora, (now deceased) married Bernard Funk and their children reside in O'Fallon. O'Fallon is a better city because of the Willard enterprise. ---84---
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