My Genealogy Hound

O. A. HOLCOMB.
O. A. Holcomb, general manager of the Topeka Foundry Company, of Topeka, and a leading business man of this city, was born in Sangamon County, Illinois, in 1855, and is a son of Myron and Dorcas C. (Winchell) Holcomb.

The parents of Mr. Holcomb came to Kansas from Bloomington, Illinois, in 1869, and now reside in Topeka township, Shawnee County. Our subject is the eldest of their four children, the others being: Carrie G., wife of Prof. E. A. Popenoe, entomologist at the State Agricultural College; Elizabeth, wife of Benjamin Ost, of Los Angeles, California; and Mina E., wife of E. G. Miner, who was one of the organizers of the beneficiary society of Knights and Ladies of Security and was a member of the executive board at Topeka.

Mr. Holcomb was educated at Topeka and is one of the members of the first class to graduate at the High School. After completing his education, he taught school and was deeply interested in educational affairs for a number of years. He taught the district school east of the cemetery, for one year, and the schools at Rochester and Indianola, and for five years was principal of the Lincoln School, Topeka, and for three years of the old Washburn School on Jackson street. During this time he took up institute work every year and was known in educational circles all over the county.

Since the establishing of the Topeka Foundry Company, in 1885, Mr. Holcomb has been connected with it. It began business as Newby & Company, at the old Capital Iron Works, the organizers being: A. S. Newby, president; George R. Millice, vice-president and O. A. Holcomb, manager. They met with success from the start. By 1887 they were obliged to provide larger quarters and built on First avenue, opposite the Rock Island Depot and did business until 1889 as the Topeka Stove Repair Foundry. Two years later they added to their machinery to the amount of $3,000, changing the name of the business to that of the Topeka Foundry Company, Mr. Newby having dropped out three years before. In 1894 the increase in business made enlargement of space and facilities necessary, and they moved to the corner of Second and Jackson streets, where they remained 10 years. At this time the property was sold, which made still another change necessary. They then built their present plant at Nos. 318-20-22 Jackson street, a great building 75 by 115 feet in dimensions, equipped it with all kinds of modern machinery and now carry on a vast amount of business. They manufacture machinery castings, a soil packer for agricultural purposes, a line of creamery supplies and do a general repair business in the line of machinery. It is the best equipped foundry in the city and its success reflects credit upon Mr. Holcomb, who has continued manager of the business through all these years.

Mr. Holcomb was married January 28, 1879, to Sarah E. Fowkes, who is a native of Springfield, Illinois, and they have six children, viz: Berenice, who is the capable bookkeeper for the Topeka Foundry Company; Helen, who is a teacher in the Euclid School; Myron (who bears his grandfather’s honored name), who is a senior in the High School; and Inez, Ruth and Katherine. The comfortable home is a handsome residence at No. 1213 Fillmore street, which Mr. Holcomb built and in which he has resided for the past 25 years. Mr. Holcomb’s success demonstrates the value of an educated man at the head of any kind of business, the trained faculties and broadened view being of inestimable value.