Diamond Iron Works
1728 Second Street North, Minneapolis, circa 1973
The Diamond Iron Works made industrial equipment from the late 1800s until the early 1950s. It was bought out but the name survives, primarily in rock crushing equipment used in mining operations. It was one of dozens corpses of old factories in Minneapolis’ North side that had fallen vacant around the time I began prowling the area.
Departed industries, built upon the sweat of low-cost labor, much of immigrant.
Starting wage in 1907 was 33 cents per hour.
6 Comments:-
Jono said...
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Professor Batty said...
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Carol Lundquist said...
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Professor Batty said...
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Unknown said...
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Professor Batty said...
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I'm surprised no one has converted it to expensive condos for the nouveau riche.
Actually, the whole area near the riverfront is being redeveloped, $$$ homes have been built less than a mile away from this site (the Diamond building is long gone). Still a lot of industry in that area, although more in the line of warehouses and scrap metal.
Professor, do you know if the company records for Diamond Iron Works survived? If so, where would I find them?
The business was founded by my husband's great-grandfather Henry Harrison Smith, and I am especially interested in its employee files from the 1920's. I'm probably being optimistic that anything survived.
I am also interested in what happened to the company. I've been surprised to discover that it operated until the 1950's.
Thank you for your time.
Carol Lundquist
Edina MN
Carol ~ I don’t know much about the company, although I think the name lives on in industrial crushing machines for mining.
I'm 72 years old and my firs paying job was at age1 13 or 14 in 1962 or 1963 at $1.00/hr. helping take care of Mr. Harry Diamond's yard in Budd Lake, NJ. I was under the impression that he was an owner of Diamond Iron Works. I cut grass and whatever Mr. Diamond needed done. He showed me how to do a lot of things around the yard. 33 years later when I retired from the police department I received a bottle of Crown Royal from Mr. Diamond. Apparently he saw my retirement in the papers and remembered me. Hope this is the same Mr.Diamond associated with this site.
So many stories that are now nearly forgotten, I fear that this may be one of them.
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