1987 Sycamore Steam Show Belt Buckle -- with a twist

The featured belt buckle for the 1987 Steam Power & Engine Show in Sycamore, Illinois featured barbed wire, a Sandwich gas engine and a Chanticleer gas engine (The Chanticleer line was Haish's most recognizable line.)

The backside reads "This is the sixth buckle in a series for the Northern Illinois Steam Power Club. This buckle shows two small engines that were made in this area and have been exhibited at the show for several years. This is the club's 31st annual show, and the 21st year to be held on the Taylor Marshall Farm near Sycamore, IL."

To learn more about Haish engines, click here.

Haish Wire Cane Sells in 1968

 From the January and February 1968 editions of the The American Barbed Wire Journal. Oops!

Jacob Haish Company invoices

These invoices from the Jacob Haish Company were shared with us by Shawn Rogers. These are from a machinery dealer and repair shop in Newark, Illinois. The shop was started in 1911 and the owner bought from most companies in northern Illinois, Rogers said. So much can be learned from some simple receipts and invoices! 

Click images to enlarge. Big thanks to Shawn Rogers for sharing these with us.

Factory error "S" barb

Two barbs together on factory error of Haish's "S" barb | Photo by Jessi Haish LaRue

This piece of wire is actually a factory error version of Jacob Haish's "S" barb (patent #167,240, patented August 31, 1875.) The "S" barb is notable for having two twisted strand wire with two point "S" barb around both strands.

It has a pair of barbs together in the middle of the piece. What a unique piece!

Factory error piece of Haish's "S" barb | Photo by Jessi Haish LaRue

Factory error piece of Haish's "S" barb | Photo by Jessi Haish LaRue

Factory error piece of Haish's "S" barb | Photo by Jessi Haish LaRue

Haish Wire & Implement Co. letterhead

Haish Co. letterhead detail | Courtesy of DeKalb County History Center Archives

This letterhead for Haish Wire and Implement Co. advertises the company's woven and barbed wire, gates, staples, nails and stretchers. Haish's iconic rooster image is used as well.

Letter on Haish Co. letterhead | Courtesy of DeKalb County History Center Archives

The letter on this letterhead is addressed to Mr. E.E. Roberts of Oak Park, Ill., and reads:

"Dear Sir:-

This is to give notice to you, also the contractors, Foster Woodruff & Glidden that unless the school house now being erected in DeKalb, Ill., under your supervision, are completed by Aug. 1st, 1908 for every day's delay thereafter we shall demand damages.

Yours truly,

[unsigned]"

The letter is dated July 15, 1908.

Haish's "S" barb fence wire advertisement postcard

front of the postcard

The front side of the postcard reads: 

Forbidden Fruit. Can't get through Haish's fence.

"Papa uses the Haish Barb Fence. No danger for players here. Just look on the other side."

"I use the 'S' barb. No more dog fence for me. I have trained my dog for sporting."

back of the postcard

The reverse side of the postcard reads: 

"Jacob Haish, manufacturer of Haish's 'S' barb fence wire, patented August 31, 1875. DeKalb, Ill.

Barb Fast on Both Wires.

To the farmer and stock-raiser, a complete fence is a constant benefit; hence the pleasure afforded the inventor in offering to the entire country the enamel 'S' barb fence, which meets all the requirements of a stock fence. This assertion is made at the instance of many of the best farmers throughout the West, who witness to its perfect efficiency as a stock-proof fence, from the following facts: Two wires make a good stock-proof fence costing about 40 cents per rod. It requires less posts, less labor, and is built for less money than any other good wire fence. Stock never make a second attempt to get through it. (Use Haish's Wire Tightener, because it stretches the wire each way, and remains on the fence and can be turned with a wrench or crank.) It can be tightened with any wire strainer. The strain is equal upon both wires, lessening the liability of breaking. It is slightly twisted, so as not to weaken the wire. The enameling renders it absolutely rust-proof. THE BARBS PASS AROUND BOTH WIRES AND CANNOT TURN. The spread of the wires between the barbs preserves its tension. It is made of the best No. 12 steel wire. Breaking Strain is 100 per cent, over common annealed wire. It weighs 17 ounces to the rod, coiled on spools, weighing from 70 to 100 pounds, ready for shipment to any part of the globe. This fence gives the best satisfaction of any Barb Fence ever used.

The last consideration is the solid comfort the stock-raiser enjoys when relieved from the anxiety of watching crops, by using the 'S' barb fence. He rests peacefully at night and the heart throbs with an even beat as he quietly turns over."

Haish Mfg. Co advertisement

Haish Mfg. Co. advertisement as seen in The DeKalb Chronicle Souvenir Edition, 1900 | Courtesy of DeKalb County Archives

Haish's story featured in American West encyclopedia

The American West: A Multicultural Encyclopedia" features a section on Jacob Haish's history. In fact, he is the last entry in his particular volume, so he is even listed on the spine and on the index for all of the other titles in the series.

There are some factual errors in the description, such as his birth and death years, which I've corrected below. Even so, it's nice to see Haish considered a piece of stand-alone history.

"Haish, Jacob

182[6]-192[6]

Jacob Haish was an inventor and manufacturer, best known for devising and patenting the 'S' barbed wire.

Haish (b. Baden, Germany, on March 9, 1827) and his family immigrated to the United States when he was [nine] years old, ultimately settling in De Kalb County, Illinois. As a young man, after building a successful business as a contractor and lumber dealer in De Kalb, Haish began to experiment with barbed wire. However, when he tried to patent the result in 1873, he discovered that his townsman Joseph [F.] Glidden had applied for a similar patent only two months earlier. Although his challenge to Glidden's patent was unsuccessful, Haish persisted with his experiments until he developed the 'S' barbed wire, which he patented on August 31, 1875.

Haish's 'S' became the best-selling barbed wire in the West. Over the years, Haish continued to manufacture barbed wire and other products, including plain wire, nails, staples, and woven-wire fencing. He died on February 19, 1926, a few weeks before his 100th birthday."

Haish featured in History Center's latest exhibit

I visited the DeKalb County History Center to tour their latest exhibit "The History of DeKalb County in 100 Objects," and I was pleasantly surprised to find Jacob Haish featured throughout the exhibit!

To learn more about the museum's "100 Objects" exhibit, click here.

Barbed wire creators on display, including Henry Rose of Waterman. Click photo to enlarge. | Photo by Jessi LaRue 

Barbed wire display | Photo by Jessi LaRue

Close-up of barbed wire samples from the three barons | Photo by Jessi LaRue

Text accompanying the barbed wire display | Photo by Jessi LaRue

Newspaper clipping mentions the famous county fair, where Glidden, Haish and Ellwood saw Rose's fencing exhibit | Photo by Jessi LaRue

A model of Henry Rose's fencing display. This fencing inspired Haish, Ellwood and Glidden to apply barbs directly to wire, rather than wood fencing. | Photo by Jessi LaRue

A patent section in the exhibit mentioned Sophia Haish, Jacob's wife, who patented her own improvements on the safety pin! Click the photo to enlarge. | Photo by Jessi LaRue

To read more about Henry Rose's story, click here

To learn more about Sophia Haish's safety pin patent, click here

Haish wire at Arizona museum

Steven Johnson spotted Jacob Haish wire on display at the Courthouse Museum in Tombstone, Arizona. 

Thanks for sharing this photo with us.

Haish wire spotted at the Courthouse Museum in Tombstone, AZ. | Photo by Steven Johnson

Haish at the 2021 Sandwich Fair

I attended the 2021 Sandwich Fair last weekend and was so excited to see some Jacob Haish gas engines on display. Although I was unable to track down the owner of the engines, I took some photos.

Collection of Haish engines on display at the 2021 Sandwich Fair | Photo by Jessi LaRue

1 HP Jacob Haish Co. gas engine | Photo by Jessi LaRue

2 HP Jacob Haish Co. gas engine | Photo by Jessi LaRue

5 HP Jacob Haish Co. gas engine | Photo by Jessi LaRue

7 HP Jacob Haish Co. gas engine | Photo by Jessi LaRue

Backside of the Haish gas engines | Photo by Jessi LaRue

The barbed wire traveling trailer, a Sandwich Fair regular, was also at this year's event. The trailer features a variety of barbed wire tools as well as a sampling of various wires. Haish's "Ripple Wire" is featured.

Barbed wire traveling trailer features wire tools. | Photo by Jessi LaRue

"Wire that Fenced the Western Frontier" barbed wire display | Photo by Jessi LaRue

Haish's "Ripple Wire" was featured on the wire display board. | Photo by Jessi LaRue

Barbed wire traveling trailer features wire tools. | Photo by Jessi LaRue

Haish barbed wire splice

Spliced Haish's S-Barb Wire | Photo by Jessi LaRue

This is a piece of Haish's "original large S-Barb" wire, with a special twist.

From the original eBay listing:

"This wire features two round line wires twisted together. ... This sample also features a factory one-line splice, with wrapped out ends."

Wire is spliced by twisting two separate wires together, usually to connect the end of one roll of wire to the next. This video explains how wire can be spliced.

As this is a splice that was done in-factory, rather than by someone repairing or installing barbed wire fencing, it makes the piece especially interesting and unique.

Thanks to Kevin Haish for sharing this unique piece of Haish history.

Spliced Haish's S-Barb Wire | Photo by Jessi LaRue 

Spliced Haish's S-Barb Wire | Photo by Jessi LaRue

What happened to the Haish mansion?

The Haish mansion in 1930. | Photo courtesy of Joiner History Room, DeKalb County Archives

The previous location of the Haish mansion, as it stands today. The carriage house still stands to the right side. | Photo by Jessi LaRue

When people find out that my maiden name is Haish, or that I research Jacob Haish, the number one question I hear is "what happened to the Haish mansion?" And rightfully so, as the house was razed in 1961 and many of us never even had a glimpse of it. 

Many people think there's a conspiracy story behind it, because Ellwood's mansion remains, and what do we have to show for Haish? Unfortunately for the Haish mansion, the true story is much simpler.

The house, located on the corner of Third and Pine streets in DeKalb, was three stories tall. Haish, a carpenter, chose to model his home after memories of castles from his homeland of Germany. Learn more about the house's beautiful architecture here, here, and here.

Haish built the house in 1884 and lived there happily until his death in 1926. In his will, he left lifetime use of the house to his longtime housekeeper Anna Anderson. The will also allowed for money from Haish's estate to be used to keep the home "in as good condition as when received by her." 

DeKalb historian Steve Bigolin said Haish missed one big element when preparing his will.

"He didn't think beyond when Anna Anderson would die," he said. 

Anderson died in 1953, and at that time the Haish estate trustees needed to liquidate all assets in order to make the Jacob Haish Memorial Hospital, a big intention in his will, come to reality. There were no further instructions provided as what to do with the house after Anderson's death, so it simply became another asset.

"They had the right to sell it," Bigolin said.

The mansion and the carriage house were put on the market in 1955, after the mansion had been used as a rental for a few years. There was a combined asking price of $45,000 for the two buildings, or the carriage house for $20,000 and the mansion for $25,000. The carriage house was sold to a private individual, and still stands to this day.

The neighboring First Lutheran Church purchased the Haish mansion, and the building's next life began. First, the estate held an auction to sell off items remaining in the home, and then the church would use the house for a parsonage and location for Sunday school classes, as well as other church activities. Within time, however, the large building became a drain of the church's limited resources. 

Church leaders began to realize the condition of the house was deteriorating and the work and cost of upkeep was more than they could handle. Ultimately, it was decided to put the house on the market. In early 1961 they put the house on the market for $25,000, just to recoup their original purchase cost. They were not interested in a profit. 

There were no interested buyers.

Haish house after demolition in 1961. | Photo courtesy of Joiner History Room, DeKalb County Archives

The church decided to demolish the home for a parking lot in 1961. A certainly divided decision amongst church members, a decision that is still hotly discussed to this day, but one that made economic sense for a church.

Today, the carriage house remains as an apartment complex. The church's parking lot remains, along with a small residential home on the property. Various remnants of the Haish mansion live on in places like DeKalb and even Rockton, Illinois.

Click to see more blog posts about the Haish mansion.

Haish barbed wire canes

Jacob Haish manufactured barbed wire canes as a promotional item. The canes and their toppers vary in shape and size. It is unknown just how many were made, and how many are still in existence.

These are photos of two canes that belong to Kevin Haish. Photos by Jessi LaRue.

You can learn more about Haish canes by clicking over to my previous post here.