The Janson Steel and Iron Company

A little re-cap here: Immigrants Valentine and Catherine Duerk Janson had three daughters and a son born in Horrenberg, Germany, (Gertrude, Catherine and Maria Eva and Joseph), and three more children born in America: Frank, Valentine, and Martha Mary, ok?

To continue Eileens story:

"Joseph Janson grew up in Pennsylvania. He married Serena B, Vogel in 1875.
Joe had a sharp mind and an acumen for business. He worked at Columbia National Bank on Locust Street in Columbia. This bank financed the bridge that was destroyed by a hurricane, which replaced the bridge that was burnt during the Civil War. There were 6 bridges in all that have spanned the Susquehanna River, connecting Lancaster and York Counties.

(The cities and counties of Lancaster and York were named for Lancashire and Yorkshire England-think War of the Roses here.

The Confederate Army came Northward into Pennsylvania with a plan to capture Philadelphia. Local people from Columbia and Wrightsville (York County) stopped this advance by burning the bridge.  The Confederates were forced to regroup. They then went on to the town of Gettysburg, Adams County, Pennsylvania!)

 Joseph’s keen business sense led him to become the Cashier of the Columbia National Bank in March of 1887. Prior to that he was the Paying Teller. Somewhere in my possession I have an article that was written about his brilliance as a young businessman. I will forward it on when I can relocate it. Columbia National Bank held total assets exceeding $1M. That was a lot of money for the day. At the time, it was the largest Bank in Lancaster County and only second to one in Philadelphia in total assets (in Pennsylvania).

In addition to his position as Bank Cashier, Joseph was the Treasurer of the Columbia Gas Company. He was also involved with the St. Joseph’s Association of Holy Trinity Church in Columbia. In addition to the financial roles he was
active in Columbia civics.

Joseph along with his brothers Frank and Valentine, formed the Janson Steel and Iron Company in 1899. Joseph was President of Janson Steel while Frank Janson was General Manager and Valentine Janson was the Treasurer. Frank P. Kasel, husband of Catherine Janson Kasel, was the Superintendent from its beginning until his death in 1919.

Eventually, Janson Steel And Iron had assets in excess of $100,000.00. The company was located at Twelfth and Mifflin Streets and employed about 200 people. My Paternal Great Grandfather George Washington Appold worked for the Jansons (maternal side).
The Janson Brothers purchased Empire Mill in New York in March of 1900. It was recorded in the March 10, 1900 New York Tribune.

Frank Janson was also civic minded. He ran for, and was elected to, a local office for the Borough of Columbia. He ran on the Democratic Party ticket.

He and Valentine Janson initially ran a slate mantel business prior to the opening of Janson Steel. Neither Frank nor Valentine Janson ever married.

Frank Janson died in Columbia on February 18, 1923 from influenza. Valentine Janson died shortly thereafter, on March 30, 1923. He died from a respiratory condition. I wonder if that was from years of dealing with the mill. Both Frank and Valentine Janson are buried at Holy Trinity Cemetery.

(This was the house Frank and Valentine built for themselves.  The current owner told Eileen that there is a vault is in the basement--see inscription above the door?  Stained glass windows were a part of the house, too.  The family on the porch are the next owners, not the Jansons).

Joseph Janson became ill with pneumonia while traveling to Europe with his wife Serena B. Vogel Janson and her niece Elizabeth Blackman. They were staying at a luxurious hotel in Hamburg, Germany when Joseph was taken ill. He passed away on October 20, 1925 in his native country.
He was taken back to the United States and was buried at Holy Trinity Cemetery on November 13, 1925.
I only recently discovered the circumstances surrounding his death. I knew from reading travel information on Ancestry.com that Serena Vogel Janson and Elizabeth Blackman (Serena’s niece) had traveled back to the United States from Germany and wondered why Joseph was not with them. But within the last few months I found a new kind of record on Ancestry.com: Notice of
Americans Dying Abroad. It answered some questions for me. I had not been able to figure out why I did not have a Pennsylvania Death Certificate for him when I could locate ones for all of his siblings.
Lesson here is go back and recheck previously looked at sites!"

--To be continued!--