~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
William Boss was the fourth of eleven children (nine of whom lived to adulthood) born to Janette and Andrew Boss. Born on October 7, 1869, William spent his childhood on the family farm in Gilford township, near Zumbro Falls, Minnesota. As a young man he apprenticed himself in the carpentry and building trade but soon followed his brother Andrew to the University of Minnesota School of Agriculture. While he didn't share his brother's interest in farming, he wanted to take advantage of courses such as manual training, which instructed students in the use of mechanical drawing tools, as well as classes in mathematics and physics. Boss's aptitude for things mechanical soon led to a position as an instructor in steam engineering and eventually as a full-time professor at the school in a new field called agricultural engineering.
In 1895 Boss married Edna Rider (b. 1871) of Oak Center, Minnesota. The couple bought a house in St. Paul's St. Anthony Park neighborhood. It was there that Boss began the Specialty Manufacturing Company in 1900 (see below for history of the Specialty Mfg. Co.). By 1909, the business had grown big enough to compete seriously with Boss's teaching obligations at the University. He decided to resign from his teaching position to devote himself to the new company, but the pressures of World War I soon brought him back to the University. The School of Agriculture had contracted with the government to train soldiers and needed Boss to lecture and supervise. With many of his best men gone to the service, Boss was at first reluctant to leave his growing business. He eventually agreed to come back on a part-time basis and by the end of the war had resumed full-time work, now as head of the department.
In addition to his success in business, Boss was respected for his contributions in the emerging field of agricultural engineering. He was largely responsible for founding the agricultural engineering department at the University of Minnesota, pioneered the creation of its curricula, and designed the first major building to house it. He was a charter member and president of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers and in 1943 was awarded the John Deere Medal for Distinguished Achievement in the Application of Science and Art to the Soil. Around 1945 he started the Boss Engineering Company with sons Ronald and Harlan, which did consulting and development work for other companies.
Boss also gave his time to many other scientific, social, civic, and fraternal organizations. An active church-goer, Boss was ordained as an elder of St. Paul's Central Presbyterian Church in 1919 and was head of the church's finance committee for over thirty years.
William and Edna Boss had two sons, Ronald and Harlan. After Edna passed away in 1953, Boss's niece, Florence Anding, became his housekeeper and companion. Boss remained active all his life, and continued to report to work at Specialty Mfg. Co. well into his 80s. William Boss died in 1965.
Source: Minnesota Historical Society. WILLIAM BOSS: An Inventory of the Boss Family and Business Papers at the Minnesota Historical Society
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Specialty Manufacturing Company
Frustrated by the extra time he had to spend raking up grass clippings after mowing the lawn of his St. Paul home, William Boss came up with the idea of constructing a grass catcher out of wire and canvas which could be easily attached and detached from the mower. The enthusiasm of neighbors and friends for the new device encouraged Boss to begin producing them for sale, and the invention became the start of the Specialty Manufacturing Company in 1900. Sales grew so quickly that before long Boss moved his business to its own factory, eventually ending up on University Avenue (1915-1990s) and later in White Bear Lake (1990s on). The easy-emptying grass catcher was soon followed by several other popular products, including the flow-through detachable hose reel and the acme egg weighing scale. The company soon developed a full line of home lawn and garden care products, including multiple models of hose reels, grass catchers, and water sprinklers. From the mid-1960s on, Specialty focused on flow control products and shut-off valves for all types of liquids under pressure. The original grass catcher remained one of their most popular products, however; the same model was manufactured from 1902 to the early 1980s.
As the name Specialty Manufacturing Company aptly suggests, much of the company's business, especially after 1934, came from custom manufacturing on a contract basis. During World War II they made a number of products under government contract, such as a round washer for use in the manufacture of war products. Another major client was Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company (later 3M) for whom the Specialty Mfg. Co. developed and produced Scotch tape dispensers. Other products produced for 3M, their biggest single customer for contract work, have included bow tying machines and box sealing ribbon.
Though it was incorporated in 1947, Specialty Mfg. Co. has remained essentially a family-run company. Founder William Boss acted as its first chairman, director, and general manager, followed by his son Ronald Boss - and in later years - his granddaughter and other descendants.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
William Boss was the fourth of eleven children (nine of whom lived to adulthood) born to Janette and Andrew Boss. Born on October 7, 1869, William spent his childhood on the family farm in Gilford township, near Zumbro Falls, Minnesota. As a young man he apprenticed himself in the carpentry and building trade but soon followed his brother Andrew to the University of Minnesota School of Agriculture. While he didn't share his brother's interest in farming, he wanted to take advantage of courses such as manual training, which instructed students in the use of mechanical drawing tools, as well as classes in mathematics and physics. Boss's aptitude for things mechanical soon led to a position as an instructor in steam engineering and eventually as a full-time professor at the school in a new field called agricultural engineering.
In 1895 Boss married Edna Rider (b. 1871) of Oak Center, Minnesota. The couple bought a house in St. Paul's St. Anthony Park neighborhood. It was there that Boss began the Specialty Manufacturing Company in 1900 (see below for history of the Specialty Mfg. Co.). By 1909, the business had grown big enough to compete seriously with Boss's teaching obligations at the University. He decided to resign from his teaching position to devote himself to the new company, but the pressures of World War I soon brought him back to the University. The School of Agriculture had contracted with the government to train soldiers and needed Boss to lecture and supervise. With many of his best men gone to the service, Boss was at first reluctant to leave his growing business. He eventually agreed to come back on a part-time basis and by the end of the war had resumed full-time work, now as head of the department.
In addition to his success in business, Boss was respected for his contributions in the emerging field of agricultural engineering. He was largely responsible for founding the agricultural engineering department at the University of Minnesota, pioneered the creation of its curricula, and designed the first major building to house it. He was a charter member and president of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers and in 1943 was awarded the John Deere Medal for Distinguished Achievement in the Application of Science and Art to the Soil. Around 1945 he started the Boss Engineering Company with sons Ronald and Harlan, which did consulting and development work for other companies.
Boss also gave his time to many other scientific, social, civic, and fraternal organizations. An active church-goer, Boss was ordained as an elder of St. Paul's Central Presbyterian Church in 1919 and was head of the church's finance committee for over thirty years.
William and Edna Boss had two sons, Ronald and Harlan. After Edna passed away in 1953, Boss's niece, Florence Anding, became his housekeeper and companion. Boss remained active all his life, and continued to report to work at Specialty Mfg. Co. well into his 80s. William Boss died in 1965.
Source: Minnesota Historical Society. WILLIAM BOSS: An Inventory of the Boss Family and Business Papers at the Minnesota Historical Society
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Specialty Manufacturing Company
Frustrated by the extra time he had to spend raking up grass clippings after mowing the lawn of his St. Paul home, William Boss came up with the idea of constructing a grass catcher out of wire and canvas which could be easily attached and detached from the mower. The enthusiasm of neighbors and friends for the new device encouraged Boss to begin producing them for sale, and the invention became the start of the Specialty Manufacturing Company in 1900. Sales grew so quickly that before long Boss moved his business to its own factory, eventually ending up on University Avenue (1915-1990s) and later in White Bear Lake (1990s on). The easy-emptying grass catcher was soon followed by several other popular products, including the flow-through detachable hose reel and the acme egg weighing scale. The company soon developed a full line of home lawn and garden care products, including multiple models of hose reels, grass catchers, and water sprinklers. From the mid-1960s on, Specialty focused on flow control products and shut-off valves for all types of liquids under pressure. The original grass catcher remained one of their most popular products, however; the same model was manufactured from 1902 to the early 1980s.
As the name Specialty Manufacturing Company aptly suggests, much of the company's business, especially after 1934, came from custom manufacturing on a contract basis. During World War II they made a number of products under government contract, such as a round washer for use in the manufacture of war products. Another major client was Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company (later 3M) for whom the Specialty Mfg. Co. developed and produced Scotch tape dispensers. Other products produced for 3M, their biggest single customer for contract work, have included bow tying machines and box sealing ribbon.
Though it was incorporated in 1947, Specialty Mfg. Co. has remained essentially a family-run company. Founder William Boss acted as its first chairman, director, and general manager, followed by his son Ronald Boss - and in later years - his granddaughter and other descendants.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
William Boss was the fourth of eleven children (nine of whom lived to adulthood) born to Janette and Andrew Boss. Born on October 7, 1869, William spent his childhood on the family farm in Gilford township, near Zumbro Falls, Minnesota. As a young man he apprenticed himself in the carpentry and building trade but soon followed his brother Andrew to the University of Minnesota School of Agriculture. While he didn't share his brother's interest in farming, he wanted to take advantage of courses such as manual training, which instructed students in the use of mechanical drawing tools, as well as classes in mathematics and physics. Boss's aptitude for things mechanical soon led to a position as an instructor in steam engineering and eventually as a full-time professor at the school in a new field called agricultural engineering.
In 1895 Boss married Edna Rider (b. 1871) of Oak Center, Minnesota. The couple bought a house in St. Paul's St. Anthony Park neighborhood. It was there that Boss began the Specialty Manufacturing Company in 1900 (see below for history of the Specialty Mfg. Co.). By 1909, the business had grown big enough to compete seriously with Boss's teaching obligations at the University. He decided to resign from his teaching position to devote himself to the new company, but the pressures of World War I soon brought him back to the University. The School of Agriculture had contracted with the government to train soldiers and needed Boss to lecture and supervise. With many of his best men gone to the service, Boss was at first reluctant to leave his growing business. He eventually agreed to come back on a part-time basis and by the end of the war had resumed full-time work, now as head of the department.
In addition to his success in business, Boss was respected for his contributions in the emerging field of agricultural engineering. He was largely responsible for founding the agricultural engineering department at the University of Minnesota, pioneered the creation of its curricula, and designed the first major building to house it. He was a charter member and president of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers and in 1943 was awarded the John Deere Medal for Distinguished Achievement in the Application of Science and Art to the Soil. Around 1945 he started the Boss Engineering Company with sons Ronald and Harlan, which did consulting and development work for other companies.
Boss also gave his time to many other scientific, social, civic, and fraternal organizations. An active church-goer, Boss was ordained as an elder of St. Paul's Central Presbyterian Church in 1919 and was head of the church's finance committee for over thirty years.
William and Edna Boss had two sons, Ronald and Harlan. After Edna passed away in 1953, Boss's niece, Florence Anding, became his housekeeper and companion. Boss remained active all his life, and continued to report to work at Specialty Mfg. Co. well into his 80s. William Boss died in 1965.
Source: Minnesota Historical Society. WILLIAM BOSS: An Inventory of the Boss Family and Business Papers at the Minnesota Historical Society
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Specialty Manufacturing Company
Frustrated by the extra time he had to spend raking up grass clippings after mowing the lawn of his St. Paul home, William Boss came up with the idea of constructing a grass catcher out of wire and canvas which could be easily attached and detached from the mower. The enthusiasm of neighbors and friends for the new device encouraged Boss to begin producing them for sale, and the invention became the start of the Specialty Manufacturing Company in 1900. Sales grew so quickly that before long Boss moved his business to its own factory, eventually ending up on University Avenue (1915-1990s) and later in White Bear Lake (1990s on). The easy-emptying grass catcher was soon followed by several other popular products, including the flow-through detachable hose reel and the acme egg weighing scale. The company soon developed a full line of home lawn and garden care products, including multiple models of hose reels, grass catchers, and water sprinklers. From the mid-1960s on, Specialty focused on flow control products and shut-off valves for all types of liquids under pressure. The original grass catcher remained one of their most popular products, however; the same model was manufactured from 1902 to the early 1980s.
As the name Specialty Manufacturing Company aptly suggests, much of the company's business, especially after 1934, came from custom manufacturing on a contract basis. During World War II they made a number of products under government contract, such as a round washer for use in the manufacture of war products. Another major client was Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company (later 3M) for whom the Specialty Mfg. Co. developed and produced Scotch tape dispensers. Other products produced for 3M, their biggest single customer for contract work, have included bow tying machines and box sealing ribbon.
Though it was incorporated in 1947, Specialty Mfg. Co. has remained essentially a family-run company. Founder William Boss acted as its first chairman, director, and general manager, followed by his son Ronald Boss - and in later years - his granddaughter and other descendants.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
William Boss was the fourth of eleven children (nine of whom lived to adulthood) born to Janette and Andrew Boss. Born on October 7, 1869, William spent his childhood on the family farm in Gilford township, near Zumbro Falls, Minnesota. As a young man he apprenticed himself in the carpentry and building trade but soon followed his brother Andrew to the University of Minnesota School of Agriculture. While he didn't share his brother's interest in farming, he wanted to take advantage of courses such as manual training, which instructed students in the use of mechanical drawing tools, as well as classes in mathematics and physics. Boss's aptitude for things mechanical soon led to a position as an instructor in steam engineering and eventually as a full-time professor at the school in a new field called agricultural engineering.
In 1895 Boss married Edna Rider (b. 1871) of Oak Center, Minnesota. The couple bought a house in St. Paul's St. Anthony Park neighborhood. It was there that Boss began the Specialty Manufacturing Company in 1900 (see below for history of the Specialty Mfg. Co.). By 1909, the business had grown big enough to compete seriously with Boss's teaching obligations at the University. He decided to resign from his teaching position to devote himself to the new company, but the pressures of World War I soon brought him back to the University. The School of Agriculture had contracted with the government to train soldiers and needed Boss to lecture and supervise. With many of his best men gone to the service, Boss was at first reluctant to leave his growing business. He eventually agreed to come back on a part-time basis and by the end of the war had resumed full-time work, now as head of the department.
In addition to his success in business, Boss was respected for his contributions in the emerging field of agricultural engineering. He was largely responsible for founding the agricultural engineering department at the University of Minnesota, pioneered the creation of its curricula, and designed the first major building to house it. He was a charter member and president of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers and in 1943 was awarded the John Deere Medal for Distinguished Achievement in the Application of Science and Art to the Soil. Around 1945 he started the Boss Engineering Company with sons Ronald and Harlan, which did consulting and development work for other companies.
Boss also gave his time to many other scientific, social, civic, and fraternal organizations. An active church-goer, Boss was ordained as an elder of St. Paul's Central Presbyterian Church in 1919 and was head of the church's finance committee for over thirty years.
William and Edna Boss had two sons, Ronald and Harlan. After Edna passed away in 1953, Boss's niece, Florence Anding, became his housekeeper and companion. Boss remained active all his life, and continued to report to work at Specialty Mfg. Co. well into his 80s. William Boss died in 1965.
Source: Minnesota Historical Society. WILLIAM BOSS: An Inventory of the Boss Family and Business Papers at the Minnesota Historical Society
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Specialty Manufacturing Company
Frustrated by the extra time he had to spend raking up grass clippings after mowing the lawn of his St. Paul home, William Boss came up with the idea of constructing a grass catcher out of wire and canvas which could be easily attached and detached from the mower. The enthusiasm of neighbors and friends for the new device encouraged Boss to begin producing them for sale, and the invention became the start of the Specialty Manufacturing Company in 1900. Sales grew so quickly that before long Boss moved his business to its own factory, eventually ending up on University Avenue (1915-1990s) and later in White Bear Lake (1990s on). The easy-emptying grass catcher was soon followed by several other popular products, including the flow-through detachable hose reel and the acme egg weighing scale. The company soon developed a full line of home lawn and garden care products, including multiple models of hose reels, grass catchers, and water sprinklers. From the mid-1960s on, Specialty focused on flow control products and shut-off valves for all types of liquids under pressure. The original grass catcher remained one of their most popular products, however; the same model was manufactured from 1902 to the early 1980s.
As the name Specialty Manufacturing Company aptly suggests, much of the company's business, especially after 1934, came from custom manufacturing on a contract basis. During World War II they made a number of products under government contract, such as a round washer for use in the manufacture of war products. Another major client was Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company (later 3M) for whom the Specialty Mfg. Co. developed and produced Scotch tape dispensers. Other products produced for 3M, their biggest single customer for contract work, have included bow tying machines and box sealing ribbon.
Though it was incorporated in 1947, Specialty Mfg. Co. has remained essentially a family-run company. Founder William Boss acted as its first chairman, director, and general manager, followed by his son Ronald Boss - and in later years - his granddaughter and other descendants.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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