"C. R. Speers of this review was educated in the Marshalltown public and high schools. He began life for himself in 1891 by taking a position with the Northwestern Railroad Company; however, he remained with them but a short time, having accepted a position in the fall of that year with the City National Bank, in which he remained until 1898, giving the utmost satisfaction. In that year he took a position with the A. E. Shorthill Company, incorporated, which was organized in 1860 by Lockwood & Frederick, under the name of the Marshall Foundry & Machine Shops. In 1885 Mr. Shorthill acquired the entire property from Frederick. He was joined in 1898 by C. R. Speers and the firm was incorporated, since which time they have been doing an extensive and satisfactory business which is constantly growing. In the early days of this plant it was run as a plow shop, then a machine shop, later a boiler shop and now the main business is structural iron and bridges; however, auxiliary departments, including foundry, drop forging plant and machine shops are maintained. They do an extensive business all over Iowa, South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma, employing one hundred and twenty-five men. Their plant covers an entire block. They are well equipped with every modern appliance and apparatus for successfully carrying on their work. They have some very representative buildings in Denver, San Francisco, Salt Lake City. This firm stands second to none of its kind throughout the West. Everything is under a superb system and only skilled and reliable employees are on the payroll." (Quote from 1912.)

Information Sources

• Past and Present of Marshall County, Iowa, 1912 pg. 838