Page 8 — Thursday, November 18, 2021 — The Hastings Banner
Factory reps, railroad
officials visit Tyden plants
This is the third installment of a series on
Emil Tyden, a native of Sweden who was
instrumental in bringing industry and stability
to the Hastings area more than a century ago.
The Banner in the summer of 1938 print-
ed several articles on local industries,
including a few that involved Tyden. The
July 14, 1938, issue summarized the history
and productivity of Tyden’s International
Seal and Lock Company (reprinted Nov. 4).
By then, enough small self-locking metal
seals had been produced to encircle around
the earth a dozen times, the article reported.
But development of the seal – used initially
to prevent tampering on railroad shipments
- was painstaking and expensive, costing
more than $1 million to perfect the produc-
tion. The work paid off, and the patent was
among more than 200 Tyden would receive
in his lifetime.
The seal plant was just one of the success-
ful industries of Emil Tyden. He created an
automatic indoor sprinkler for fire prevention
still in production today by the Viking Corp.
In early summer 1938, engineers from the
Fisher Body Co. visited Hastings to inspect
the Viking plant and car seal factory. The
June 9, 1938, Banner reported on the visit
and highlighted the significance of local
industry:
“The people of Hastings recognize the ben-
efits to this city of its factories. They under-
stand that the factories furnish work to a
considerable number, and that the 900
employees, in normal times, mean that prob-
ably 2,000 people in Hastings are dependent
directly on work in its factories.
“Others here receive benefits – such as
increased business, etc. Our citizens realize
that probably one-third of the taxable proper-
ty of this city consists of its factories, togeth-
er with other property, such as homes, etc.,
owned by factory owners and their employ-
ees. It is generally recognized that our facto-
ries have contributed and do contribute much
in making Hastings a better business town
and a better place to live.
“What is not so generally understood is
the fact that our local factories are putting
Hastings on the map not only in our own
country, but, in the case of some of them, in
countries across the seas on other conti-
nents.
“As in illustration of this, we will mention
what happened Thursday last. Three men,
high up in the General Motors organization of
which the Fisher Body Company is a major
part, made a special trip to Hastings on that
day to witness a demonstration of the latest
methods, and to see the most efficient equip-
ment for fire protection to meet special haz-
ards in automobile plants. The three men
were Mr. Abbott, fire marshal for all Fisher
Body plants in this country; Cecil Myers,
chief engineer of the Fisher Body plants in
Detroit; and Samuel Hayman of Detroit, also
representing the engineering department of
the Fisher Body Co.
“These men were much interested here that
day in the Viking equipment and the up-to-
the-minute Viking devices that were demon-
strated for them, showing how quickly and
effectively these devices make a factory safe,
even when exposed to the special hazards of
an automobile plant – for instance in the var-
nishing and finishing departments. The men
were very well pleased with what they saw.
“The Fisher Body Co. has recently installed
the Viking equipment of valves and automat-
ic sprinklers in its New Jersey plant, so the
men were somewhat acquainted with the
newer equipment the Viking company has
brought out in recent months to subdue fires.
Their visit to Hastings indicates that they
recognize the merits of the Viking automatic
sprinkler equipment. It will no doubt result in
orders later on, when we get out of the slump
from which the country is now suffering.
“While here, the three men visited the Seal
Co.’s plant, where Tyden car seals are made.
Anyone who has not seen the automatic
machines in operation in that plant has littleidea of how wonderfully and accurately they
do their work. The manner in which they
automatically function, the correctness and
accuracy of their automatic operations must
be seen in order to be appreciated. These men
said they had no idea there was a plant like
this in Hastings, with such an equipment (sic)
of special machinery, invented by Mr. Tyden
and made in our own shops.
“They were surprised to learn that practi-
cally no change had been made in the Tyden
seal since it was invented by Emil Tyden.
They complimented him on having given
such thorough study to all the processes nec-
essary to make such a seal before devising the
special machinery to manufacture it. Since
there is practically the same ownership in the
Seal Company and the Viking, this visit to the
seal plant impressed these General Motors
executives that whatever the Viking Co. set
out to do would be well considered and thor-
oughly done.”
~~~~~
Another contingent of businessmen visited
Hastings a few months later. Dinner and golf
were on the agenda for this larger group,
according to the Sept. 22, 1938, Banner.
“Seal Co. is host to railroad officials,” the
headline announced.
“Another one of those delightful annual
gatherings of Freight Claim Agents and rep-
resentatives of the leading railroads of
America was held at the Hastings Country
Club Saturday and was very well-attended. A
delicious luncheon was served at 12:30 before
which and after which all who cared to do so
played golf and enjoyed themselves to their
heart’s content in any way that best appealed
to them.
“Several years ago, after the annual meet-
ing of Freight Claim Agents, which is held in
some large city, Col. Tyden and Clarence W.Crawford of the International Seal and Lock
Co. of this city invited them to continue the
meeting by coming over to Hastings, enjoy-
ing the golfing facilities of the Hastings
Country Club and to partake of a coun-
try-style luncheon at the clubhouse. Every
Freight Claim Agent and every representative
who could possibly do so accepted the invita-
tion of Mr. Tyden and Mr. Crawford. In fact,
it has become an annual feature.
“For several years past, Hastings has been
honored with the presence of a large number
of officials prominent in railroad circles and
representing many of the great transportation
lines of the country. In fact, it is doubtful ifany other city in the country of the size of
Hastings has had the honor of entertaining for
one day each year more officials prominent in
transportation circles than has Hastings.
“The surpassing beauty of the Hastings
Country Club, its very inviting golf course,
but above all the very cordial welcome
extended, were all factors in helping make
this day in Hastings every year quite a mem-
orable one, and it is to be hoped that the
annual visit may be continued. ...”
To read more about Tyden and his many
inventions and adventures, pick up a copy of
“Tyden – An Ordinary Man Who Made
CHASING THE EVIDENCE Others Extraordinary”
OF A REMARKABLE MANEmil Tyden made a mark in this world
at the turn of the 20th Century, but it
was the imprint of a selfless man whose
incredible talents and care for his fellow
man Should be admired by every
succeeding generation.” The book,
Tyden: An Ordinary Man Who Made
Others Extraordinary, was published
by Fred Jacobs and J-Ad Graphics and
is the most extensive biography to date
of a man who arrived from Sweden at the age
of 17 and whose inventive brilliance began with contributions
to the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 and ended just before his death in 1951
with the invention of the dry sprinkler fire suppression system manufactured by The Viking
Corporation.In between, Tyden offered world-changing developments to the booming automotive industry
in Detroit, to America’s military efforts in World War I, and to the transportation industry where
the invention for which he became best known, the box car seal, established Hastings as a
manufacturing capital. Over 4 million of Tyden’s boxcar seals were manufactured from his plant
in Hastings. “It’s a compelling read,” states author Doug VanderLaan, “and one I feel fortunate to
be part of in its telling.An Ordinary Man Who Made Others Extraordinary...
Available in Hastings for $24.99 at- Al Fresco
- The General Store
- Printing Plus
- J-Ad Graphics ofiice
at 1351 N. M-43 Highway, just north of the Hastings city limits.
Great for Gift Giving
ON SALE
NOW!
No photographs of the 1938 visits were published with the respective Banner articles. Someone had penciled in ‘1938’ on the back of this photo, which was taken on the
south side of Hastings Manufacturing. A group of railroad freight claim agents visited Hastings in late September 1938. But whether this is a photo of that group is uncertain.Now part of Hastings Manufacturing Company, the building that housed Tyden’s seal company, appropriately, was adjacent to
railroad tracks. One source estimated that at one point Tyden’s self-locking seal was used on more than 90 percent of freight in
the world. Both the Viking and Tyden plants were on East Mill Street. (File photos)