The highly polished granite mausoleum in the form of a Roman triumphal arch heralds the accomplishments of Aaron French, a Pittsburgh industrialist whose plant once achieved international notoriety for manufacturing springs for locomotives, train cars, and streetcars.
French (1823-1902) was typical of prominent men of his generation. He was raised on a farm and ventured into business after a humble start in the work world. Like many of his contemporaries, his initial plants were small but grew into a sizable industrial concern. Born in Wadsworth (Medina County), Ohio, on March 23, 1823, Aaron French left school at 12.
After hiring himself as a farmhand for a year, he was apprenticed to a blacksmith when he was 13. His early work history shows that he drifted from one job to a series of other jobs. Having regretted leaving school early, he enrolled at the Archie McGregor Academy in Wadsworth, Ohio, where he studied for one year. In the mid-1800s, while visiting Illinois, he contracted a fever that would incapacitate him for more than four years.
During the Civil War, Mr. French attempted to enlist with the Union Army but was rejected due to his past health issues. In 1862, he was elected sheriff of Racine County but did not serve out the full two-year term.
Mr. French left the post and entered a business partnership with Calvin Wells. The two men left for Pittsburgh, where they founded the A. French Spring Company. Employing 10 men, the new firm started in a building 40 feet by 100 feet near the Union Depot, where they manufactured car springs.
It was in Pittsburgh that Mr. French apparently found his niche in life. His business was so successful that within four years, the demand for his product necessitated building a larger plant. Eventually A. French Spring Company had two plants, one between 19th and 21st Streets and a second between 25th and 26th Streets.
When John W. Jordon compiled his Encyclopedia of Pennsylvania Biography in 1914, he noted, "They now employ about four hundred and fifty men and manufacture all kinds of elliptic and spiral springs for use in locomotives, passenger and street cars, automobiles, etc. Their output is sent to all parts of the world, with Europe making a robust demand for it. This is the largest plant of its kind in the world."
Interestingly, the industrialist's mausoleum, built in 1901 at a cost of $25,000, was erected in the rear of the structure. A window was apparently vandalized and has long since been blocked. While the mausoleum stands as a testimony to a man of "indefatigable energy," Mr. French was also honored by the Georgia School of Technology when the institution named the Textile School after him.
During his lifetime, he donated $16,500 to the educational facility today known as the Georgia Institute of Technology. As late as 2003, the A. French Building on the Georgia Tech campus was still in use and housed the Hispanic initiative. The French mausoleum is located in Section 16, Lot 88.
By James Wudarczyk
