Bailey, Wheeler & Company
Russel Wheeler came to Utica in 1838 and entered the hardware store of John Mairs, where he remained four years. In 1842 he became bookkeeper for Joel C. Bailey, who had just purchased the Chester Dexter Foundry on Columbia street. In 1844 he formed a partnership with Mr. Bailey, as Bailey, Wheeler & Co., which continued until 1855, when Mr. Wheeler bought his senior partner's interest.
Before furnaces and boilers, stoves moved out of kitchens to heat other rooms. As they did, they became works of art and the parlor stove industry was born.
Today at Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute, one can see a Bailey, Wheeler & Co. Palor Stove on display...
Bailey, Wheeler & Company was just one of many Utica Stove, Furnace & Boiler Makers. Read Fires, Furnaces & Forges: A Heating History to understand how the industry emerged. We're not opposing the new downtown hospital, we're seeking to help create a Better Hospital Neighborhood.