William Whiteley
1834 - 1911
Known nationwide as the “Reaper King”, William Whiteley places Springfield on the map with his innovative improvements of Cyrus McCormack’s reaper. A born machinist with an inventive mind, Whiteley is constantly seeking ways to improve upon the means in which to make agriculture profitable for the farming community. Springfield becomes known as the “Champion City” because of his company Whiteley, Fassler, and Kelly producing and distributing its reaper/mower worldwide. Upon merging with four other farm implement manufacturing companies, the Champion Works is born. His East Street Shops, built in 1882, paves the way for Whiteley to become the leader of the world’s second largest manufacturing complex. Unfortunately, due to a misappropriation of funds in a bank in Cincinnati and falling prices, he sells the East Street Shops at a considerable loss. Whiteley moves to Muncie, Indiana, but returns three years later and continues to invent and manufacture farm implements.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1882.
Location. 39° 56.173′ N,
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Ohio’s Dayton Metro and in the Miami Valley. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Jeremiah Warder and Ann Aston Warder (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Oliver Smith Kelly (about 500 feet away); John Dick (about 500 feet away); John Ludlow (about 600 feet away); Clark County Revolutionary War Memorial (about 600 feet away); James Leffel (about 700 feet away); Union Soldiers Monument
Also see . . .
1. William N. Whiteley. Find A Grave website entry (Submitted on June 22, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
2. Springfield, Ohio. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on June 22, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on May 8, 2026. It was originally submitted on March 29, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,201 times since then and 56 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on March 29, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. 2. submitted on June 22, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 3, 4. submitted on March 29, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
