The Becker Manufacturing Co., a gray iron foundry, was started in Two Rivers in March 1904 by Frank T. Becker. He was a Manitowoc native who learned the foundry trade after leaving school. He worked in Manitowoc and Milwaukee foundries for 14 years before renting the building where he started his business at 1701-12th Street, Two Rivers. The building was purchased one year later. It had one melting furnace. Later an addition to the building was added with another furnace and a traveling crane. The foundry made grey iron and semi steel castings from several ounces to 5,000 pounds.
Mr. Becker married Louise Simonis in 1900. They had 11 children: Roland, Clarence, Hildegarde, Evelyn, Delores, Paul, Edward, Arthur, Hugo, Frank and Margaret. Most of the boys spent some time at the plant. Business incorporated in 1928.
Roland and Hugo made a life’s work of it at the foundry. Roland took over the management in 1955 and retired in 1970 when Hugo assumed the management. company founder, Frank Becker, died in 1959 at
the age of 85. The castings were made mostly for local businesses. During WWII, 15 people were employed. Some of the men who spent their life working at the foundry during the early days were Joseph Christoffel, Frank Bohne, Herman Stoer, Jake Fraftcheck and Stanley Subjinski. Due to environmental restrictions, the business was terminated in 1973. During the peak years, approximately 5 tons of castings were molded and poured daily, mostly for Kahlenberg Bros. Co. and Hamilton Mfg. Co., plus several Manitowoc firms. (If the address sounds familiar, the Becker foundry was bought by the Two Rivers Historical Society and is now the home of the Farm Museum.)
