Halvor Olsen Hem

1865 census for Langkaas, Saude:

http://digitalarkivet.arkivverket.no/ft/person/pf01038139001237

Burial record:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/172054923/halvor-olson-hem

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Biographical Sketch

Halvor Olsen Hem was born August 14, 1863, in Saude, Norway, to Ole and Aaste Hem. H.O. Hem was born into a family of engineers and mechanics, and before the age of fifteen had designed numerous mechanical devices including scales, steam engines, and sewing machines.

In March of 1882, H.O. Hem came to the United States where he became an engineer with the H.N. Strait Manufacturing Company of Kansas City, Missouri. It was in 1890 when he became the chief engineer, superintendent and vice-president of the company. H.N. Strait Manufacturing Co. produced scales under the name Monarch for twelve years under H.O. Hem. In 1902 the company was sold to Fairbanks, Morse and Company where H.O. Hem created a complete line of scales. H.O. Hem remained there until 1915 when he became a consultant to the Toledo Scale Company, and in 1928 he became the chief engineer of Toledo Scale. Some of his developments in scales were in the area of heavy capacity, mechanical devices for World War I and II, wind tunnel measuring systems, and the automobile industry.

During his tenure as an engineer, H.O. Hem received various awards and honors. He received the John Price Wetherill medal in 1932 for his perfection of pendulum scales. In 1936 he received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of Toledo. H.O. Hem was also part of many associations and organizations. One such group was the Yards and Terminals Committee 14 of the American Railway Engineering Association, which determined the rules and regulations for scales and their installation. He was also a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, American Railway Engineering Association, and the National Scale Men’s Association.

H.O. Hem retired from the Toledo Scale Company in 1947, but he still helped the company as a consultant. H.O. Hem was married twice, first to Lillian Lorraine Hill Hem, with whom he had three children, Lorraine Lillian Hem Osborne, Halvor Warren Hem Sr. and Verona Hem Stone. His second wife, after Lillian died, was Helen Eveland (“Nell”) Vaughan. He died on November 11, 1952, at his home at 3009 Kenwood Blvd, in Toledo, Ohio.

H.O. and H.W. Hem Toledo Scale Papers

1910s-1960s

Scope and Content Note

The papers of H.O. and H.W. Hem consist of 5 linear feet and broken into four primary series: blueprints and engineering drawings, photographs, publications, and miscellaneous H.O and H.W. materials. These materials give an in-depth description of the engineering side of the Toledo Scale Company during the two Hems’ terms as chief engineers. The collection consists of blueprints and drawings, scale newsletters, photographs and catalogs of scales, instructions, other companies’ products, sales information, articles, and correspondence materials documenting the daily engineering of scales.

The four series are arranged alphabetically then chronologically. Also, those materials specifically designated by H.O. or H.W. have been arranged first by father (H.O.) then by son (H.W.), followed by those materials without designated ownership.

Many items may be duplicated in the Toledo Scale Collection, MSS-153.

Clarice Meredith (on 9/10/2008) told me she interviewed HO when she was in high school in 1936 0r 1937. HO said he had only a nickel when he got off the ship in New York. He saw a man chopping wood and told him he could do it better so he was paid 50 cents, (his first money earned in America) with which he bought his dinner.

On the ship (Clarice thinks it was the "Norcross", but I find no record of such a ship) he met a man who repaired watches. HO said he'd like to learn the trade so apparently he went with the man to Rio, Wisc. (a large Norwegian settlement) to apprentice to him.

HO's passenger contract is fairly illegible, but the passenger ship line appears to be: "State-Liniens. Dampskibs-Selskab". Since Ellis Island wasn't open until 1892, the ships which came to New York City docked at the end of Manhattan at a place called "Castle Garden". He came from Norway by steamer to Hull and then by rail to Glasgow and from there in steerage steamer to New York. He then took a rail to Rio, Wisconsin.

HO's name could be found in the 1888-1890 Los Angeles, CA City Directory. NO phone number, but it said he was a carpenter and lived, (as a boarder I think) at 737 So. Fort St. in LA. It was said (by his son) that he came to California to work on the Mulholland LA Aqueduct although that wasn't built until 1905-1913. Note: Nonny (Madeleine Hem) told her son, Paul, that HO came to Los Angeles, CA to “redesign the sewer system”. He was in Los Angeles with Lillian Lorraine, but am not sure he met her there since she was from Louisiana (or North Carolina, according to one census).

In the 1900 Census, he, Lillian and their 3 children lived in Kansas City, Ward 3, Wyandotte County Kansas.

In the 1900 Census he was listed living at 1933 14th Ave.? Kansas City, Kansas (Ward 3) He owned his home "free of mortgage".

In the 1910 Census, he was living at 721 W. 18th St. in Kansas City and managing a machine shop where his son also worked.

I believe he later lived at 2742 Scottwood Ave. in Toledo (unless it was his son, H W Hem Sr.) before moving to 3009 Kenwood Ave. in Toledo. The Scottwood home was most recently inhabited by his granddaughter, Clarice Meredith and her husband, Russell.

(Anyone reading this, please feel free to correct, clarify or add to this. I'm just a west coast relation who hasn't lived in Toledo since I was 2 years old.)

--Marci Thornton-Smith