[The following note describes a series of company records and has no images attached to it. To view the images in the records described here, use the "Which Series Notes?" button to enter the Series Notes or use the "Next Text" button to move to the first item in the series.]
The Ogden Iron Co. (OIC), established in 1865, was purchased by Edison in September 1890 and remained under his control until its dissolution in June 1918. Incorporated in Dover, N.J., the early directors of the OIC included Ario Pardee, a Pennsylvania coal and lumber magnate who was also a founding director of the Sussex County Iron Co., and George Richards, who was active in the Morris County, N.J., iron industry and served as the OIC president during the period 1886-1891. In June 1889 the New Jersey and Pennsylvania Concentrating Works (NJPCW), represented by Simeon O. Edison, entered negotiations for the lease or purchase of land owned by the company in Sussex County, N.J. At a special meeting held on September 9, 1890, the OIC directors accepted Edison's offer to purchase the company's entire stock for $75,000. Edison took control of the company on June 1, 1891. A new board of directors was elected, Edison was appointed president, and William S. Perry became the company's secretary/treasurer.
The records cover the period 1865-1924, but most of the material dates from the period before Edison's involvement. The documents are primarily financial materials, but also included are the company's certificate of incorporation and by-laws, minutes from meetings of the board of directors and stockholders, and some correspondence regarding the dissolution of the company. A finding aid is available at the Edison National Historical Park.
Less than 5 percent of the documents have been selected. The following categories of documents, all predating Edison's involvement with the company, have not been selected: bank and check accounts; stock certificates and records of stock transfers; and ledgers, journals and dividend books. Courtesy of Thomas Edison National Historical Park.