By the late nineteenth century, Cedar Rapids had become a major manufacturing hub. The Chandler Pump Company, founded by J.A. Chandler in 1890, became one of the city’s most important manufactories. In addition to fabricating and selling iron pipe, plumbers’ supplies, and well casings, it was known for its Chandler Iron Pump—a water pump used on farms for cisterns and in many homes. Chandler, along with its competitors, the Cedar Rapids Pump Company and Iowa Windmill and Pump Company, led the pump, iron pipe, windmill, and plumbing supply business in Cedar Rapids and the broader Midwest. Only two brick buildings from the original complex survive: the machine shop/factory and the warehouse.
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