Tannery at Hidi, c. 1895

     Manufacturing began here in 1814 when pioneer settler Ahaz Allen built the first dam on Cattaraugus Creek at Hidi and dug the first race, or canal, for industrial use. At the outlet of the raceway he built the first sawmill and grist mill, which later became a woolen mill owned by his brother, Dan Allen. The tanning industry in Hidi was started in 1852 or 1853 when a German immigrant named Albert Gaensslen opened a tannery in what had been the woolen mill. With the exception of intervals when the buildings were destroyed by fire, the tannery was in operation into the 20th century. The land between Cattaraugus Creek and the race was known as Gaensslen Island.

     The next generation of Gaensslens continued the tanning business and in 1895 they formed a partnership with Erwin C. Fisher of Cattaraugus and expanded their trade. In 1897 the Hidi Switch, a half-mile-long rail line, was built from the Erie station on Commercial Street to the tannery at a cost of $7,000. Remnants of the old mills were relocated and a trestle was built to carry the rail line over the raceway into the tannery.

     The history of Moench Tanning Company goes back to 1865 when Christopher Moench purchased a tannery at Cattaraugus. Later he also had an interest in a tannery in Salamanca. The Cattaraugus tannery was consumed by fire in 1888 and was quickly rebuilt. When it burned again in 1902, the Moench family moved their operations to Hidi, doing business as Moench, Fisher & Gaensslen. On May 6, 1905, it was reorganized as C. Moench Sons Company, with Henry and George Moench at the helm. In 1914, the firm consolidated their tannery operations at Gowanda, dismantled their plant in Alpena, Michigan and reassembled the buildings here to house their sole leather and finishing departments. The company maintained sales offices in Boston and Chicago.

     Before synthetic chemicals were used in tanning, a process known as vegetable tanning was used. Tanning liquors were derived from hemlock bark, and huge stacks of bark were piled at the site. To stop the action of the tanning liquor on the hides, an alkaline substance was required. Later on lime was used, but before that the tannery bought chicken manure from local farmers for that purpose. An interesting side note regarding the tannery appears in a special edition of the Gowanda Leader from 1898. It was stated that “a peculiar and somewhat unpleasant odor of tannic acid” fouled the air around the tannery, but although disagreeable to the outsider, “it is said that it contains medicinal properties which are of especial benefit to those suffering from pulmonary troubles.”

     These vintage photos show some Gaensslen & Fisher employees and a view of the tannery from Snyder Hill about 1895. The raceway can clearly be seen in the foreground with the creek flowing around behind the tannery. The old chimney was taken down and replaced by a 100-foot-high stack in 1896. The race was filled in some time between 1907 and 1913.