About a dozen years ago, several letters from a man in Arizona were addressed to the Albert Lea Public Library and the Freeborn County Historical Society. These letters asked both reference sources for any information they could furnish about a local firm named the Star Foundry Company.

What this person from Arizona eventually gained about the Albert Lea part of this firm’s history became a part of the book, “Pounding Out the Profits.”

This 1997 book by Douglas Freund was published by Mingus Mountain Machine Works in Jerome, Ariz. Its theme was, “The development and manufacture of crank-activated, open-die power forging hammers.”

In the introduction of his book, the author acknowledged the assistance of the following local citizens: Linda Evenson, Freeborn County Historical Society; Lavonne Oftedahl and Jan Rogness, Albert Lea Public Library; and Mary Henrichs and Elinor R. Nielsen.

The name closely associated with the Star firm was Arthur Alfred Koch. He stated building power hammers for use by blacksmiths, machine shops and manufacturing firms in Montezuma, Iowa, during 1903. By 1904 he had moved to Grinnell, Iowa, and then to Mason City, Iowa, where he established the Vulcan Iron Works.

In 1907, Koch and his partner Fred Wells moved to Albert Lea and went into business as the Star Foundry Company.

The 1909 city directory lists this firm as being at 315 W. Main St.

By this time Koch could have gained a reputation for being a person who moved his business from place to place. This was confirmed with a move to Waterloo, Iowa, in 1911, then to Austin in 1913. Within a few years the Star firm again returned to Albert Lea.

The second relocation was confirmed with an entry in the 1921 city directory. However, Star’s new location was listed as 216 W. Front St.

About 1924 or early 1925 the Star firm had financial problems and went out of business. Koch moved to San Angelo, Texas, in the fall of 1925. With new partners he organized the San Angelo Foundry and Machine Company which retained the Star brand name.

Within a few years the San Angelo firm ceased to exist. Koch eventually moved to Arkansas, became a blacksmith and died in 1956.

Another of Albert Lea’s now nearly forgotten foundries was a part of local life and commerce for a longer time. An article in a 1912 Tribune reported:

“The Enterprise Iron Works was established by Mr. J. (James) Wellington Veness, and has come to be one of the representative industrial enterprises of Albert Lea, ranking among the largest firms in the foundry and structural iron business in this section.

“Coming here at that time from Mankato, Mr. Veness engaged in the genera machine business and small foundry work, following several lines …

“Castings are handled by the present equipment in any size up to three thousand pounds.

“In the machine room, experienced, skillful machinists are employed who are qualified to undertake all classes of work in the line – building, repairing or refinishing gas or steam engines or the construction or repairing of intricate machinery or the simplest machine parts.

“The plant occupies the corner site with 132 feet on St. Mary Street and 99 feet on William and includes the main machine room, foundry, cleaning room, smithy, stockroom and foundry yard.”

This foundry was located at the northeast corner of what’s now South St. Mary Avenue and West William Street, which is now part of a parking lot.

Veness was born in Winnebago County, Ill., during 1855. His home in Albert Lea was at 107 N. Washington Ave.

The last listing for the Veness name being associated with the Enterprise Iron Works was in the 1924 city directory. Dwight A. Potter is listed as the firm’s general manager in the 1928 directory. Sometime during the next decade the firm’s name was changed to Potter Foundry Co., a move was made to Marshall Street, and by 1939 this foundry had ceased operations.

Veness moved to Oregon in the late 1920s and died in Portland on June 30, 1945, according to research by Linda Evenson, librarian of the Freeborn County Historical Museum.