Biographical Memoirs of Wells County, Indiana, 1903. pp. 112-115.

CHARLES C. SIXBEY.

It requires a master mind to rise superior to discouraging environments and establish, successfully guide and control large and important industrial enterprises. The necessary ability to accomplish such results is possessed in an eminent degree by Charles C. Sixbey, one of Bluffton's leading citizens and a typical western business man of tireless energy, unfaltering perseverance, keen discrimination and absolute reliability. Few men have done as much in the same length of time as he and it is fitting in this connection that a brief outline of his life and achievements be given, as his friends and acquaintances throughout the state are many and will no doubt gladly peruse the record. Mr. Sixbey's father was Col. John Sixbey, a native of New York, born and reared in what was formerly known as the Big North Woods, a section of country one hundred miles long by eighty miles wide bordering on the St. Lawrence river in Herkimer county. For many years the men of that region were noted for their great physical strength and endurance and also for sturdiness of character and resoluteness of purpose in carrying to successful conclusion any undertaking to which they addressed themselves.

Col. Sixbey and five sons, three of whom entered the service of their country in the late war and fell while bravely fighting to maintain the integrity of the union. John, the oldest, was killed in the battle of Fair Oaks, Virginia; Nicholas fought under the brave Gen. Lyon at Wilson's Creek, Missouri, and met his death on that bloody field; Jerome received his death wound in the engagement at Nelson's farm; Charles met with an accidental death at home in the year 1849; the subject of this sketch was named for the last mentioned. In addition to the five sons, there were six daughters in the family, the majority of whom grew to mature years and became well settled in life.

Charles C. Sixbey was born in Salisbury, Herkimer county, New York, December 22, 1851, and spent his early life on a farm, with the duties of which he soon became familiar. In addition to agricultural pursuits he also worked in a tannery and at times assisted his father in the lumber business, which the latter carried on for a number of years. By reason of his services being required at home, his early educational training was somewhat limited, but later, about 1868, he entered Elgin Academy, Elgin, Illinois, which he attended one year, making rapid progress in his studies during that time. With his father's aid he afterwards supplemented the above course by attending for several sessions the Fairfield Academy, Fairfield, New York, where he laid a broad and deep foundation for his subsequent career of usefulness in the business and industrial world. When a young man Mr. Sixbey entered the employ of the Peters Box and Lumber Company, Fort Wayne, Indiana, with which he continued about two years and later worked for some time in a factory operated by Mr. Pope. When he arrived in that city he could not boast the possession of a single dollar and some time elapsed before he found himself even in comfortable circumstances. While in Fort Wayne he was employed in different capacities, a part of the time being engaged with a lumber company and later working for a firm which manufactured pails. During the year 1879 he was employed by one John Peters at eighty-five cents per day, but before quitting that gentleman's service he was promoted foreman of the establishment and in that capacity greatly enlarged the magnitude and widened the scope of the business. While exercising his duties as manager of the above concern Mr. Sixbey began dealing in wood on his own responsibility and after severing his connection with his employer devoted his attention for some time to the latter business. He ran a wood yard, which was well patronized, but later disposed of the same and in 1881 embarked in the lumber business at the town of Sheldon. This venture not being remunerative, he discontinued it after a short time and purchasing a separator, engaged in the threshing of grain, following the same for only a limited period.

Up to this time Mr. Sixbey's business enterprises had not been very successful and his financial condition was anything but encouraging. On one occasion he was refused credit for a pair of shoes, but later had the satisfaction of opening a store hard by the one in which he requested the favor and became the unfeeling merchant's more formidable competitor in the world of trade. Beginning on credit, he soon built up a large and lucrative trade, in due time becoming one of the most prosperous and successful merchants in the village of Sheldon. Disposing of his stock in 1883, Mr. Sixbey came to Bluffton and opened a mercantile establishment in the building now occupied by the Williamson Hardware Company. Enjoying first rate credit with the leading wholesale houses of Ft. Wayne, he purchased a large and carefully selected assortment of groceries, subsequently adding boots, shoes, dry goods and gents' furnishing goods, and within a comparatively short time his place became one of the best known and most extensively patronized mercantile establishments in the city. He commanded a large trade not only in Bluffton and from all parts of Wells county, but extended patronage throughout adjoining counties, his sales for the first year amounting to considerably in excess of forty thousand dollars. The continued increase of custom soon rendered necessary a building of enlarged proportions, accordingly he purchased the old Presbyterian church, which when thoroughly remodeled afforded him a very capacious and convenient room in which to meet the demands of the trade. The continued growth of the city and the consequent advancement of his own mercantile interests led Mr. Sixbey afterwards to erect a still larger and more commodious brick edifice on Market street. The capital required in putting up this block and the business depression which almost immediately followed caused Mr. Sixbey considerable financial embarrassment. Like many other merchants at that period, he failed to realize on outstanding obligations and not being able to meet his own bills as they became due, decided after struggling earnestly and manfully against adverse circumstances to retire from mercantile business. By no means discouraged Mr. Sixbey at once began to look around and contrive some means to retrieve his fortune. He was without means to embark again in merchandising, having finally paid up his outstanding obligations in full, consequently he was obliged to seek some other undertaking. It was at this time that the idea first entered his mind of manufacturing a cloth mitten and glove, a strong, durable article, but so cheap as to be within the purchasing power of the poor as well as the better class of working people. To conceive the idea was with him equivalent to acting and it was not long until he began operations in a little old building with a force consisting of two girls and one boy, beside himself. He put in a small machine and advertising the product to the world, began manufacturing at first for the local trade, but the superior quality of his goods soon created a demand at other places. From the outstart the enterprise proved successful beyond his most sanguine expectations and within the first two years his trade had so grown as to require a larger building and a corresponding increase in the force of operators. His factory is now one of the largest and most important of Bluffton's industries, containing one hundred and twenty machines and affording steady employment to one hundred and fifty hands, exclusive of the large number of salesmen who represent the establishment in all of the western, middle, southern and several of the eastern states and Canada. The constantly increasing demand for the "Zero Mittens," as they are called, taxing the original factory to its utmost capacity, led Mr. Sixbey in 1901 to establish a branch at Fort Wayne which now gives employment to eighty operators. Still later he opened a second branch at Bluffton, but such has been the high reputation of his goods that the three factories, running at full force every working day in the year, are not sufficient to fill the large number of orders which are constantly coming in.

Mr. Sixbey has done much to promote the business and industrial growth of Bluffton by giving employment to a large force of laborers, all of whom spend their money in the city. The relations between himself and his employee have always been mutually pleasant and agreeable and such a condition of affairs as a strike or lockout has never been known or even contemplated in his establishments. He is a natural leader and, possessing executive abilities of a high order, manages his factories with consummate skill, winning the esteem of all in his employ as well as of those with whom he transacts business. He is widely known in commercial circles throughout the United States, enjoys unexceptional standing with the leading business agencies of the country and the remarkable advancement made since inaugurating his enterprises in Bluffton may be taken as an earnest of a still larger and more prosperous career in the future. Mr. Sixbey is one of the leading citizens and progressive men of Wells county and occupies a conspicuous place in the estimation of his fellow townsmen. He takes an active interest in whatever tends to advance the material growth of the city, supports with a liberal hand all worthy enterprises having for their obiect the social and moral welfare of the community and his influence, always strong, has ever been exerted on the right side of all local issues. In politics he is a Republican, but the urgent nature of his business affairs has prevented him taking a very lively interest in party matters. Fraternally he belongs to the Knights of Pythias and his name also appears as a charter member of the Elks' lodge in Bluffton.

Mr. Sixbey has been twice married. While living in Ft. Wayne he married Miss Edmee Miller, daughter of James Miller, of that city, a union blessed with five children, one son and four daughters. Some time after the death of the above wife Mr. Sixbey was united in marriage to Miss Anna Spake, of Bluffton.

Mr. Sixbey's career has been one of great activity, in the main attended by remarkable business advancement and financial prosperity. He is essentially progressive in all he undertakes and, endowed with the power and tact to mould circumstances to suit his purpose, his success in overriding adverse conditions and mounting to his present high and honorable station in the world of affairs is such as few attain. Of strong convictions, positive character and incorruptible integrity, he is classed with the most intelligent and energetic of Bluffton's representative men and holds a warm place in the hearts of his fellow citizens.

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