Heckman, Anna Augusta (b. 27 SEP 1846, d. 25 MAY 1919)

Census: Date: 1900
Place: Oshkosh Ward 7, Winnebago, Wisconsin

Census: Date: 1880
Place: Oshkosh, Winnebago, Wisconsin

Census: Date: 1905
Place: Oshkosh, Winnebago, Wisconsin, USA

Note: The Originator of the Burgess Battery

Charles Frederick Burgess was born in Oshkosh, Wisconsin on January 5, 1873. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin with an electrical engineering degree in 1895. He then took up a study of physical chemistry and electrochemistry while teaching. He became well known for his research on electrolytic iron and dry cells. He founded the Burgess battery Company and published many of his research and developments in the transactions of the Society. He and his organization were engaged in many technical developments: dry batteries, acoustical products, measuring instruments and methods for noise control, the utilization of wood wastes, development of new clay products, and building materials.

Charles Burgess was elected to President of The American Electrochemical Society in 1907. He was awarded prestigious Perkin Medal on January 8, 1932 "in recognition of his outstanding accomplishments and achievements, notably in the field of electrochemistry". He was made an Honorary Member of The electrochemical Society in 1932 and received the Edward Goodrich Acheson Medal Award "for his many and varied inventions and accomplishments" on October 8, 1942.

Dr. Burgess was a prolific inventor with wide-ranging research interests that included the fields of electrical, acoustical, metallurgical, and aeronautical engineering. Among his innovative achievements from 1910 to 1945 were the development of the dry cell battery, the microswitch, and acoustical silencing devices.

The following is a brief of the Burgess Battery Company:

1910 Dr. C. F. Burgess established Northern Chemical Engineering Laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin.

1920 The Burgess Battery Company is founded to commercially develop the dry cell technology.

1928 The Acoustical division of the Burgess Battery Company is formed to commercially market acoustical ceiling tiles developed by Burgess Laboratories.

1930 The silencing snubber principle is developed and is followed by the introduction of industrial silencers for application on engines, blowers, and vacuum pumps. The Burgess 'Straight Through' muffler is adopted and used by 13 automobile manufacturers.

1945 Pulsation Snubbers are introduced for use on reciprocating compressors for control of pulsation induced vibrations.

C. F. Burgess was born in Oshkosh, Wisconsin on January 5, 1873. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin with an electrical engineering degree in 1895. He then took up a study of physical chemistry and electrochemistry while teaching. He became well known for his research on electrolytic iron and dry cells. He founded the Burgess battery Company and published many of his research and developments in the transactions of the Society. He and his organization were engaged in many technical developments: dry batteries, acoustical products, measuring instruments and methods for noise control, the utilization of wood wastes, development of new clay products, and building materials. Dr. Burgess was a prolific inventor with wide-ranging research interests that included the fields of electrical, acoustical, metallurgical, and aeronautical engineering. Among his innovative achievements from 1910 to 1945 were the development of the dry cell battery, the microswitch, and acoustical silencing devices.

Burgess' career in the battery industry began at the turn of the century when the French Battery Company of Madison (renamed the Rayovac Company in the mid-1930s) asked him to analyze some of its products. Already operating Northern Chemical Engineering Laboratories, a consulting and experimental facility, Burgess knew he could help the start-up manufacturer produce a better electric dry battery. Soon he bought 100 shares of French stock, was elected to its board and took over the engineering department.

After World War I broke out in 1914, the French received a military contract to produce one million 6-inch batteries for use in field telephones. That same year, batteries produced in Burgess' lab were assembled into jackets at the French plant to be sold under the name "Fleur-de-Lis." Burgess-produced flashlights called "French Flashers" also became popular around this time. These developments led to a doubling in sales for both flashlight and 6-inch batteries.

A fire broke out in 1915 in the heart of production season, posing a serious setback for both French and Burgess, who by then had moved his cell-manufacturing operation to the French plant. The blaze destroyed the facility, and relationships were never the same after it was reconstructed. In 1916, Burgess parted ways with French Battery Company, authorizing the manufacturer to produce flashlights under the patents he then held.

Burgess left the College of Engineering in 1913 after 19 years on the faculty, initially as an electrical engineering instructor before starting the chemical engineering program in 1905. The ties he formed during these years had a great impact on his business endeavors. For example, Research Products, another major Madison company, was spawned by the work of Burgess and his assistants.

Walter Schulte, who also attended the University of Wisconsin, initially worked for Burgess at Northern Chemical Laboratories, and then followed him to the Burgess Battery Company, which Burgess founded in Madison in 1917. Schulte became one of the company's new directors, and fellow ChE alumnus. Benjamin Smith Reynolds became a manager. In 1925, Freeport, Ill., offered Burgess $50,000 to start a new division of his company there. Burgess did just that... but returned the money. That division was later renamed Microswitch, and today forms a division of Honeywell Inc.

In today's academic world, Charles F. Burgess is known as the founder of UW-Madison's Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, a program now ranked among the nation's best. But Burgess' efforts also spawned another U.S. leader, Madison-based Rayovac Corporation, the country's third-largest battery producer.

Charles F. Burgess
(14K JPG)


Burgess' career in the battery industry began at the turn of the century when the French Battery Company of Madison (renamed the Rayovac Company in the mid-1930s) asked him to analyze some of its products. Already operating Northern Chemical Engineering Laboratories, a consulting and experimental facility, Burgess knew he could help the start-up manufacturer produce a better electric dry battery. Soon he bought 100 shares of French stock, was elected to its board and took over the engineering department.

Progress was slow at first, according to the corporation's biography, titled The RAYOVAC Story. . . the First 75 Years. The book offers some excerpts from a note Burgess wrote to his father in 1908: "Perhaps you are wondering about that battery business I took up last November. Well, I found it in worse shape than I expected and it has been a hard struggle. The company had never made a cent -- in fact, had lost over $50,000 . . . they were making the poorest battery on the market. While we are not out of the woods, things have materially improved . . . at the present time I believe we are making the best battery in the country. We are making about five times as many batteries per day as we were last December."

Throughout this time, Burgess was also developing a vision for the flashlight, which had been invented in 1900 but was written off by many as nothing more than an impractical gadget. He devoted a great deal of time to finding just the right formula for a flashlight battery. In 1910, French contracted with Burgess to sell the flashlight batteries he was producing in his own laboratories. This was the first year French made a profit. However, there were some problem's with these early products, and production was halted while Burgess worked on a solution. In 1913, French again contracted with Burgess to sell his flashlight batteries, and a year later also added to its sales line the tubular flashlight cases he was manufacturing.

Also that year, American Eveready, which controlled 90 percent of the market, attempted to run all of its competitors out of business by claiming patent infringement on a manganese oxide battery component. Ironically, Burgess developed a new material that was so superior that even American Eveready ended up licensing it.

After World War I broke out in 1914, French received a military contract to produce one million 6-inch batteries for use in field telephones. That same year, batteries produced in Burgess' lab were assembled into jackets at the French plant to be sold under the name "Fleur-de-Lis." Burgess-produced flashlights called "French Flashers" also became popular around this time. These developments led to a doubling in sales for both flashlight and 6-inch batteries.

On a tragic note, a fire broke out in 1915 in the heart of production season, posing a serious setback for both French and Burgess, who by then had moved his cell-manufacturing operation to the French plant. The blaze destroyed the facility, and relationships were never the same after it was reconstructed. In 1916, Burgess parted ways with French Battery Company, authorizing the manufacturer to produce flashlights under the patents he then held.

Burgess left the College of Engineering in 1913 after 19 years on the faculty, initially as an electrical engineering instructor before starting the chemical engineering program in 1905. The ties he formed during these years had a great impact on his business endeavors. For example, Research Products, another major Madison company, was spawned by the work of Burgess and his assistants.

Also, Walter Schulte, who was one of the first graduates of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, initially worked for Burgess at Northern Chemical Laboratories, and then followed him to the Burgess Battery Company, which Burgess founded in Madison in 1917. Schulte became one of the company's new directors, and fellow ChE alumnus Benjamin Smith Reynolds became a manager. In 1925, Freeport, Ill., offered Burgess $50,000 to start a new division of his company there. Burgess did just that... but returned the money. That division was later renamed Microswitch, and today forms a division of Honeywell Inc.

Special thanks to Rayovac Corporation and Sangtae Kim, chairman of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, for their help with this story.

Term: Burgess, Charles Frederick 1873 - 1945
Definition: professor, chemical engineer, inventor, industrialist, b. Oshkosh. He graduated from the Univ. of Wisconsin (B.E., 1895; E.E., 1898). He taught chemical engineering at the Univ. of Wisconsin (1895-1913), serving as professor of applied electrochemistry and head of the chemical engineering department (1905-1913). In 1910 Burgess was one of the incorporators of the Northern Chemical Engineering Laboratories, an industrial research organization, and in 1913 resigned from the university to devote his time to the new enterprise. In 1915 the firm was renamed C. F. Burgess Laboratories, and became the parent firm for various Burgess enterprises, including the Burgess Battery Company, founded in Madison in 1917. A pioneer in the development of electrochemical engineering, Burgess invented a process for the electrolytic purification of iron and various iron alloys, succeeded in developing a basic process for manufacturing electrolytic iron, demonstrated the suitability of iron alloys for use as permanent magnets and heating elements, and did pioneer work in the improvement of dry-cell batteries. In 1926 Burgess became a resident of Florida, and due to his dissatisfaction with Wisconsin tax laws, began to move the major portion of his enterprises to other states. In 1926 the Burgess Battery Company was moved to Freeport, Ill., and the Burgess Laboratories were reincorporated under the more favorable laws of Delaware. Eventually, the Burgess enterprises grew to be among the largest of their kind in the nation. He retained his connections with various friends and enterprises in Wisconsin and was noted for his encouragement of applied and pure research in the electrochemical field. A. McQueen, Romance in Research; Life of C. F. Burgess (Pittsburgh, 1951); Who Was Who in Amer. (1950); M. M. Quaife, Wis. (4 vols., Chicago, 1924).



New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
about Charles F Burgess
Name: Charles F Burgess
Arrival Date: 17 Aug 1926
Estimated birth year: 1873
Age: 53
Gender: Male
Port of Departure: Cherbourg, France
Ship Name: Mauretania
Search Ship Database: View the Mauretania in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Nativity: Wisconsin
Line: 30
Microfilm Serial: T715
Microfilm Roll: T715_3905
Birth Location: Wisconsin
Birth Location Other: oshrosh
Page Number: 12

New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
about Charles F Burgess
Name: Charles F Burgess
Arrival Date: 11 Oct 1927
Estimated birth year: 1873
Age: 54
Gender: Male
Port of Departure: Southampton
Ship Name: Majestic
Search Ship Database: View the Majestic in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Nativity: Wisconsin
Line: 14
Microfilm Serial: T715
Microfilm Roll: T715_4148
Birth Location: Wisconsin
Birth Location Other: Oshkosh
Page Number: 47



New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
about Charles F Burgess
Name: Charles F Burgess
Arrival Date: 24 Jun 1932
Estimated birth year: 1873
Age: 59
Gender: Male
Port of Departure: Southampton, England
Ship Name: Aquitania
Search Ship Database: View the Aquitania in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Nativity: West Indies
Line: 27
Microfilm Serial: T715
Microfilm Roll: T715_5176
Birth Location: West Indies
Birth Location Other: oshkosh
Page Number: 105

Occupation: Date: 1910
Place: Cook - hotel

Occupation: Date: 1920
Place: Chemical Manufacturer

Census: Date: 1900
Place: Madison, Dane, Wisconsin

Census: Date: 1880
Place: Oshkosh, Winnebago, Wisconsin

Census: Date: 1910
Place: Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota

Census: Date: 1920
Place: Madison, Dane, Wisconsin

Occupation: Date: 1930
Place: Engineer consultant

Census: Date: 1880
Place: Oshkosh, Winnebago, Wisconsin

Census: Date: 1930
Place: Manhattan, New York, New York

Note: World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
about Kenneth Farwell Burgess
Name: Kenneth Farwell Burgess
City: Not Stated
County: Cook
State: Illinois
Birthplace: Wisconsin;United States of America
Birth Date: 16 Oct 1887
Race: Caucasian (White)
Roll: 1504116
DraftBoard: 6

Occupation: Date: 1920
Place: Lawyer

Occupation: Date: BET 1917 AND 1918
Place: General Attorney for C B & L R Railroad

Census: Date: 1900
Place: Oshkosh Ward 7, Winnebago, Wisconsin

Census: Date: 1905
Place: Oshkosh, Winnebago, Wisconsin, USA

Census: Date: 1920
Place: Evanston, Cook, Illinois

Census: Date: 1910
Place: Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota

Note: New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
about Mrs. Ida J Burgess
Name: Mrs. Ida J Burgess
Arrival Date: 12 Oct 1907
Estimated birth year: abt 1871
Age: 36
Gender: Female
Port of Departure: Havre
Ship Name: La Touraine
Search Ship Database: View the La Touraine in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Line: 21
Microfilm Serial: T715
Microfilm Roll: T715_1015
Page Number: 140


New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
about Ida J Burgess
Name: Ida J Burgess
Arrival Date: 11 Oct 1926
Estimated birth year: 1870
Age: 53
Gender: Female
Port of Departure: Southampton, England
Ship Name: Orca
Search Ship Database: View the Orca in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Nativity: Missouri
Line: 15
Microfilm Serial: T715
Microfilm Roll: T715_3945
Birth Location: Missouri
Birth Location Other: st louis
Page Number: 62

New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
about Ida J Burgess
Name: Ida J Burgess
Arrival Date: 11 Oct 1927
Estimated birth year: 1873
Age: 54
Gender: Female
Port of Departure: Southampton
Ship Name: Majestic
Search Ship Database: View the Majestic in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Nativity: Missouri
Line: 15
Microfilm Serial: T715
Microfilm Roll: T715_4148
Birth Location: Missouri
Birth Location Other: st louis
Page Number: 47


New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
about Ida Burgess
Name: Ida Burgess
Arrival Date: 8 Oct 1929
Estimated birth year: 1871
Age: 58
Gender: Female
Port of Departure: Plymouth, England
Ship Name: France
Search Ship Database: View the France in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Nativity: Missouri
Line: 8
Microfilm Serial: T715
Microfilm Roll: T715_4602
Birth Location: Missouri
Birth Location Other: st louis
Page Number: 140


New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
about Ida J Burgess
Name: Ida J Burgess
Arrival Date: 29 Oct 1931
Estimated birth year: 1872
Age: 58
Gender: Female
Port of Departure: Cherbourg, France
Ship Name: Europa
Search Ship Database: View the Europa in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Nativity: Missouri
Line: 17
Microfilm Serial: T715
Microfilm Roll: T715_5065
Birth Location: Missouri
Birth Location Other: st louis
Page Number: 21

New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
about Ida Burgess
Name: Ida Burgess
Arrival Date: 4 Dec 1934
Estimated birth year: 1869
Age: 65
Gender: Female
Port of Departure: Southampton, England
Ship Name: Berengaria
Search Ship Database: View the Berengaria in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Nativity: Missouri
Line: 6
Microfilm Serial: T715
Microfilm Roll: T715_5581
Birth Location: Missouri
Birth Location Other: st louis
Page Number: 104

Occupation: Date: 1907
Place: Actress

Census: Date: 1920
Place: Madison, Dane, Wisconsin

Note: New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
about Elizabeth Burgess
Name: Elizabeth Burgess
Arrival Date: 11 Oct 1926
Estimated birth year: 1905
Age: 21
Gender: Female
Port of Departure: Southampton, England
Ship Name: Orca
Search Ship Database: View the Orca in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Nativity: Wisconsin
Line: 16
Microfilm Serial: T715
Microfilm Roll: T715_3945
Birth Location: Wisconsin
Birth Location Other: Madison
Page Number: 62

New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
about Betty Burgess
Name: Betty Burgess
Arrival Date: 11 Oct 1927
Estimated birth year: 1906
Age: 21
Gender: Female
Port of Departure: Southampton
Ship Name: Majestic
Search Ship Database: View the Majestic in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Nativity: Wisconsin
Line: 16
Microfilm Serial: T715
Microfilm Roll: T715_4148
Birth Location: Wisconsin
Birth Location Other: Madison
Page Number: 47

Census: Date: 1920
Place: Madison, Dane, Wisconsin

Note: New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
about Jackson Burgess
Name: Jackson Burgess
Arrival Date: 12 May 1948
Estimated birth year: 1907
Age: 40
Gender: Male
Port of Departure: Southampton, England
Ship Name: Queen Elizabeth
Search Ship Database: Search the Queen Elizabeth in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Nativity: Wisconsin
Line: 15
Microfilm Serial: T715
Microfilm Roll: T715_7594
Birth Location: Wisconsin
Birth Location Other: Madison
Page Number: 19

Social Security Death Index
about Jackson Burgess
Name: Jackson Burgess
SSN: 330-01-1763
Last Residence: 33908 Fort Myers, Lee, Florida, United States of Ameri
Born: 1 Dec 1907
Died: Dec 1985
State (Year) SSN issued: Illinois (Before 1951 )

Census: Date: 1920
Place: Madison, Dane, Wisconsin

Note: Social Security Death Index
about Kenneth F. Burgess
Name: Kenneth F. Burgess
SSN: 004-16-8711
Last Residence: 53202 Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
Born: 16 Jul 1919
Died: 23 Apr 1995
State (Year) SSN issued: Maine (Before 1951 )

Census: Date: 1910
Place: Mattapoisett, Plymouth, Massachusetts

Census: Date: 1920
Place: Mattapoisett, Plymouth, Massachusetts

Census: Date: 1930
Place: Mattapoisett, Plymouth, Massachusetts