William F. Boekhoff
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Born 1861-05-18 in Cincinati (Ohio) (USA). Died 1928-03-29, buried in Richmond (USA). WILLIAM F. BOCKHOFF was founder of one of Richmond’s important industries,
the National Automatic Tool Company, makers of products used all over the
world under the trade name Natco. His active successor and the head of the
business today is his son, Harry W. Bockhoff. William F. Bockhoff was born in
Cincinnati, Ohio, May 18, 1861, son of Henry and Mary (Hawekotte) Bockhoff.
His father was a native of Germany and came to the United States when
seventeen years of age. William F. Bockhoff was the second in a family of
four sons and two daughters. His career began at an age when most modern boys
are in school His former schooling ended when he was twelve years of age,
though some seven years later he took a business college course for six
months. In 1872, when he was eleven years of age, he came to Richmond, and in
the course of his working experience he delivered goods, sold groceries and
dry goods, and out of his small savings and what he was able to borrow he
started a grocery business of his own in 1883, located at Eleventh and South
D streets. His holdings in the concern amounted to only $350, $300 of which
was borrowed. After five months he borrowed money and bought out his partner
and continued the business for six years. During the last year he was selling
groceries he bought two Hopkins & Robinson’s cash registers, made at
Louisville, Kentucky, for which he was given the state agency for the
concern. He acted as salesman, selling cash registers at night after closing
his grocery store. He soon found that selling cash registers was more
remunerative than being in the grocery business. After a year of both
occupations he gave up his grocery business and devoted his time to selling
Hopkins & Robinson’s cash registers entirely. It did not take the National
Cash Register Company long to see what Mr. Bockhoff was doing. They made him
several propositions, none of which appealed to him, but finally one was made
which he accepted, and he rose rapidly with the company, first as salesman,
then sale agent, district sales manager, in charge of the invention d
epartment, and conductor of the school of salesmanship, a record of which
anyone could be proud. Mr. Bockhoff was a Scottish Rite Mason and Shriner, a
Republican and member of the English Lutheran Church. In August, 1899, he
left the company and invented what is known as the Multiple Drawer Cash
Register. After getting his patents he was offered a liberal contract by the
National Cash Register Company to handle his invention on a royalty basis,
and Mr. Bockhoff returned as a department manager He finally resigned from
the company in 1909. About that time he acquired all the stock of a defunct
organization known as the National Automatic Tool Company at Dayton, and in
May, 1910, moved the plant to Richmond, Indiana, where he had put up a
concrete building. He became president of the company, and started with
twenty-three employees. The chief output of the industry for several years
has been the Natco-Multi Drillers and Tapers, tools of worldwide use for the
purpose of drilling a large number of holes at the same time. William F.
Bockhoff died March 29, 1928 after having lived to see his business in a
flourishing condition, and he was recognized as one of Richmond’s ablest and
most public-spirited businessmen. He married, in 1883, Julia E. Kloecker,
daughter of William and Anna J. (Moellering) Kloecker, of Richmond. Mrs.
Bockhoff passed away September 2, 1929. Their children are: Mary, wife of J.
H. McCrea, of Tucson, Arizona; Camilla, wife of F. L. Dunn, of Colorado
Springs, Colorado; Erma, wife of H. C. Hunt, of Richmond; and Harry William.
Harry William Bockhoff was born at Indianapolis, in 1895. He attended public
schools at Indianapolis, high school at Richmond, and studied engineering at
the University of Illinois and Cornell University. In 1916 he entered his
father’s shop. After a year and a half he was made vice president and
manager, and since February, 1929, has been president of the company. His
mother was vice president up to the time of her death on September 2, 1929.
H. C. Hunt is secretary and treasurer. The National Automatic Tool Company
today has a fine plant, concrete and steel construction, affording 115,000
square feet of floor space, and has 435 employees. It is an Indiana industry
that reflects the inventive genius and the executive capacity of the Bockhoff
family
Source: 1900/1910 US Federal Census & Indiana Marriage Collection (1800-1941)
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