Wayne Companies

Wayne gained nationwide fame along the railroad tracks through major local industries. Prouty & Glass began building carriages and sleighs there in 1888 and became the largest sleigh-maker in the United States. The company became a prominent Wayne business but could not survive the growing use of automobiles and closed in 1915. Inventor Charles Attwood built a factory there in 1926 to fabricate weldless building frames known as the Unistrut System. Today, most new American buildings use Unistrut products. Attwood was also a generous local philanthropist, and Wayne's largest park is named in his honor. In the 1890's, Prouty & Glass was one of Wayne's leading businesses, employing about 50 men with a weekly payroll of over $500.00.

Wayne, Michigan · United States