Background
Frederick Gottlieb Niedringhaus was born on October 21, 1837 in Lübbecke, Germany. He was the son of Frederick William and Mary (Siebe) Niedringhaus.
Frederick Gottlieb Niedringhaus was born on October 21, 1837 in Lübbecke, Germany. He was the son of Frederick William and Mary (Siebe) Niedringhaus.
Frederick's academic training was received before he left Germany.
In 1855, with the other members of his family, Frederick came to the United States, settling immediately in St. Louis.
He first worked at a tinner's bench, making such common household articles as he could market in his immediate neighborhood. In 1862 his brother, William, became his partner. Until this time tinware vessels of all kinds had been made by soldering pieces together; the stamping of entire articles from single sheets of tin, then a new French process, had not as yet been introduced into the United States. Niedringhaus was instrumental in bringing to America a Frenchman who was familiar with this stamping process, and the new method was introduced by the Niedringhaus Brothers into their factory, which they incorporated in 1866 under the name of the St. Louis Stamping Company, with Frederick G. Niedringhaus as president. In addition to the new stamping process, which was a complete success from the beginning, Niedringhaus himself conducted a long series of experiments by which he tried baking many different kinds of chemicals on steel plates, and at length developed and introduced a method of enameling steel plates which added greatly to the cleanliness of cooking utensils and made them rust proof. The business grew so rapidly that new quarters had to be found. Accordingly, after a survey, a tract of farm land in Illinois, just across the river from St. Louis, was acquired, and a large group of influential investors were interested who assured adequate capital. When the plant was moved to its new location, the name of the concern was changed to the National Enameling & Stamping Company, but Niedringhaus continued as president until his retirement in 1908, after which he served as chairman of the board of directors. The new enameling process gave the name to Granite City, Illinois, where the factory was established.
In 1888 Niedringhaus was elected to the Fifty-first Congress of the United States, from the eighth congressional district of Missouri. He served one term, March 4, 1889-March 4, 1891, and became a stanch supporter of protection, especially of the tin-plate industry. With his business well founded, with adequate protection by means of the tariff from outside competition, he turned his attention to the labor question within his own plant. At considerable expense to himself, he brought to the United States a colony of Welshmen and established them near his factory in Granite City, Illinois.
In 1860 Niedringhaus married Dena Key of St. Louis. Ten children were born to them.
