odin

SEBASTIAN EVAPORATOR AND BROOM SHOP

Sebastian Evaporator and Broom Shop

Sebastian Apple Evaporator and Broom Shop was established in 1874 by Jacob Sebastian who moved from Paulding County, Ohio in 1873. The trip was made by covered wagon.

The first evaporator consisted of one kiln for drying apples, and they were sent to market in St. Louis, Missouri. After the apples were harvested in the fall, the building was used the rest of the time for making brooms.

After the death of Jacob in 1896 the business was carried on by Margaret Sebastian, his wife, in the name of M. A. Sebastian and Sons until her death in 1899. It was then bought by Henry J. And Albert H. Sebastian, sons of Jacob and Margaret, and the business was then under the name Sebastian Bros.

As the business grew a large peeling room and warehouse was added along with seven large kiln used for drying apples. As many as 2,000 bushels of apples were dried daily and this provided work for a number of Odin people.

After cold storage and refrigeration was begun the demand for dried apples was not great enough to carry on the business but the broom manufacturing was continued in the name of H. J. Sebastian and Son until their death in 1947 and 1949.