The Earl Ladder Co., also known as the Earl Manufacturing Company, moved to Libertyville from Schoolcraft, Michigan in 1898. The company was attracted to Libertyville by the speculative factory buildings on Orchard Street (now Church Street) constructed by the Libertyville syndicate of C. F Wright, George A. Wright, F. P. Dymond, R. J. Proctor, John Woolridge and H.S. Hurlbut. The company appears to be the first to occupy what is now the Fould’s Macaroni Co. building.

 

While the Thomas Manufacturing Company is shown occupying the building on the 1897 Sanborn Fire Insurance map, Lake County Independent articles indicate that the company dropped plans to occupy the building in late 1897 when an expected government contract to produce postcards fell through.

 

It is not known what happened to the Earl Ladder Co. Although Lake County Independent articles reported that the building was being readied for occupancy by the American Macaroni Company in 1900, there is no confirmed occupant until the arrival of Foulds in 1905.