Submitted by Richard K. Fleischer
Warren’s Inventor
Fred McBerty was born at Warren, Oh. on September 26, 1869. He was the second son of Robert and Harriet McBerty who had come to Warren from Lockport, NY. about 1859.Fred had attended the Warren public schools until age seventeen when he started his machinist’s apprenticeship at the Warren Machine Works, which lasted three and one half years. After finishing his apprenticeship he went to Youngstown and worked as a skilled machinist at the Wm. Tod Company.
October 14, 1892 McBerty is married to Minnie Jones, the daughter of a Warren contractor.
After working at the Wm. Tod Company, he returned to Warren to work at the Packard Electric Company for two years. He left the Packard Electric Company and went to the Warren Electric & Specialty Company as Master Mechanic. The following year he passed his test at the United States Revenue Service at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and also became an electrician. Returning to Warren in 1898, he became Superintendent of the Warren Electric & Specialty Co. He remained in that position until 1901 when he moved into the position of Superintendent at the Peerless Electric Company on West Market St. in Warren. He stayed in this position until 1906 when he started the Peerless Transformer Co. and was it’s manager.
Mr. McBerty had several patents to his credit and at least one for the for the electric ceiling fan in November of 1908 – U.S. Patent No. 905089.
August 10, 1909 McBerty marries Mrs. Zella Helwick.
In 1908 the Peerless Transformer Co. entered into another venture called the Enterprise Electric Company which engaged in the manufacture of transformers and McBerty became plant superintendent until 1911.
McBerty organized the National Electric Welder Company which made spot welders. During 1917 McBerty sold this company to the Federal Machine & Welder Company. McBerty was a member of the Warren Manufacturers Association.
Fred McBerty died in 1942 at 73 years of age.