The Sidney Hollow Ware Co. No. 9 Skillet
SSC MUSEUM COLLECTION
Catalog No. SSC-SHW-SKL-9-001
Cast Iron Skillet | No. 9 | Heat Ring | Sidney, Ohio
Circa 1886–1897 • Sidney Hollow Ware Co. • Ohio Foundry Corridor
Bottom view showing “SIDNEY HOLLOW WARE Co.” cast in raised block letters in an arc across the upper portion, with “SIDNEY” and “O” (for Ohio) at center, and the size number “9” below. The heat ring—a raised ridge around the bottom perimeter—is characteristic of cast iron designed for wood-burning stove use, providing clearance between the flat cooking surface and an uneven stove top. The casting quality is consistent with the high standards for which Sidney Hollow Ware was known: thin walls, smooth surfaces, and precise lettering.
In the small town of Sidney, Shelby County, Ohio, two foundries operated within walking distance of each other in the 1890s, both casting iron cookware of extraordinary quality. One was the Wagner Manufacturing Company, founded by the Wagner brothers in 1891, which would grow into one of the largest hollow ware producers in the world. The other was the Sidney Hollow Ware Company, founded by Phillip Smith, which produced some of the thinnest, lightest, and smoothest cast iron cookware of the nineteenth century. For a brief period, they were competitors. Then, in 1897, Wagner bought Sidney Hollow Ware for $35,000. For six years, Wagner operated both foundries. In 1903, Wagner sold Sidney Hollow Ware back to Phillip Smith—who never restarted production. He retired in 1907 and died in 1914. The Sidney Hollow Ware Company, in its original form, had existed for barely more than a decade.
That narrow window of production—approximately 1886 to 1897 under Phillip Smith’s ownership—is what makes every piece of original Sidney Hollow Ware cast iron a significant artifact. These are not common pieces. The company operated for roughly eleven years before it was absorbed by its larger neighbor. Every skillet, kettle, and griddle that carries the Sidney Hollow Ware mark in script or block letters is a document of a foundry that existed briefly, cast beautifully, and disappeared into the shadow of the company that bought it.
This No. 9 skillet carries the full company name—“SIDNEY HOLLOW WARE Co.”—along with “SIDNEY O” and the size number 9, all cast in raised block letters. The heat ring confirms stove-top era production. The casting is thin-walled and smooth—the defining characteristics that made Sidney Hollow Ware a direct competitor to Wagner in the same town. It is one of the most collectible marks in American cast iron, and it connects the SSC collection directly to the heart of the Ohio Foundry Corridor: Sidney, Shelby County, where the golden age of American cast iron was made.
Phillip Smith and the Sidney Hollow Ware Company
Top/cooking surface view showing the smooth, machine-finished interior characteristic of Sidney Hollow Ware production. The cooking surface is notably smooth—a quality that distinguished Sidney pieces from many contemporaries and contributed to their reputation as premium cookware. The single pour spout at each side, the teardrop-shaped handle hole, and the overall proportions are consistent with late-nineteenth-century Ohio foundry production. The seasoning is deep and even.
The Sidney Hollow Ware Company was founded by Phillip Smith in Sidney, Shelby County, Ohio, circa 1886. Smith’s foundry produced cast iron cookware that was remarkable for its thinness, lightness, and surface finish. In an era when most cast iron was heavy and rough-surfaced, Sidney Hollow Ware pieces were machine-polished to a smoothness that rivaled the best production in America. The company was also an early adopter of nickel plating—applying a bright, corrosion-resistant finish to cast iron that made pieces suitable for both cooking and display.
By the mid-1890s, Sidney Hollow Ware had grown enough to require additional staff—reportedly employing twenty more workers to meet demand. But the company operated in the same small town as the Wagner Manufacturing Company, which had opened its doors in 1891 and was growing rapidly. Wagner and Sidney Hollow Ware competed directly: same town, same product category, same customer base. In 1897, Wagner resolved that competition by purchasing Sidney Hollow Ware from Phillip Smith for $35,000.
William H. Wagner—eldest brother of founders Milton and Bernard—sold his hardware store and joined the family business specifically to run the newly acquired Sidney Hollow Ware operation. For six years, from 1897 to 1903, Wagner operated both foundries, producing cast iron under both the Wagner and Sidney names. The pieces made during this period—sometimes called “Wagner-made Sidney”—can be distinguished from the original Smith-era pieces by their block lettering, in contrast to the script lettering used under Smith’s ownership.
In 1903, Wagner sold Sidney Hollow Ware back to Phillip Smith. The reasons are not fully documented, but Smith did not restart production. He retired from the business in 1907 due to health reasons, traveled with his wife, contributed to the Sidney community, and died in 1914. The Sidney Hollow Ware Company, as a producing foundry, was finished.
Reading the Marks: Dating the Piece
Detail view of the bottom markings showing “SIDNEY HOLLOW WARE Co.” in block lettering arching close to the rim, with “SIDNEY” at center and “O” below. The block letter style and the “Co.” abbreviation are consistent with either late Smith-era production (c. 1890–1897) or early Wagner-era production (c. 1897–1903). Cast iron collectors distinguish between the two eras primarily by lettering style: script lettering indicates original Smith production, while block lettering may indicate either late Smith or Wagner production. The heat ring places this piece firmly in the stove-top era—before the transition to flat-bottomed skillets designed for gas and electric ranges.
The markings on this skillet tell a specific story. The arched “SIDNEY HOLLOW WARE Co.” with block lettering places it within the production window of approximately 1886–1903—the combined period of Smith’s original ownership and Wagner’s operation of the foundry. The heat ring on the bottom confirms it was designed for use on a wood-burning or coal-burning stove, where the raised ring prevented the flat bottom from sitting unevenly on a warped or cracked stove plate.
Cast iron collectors and researchers have identified two primary marking styles for Sidney Hollow Ware pieces. The script logo—with the company name in flowing cursive lettering—is attributed to production under Phillip Smith’s original ownership. The block letter logo—with the company name in straight capital letters—is associated with either late Smith-era or Wagner-era production. This piece carries block letters, which places it in the overlapping zone where attribution to a specific owner is uncertain without additional physical evidence. What is certain is the place of manufacture: Sidney, Shelby County, Ohio—the town that became the epicenter of American cast iron production.
Piece Details
Manufacturer
Sidney Hollow Ware Co., Sidney, Shelby County, Ohio
Piece Type
Cast Iron Skillet, No. 9, with Heat Ring
Form
Round skillet with single handle, teardrop handle hole, two pour spouts, heat ring on bottom
Material
Cast Iron
Marking
“SIDNEY HOLLOW WARE Co.” in arched block letters; “SIDNEY” and “O” at center; “9” size number below
Purpose
Domestic cooking skillet for stove-top use on wood-burning or coal-burning stoves
Date of Manufacture
Circa 1886–1903 (Smith or Wagner production era)
Place of Manufacture
Sidney, Shelby County, Ohio
Condition
Very good — all markings legible; heat ring intact; smooth machine-finished cooking surface; no cracks, chips, or warping; well-seasoned with deep even patina
Acquisition Date
November 26, 2025
Acquisition Source
eBay — Seller: happyhoarders89
eBay Item Number
157381052353
Order Number
03-13895-26682
Purchase Price
$225.00 item + $17.36 shipping + $20.54 tax = $262.90 total
SSC Catalog Number
SSC-SHW-SKL-9-001
Collection Designation
Ohio Foundry Corridor
Corporate Timeline: Sidney Hollow Ware Co.
c. 1886
Phillip Smith founds the Sidney Hollow Ware Company in Sidney, Shelby County, Ohio. The foundry produces cast iron cookware characterized by thin walls, smooth machine-polished surfaces, and precise casting quality.
c. 1886–1897
Sidney Hollow Ware produces skillets, kettles, griddles, and other cookware under Smith’s ownership. The company is an early adopter of nickel plating. Products carry the Sidney Hollow Ware mark in script lettering. The foundry employs a growing workforce to meet demand.
1891
The Wagner Manufacturing Company is founded in Sidney by Milton M. and Bernard P. Wagner. Sidney Hollow Ware and Wagner now operate as direct competitors in the same small town.
1897
Wagner Manufacturing acquires Sidney Hollow Ware from Phillip Smith for $35,000. William H. Wagner, eldest of the Wagner brothers, sells his hardware store and joins the family business to run the newly acquired foundry. Pieces produced under Wagner’s operation carry block letter markings.
1903
Wagner sells Sidney Hollow Ware back to Phillip Smith. Smith does not restart production.
1907
Phillip Smith retires from the business due to health reasons.
1914
Phillip Smith dies in Sidney. The Sidney Hollow Ware Company name is never revived as a producing foundry.
Sidney, Ohio: Where the Golden Age Was Cast
The SSC collection’s documentation of Sidney, Ohio, now includes both the Wagner Manufacturing Company and its one-time competitor Sidney Hollow Ware. Together with the broader Ohio Foundry Corridor holdings—pieces from Piqua, Wapakoneta, Cincinnati, Zanesville, Dayton, and other foundry towns—the collection maps the geographic and corporate landscape of American cast iron production across the state. But Sidney holds a special place in that map. It was the town where Wagner grew from twenty employees in 1891 to a 60% market share in cookware. It was the town where Sidney Hollow Ware cast some of the finest iron of the nineteenth century. And it was the town where the $35,000 acquisition of one foundry by another in 1897 consolidated the industry and accelerated the rise of the company that would define American cast iron for the next half-century.
This No. 9 skillet was cast in that town, by one of those two foundries, during that pivotal era. It carries the Sidney Hollow Ware name, the Sidney address, and the heat ring that marks it as a product of the stove-top age. Whether it was cast under Phillip Smith’s hand or under William H. Wagner’s supervision, it was made in Sidney, Ohio, in the years when that small Shelby County town was producing some of the best cast iron cookware in the world.
Why This Piece Matters
The Sidney Hollow Ware Co. No. 9 skillet matters because the company that cast it barely existed. Eleven years under Phillip Smith. Six years under Wagner. Then nothing. Every piece that carries the Sidney Hollow Ware mark is a document of a foundry that rose, was absorbed, and vanished—all within the span of a single generation. The production window was so narrow that surviving pieces are genuinely scarce, and examples in good condition command significant collector attention.
It matters because it places the SSC collection in Sidney—not just through Wagner, which the collection documents extensively, but through Wagner’s competitor, the foundry that Wagner bought and then released, the foundry whose quality was good enough to threaten the company that would dominate the industry. Sidney Hollow Ware was not a footnote in Wagner’s story. It was the proof that Sidney, Ohio, could sustain more than one world-class cast iron foundry at the same time.
Two hundred and twenty-five dollars on eBay. A thin, smooth, beautifully cast No. 9 skillet from a foundry that lasted barely more than a decade. It carries the name of a town that changed American cooking, and it belongs in the collection that documents that town’s iron.
The iron endures. The markings tell the truth. The story deserves to be told.
Sources & Further Reading
Physical examination of piece: Sidney Hollow Ware Co. No. 9 cast iron skillet with heat ring. Marked “SIDNEY HOLLOW WARE Co.” in arched block letters with “SIDNEY O” and “9” on bottom.
BoonieHicks.com — “How To Identify Your Sidney Hollowware Cast Iron” and “Learn The History Of The Sidney Hollow Ware Co.” Documents Phillip Smith’s founding c. 1886, Wagner’s 1897 acquisition for $35,000, the 1903 sale back to Smith, and the distinction between script (Smith-era) and block (Wagner-era) lettering.
CastIronCollector.com — Wagner Manufacturing Co. timeline. Documents 1897 acquisition of Sidney Hollow Ware, William H. Wagner’s management, and 1903 sale back to Phillip Smith.
Wikipedia — “Wagner Manufacturing Company.” Confirms acquisition of Sidney Hollow Ware from Phillip Smith in 1897 and sale back in 1903.
Wagner Cast Iron (wagnercastiron.com) — “The Story Behind Wagner.” Official company history documenting the Sidney Hollow Ware acquisition and the role of William H. Wagner.
SSC Internal Collection Records — Sidney, Ohio pieces: Wagner Ware Sidney “-O-” complete skillet set (Nos. 0–14), Wagner specialty and variant collection, Wagner Drip Drop roaster lid. Sidney Hollow Ware is the second Sidney manufacturer documented in the SSC collection.
About Steve’s Seasoned Classics
Steve’s Seasoned Classics is an online museum dedicated to preserving and documenting the heritage of American cast iron, with a focus on Ohio foundry pieces from the 19th and early 20th centuries. The SSC collection features over 130 pieces with detailed provenance, historical research, and photography for each item.
