Editing West Salem, Illinois (section)

==Industry==

===Early industry===
While West Salem is located in a rural area, it has had several types of industries.<ref name=industry>Industry (''Edwards County Times-Advocate'', Tues. February 6, 2007)</ref>

As early as the 1850s a [[cooper (profession)|cooper's]] shop was in operation to supply barrels for packing fruits. A three-story frame building was built by Frederick Luther in 1878. It was used as a flour mill and was operated by a stationary steam engine. A saw mill was also operated in conjunction with the mill. In later years the Mallison Brothers also operated a flour mill and grain elevator.<ref name=industry />

By June 4, 1891, the ''West Salem Gazette'' was painting a rosy picture of the fruit industry here. Blackberries, strawberries, gooseberries, raspberries, and other fruits were raised very successfully. West Salem also once boasted a pure ice and power plant located south of the present Baker Seed Elevator.<ref name=industry />

===Brick industry===
The industry that probably did most for the early development of West Salem was its [[brick]] plant. A letterhead of 1918 states that the plant had a capacity of 22,000 bricks a day. At its peak it employed 50 men, who earned an average wage of $18 per week. The First Christian Church was built with bricks produced by this plant.<ref name=industry />

===Champion Laboratories===
It was the brick industry that gave West Salem local renown, but it has been Champion Laboratories that gave West Salem national recognition as a major supplier of [[air filter|automotive filters]].<ref name=champion>Champion Laboratories (''Edwards County Times-Advocate'', Mon. August 19, 1985)</ref>

In the 1950s, the West Salem Industrial Foundation, which later became known as the West Salem Development Association, began a drive to attract new industry to the West Salem-Bone Gap area. A sum of $12,000 was reached initially. The plan was to pay $10,000 to an agency to find a tenant for an as yet unbuilt industrial building. Howard Gaither, Arthur McDowell, and John Beehn were instrumental in the process of seeking a manufacturing business for the community. Late in 1954 an oral agreement was reached with the firm Potter and Brumfield. Under it Gaither, McDowell, and Beehn would invest cash and Harry Clemmons would invest his machinery (he owned Kleen Pak Manufacturing) in a new company known as Kleen-Pak Corporation. Howard Gaither, one of the founding fathers of Kleen-Pak/Champion, served as company president from 1955 to 1981 and Harry Clemmons served as vice president before selling his stake in the company.<ref name=champion />

Construction of the original building began in February 1955 after the company was founded and with more community leaders coming on board for support. In 1958 Kleen-Pak merged with the Pyroil Company of [[La Crosse, Wisconsin]]. In 1956 Pyroil had purchased Champion Laboratories of [[Meriden, Connecticut]], a filter assembly operation. Champion moved to West Salem and merged with Kleen-Pak. The merged companies continue to prosper. In 1966 an Albion plant was constructed and new buildings and additions have been made since.<ref name=champion />

In September 2007, all production operations at the West Salem facility were moved to the [[Albion, Illinois|Albion]] facility.

===Oil industry===
In the early 1980s West Salem experienced an [[oil boom]]. At one time as many as 32 wells were pumping oil. Coming at a time when most town and county budgets were seeing red ink, the West Salem village audit of the fiscal year ending in April 1981 revealed a surplus of just over $3,500, due to the oil boom.<ref>Oil Industry (''Edwards County Times-Advocate'', Sat. August 21, 1982)</ref>