More history of Franz and Pope

 I did some more digging.  This time on the pages of rootsweb.org at https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~henryhowesbook/genealogy/crawford.html 

Manufactures and Employees.—C. ROEHR, planing mill, 40 hands; Eagle Machine Works, machinery, 30; C. ROEHR, planing mill, etc., 55; G DONNENWORTH & Bro., lager beer, 8; Bucyrus Foundry and Manufacturing Company, steam excavators, etc., 102; Bucyrus Creamery, 8; T. & O. C. R. R. Shops, 102; P. SAEGER, wagons, buggies, etc., 6; VOLLRATH Bros., planing mill, 16; FRANZE & POPE Knitting Machine Company, 40; A. SHUNK, SR., plows, etc., 10; T. A. VOLLRATH, flour, etc., 6; Bucyrus Woollen Mill; GEIGER & BUSH, copper kettles, 9; NUSSBAUM & BOWERS, flour, etc., ; G. K. ZIEGLER, flour, etc.; D. PICKING & Co., copper kettles, 10.—State Report 1887.  

So, they employed 40 people in 1887.  Since they started in 1867 in Bucyrus, and Pope's obituary stated that the factory was in operation for 20 years,  that may have been the height of employment.  

I note that there are a lot of planing mills, machine shops, and a foundry operating in Bucyrus at that time.  Those are exactly the kinds of skills that would have been needed to make the knitting machines and needles.  

Back to the "Find a Grave" website where I found several obituaries. I was surprised to learn that one of William Pope's sons was the publisher of the Crestline Advocate, which is still being published today.