Part 7/9:
In 1911, tragedy struck when Charlotte, Charbles’ wife, died just four years after the mansion’s completion. He remarried but continued to live a life of relative affluence, hosting gatherings that reinforced his societal stature. Yet, beneath the surface of wealth lay looming economic storms.
The Great Depression and Decline
Charbles retired from his company in 1925, confident that his enterprise would sustain future generations. Unfortunately, the stock market crash of 1929 and the ensuing Great Depression devastated his empire. The dairy industry declined sharply as farmers reduced purchases, and credit restrictions froze sales. Sharples Separator Works faced mounting losses and declared bankruptcy in 1933.