A Short Chronological History of the Geiser Manufacturing Co.
(Page 3 of 6)
January/February 1970
W. J. Eshleman
'The subscriber also offers to the public a new and valuable
improvement in his steam engines made within the last year, viz:
for the economizing of fuel and the regulation of speed which
renders his new engines far superior to the old engines.'
George Frick
RELATED CONTENT
Peter Geiser at the end of his autobiography acknowledges
several friends who assisted him in the development of the great
Geiser Manufacturing Company. The first mentioned and I quote
'My good neighbor and collaborator in the vineyard of invention
and manufacture, George Frick, stands out with exceptional
prominence. Living almost on adjoining farms, our labors began at
nearly the same period. It was he who made the castings for some of
my first machines. Our interests were further linked when he
connected with his engine work at Ringgold, in 1858, the
manufacture of my Separator. Then again in 1860, when he removed
here and began in his larger field of operations. Thence, on up to
1866, when he built the twin factory on the east side of Broad
Street and confined his operations to engines, boilers, etc. Since
then, the respective work of our hands has grown and developed,
side by side, with even pace unto the present. And I rejoice that
our lines still run together in pleasant neighborhood and cherished
friendship.'
The year 1860 was of importance to Peter Geiser, business was
good and now he moved to the eastern part of Pennsylvania, ever
expanding. In York, A. B. Farquhar was franchised to build Geiser
threshers. Moving on east at Mount Joy, Pa., was John A. Snyder and
at Middle-town, Delaware, J. A. Peters, both of whom received
franchises as Geiser thresher builders. And although the cost of
expansion had been heavy, the sun of success was now shining on
Peter Geiser; he had eight branches turning out 150 threshers per
year. 1861- But war clouds threatened to obscure the sunshine. The
angry cannon of the Civil War grew louder and drowned out the
peaceful pursuit of the machine shops. The national economy was
shaken; and once more Peter Geiser was in financial difficulty and
says he could hardly have weathered the storm, if it had not been
for his good friend A. B. Farquhar of York, Pa., who prevailed upon
J. I. Case to take another block of Western Territory for which he
paid Peter Geiser $1100.00, which the latter refers to as a
windfall which saved him financially.
During the four years of the Civil War the total production of
Geiser threshers was 300 machines of which George Frick built 200.
I have in my possession a Frick price list of Geiser threshers of
1863 as follows:
| | Separator | Thresher and Separator | Thresher Separator Power |
| 1 | $165.00 | $250.00 | $365.00 |
| 2 | $140.00 | $200.00 | $300.00 |
| 3 | $110.00 | $160.00 | $240.00 |
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