A Short Chronological History of the Geiser Manufacturing Co.
(Page 5 of 6)
January/February 1970
W. J. Eshleman
1912- The Geiser Mfg. Company on August 1 sold out to the
Emerson Brantingham Company of Chicago, Ill. The E-B Company did
not buy Geiser to boost its prestige, but rather to eliminate
competition, and again the Geiser interests declined.
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1928- Things were booming and some of the old Geiser interests
in Waynesboro, including Mark Landis (son of Frank) repurchased the
Geiser Mfg. Company from E-B. The great crash of 1929 was too
great, and the company was unable to weather the storm. There were
some threshers, some sawmills, and a hand full of steam engines
built, but one morning the shop doors did not open, although there
was a last 50 Hp. Peerless engine partially finished. The receivers
eventually completed this Peerless traction engine which bears
serial number 18298. When finished it just had a flat coat; of
brown paint, and was purchased by Samuel G. Stoltzfus, White Horse,
Pa., who still owns it; but has given it a true coat of Peerless
olive green paint. 1937- The last Geiser sawmill was sold at retail
by the receivership of the Geiser Manufacturing Company to Roy and
H. T. Compton of Floyd, Va. There were later sold at Sheriff Sale
fourteen more sawmills to sawmillers whose names have been buried
by the sawdust they made.
1940 - The end came when the Geiser factory and shops burned to
the ground, with the exception of the brick office building which
has been converted into a dwelling and still stands.
1969 - The only surviving connection with Geiser is W. G.
Runkles Machinery Co., Trenton, N. J. Mr. Runkles, who was once
affiliated with Geiser, died several years ago. His son, Russell
Runkles, however, conducts the business and still furnishes parts
for Geiser sawmills; he is also a current Frick dealer, and sells a
full line. Until recently the Runkles Company retained the
remaining Geiser blueprints and records. This year, however, they
sold all but the sawmill data to Robert L. Johnson, Crossville,
Ga., who operates 'Whistles in the Woods'. He plans to move
his operations to Ellamore, W. Va., where we understand he will
make Geiser steam engine parts.
And so the colorful saga of the Geiser Manufacturing Company, so
loved and respected by farmers, threshermen and sawmillers has
drawn to a close, but their reputation for quality and fair dealing
can still serve as an example to modern firms.
We do not claim infallibility on the foregoing data but have
done the best we could to get the Geiser story in print, and due to
diligent research we believe the foregoing to be correct.
W.J. Eshleman Territory Manager, Frick Company
Acknowledgments to:
Robert Geiser
Andrew Hess
Roy Herr
Howard Eshleman
Gilson E. Miller
Russell Runkles
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