Steam In Transition: A History of the Nichols and Shepard Company and the Port Huron Engine and Thresher Company
(Page 2 of 9)
May/June 2001
Charles O. Olsen,
In 1869 the company decided to expand manufactured steam engines
into their repertoire. This called for an expansion program, and
several buildings were constructed on 40 acres at Marshall and
Michigan Streets.
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During the 1870s and throughout the rest of its existence,
Nichols and Shepard emerged as one of the leading manufacturers of
reliable steam engines and efficient threshing machines. John
Nichols and David Shepard were among the most prominent citizens of
Battle Creek. Visiting salesmen and colleagues alike were
astonished to discover that both owners engaged in production
activities on numerous occasions.6 More data concerning
the relationship with the owners and their employees will follow
later.
The death of John Nichols in 1891 created a void in the
company's managerial hierarchy, and Edwin Nichols succeeded his
late father as President. The elevation of Edwin to President might
indicate that the Nichols family controlled more stock than David
Shepard, who remained as Vice-President. Other elected officers
included: C. C. Beach who became Treasurer, and Shepard's son
Freedom George, who functioned as Secretary and head of the
Directorate.
Steam engine and thresher sales continued to be brisk during the
1890s, and the company opened branch offices in Kansas City,
Missouri; Peoria, Illinois; Fargo, North Dakota; Des Moines, Iowa;
Billings, Madison, Wisconsin; Lincoln, Nebraska; Houston, Texas;
Auburn, New York; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Blairsville,
Pennsylvania. Regional branches in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and
Alberta handled Canadian transactions.7 All machinery
was shipped by rail and delivered to the company's agent at
each respective office. A parts network was distributed throughout
the branch offices when repairs were needed.
At the turn of the century, the Nichols and Shepard Company
revamped their established line of reliable 'Vibrator'
threshers and changed the name of the new improved models to The
Red River Special Line. These redesigned threshers were available
in three sizes made of galvanized steel and six sizes consisting of
traditional hardwoods. Internal improvements in cylinder design and
shakers took place on all models. The company also developed
several sizes of steam engines of both single and double cylinders.
Special grates in the firebox were structured to allow western
farmers the option of burning straw as a fuel to generate
steam.8
By 1910 the tractor manufacturing industry found itself in a
stage of transition which, fortunately opened up a new market.
Since the late 1880s and early 1890s, several tinkerers had
experimented with various two and four cycle engines with
aspirations to create an alternative power source. The impetus
behind their motives was due to several factors. First, steam
engines were heavy, often weighing a few tons. This placed the
operator in a precarious position when wooden bridges had to be
crossed. Many operators were killed or seriously maimed when the
steam engines crashed through old timbers and plunged into creeks
and ravines. Steam engines were dangerous, and the water level in
the boiler required constant supervision. An unwatched boiler would
create foam and increased the possibility of an explosion. Finally,
steam engines needed thirty to sixty minutes of warm-up time each
morning before enough steam pressure could rotate the crankshaft.
Oil companies exploited the situation by refining and distributing
cheap kerosene and gasoline to the industry.
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