Company History: A. B. Farquhar
(Page 4 of 8)
September/October 1992
Gail E. Knauer
The company's separator was awarded first premium and medal
at the Centennial and Paris Expositions. The machine had a
self-regulating blast, which cleaned the grain and made the output
market-ready. Farquhar was quoted in the catalog as follows: 'I
furnish all sizes of the Geiser separator at same price as Farquhar
machines, but recommend the Farquhar as embracing all its
advantages without its faults.'
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The Works made numerous other machines, including sulky plows,
cotton and corn planters, horsepowers, etc. The 1884 catalog listed
a fully trimmed chilled plow with jointer, clevis and wheel at $12.
Both treadmill and rotary (sweep) horsepowers were offered, with
such names as 'Climax,' 'Pennsylvania,' and
'Railway.'
Stationary steam engines were listed, with boilers made of
charcoal iron, and the cylinder head cast in one piece with the
guides.
From the late 1880s to the mid 1920s, steam engines and boilers
were the principal products of the company.
In 1889, under the terms of a limited partnership agreement, the
company changed its name to A. B. Farquhar Co., Ltd.
An interesting side note: In May of 1892, a man named Frederick
Flinchbaugh completed his apprenticeship at A. B. Farquhar Ltd. By
1896 he had developed the York gas and gasoline engine, and in 1900
he formed the Flinchbaugh Manufacturing Company.
The 1899 Farquhar catalog was titled as follows: Illustrated and
Descriptive Catalogue of Agricultural Implements and Machinery
manufactured by A. B. Farquhar Co., Limited, Pennsylvania
Agricultural Works, York, Pennsylvania, and listed steam engines,
saw mills, and threshing machines as specialties, as well as
standard agricultural implements generally. The firm had also
expanded its physical plant around this time (1897), nearly
doubling the shops' capacity.
Francis Farquhar, A. B.'s son, joined the company in 1900. A
graduate of Yale University and Columbia Law School, he would later
become president of the company.
In 1911, A. B.'s esteemed position in the York business
community was evidenced by his election to the presidency of the
York Chamber of Commerce, an office he held for three years.
The company ventured briefly into the manufacture of gasoline
powered tractors and portable gas engines, starting in 1915. The
1916 catalog listed gas engines in 7 and 9 HP. The 7 HP engine had
a 6' diameter cylinder, with a 9' stroke, 300 r.p.m.,
complete weight of outfit 2830 lbs. The 9 HP engine had 7'
cylinder diameter, 10' stroke, 280 r.p.m., complete weight of
outfit 3100 lbs. Each outfit was furnished with a truck (including
brake, tongue, eveners, and neck yoke), magneto,oil cups, sight
feed oilier for the cylinder, wrenches, and one friction clutch
with belt pulley. The standard belt pulley was 24', which was
suited for driving the Farquhar Rake Separator; 16' or 20'
belt pulleys could be provided on request. The 7 HP engine had an
18 gallon water hopper. The frame was made of two pieces of heavy
channel steel 6' 6' long, set I61/2
apart.
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