S. Morgan Smith Company; the Begats
This timeline chart shows how S. Morgan Smith Company begat four current York County Companies. The question mark is when S. Morgan Smith Company was established.
I have seen or been told 1871, 1873, 1874, 1876 or 1877 as the year the company was established. Company histories on the web sites of the begats do not agree; they use either 1876 or 1877 for the year S. Morgan Smith was established.
On the earliest 1870s years, I think some people overlooked the fact that the first product that S. M. Smith manufactured was his patented washing machine; they simply recalled he began his manufacturing career in the early 1870s, with which they inferred an earlier year when he established his company. In early 1870s ads he asked people to address Success Washing Machine orders to S. M. Smith, York, Pa. In late 1870s ads he asked people to address Success Turbine Water Wheel orders to S. M. Smith, York, Pa.
I believe that a good case can be made for either 1876 or 1877 as the year S. M. Smith established his company. I’ll follow up with two posts. As for now the best background related to the S. Morgan Smith Company can be found in these posts:
- S. Morgan Smith’s Success Washing Machine; Origins of the York Manufacturing Company
- S. Morgan Smith, patentee Success Washing Machine, at 436 West Market Street in York
- S. Morgan Smith learns a valuable lesson about patents; at the hands of McGinnes & Carter
- O. J. Bollinger & Co. plus S. Morgan Smith and Jacob Loucks form the York Manufacturing Company in 1874
- What did these 107 Yorkers have in common, during July 1872, for inclusion in a listing on Front Page of The York Gazette?
- Congress in 100% Agreement; Not a Single Dissenting Vote in the House or Senate
- Founding Year for S. Morgan Smith Company
- S. Morgan Smith Company founded in 1877; News-Comet of East Berlin
- S. Morgan Smith Turbine cut up York County eels Ready for the Frying Pan
- Jacobs “Factory” Mill in Paradise Township gets first S. Morgan Smith Turbine
- Underwater Turbine Water Wheel nearly eliminates Winter Ice Clearing
- The Mill Room was filled with Neighbors who discussed Anything and Everything
- S. Morgan Smith’s Grist Mill; Smith Signatures
