Geiser Manufacturing
Encyclopedia
Geiser Manufacturing Company was an early manufacturing
company in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania
. Geiser Manufacturing was incorporated in 1869 by Peter and Daniel Geiser. The company built grain separators, thresher
s, plows, and steam traction engine
s. The company's brand name was Peerless. The main building was 334ft long and 3 stories in height, and had a 34ft cupola. In January 1891 its total monthly payroll amounted to over 10,000 US dollars ($239500 in 2010 dollars) and employed 162 people.
In 1899 the company expanded outside Waynesboro and bought the Crowell industrial park in Greencastle, Pennsylvania
, and began producing its Geiser's first gasoline engines there. Up to this point, all its products had been steam-powered.
In March 1912, Geiser's Waynesboro plant was hit by a strike involving over a thousand employees after "a new superintendent had new ideas concerning the manner in which the place should be run." Other plants were not affected by the dispute.
In 1912 Geiser Manufacturing was purchased by the Emerson-Brantingham Company of Rockford, Illinois
, which had gone so far in August 1912 as to issue over 22 million dollars ($490 million in 2010 dollars) in stock in order to raise the capital to purchase the company along with Reeves and Company of Columbus
, Indiana
and Gas Traction Company of Minneapolis. In 1936 Geiser became bankrupt and was forced to sell everything. On August 21st 1940 while removing equipment, a fire leveled the plant which was thought to have been started by a welders torch. It had been said the glow of the fire could be seen from almost forty miles away. Currently, only the main office building stands, and the main property is now occupied by a funeral home, post office, shopping center, and an empty CVS store.
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
company in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania
Waynesboro, Pennsylvania
Waynesboro is a borough in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, located northwest of Baltimore, Maryland, 67 miles southwest of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and north of the Mason-Dixon Line. The population within the borough limits was 9,614 at the 2000 census. When combined with the surrounding...
. Geiser Manufacturing was incorporated in 1869 by Peter and Daniel Geiser. The company built grain separators, thresher
Thresher
Thresher may refer to:*Threshing machine , a device that first separates the head of a stalk of grain from the straw, and then further separates the kernel from the rest of the head...
s, plows, and steam traction engine
Traction engine
A traction engine is a self-propelled steam engine used to move heavy loads on roads, plough ground or to provide power at a chosen location. The name derives from the Latin tractus, meaning 'drawn', since the prime function of any traction engine is to draw a load behind it...
s. The company's brand name was Peerless. The main building was 334ft long and 3 stories in height, and had a 34ft cupola. In January 1891 its total monthly payroll amounted to over 10,000 US dollars ($239500 in 2010 dollars) and employed 162 people.
In 1899 the company expanded outside Waynesboro and bought the Crowell industrial park in Greencastle, Pennsylvania
Greencastle, Pennsylvania
Greencastle is a borough in Franklin County in south-central Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,722 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, and began producing its Geiser's first gasoline engines there. Up to this point, all its products had been steam-powered.
In March 1912, Geiser's Waynesboro plant was hit by a strike involving over a thousand employees after "a new superintendent had new ideas concerning the manner in which the place should be run." Other plants were not affected by the dispute.
In 1912 Geiser Manufacturing was purchased by the Emerson-Brantingham Company of Rockford, Illinois
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
, which had gone so far in August 1912 as to issue over 22 million dollars ($490 million in 2010 dollars) in stock in order to raise the capital to purchase the company along with Reeves and Company of Columbus
Columbus, Indiana
Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Bartholomew County, Indiana, United States. The population was 44,061 at the 2010 census, and the current mayor is Fred Armstrong. Located approximately 40 miles south of Indianapolis, on the east fork of the White River, it is the state's 20th largest...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
and Gas Traction Company of Minneapolis. In 1936 Geiser became bankrupt and was forced to sell everything. On August 21st 1940 while removing equipment, a fire leveled the plant which was thought to have been started by a welders torch. It had been said the glow of the fire could be seen from almost forty miles away. Currently, only the main office building stands, and the main property is now occupied by a funeral home, post office, shopping center, and an empty CVS store.