H. C. Evans
Encyclopedia
H. C. Evans & Company of Chicago
was once a leading manufacturer of casino
equipment and supplies - both honest and crooked - in the United States
. It was established in 1892 and collapsed in 1955. It was succeeded by Evans Park & Carnival Device Corporation, which was still in business in June 1961 but no longer trades, and by Evans Supply Company, which was trading in 1962 but no longer trades.
In addition to casino equipment and supplies, the company manufactured and sold trade stimulators, pocket novelties, amusement park
supplies, fair ground
games and shooting galleries.
, Illinois
. By the 1920s, the firm had moved to 1528 W. Adams Street, Chicago
, Illinois
. In 1929 it claimed to be the oldest firm of its kind in existence and, with 52000 square feet (4,831 m²) of office and factory space, the largest factory in the world engaged in the exclusive manufacture of the types of products for which it was known.
On April 26, 1944, a representative of the firm, Dick Hood, was appointed to a planning committee of the coin machine manufacturing industry. The committee was concerned with the transition of the coin machine factories from war production back to their former use. Mr Hood's contribution to the firm was acknowledged in its 1909 product range, which included "The Dick Hood Cage the only perfect cage ever manufactured.".
In December 1948, the firm purchased the phonography inventory of Mills Novelty Company
, a manufacturer of jukebox
es and then launched its first jukebox.
In about October 1953, the firm's President and Chief Executive Officer, Dick Hood, died.
In March 1954 the firm introduced its last coin operated console slot machine, named Saddle and Turf. The firm collapsed less than a year later.
In 1961 Evans Park & Carnival Device Corporation was located at 1509 N. Halsted Street, Chicago 22, Illinois. Its catalogue included the Evans 'Herby' Kart
supplied by Evans Supply Company of 794 Central Avenue, Highland Park, Illinois
.
The 1929 catalogue offered the firm's customers "special dice", "special prepared cards", and "electro magnets".
Special dice
included staples such as white or transparent "filled dice" or "shaped percentage dice" but also items said to be proprietary to the firm: "tapping dice", "gravitation dice", "new idea crap dice" and "novelty dice".
In the case of special prepared cards
, that is marked cards
, the firm claimed to have been leaders in their manufacture since the end of 19th Century. The cards listed in the catalogue were "marked for size only"; to have the suit show as well cost a further 25 cents. Prepared cards also included "luminous readers" and the associated equipment ("ruby ray" glasses and visors or eye shades).
The firm's "Giant Electro Magnet
" was promoted as "the latest development in electromagnetism for the control of dice". It was available as a separate component or incorporated in a regulation 32 inches (812.8 mm) card table, and used with transparent "electric dice".
Ski-Ball was protected by United States
patent
No. 2,181,984, granted on 5 December 1939 to Joe H. Warner of Chicago
, Illinois
and assigned to Duane W. Price, also of Chicago.
However all 5 claims in that patent specify that they are for a bowling machine. This would be very easy to get around with a competing manikin based Skee Ball or golf machine.
of Chicago
, a manufacturer of jukebox
es - including a model named the Constellation (model number 951). Mills had become financially troubled by January 1948. In 1949, H. C. Evans launched its first jukebox, also named the Constellation (model number 135). This was followed by the Jubilee (in 1952, model numbers 245 and 278), the Century (in 1953, model number 2045), and the Holiday (in 1953, model number 4045).
were sold under the Evans brand. The first was the Evans Special (or SPL). The second was the Evans Flyweight. The karts were known for their handling.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
was once a leading manufacturer of casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
equipment and supplies - both honest and crooked - in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was established in 1892 and collapsed in 1955. It was succeeded by Evans Park & Carnival Device Corporation, which was still in business in June 1961 but no longer trades, and by Evans Supply Company, which was trading in 1962 but no longer trades.
In addition to casino equipment and supplies, the company manufactured and sold trade stimulators, pocket novelties, amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
supplies, fair ground
Funfair
A funfair or simply "fair" is a small to medium sized travelling show primarily composed of stalls and other amusements. Larger fairs such as the permanent fairs of cities and seaside resorts might be called a fairground, although technically this should refer to the land where a fair is...
games and shooting galleries.
History
Established in 1892, the firm was incorporated in 1907. By 1909 it was located at 125 Clark Street, ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. By the 1920s, the firm had moved to 1528 W. Adams Street, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. In 1929 it claimed to be the oldest firm of its kind in existence and, with 52000 square feet (4,831 m²) of office and factory space, the largest factory in the world engaged in the exclusive manufacture of the types of products for which it was known.
On April 26, 1944, a representative of the firm, Dick Hood, was appointed to a planning committee of the coin machine manufacturing industry. The committee was concerned with the transition of the coin machine factories from war production back to their former use. Mr Hood's contribution to the firm was acknowledged in its 1909 product range, which included "The Dick Hood Cage the only perfect cage ever manufactured.".
In December 1948, the firm purchased the phonography inventory of Mills Novelty Company
Mills Novelty Company
The Mills Novelty Company, Incorporated of Chicago, Illinois was once a leading manufacturer of coin operated machines, including slot machines, vending machines, and jukeboxes, in the United States...
, a manufacturer of jukebox
Jukebox
A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that will play a patron's selection from self-contained media...
es and then launched its first jukebox.
In about October 1953, the firm's President and Chief Executive Officer, Dick Hood, died.
In March 1954 the firm introduced its last coin operated console slot machine, named Saddle and Turf. The firm collapsed less than a year later.
In 1961 Evans Park & Carnival Device Corporation was located at 1509 N. Halsted Street, Chicago 22, Illinois. Its catalogue included the Evans 'Herby' Kart
Kart racing
Kart racing or karting is a variant of open-wheel motorsport with small, open, four-wheeled vehicles called karts, go-karts, or gearbox/shifter karts depending on the design. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits...
supplied by Evans Supply Company of 794 Central Avenue, Highland Park, Illinois
Highland Park, Illinois
Highland Park is a suburban municipality in Lake County, Illinois, United States, about north of downtown Chicago. As of 2009, the population is 33,492. Highland Park is one of several municipalities located on the North Shore of the Chicago Metropolitan Area.-Overview:Highland Park was founded...
.
Crooked casino equipment
From about 1914 the firm published a catalogue known as "The Secret Blue Book", which included details of crooked casino equipment supplied by the firm. By 1929 the catalogue had been discontinued because "during the past several years this book has been copied and infringed upon by numerous unscrupulous individuals".The 1929 catalogue offered the firm's customers "special dice", "special prepared cards", and "electro magnets".
Special dice
Dice
A die is a small throwable object with multiple resting positions, used for generating random numbers...
included staples such as white or transparent "filled dice" or "shaped percentage dice" but also items said to be proprietary to the firm: "tapping dice", "gravitation dice", "new idea crap dice" and "novelty dice".
In the case of special prepared cards
Playing card
A playing card is a piece of specially prepared heavy paper, thin cardboard, plastic-coated paper, cotton-paper blend, or thin plastic, marked with distinguishing motifs and used as one of a set for playing card games...
, that is marked cards
Card marking
Card marking is the process of altering playing cards such that the suit, rank or both are only apparent to the person marking the cards , usually for the purpose of cheating at cards by card sharps. To be effective, the distinguishing mark or marks must be done on the obverse side, which are...
, the firm claimed to have been leaders in their manufacture since the end of 19th Century. The cards listed in the catalogue were "marked for size only"; to have the suit show as well cost a further 25 cents. Prepared cards also included "luminous readers" and the associated equipment ("ruby ray" glasses and visors or eye shades).
The firm's "Giant Electro Magnet
Electromagnet
An electromagnet is a type of magnet in which the magnetic field is produced by the flow of electric current. The magnetic field disappears when the current is turned off...
" was promoted as "the latest development in electromagnetism for the control of dice". It was available as a separate component or incorporated in a regulation 32 inches (812.8 mm) card table, and used with transparent "electric dice".
Pinball and other coin-op games
Pinball and other coin-op games sold under the Evans brand included the following:- Kings of the Turf (1935) - Pinball
- Big Ten (1935) - Pinball
- Olympic Games (1935) - Pinball
- Tango (1935) - Pinball
- Clipper (1936) - Pinball
- Lite A Basket (1936) - Pinball
- Poker-eno (1936) - Pinball
- Roll-ette (1936) - Pinball
- Ski-Ball (1940) - Other
- Play Ball (1941) - Pinball
- Bat-A-Score (1948) - Pinball
Ski-Ball was protected by United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
No. 2,181,984, granted on 5 December 1939 to Joe H. Warner of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and assigned to Duane W. Price, also of Chicago.
However all 5 claims in that patent specify that they are for a bowling machine. This would be very easy to get around with a competing manikin based Skee Ball or golf machine.
Jukeboxes
In December 1948, H. C. Evans purchased the complete phonography inventory of Mills Novelty CompanyMills Novelty Company
The Mills Novelty Company, Incorporated of Chicago, Illinois was once a leading manufacturer of coin operated machines, including slot machines, vending machines, and jukeboxes, in the United States...
of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, a manufacturer of jukebox
Jukebox
A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that will play a patron's selection from self-contained media...
es - including a model named the Constellation (model number 951). Mills had become financially troubled by January 1948. In 1949, H. C. Evans launched its first jukebox, also named the Constellation (model number 135). This was followed by the Jubilee (in 1952, model numbers 245 and 278), the Century (in 1953, model number 2045), and the Holiday (in 1953, model number 4045).
Karts
A couple of kartsKart racing
Kart racing or karting is a variant of open-wheel motorsport with small, open, four-wheeled vehicles called karts, go-karts, or gearbox/shifter karts depending on the design. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits...
were sold under the Evans brand. The first was the Evans Special (or SPL). The second was the Evans Flyweight. The karts were known for their handling.
External links
- Jukebox-World Forum, Serial Numbers, classified ads and more