Solano County CA Archives History - Books .....Benicia Agricultural Works 1891
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Book Title: Memorial And Biographical History Of Northern California

BENICIA AGRICULTURAL WORKS— Baker & Hamilton, sole agents; T. B. Montgomery,
superintendent and manager. This business was established in Benicia in 1880,
after having been commenced several years previously in San Leandro, where it
was known as the Sweepstakes Plow Works. The establishment now covers about ten
acres, and has 1,000 feet of deep-water frontage, on which a wharf 700 feet long
accommodates the shipping department. The product of these works is shipped to
Australia, New Zealand, Central and South American States, Sandwich Islands,
Japan, China, and indeed to most points of the agricultural world, as well as to
all points in California. By way of the two greatest rivers of this State, the
Sacramento and San Joaquin, access is had to nearly all the agricultural
portions of California. The largest ship afloat can anchor without difficulty
near the great wharf of these great works, discharge its cargo and load itself
with the manufactured products of this immense establishment. These works are
also connected by rail with every point in the interior. The implements made
here are plows, harvesting machines of every variety, the Berry steam thresher,
steam traction thresher and plow, invented and first used by G. S. Berry on his
large ranch in Tulare County and manufactured at these works; it is probably the
largest in the world. It has a forty-two-foot cut header, in two sections,—a
fourteen-foot and a twenty-six-foot section,—with a fifty-horse-power engine,
and a twelve-horse-power stationary engine on the same frame to run separator
and headers, and both taking steam from the same boiler. Mr. Berry in 1887
plowed his ground, harrowed, sowed and harvested his crop for seventy cents per
acre, using a thirty-foot header. In 1888 the Benicia Agricultural Works built
for him a large machine with a forty-foot header, and he reduced the expense to
sixty cents per acre! He made an average of nine acres per hour during the
season. In two days of ten hours each he cut 230 acres,— an average of eleven
and one-half acres per hour. He uses Benicia Granger Plows, which he runs day
and night, employing two sets of men, a locomotive light in front to see where
to go, and rear lights to see the plows, enabling the men to stear [sic] the
machine by night. The Berry traction is the only successful machine of the kind
in use, which five years' successful running has fully demonstrated. The price
of this machine, complete, with barley crusher, is $8,500; without the crusher,
$8,000, including engines, separator, headers and plows.

  In the Benicia works iron farm wagons are also manufactured, and there is a
special department for each specialty made and for each class of work.

  Mr. Montgomery is a native of Scotland, born in Linlithgowshire, in 1849. When
he was four years of age his parents removed to Canada, where he graduated at
the Hamilton Business College, Ontario. In 1872 he went to Grand Rapids,
Michigan, and was book-keeper for O. K. Pearsoll, in the line of agricultural
implements and hardware, and since that time he has represented some of the
largest agricultural-implement firms in the United States, among them Nichols,
Shepard & Co., of Battle Creek, Michigan; the Champion Machine Company, of
Springfield, Ohio; the Wayne Agricultural W.orks, of Richmond, Indiana, and
later D. M. Osborn & Co., of Auburn, New York; representing these firms as
general agent throughout the Western States. In 1887 he came to California,
intending to represent Eastern manufactures at Valparaiso, South America; but,
on account of cholera at that point, he could not go by the Pacific route, and
while in San Francisco he was offered a position as manager of these works,
which he accepted.

  He was married in 1876, to Miss Emma Green, daughter of William Green, of the
firm of Wheeler, Green & Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan. She died in Kansas City,
in 1883, and in 1889 he married, here in Benicia, Miss Emma La Force, of New
York city. His parents were John W. and Grace W. (Waddell) Montgomery, natives
also of Linlithgowshire, Scotland. His father died in the old country, and his
mother is still living, in Canada. Mrs. Montgomery is a daughter of Ephriam S.
La Force, a contractor, of Brooklyn, New York. Mr. Montgomery is a member of
Benicia Lodge. No. 5, F. & A, M.; of Oriental Commandery, No. 35, of Kansas
City; of the Chapter of Benicia, and also of the I. O. O. F.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from

Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California.

Illustrated, Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast
from the Earliest Period of its Occupancy to the Present Time, together with
Glimpses of its Prospective Future; Full-Page Steel Portraits of its most
Eminent Men, and Biographical Mention of many of its Pioneers and also of
Prominent Citizens of To-day.

"A people that takes no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will
never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote
descendents." – Macauley.

CHICAGO
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
1891.


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