Multnomah County OR Archives History - Books .....The Baldwin Locomotive Works 1928 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/or/orfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ila Wakley iwakley@msn.com January 16, 2011, 10:33 pm Book Title: History Of The Columbia River Valley From The Dalles To The Sea, Vol. III, Published 1928, Pages 662 - 663 THE BALDWIN LOCOMOTIVE WORKS. Established in 1831, The Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia is today the oldest industry of the kind in the world as well as the largest. Called into existence by the early requirements of the railroad interests of the country, it has developed with their growth and kept pace with their progress. It has reflected in its career the successive stages of American railroad practice and has itself con- tributed largely to the development of the locomotive as it exists today. Matthias W. Baldwin, the founder of the establishment, was a jeweler and in 1819 opened a small shop in Philadelphia. As there was little demand for the articles which he carried, he decided to enter a more profitable field of activity and in 1825 began the manufacture of book binders' tools and cylinders for calico printing in partnership with David Mason, a machinist. Their shop was in Coffee House alley, which ran north from Walnut street, above Fourth, and they afterward removed to Minor street, below Sixth. The business was so successful that steam power be¬came necessary in carrying on their manufacture and an engine was purchased for that purpose. It proved unsatisfactory and Mr. Baldwin decided to design and con¬struct one which should be especially adapted to the requirements of his shop. One of these requirements was that it should occupy the least possible space and this was met by the construction of an upright engine on a novel and ingenious plan. The design of the machine was not only unique, but its workmanship was so excellent and its efficiency so great as readily to procure for Mr. Baldwin orders for additional stationary engines. His attention was thus turned to steam engineering and the way was prepared for his grappling with the problems of the locomotive when the time should arrive. The original stationary engine, constructed prior to 1830, is still in good order and carefully preserved at the works. It has successively supplied the power in six different departments as they have been opened from time to time in the growth of the business. In 1829-30 the use of steam as a motive power on railroads had begun to engage the attention of American engineers. A few locomotives were imported from Eng¬land and one had been constructed at the West Point Foundry in New York city. To gratify the public interest in the new motor Franklin Peale, then proprietor of the Philadelphia Museum, applied to Mr. Baldwin to construct a miniature locomotive for exhibition in his establishment. Mr. Baldwin undertook the work and on April 25, 1831, the miniature locomotive was put in motion on a circular track made of pine boards covered with hoop iron, in the rooms of the Museum. Two small cars, containing seats for four passengers, were attached to it, and the novel spectacle attracted crowds of admiring spectators. The success of this model was such that in the same year Mr. Baldwin received an order for a locomotive from the Philadel¬phia, Germantown & Norristown Railroad Company, whose short line of six miles to Germantown was operated by horse power. The work was prosecuted under great difficulties and the locomotive was fully completed, christened "Old Ironside" and tried on the road November 23, 1832. It was put into service at once and proved a marked success. Thereafter Mr. Baldwin gave his attention to locomotive building exclusively and early in 1835 the new shop on Broad street was completed and occupied. During that year he constructed fourteen engines and in 1838 built the first locomotives for export, shipping them to Cuba. Meanwhile he had patented a number of his inventions and had done much to perfect the old pattern of engine. On April 8, 1839, he admitted George Vail and George W. Hufty to a partnership and the business was conducted under the style of Baldwin, Vail & Hufty until 1841, when the name was changed to Baldwin & Vail. In 1842 the partnership was dissolved and Asa Whitney entered the business as a member of the firm of Baldwin & Whitney, which existed for four years. For eight years thereafter Mr. Baldwin conducted the business alone and in 1854 was joined by Matthew Baird, at which time the firm of M. W. Baldwin & Company was formed. Mr. Baldwin passed away September 7, 1866, and in 1867 the business was reorganized as M. Baird & Company, composed of Matthew Baird, George Burn¬ham and Charles T. Parry. In 1870 they were joined by Edward H. Williams, Wil¬liam P. Henszey and Edward Longstreth and in 1873 George Burnham, William P. Henszey, Charles T. Parry, Edward Longstreth, Edward H. Williams and John H. Converse organized the firm of Burnham, Parry, Williams & Company, which took over the business. In 1886 William H. Morrow, William C. Stroud and William L. Austin also became members of the firm of Burnham, Parry, Williams & Company. This was succeeded in 1891 by Burnham, Williams & Company, composed of George Burnham, John H. Converse, Edward H. Williams, William C. Stroud, William P. Henszey and William L. Austin. Under that firm name, but with some subsequent changes in personnel, the business was continued until 1909, when it was incorporated as Baldwin Locomotive Works, and in 1911 the name was changed to The Baldwin Locomotive Works. Its officers at present are: Samuel M. Vauclain, president; John P. Sykes, senior vice president; William de Krafft, A. H. Ehle, Charles A. Bourgeois, Jacques L. Vauclain, Harry Glaenzer and William A. Russell, vice presi¬dents; Arthur L. Church, secretary and assistant treasurer; and A. B. Ehst, comp¬troller. The Works own about twenty acres in the heart of Philadelphia and six hundred and six acres at Eddystone, on the Delaware river, twelve miles below the city. The Philadelphia plant is now closed, all manufacturing having been transferred to Eddystone, where a large administration building has been erected. The chief execu¬tive office is retained in Philadelphia, but the old plant in the heart of the city is for sale. The Baldwin Locomotive Works has its own docks at Eddystone and excellent facilities for shipments both by rail and water. This great industry furnishes employment to more than twenty thousand persons in normal times and maintains offices in all parts of the world. An office is maintained in Portland, where a staff of three engineers is required. This staff handles all of the business for the states of Washington, Oregon and Idaho. The institution manufactures locomotives of all kinds as well as electric car trucks and sells motive power equipment for logging railroads, making engines of special designs for this purpose and thus furthering the development of the lumber industry to a notable extent. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/or/multnomah/history/1928/historyo/baldwinl9gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/orfiles/ File size: 7.4 Kb