[SEL] Surviving Factories

Gary Epps garyepps at fidnet.com
Fri Oct 29 22:27:17 PDT 2004


Hi Ted,

Where is the old Witte building located?  Is it in the area that lies
between downtown KC, MO and KC, KS?

Gary
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ted Brookover" <ignitors at sbcglobal.net>
To: "Stationary Engine List" <sel at lists.stationary-engine.com>
Sent: Friday, October 29, 2004 4:21 PM
Subject: Re: [SEL] Surviving Factories


> The former "Witte" factory building is still standing here in Kansas City,
> although the foundry was torn down many years ago.
>
> Interestingly, the Witte building is a rather shabby little wood frame
> structure, not even close to the grand Brick and Mortar edifice that is
> represented in and on the cover of several of the original Witte Catalogs.
>
> Of course Witte, along with many if not most of the engine sellers of the
> day, played fast and loose with the facts when trying to make their
company
> appear to be of long standing and solid stature.
>
> Many of them would claim to have been in the engine business for periods
of
> time that at the would have had them building engines long before engines
> came into regular use.
>
> A lot of "Vender", or mail order operations, would buy out a failed engine
> manufacturer,  then use the history of that failed company to mask the
fact
> that they them selves were not actually building engines, but selling
> someone else's product under license.
>
> A little slippery, but it sure looked "Grand" in the catalog.
> Ted Brookover
> 4801 E. Red Bridge Rd.
> Kansas City, Missouri, 64137
> 816-763-3142
> ignitors at sbcglobal.net , Home Page,
> http://www.oldengine.org/members/brookover/
> Ignitor ID Page, http://www.oldengine.org/members/brookover/ign-id.htm
>
> This Mail, Virus Scanned, by Symantec's Norton Anti-Virus
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Curt" <curt at imc-group.com>
> To: "The SEL email discussion list" <sel at lists.stationary-engine.com>
> Sent: Friday, October 29, 2004 10:22 AM
> Subject: Re: [SEL] Surviving Factories
>
>
> > Patrick M Livingstone wrote:
> >
> >>After seeing what remains of the original Ronaldson-Tippett factory last
> >>weekend I am curious as to which other engine manufacturers factories
are
> >>still standing. I know that part of the Rosebery factory here in Sydney
is
> >>still there as is the Fuller & Johnson factory in Madison and the Root &
> >>Van
> >>Dervoort factory in East Moline. Who else has survived?
> >>
> >>
> >>
> > Patrick,
> > Nice thread idea!
> >
> > I have seen:
> > The Hercules factory in Evansville, IN
> > The Emerson Brantingham offices in Waynesoboro, PA (now an apartment
> > building)
> > The Geiser works next door in Waynesboro, PA
> > The Frick Factory nearby. (still in business)
> > The Landis factory nearby. (still in business)
> > The remains of Abenaque works in Westminster Station, VT
> >
> > Curt Holland
> > Gastonia, NC
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > SEL at lists.stationary-engine.com
> > http://www.stationary-engine.com/mailman/listinfo/sel
> >
>
>
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