The Edison Machine Works was a manufacturing company set up to produce dynamos, large electric motors, and other components of the electrical illumination system being built in the 1880s by Thomas A. Edison in New York City.
Edison Machine Works on Goerck Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan photographed by Edison employee Charles L. Clarke.
The need for equipment in the development of a large-scale electric illumination "utility" in New York City, starting around 1880, soon outstripped the capacity of Thomas Edison's machine shop at Menlo Park. To alleviate the problem in 1881 Edison leased the old Etna Iron Works on Goerck Street, Lower Manhattan and set up the Edison Machine Works with Edison providing 90% of the capital and investor partner Charles Batchelor providing 10%.[1][2] The workforce built up to some 800 men supervised by Edison machinist Charles Dean.[3] This shop supplied jumbo dynamos for the original Pearl Street Station as well as dynamos of various sizes for the different types of electric light installations Edison was offering customers. The Machine Works was incorporated in 1884 with Edison investor Charles Batchelor as general manager, John Kruesi as assistant general manager, and Samuel Insull as secretary.[4] At the end of 1885 the Electric Tube Company and the Edison Shafting Manufacturing Company were merged into the Edison Machine Works.
The Machine Works also had a department that designed and tested equipment and trained Edison workers how to wire buildings and install and repair dynamos. New types of dynamos were designed here as well as improved power consumption meters.[3]
1896 view Schenectady, NY location after it had become General Electric
The demands of the expanding utility soon overtaxed the cramped lower Manhattan shop. Extra lathes needed for production had to be set up on the sidewalks outside the building connected through the factory windows by long drive belts.[5] Strikes, unionizing attempts, and the general expense of labor and land in New York City sent Edison looking for a site for a new factory. In 1886 the Machine Works, along with 200 of its workers, were moved to two unfinished factory buildings on a 10-acre site in Schenectady, NY, intended to have been the McQueen Locomotive Works.[6] The new factory was put under the control of Samuel Insull.[5]Edison Machine Works continued as a separate company until 1889, when all of Edison's electric related companies were merged to form Edison General Electric. The plant expanded rapidly and 1892 saw the merger of Edison General Electric and the Thomson-Houston Electric Company of Lynn, Massachusetts to form General Electric with the Schenectady location used as GE's headquarters for many years thereafter.
Historical marker about the Machine Works in Schenectady.
^"Rutgers University–The Thomas Edison Papers-Edison Companies, rutgers.edu". from the original on 2013-10-08. Retrieved 2015-06-17.
^John W. Howell, Henry Shroeder, History of the Incandecent Lamp, page 67
^ ab"EDISON'S MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS Docs. 2343 and 2368, edison.rutgers.edu, page 663" (PDF). (PDF) from the original on 2015-06-19. Retrieved 2015-06-18.
^John F. Wasik, The Merchant of Power: Sam Insull, Thomas Edison, and the Creation of the Modern Metropolis, Macmillan - 2008, page 28
^ abRandall E. Stross, The Wizard of Menlo Park: How Thomas Alva Edison Invented the Modern World, Three Rivers Press - 2008, page 169
^"Thomas Alva Edison The accomplishments and life of electrical engineer and entrepreneur Thomas Edison, 1847-1931, edisontechcenter.org". from the original on 2015-06-09. Retrieved 2015-06-23.
External linksedit
schenectadymuseum.org - Edison Machine Works
Edison Companies, Rutgers University – The Thomas Edison Paper
April 08, 2024
edison, machine, works, manufacturing, company, produce, dynamos, large, electric, motors, other, components, electrical, illumination, system, being, built, 1880s, thomas, edison, york, city, goerck, street, lower, east, side, manhattan, photographed, edison,. The Edison Machine Works was a manufacturing company set up to produce dynamos large electric motors and other components of the electrical illumination system being built in the 1880s by Thomas A Edison in New York City Edison Machine Works on Goerck Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan photographed by Edison employee Charles L Clarke Contents 1 History 2 Notable employees 3 References 4 External linksHistory editThe need for equipment in the development of a large scale electric illumination utility in New York City starting around 1880 soon outstripped the capacity of Thomas Edison s machine shop at Menlo Park To alleviate the problem in 1881 Edison leased the old Etna Iron Works on Goerck Street Lower Manhattan and set up the Edison Machine Works with Edison providing 90 of the capital and investor partner Charles Batchelor providing 10 1 2 The workforce built up to some 800 men supervised by Edison machinist Charles Dean 3 This shop supplied jumbo dynamos for the original Pearl Street Station as well as dynamos of various sizes for the different types of electric light installations Edison was offering customers The Machine Works was incorporated in 1884 with Edison investor Charles Batchelor as general manager John Kruesi as assistant general manager and Samuel Insull as secretary 4 At the end of 1885 the Electric Tube Company and the Edison Shafting Manufacturing Company were merged into the Edison Machine Works The Machine Works also had a department that designed and tested equipment and trained Edison workers how to wire buildings and install and repair dynamos New types of dynamos were designed here as well as improved power consumption meters 3 nbsp 1896 view Schenectady NY location after it had become General ElectricThe demands of the expanding utility soon overtaxed the cramped lower Manhattan shop Extra lathes needed for production had to be set up on the sidewalks outside the building connected through the factory windows by long drive belts 5 Strikes unionizing attempts and the general expense of labor and land in New York City sent Edison looking for a site for a new factory In 1886 the Machine Works along with 200 of its workers were moved to two unfinished factory buildings on a 10 acre site in Schenectady NY intended to have been the McQueen Locomotive Works 6 The new factory was put under the control of Samuel Insull 5 Edison Machine Works continued as a separate company until 1889 when all of Edison s electric related companies were merged to form Edison General Electric The plant expanded rapidly and 1892 saw the merger of Edison General Electric and the Thomson Houston Electric Company of Lynn Massachusetts to form General Electric with the Schenectady location used as GE s headquarters for many years thereafter nbsp Historical marker about the Machine Works in Schenectady Notable employees editJustus B Entz joined Edison Machine Works in 1887 Reginald Fessenden worked at the Edison Machine Works in 1886 Kunihiko Iwadare joined Edison Machine Works in 1887 Emil Kolben joined Edison Machine Works in 1888 John W Lieb worked at the Edison Machine Works in 1881 Nikola Tesla worked at the Edison Machine Works in 188440 42 58 N 73 58 40 W 40 71611 N 73 97778 W 40 71611 73 97778References edit Rutgers University The Thomas Edison Papers Edison Companies rutgers edu Archived from the original on 2013 10 08 Retrieved 2015 06 17 John W Howell Henry Shroeder History of the Incandecent Lamp page 67 a b EDISON S MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS Docs 2343 and 2368 edison rutgers edu page 663 PDF Archived PDF from the original on 2015 06 19 Retrieved 2015 06 18 John F Wasik The Merchant of Power Sam Insull Thomas Edison and the Creation of the Modern Metropolis Macmillan 2008 page 28 a b Randall E Stross The Wizard of Menlo Park How Thomas Alva Edison Invented the Modern World Three Rivers Press 2008 page 169 Thomas Alva Edison The accomplishments and life of electrical engineer and entrepreneur Thomas Edison 1847 1931 edisontechcenter org Archived from the original on 2015 06 09 Retrieved 2015 06 23 External links editschenectadymuseum org Edison Machine Works Edison Companies Rutgers University The Thomas Edison Paper Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Edison Machine Works amp oldid 1128650287, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
