Background information on K & C Manufacturing Co.
K & C are the last names of it’s founders………Keyes & Cowdrey ( Atwood Beaman Keyes & Charles F Cowdrey. )
Atwood Keyes was Born Oct 30, 1850 in Princeton, Worchester County, Massachusetts and died 14 Oct 1911 at age 60. He is buried in North Cemetery in Princeton. He grew up in Princeton where he operated a wheelwright and blacksmith business. Interestingly he began to manufacture paper rims for bicycles. Atwood quickly sold-out his paper rim patent to J. W. Bryant Co.of LaPorte, Ind. who quickly went bankrupt in 1896.
He decided to focus on wood bicycle rims. Atwood had been associated with Charles F Cowdrey for some time due to his speciality of producing, designing specialist machine work for manufacture. Cowdrey owned one of the oldest bicycle repair shops in Fitchburg, Massachusetts called C H Cowdrey Machine Works that his father Charles H Cowdrey had founded in 1875.
Charles F. Cowdrey
Charles Francis Cowdrey was born, May 1, 1871, son of Charles H and- Priseilia (Hams) Cowdrey. He attended the public schools in Fitchburg and later was graduated from Bryant & Stratton business college in Boston. After business college Charles and his brother joined his fathers firm as apprentices, learning all aspects of the machinists trade before joining his father in the office. His talents fit the business well and soon was in charge of the company. Charles was the Inventor of the Brake Tester and a member of the National C. of C. Congress Textile Group. He enjoyed outdoor pursuits and was a member of several sporting clubs. He served as a councilman in city government in 1903. Charles died in 1935 of Pneumonia at the age of 63
His Father C. H. Cowdrey
Born April 1, 1836 in Lunenburg, Mass. Educated in publics schools in Lunenburg. Learned his machinists trade at Putnam Machine Co. He was enlisted in the Civil War in Co. A, First Battalion, Heavy Artillery - Mass. Volunteers. Died Dec 8 1896.
Employees at C H Cowdrey machine shop 1902
By 1878 Cowdrey was manufacturing the Waymoth variety lathe.
By 1884 the product line had expanded to a larger line of woodworking machinery, including table saws. Here we can see why Atwood Keyes would partner with Cowdrey in making wood bicycle rims. Some of their products included a rod, pin and dowel machine; wood seat adzer or hollower; upright boring machine; swing saw with patent shield; box board matcher; box board double cut-off saw; box board edging saw; cut-off sawing machine; Wardwell's or cabinet-maker's saw bench; bicycle wood-rim machinery; improved back knife lathe; Rollstone spiral back knife lathe; variety or Waymoth lathe; straight back knife lathe; emery grinder; saw arbor; tenon chuck; "Self-Oiling Loose Pulley".
The company operated for many years. In 1919 they started making production machinery for the Dixie Cup Co., and in 1946 Dixie acquired Cowdrey and renamed it to Dixie-Cowdrey Machine Corp., which stayed in business until 1955.
The Formation of K & C .......
Atwood then focused on Wood Rims with the formation of K & C and started to manufacture in Keene N H. Keene was a good mixture of manufacturers & lumber trade close to rail transport. It also had its share of bicycle manufacturers such as The Trinity Bicycle Manufacturing Co factory and The New England Cycle Supply Co.
The Trinity Cycle Co 1897
The New England Cycle Supply in conjuction with Wilkins Toy Co. ( established in 1898 by Harry T. Kingsbury ) invented and patented many devices for the use of cycle repairers, makers and dealers. One of the most intersting being the semi-automatic rim drill. ( post number 30 in this thread https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/toc-wood-rim-makers-info.61555/page-2 )
Atwood chose to locate in the Beaver Mills for a Year and a half. Keene Wood Rim manufacturing was also located here for a very short time in 1897. There seemed to be quite a few companies operating out of this location.
Atwood then transferred his rim business to Ayer. In 1898 he was with the Bay State Rim Co and located his new company in the same building belonging to the Ayer Building Association. In 1898 the Bay State Rim Co.’s capital was withdrawn and went into liquidation. K & C was reformed as a new Corporation and purchased the Bay state Rim Co. The new corporation’s president was Josiah Quincy ( who was also the mayor of Boston ). Clinton lovell was treasurer & general manager. Atwood B Keyes was Superintendent of the mechanical department.
Con't on next thread........
K & C are the last names of it’s founders………Keyes & Cowdrey ( Atwood Beaman Keyes & Charles F Cowdrey. )
Atwood Keyes was Born Oct 30, 1850 in Princeton, Worchester County, Massachusetts and died 14 Oct 1911 at age 60. He is buried in North Cemetery in Princeton. He grew up in Princeton where he operated a wheelwright and blacksmith business. Interestingly he began to manufacture paper rims for bicycles. Atwood quickly sold-out his paper rim patent to J. W. Bryant Co.of LaPorte, Ind. who quickly went bankrupt in 1896.
He decided to focus on wood bicycle rims. Atwood had been associated with Charles F Cowdrey for some time due to his speciality of producing, designing specialist machine work for manufacture. Cowdrey owned one of the oldest bicycle repair shops in Fitchburg, Massachusetts called C H Cowdrey Machine Works that his father Charles H Cowdrey had founded in 1875.
Charles F. Cowdrey
Charles Francis Cowdrey was born, May 1, 1871, son of Charles H and- Priseilia (Hams) Cowdrey. He attended the public schools in Fitchburg and later was graduated from Bryant & Stratton business college in Boston. After business college Charles and his brother joined his fathers firm as apprentices, learning all aspects of the machinists trade before joining his father in the office. His talents fit the business well and soon was in charge of the company. Charles was the Inventor of the Brake Tester and a member of the National C. of C. Congress Textile Group. He enjoyed outdoor pursuits and was a member of several sporting clubs. He served as a councilman in city government in 1903. Charles died in 1935 of Pneumonia at the age of 63
His Father C. H. Cowdrey
Born April 1, 1836 in Lunenburg, Mass. Educated in publics schools in Lunenburg. Learned his machinists trade at Putnam Machine Co. He was enlisted in the Civil War in Co. A, First Battalion, Heavy Artillery - Mass. Volunteers. Died Dec 8 1896.
Employees at C H Cowdrey machine shop 1902
By 1878 Cowdrey was manufacturing the Waymoth variety lathe.
By 1884 the product line had expanded to a larger line of woodworking machinery, including table saws. Here we can see why Atwood Keyes would partner with Cowdrey in making wood bicycle rims. Some of their products included a rod, pin and dowel machine; wood seat adzer or hollower; upright boring machine; swing saw with patent shield; box board matcher; box board double cut-off saw; box board edging saw; cut-off sawing machine; Wardwell's or cabinet-maker's saw bench; bicycle wood-rim machinery; improved back knife lathe; Rollstone spiral back knife lathe; variety or Waymoth lathe; straight back knife lathe; emery grinder; saw arbor; tenon chuck; "Self-Oiling Loose Pulley".
The company operated for many years. In 1919 they started making production machinery for the Dixie Cup Co., and in 1946 Dixie acquired Cowdrey and renamed it to Dixie-Cowdrey Machine Corp., which stayed in business until 1955.
The Formation of K & C .......
Atwood then focused on Wood Rims with the formation of K & C and started to manufacture in Keene N H. Keene was a good mixture of manufacturers & lumber trade close to rail transport. It also had its share of bicycle manufacturers such as The Trinity Bicycle Manufacturing Co factory and The New England Cycle Supply Co.
The Trinity Cycle Co 1897
The New England Cycle Supply in conjuction with Wilkins Toy Co. ( established in 1898 by Harry T. Kingsbury ) invented and patented many devices for the use of cycle repairers, makers and dealers. One of the most intersting being the semi-automatic rim drill. ( post number 30 in this thread https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/toc-wood-rim-makers-info.61555/page-2 )
Atwood chose to locate in the Beaver Mills for a Year and a half. Keene Wood Rim manufacturing was also located here for a very short time in 1897. There seemed to be quite a few companies operating out of this location.
Atwood then transferred his rim business to Ayer. In 1898 he was with the Bay State Rim Co and located his new company in the same building belonging to the Ayer Building Association. In 1898 the Bay State Rim Co.’s capital was withdrawn and went into liquidation. K & C was reformed as a new Corporation and purchased the Bay state Rim Co. The new corporation’s president was Josiah Quincy ( who was also the mayor of Boston ). Clinton lovell was treasurer & general manager. Atwood B Keyes was Superintendent of the mechanical department.
Con't on next thread........
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