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Manufacturers Index - Donegan & Swift
History
Last Modified: Aug 20 2024 8:38AM by Jeff_Joslin
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The partnership of Donegan & Swift was established in 1887 by partners Bartholomew Donegan and Edwin H. Swift, with offices at 174 Fulton Street in Manhattan. Donegan had worked as a plumber and engineer and for about twenty years had been partners in a marine supply business. We know less about the life of Edwin H. Swift but we suspect he had experience on the machinery manufacturing side of things.

Donegan & Swift were agents for firms such as the Hughes Steam Pump Co. of Cleveland, Ohio, and the Buffalo Forge Co. of Buffalo, NY. They also manufactured vertical and horizontal steam engines. By 1890 they had relocated to 11-13 Murray Street. In 1896 Bartholomew Donegan died, age 63, but Swift continued the business under the same "Donegan & Swift" name. In about 1900 the business moved to 6 Murray Street.

Sometime between 1904 and '09 the business incorporated as Donegan & Swift, Inc., with Edwin H. Swift as president. M. A. Swift was one of the directors. The firm went bankrupt in 1922 or '23, and did not re-emerge.

  • New York City Directories provide valuable data:
  • 1888 Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy, page 474, lists contracts awarded by the Bureau of Provisions Clothing for and in behalf of the Navy Department, including a contract to Donegan & Swift, New York, awarded Sept. 2 1887, for "Double cylinder drum hoisting engine", for $1270, delivered to the New York yard.
  • 1888-02-04 The Engineering and Building Record, page 158, lists bidders for certain government work, including Donegan & Swift, New York.
  • 1888-11-05 The American Engineer. "The Hughes Steam Pump Co., of Cleveland, O., have just made a large export shipment of pumps, through their New York agents Messrs. Donegan & Swift."
  • 1890 Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy, Volume 2, page 733, in a list of "Proposals for annual supplies for navy yard, New York, under advertisement dated July 7, 1888": Donegan & Swift is listed in numerous categories.
  • December 1895 Machinery page 124. "DONEGAN & Swift, 13 Murray street, New York, send us a catalog of the Metropolitan self-contained engine, Manhattan center crank engine, Acme engine and boiler and their well-known line of pumps and appliances."
  • 1896-05-13 Brooklyn Daily Eagle, obituaries section (via FindaGrave.com).
    Donegan—On May 12, 1896, Bartholomew Donegan, beloved husband of Mary Ann Donegan, in the 64th year of his age. Relatives and friends... are invented to attend the funeral from his late residence, 28 Debevoise place, Brooklyn...
  • December 1906 The American Marine Engineer has an article on a predecessor firm, Bartholomew & Reilly, established about 1865 "to conduct a marine repair and supply business". Bartholomew Donegan found that firm with James Reilly and then left the partnership about 1885.
  • 1915 Directory of Directors in the City of New York, page 591, "ROWLAND, DAVID J., 6 Murray St. Donegan & Swift, Incorporated, Dir. Page 678, "SWIFT, EDWIN H., 6 Murray St. Donegan & Swift, Incorporated, Pres., Treas. Ave. and Dir. ... SWIFT, M. A., 6 Murray St. Donegan & Swift, Incorporated, V. Pres. and Dir." Page 747: "WHITE, THEODORE R., 6 Murray St. Donegan & Swift, Incorporated, Sec'y and Dir."
  • 1921-08-19 The Bond Buyer, page 1947, small text ad: "Annual Meeting / The regular Annual Meeting of stockholders of Donegan & Swift, Inc., will be held at their offices No. 132 Nassau St., N. Y., on Monday September 12, 1921... / Theodore R. White, Secy."
  • July 1922 The Furniture Index lists "Donegan & Swift, Inc., 132 Nassau St., Manhattan", as providers of dust collection systems.
  • 1923 Bulletin lists "Donegan & Swift, 132 Nassau St., New York, N. Y. (Bankrupt.)"
  • A patent search did not turn up any patents associated with Bartholomew Donegan. There are a few patents granted to Edwin H. Swift, all dating from 1922 to '24, all related to heating systems. The patents are not assigned.
  • FindaGrave.com entry for Edwin H. Smith (1855-1942).
  • American Steam Engine Builders: 1800-1900 by Kenneth L. Cope, 2006 page 77.