Following the 1875 dissolution of Millspaugh, Rowley & Millspaugh, Thomas Millspaugh and John H. Millspaugh started a business manufacturing and repairing engines and saw mills: Millspaugh Brothers. They were joined in 1882 by Fred H. Sweet (who had been working at Rowley & Hermance), and Williamsport Machine Co. was organized as a limited concern, with a capital stock of $6,000. The developed a complete line of woodworking machinery, and by 1892 they had 42,000 square feet of space, and a capital stock of $225,000. At that time the company officers were John H. Millspaugh, chairman; F. H. Sweet, general manager; Thomas Millspaugh, secretary and treasurer. From ninety to one hundred men were employed.

Williamsport Machine Co. was one of the eleven companies that merged in 1897 to form American Wood Working Machine Co. Williamsport's jointers, at least, continued to be made by the merged company. A "Happy Thought" planer badged with both the Williamsport and American names is reported.

Information Sources

• The early history here is taken from the 1892 book, History of Lycoming County Pennsylvania, available online at USGenNet.
• The following data point fills in the business name that was used from 1875 to 1882. Annual Report of the Secretary of Internal Affairs of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 1877. p. 541. Millspaugh Bros. Williamsport. Wood working machinery. Value in dollars of annual product: $12,326.58. Whole number of persons employed: 10 (3 best machinists and 2 ordinary machinists, 1 blacksmith plus 1 helper, 3 apprentices).
• The creation of American Wood Working Machine Co. is well documented in many places, including Chandler W. Jones' Planers, Matchers & Molders in America.
• Information on the "Happy Thought" planer came from a posting to the OWWM forum.
• We have not found any patents granted or assigned to any of the principals post-dating the dissolution of Millspaugh, Rowley & Millspaugh (Fred Sweet did receive some patents as late as October 1882, but these were all assigned to Rowley & Hermance). Based on patent dates seen on machinery from this maker we have identified a handful of patents they have used.