Vulcan Iron Works (San Francisco) - History

Manufacturers Index - Vulcan Iron Works (San Francisco)

Vulcan Iron Works (San Francisco)
San Francisco, CA, U.S.A.
Manufacturer Class: Wood Working Machinery & Steam and Gas Engines

History

Last Modified: Jun 9 2024 1:46PM by Jeff_Joslin
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This company was in business from 1850 through at least 1906, and possibly for longer. Their main products were steam engines, boilers, locomotives and mining machinery, but they also made sawmills.

The companies factory was located at 135-137 Freemont St. (occupied full block bounded by First,Freemont, Mission & Howard), San Francisco, CA.

Company Time-Line

August 1851 - Established by George Gordon & E. T. Steen
January 1855 - Incorporated as a joint stock company by Gordon & Steen
1858 - Purchased by Aiken, Steiger & Paul Torguet all apparent stockholders in original company
August 27, 1864 - Death of Torguet, operated by estate of Torguet, Steiger, Aiken & Richard Ivers
Late 1864/65 - N. D. Arnot enters company as Pres., Aikens VP, Steiger Sect., Ivers Tres, Joseph Moore Supt.
1867/68 - Moore Supt. & Pres., Ivers VP, Steiger Sect., Arnot Tres.
1868 - Arnot Pres. & Tres., Abner Duble VP, Steiger Sect., Henry Huttner Supt. (Moore to formation of Risdon)
May 30, 1871 - Filed petition of bankruptcy
July 2, 1871 - Portion of land and buildings used by Pacific Iron Works
1873 - Vulcan Iron Works under Arnot, Birch & Co., N. D. Arnot Mgr.
1875 - Vulcan Iron Works under N. D. Arnot Jr Prop.
1877/78 - N. D. Arnot Sr Prop.
1879 - No listing
1881/82 - Empire Foundry owned by Savage & Sons operating at 135-141 Freemont St
1890 - No listing for Empire Foundry/Savage & Sons. Vulcan Iron Works reestablished by E. E. Eyre Pres., J. H. Guchan(?) VP & Mgr., G. M. Pickard Sect. 135-145 Freemont St. This firm in existence until April 18, 1906.

Information Sources

Listed in the 1874 work, Wiley's American iron trade manual of the leading iron industries of the United States: "Vulcan Iron Works - Location, 137 Fremont Street, San Francisco. Established 1850. Specialty, engines, boilers, mining machinery."
This firm was assigned an 1890 patent for a sawmill set works, and an 1891 patent for a band sawmill.
Company time-line Information from an unpublished document by B. H. Ward, San Francisco Locomotives by Gerald M. Best, Western Railroader June, 1970, the personal research of John A. Taubeneck. Information submitted by John A. Taubeneck.