1903 Pike Mfg. Co. Factory Image
Pike Manufacturing Co. was primarily a manufacturer of abrasive stones, and as such is not eligible for listing on this Vintage Machinery website, whose focus is on manufacturers of woodworking and metalworking machinery plus the engines and motors that power them. Pike Manufacturing is listed here because they made—or had made for them—belt-driven bench grinders.
Isaac Pike began manufacturing whetstones in Haverhill NH around 1823. Isaac's son Alonzo took over the business sometime prior to 1860 under the name A. F. Pike, and organized the A. F. Pike Manufacturing Co. in 1883. They manufactured scythestones and whetstones for sharpening edge-tools. Principal quarries were Haverhill, Piermont, and Lisbon N.H.
In 1884 the A. F. Pike Manufacturing Co. was incorporated, with A. F. Pike as president and E. B. Pike vice-president. In 1889 the Pike Manufacturing was incorporated and in 1891 E. B. Pike became president. He was connected to the Enterprise Manufacturing Company of Philadelphia PA, makers of patented hardware specialty items including food grinding and chopping machines. Enterprise may have built Pike's belt driven bench grinders.
In 1932 Pike Manufacturing Co. was acquired by longtime marketing partner Norton Co., and was operated as a subsidiary, the Norton Pike Co. At the time of the acquisition Norton Pike was located in Littleton, NH. They closed their mine there in 1957 but the factory remained until 2007. In 1990 Norton was acquired by Saint-Gobain of France, and Norton-Pike became a division of Saint-Gobain. In 2007 they closed the Littleton operation and moved production to Mexico.
Information Sources