In 1848, Thomas Kingsford and family established the Oswego Starch Factory to manufacture starch from corn using a process Thomas had developed (and protected as a trade secret rather than by patent). In 1864, Thomas's son, the cleverly named Thomson Kingsford, established the Kingsford Foundry & Machine Works to repair the starch factory machinery. Thomson designed a product lineup of steam engines, boilers, sawmills and pumps.

By 1873, Middlebrook & Mack, a partnership of general partners Charles D. Middlebrook and John J. Mack plus special partner Thomson Kingsford, were operating the Kingsford Foundry & Machine Works. So far as we can tell, this partnership was fairly short-lived and control of the Kingsford Foundry & Machine Works went to the Kingsford family. The company survived into at least the 1960s.

Information Sources

• This maker came to our attention because they were assigned an 1874 patent for a shingle edging machine.
• A web article about a fire engine built by this firm provides some key names and dates.
• A 1951 Oswego Valley Rural News has a short article on the history of the Kingsford family and the Starch Factory<.
• Grace's Guide page on Thomas Kingsford. Grace's Guide normally covers British makers only, but Kingsford and son Thomson emigrated from England in 1831.
• From 1860-11-07 Oswego Palladium-Times.

  Kingsford Estate Totaled $620,000, Account Shows
  According to the final account filed today in the estate of the late Thomson Kingsford by Penny and Poland, attorneys for the estate, in which Minerva Haskina Kingsford the widow and the Marine Midland Trust Co. were co-executors, the estate of Mr. Kingsford was in excess of $620,000. Mr. Kingsford died Nov 20, 1958, and his entire estate was bequeathed to his widow under the terms of the will. Mr. Kingsford was an industrial leader in the City of Oswego for his entire business life and had carried on the Kingsford Foundry and Machine Works as successor to many generations of his family. The Kingsford Foundry and Machine Works has continued uninterrupted since Mr Kingsford's death and is now being operated by his widow, through the general manager, Thomas J. Kingsford, a son of the decedent. The estate was made up almost entirely of common stock and his holdings in the Kingsford Foundry and Machine Works. Cash and personal effects represented the balance.