T. H. Ricker & Sons began operations as a foundry under the name of T. H. Ricker in about 1848. Timothy H. Ricker's oldest son, Sherburne H. Ricker, became partner shortly afterward. In about 1850 the elder Ricker designed a new type of machine, a bolter, used for cutting small logs into lengths for further processing, e.g., into shingles or lath. The Ricker bolter was a mainstay products for many years.

Sons Franklin C. and Alvin P. Ricker joined the business in 1858. Sherburne retired in 1881. In 1889, the remaining brothers bought out their father's share; he died a couple of years later at age 89. The business survived into the early 1980s.

Information Sources

• 1896-02-20 The Iron Age.

  T. H. Ricker & Sons, Harrison, Maine, have recently sold to Eduardo Lugo Vina of Porto Rico a set of shook machinery, comprising four machines—swing cut off machine, bolter, stave edger and stave trimmer. These machines, we are advised, have never been in use in that country, although Porto Rico is said to abound in timber similar to the American oak which Mr. Vina thinks is fully equal to it in every respect for sugar shooks. The Messrs. Ricker are also making saws especially adapted for preparing spool wood, and among their customers for these saws are J. & P. Coats of Paisley, Scotland.

• From the 1896 book, Biographical Review of Cumberland County, Maine.

  Alvin P., Franklin C., and Timothy H. Ricker

  T.H. Ricker and sons, of Harrison, Me., manufacturers of saw-mill supplies, shafting, and machinery in general. This firm now consists of Franklin C. and Alvin P. Ricker, sons of the founder of the enterprise, Timothy H. Ricker, and his wife Drusilla (Wiggin) Ricker.

  Timothy H. Ricker was born in Shapleigh, York County, Me., in 1802, and there grew to manhood, becoming a skilful blacksmith. He worked as a journeyman in Waterford and Oxford, Me., and in 1847 moved to Harrison village, where he shortly after established the thriving industry which perpetuates his name. He died July 29, 1891. His wife, who was born in Parsonsfield, Me., May 9, 1802, was a daughter of Nathan and Olive (Weymouth) Wiggin. She lived to the age of seventy-seven years and six months. Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Timothy H. Ricker Nathan, Sherburne H., Horatio, Franklin C., Olive, Freeland, Alvin P., and Ellen. Nathan Ricker is in the real estate business in New York City. Sherburne H. was married August 26, 1871, to Amelia Kneeland, daughter of Almon and Dorcas (Sands) Kneeland, of Harrison. Horatio died in California. Franklin C., born August 24, 1834, is the present senior member of the firm. Olive, who became the wife of H. W. Lewis, of Portland, Me., died March 12, 1896, leaving one child, a daughter, who married George Crocket, of Portland, Me. Freeland H., born July 19, 1838, has been in trade in Harrison since 1888, and has a wife, formerly Miss Mary Turtellot, but no children, his only daughter having died at the age of twenty-five. Alvin P., born August 13, 1841, is the junior member of the firm whose name heads this article. Ellen is the wife of J. M. Smith, a plumber of Harrison, and mother of three children.

  Franklin C. Ricker went to Lewiston, Me., when he was sixteen years of age to learn the machinist's trade, and after finishing his apprenticeship worked for a year as a store salesman in Bridgton and Portland, Me., and New York City. In 1858 he returned to Harrison and entered into partnership with his father and brother; and in 1889 he and his brother Alvin bought their father's interest in the business, and have since successfully conducted the enterprise together. They make a specialty of fitting saw mills, and manufacture all necessary sawmill supplies, including one machine which deserves more than a passing notice. This machine is familiarly known as the Ricker bolter, and may be seen in operation throughout at least fifteen States and in the provinces of Canada. They also produce shafting and machinery for other manufacturing establishments; and such is the quality of their work that orders come to them from Canada, Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, and other parts of the country West and South.

  Franklin C. Ricker married Miss Zelpha Brickett, of Stow, Me., who died in 1870. She had but one child, Annie Adelia, who was called to the world beyond just as her feet had touched the threshold of womanhood, at the age of fifteen. Mr. Ricker subsequently married Miss Cora Burnham, of Bridgton, Ale. Politically, Mr. Ricker favors the Republican party. He and his wife attend the Free Will Baptist church.

  Alvin P. Ricker learned the machinist's trade in Harrison, and worked as a machinist in Worcester, Mass., for about a year, going there when he was nineteen years of age. He then returned to Harrison, and in 1889, as stated above, in company with his brother Franklin, purchased his father's interest. Practical machinists themselves, the brothers thoroughly understand their business; and the success of the enterprise is due to their combined ability and good judgment.

  Alvin P. Ricker married Miss Fannie Tibbetts, of Harrison; and two children have blessed their union—Josephine and Jessie. Politically, Mr. Alvin P. Ricker is a member of the Republican party. He belongs to Harrison Lodge, No. 41, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, but has no other social affiliation. In religious belief he is a Congregationalist.

• From the 1909 book, Centennial History of Harrison, Maine.

  Soon after T. H. Ricker commenced business in foundry work, he took his oldest son, Sherburne H., into partnership. For a number of years their leading business was making improved cast iron plows and horse power casting business, gradually extending their work to the building of stave threshers, stave sawing machines, planing machines, and eventually began the construction of circular saw mills, in which branch, they have had a wide demand for their work. Their first shop was burned in 1858, and was rebuilt at once and C. F. Ricker, another son of T. H. Ricker, was taken in as a partner. Alvin P. Ricker, a younger son, who had worked many years in the shop was made a partner in 1885. T. H., the father and founder of the business, retired, and died in 1885, and Sherburne H. Ricker retired from the firm in 1881; leaving C. F. & A. P. the sole surviving members of the firm, who have continued in the same line of manufacturing as before, under the old name of "T. H. Ricker & Sons."

  ...The history of the business operations and achievements in the wood and iron machine manufacturing of T. H. Ricker & Sons in Harrison, is given at length in another part of this volume. A history of the nativity and home and social life of this well-known family is, however, very necessary for a complete record of the older families of the village of Harrison during about sixty years to the present time.

  TIMOTHY H. RICKER was born October 29, 1802, in Shapleigh, Maine. He was married to Drusilla, daughter of Nathan and Olive Weymouth Wiggin of Parsonsfield, bor n April 19, 1802. He died July 29, 1891. She died October 19, 1879. Mr. Ricker was a man of massive physical form and of unusual muscular powers. In early life he was a school teacher, but afterward learned the blacksmith's trade, at which he wrought in Otisfield, Oxford, Waterford, and finally in Harrison, where he realized during more than forty years of his prime and maturity of life, the fruition of his industrial dreams. His children were born before his removal to Harrison. Mr. Ricker's advent to Harrison village was in the spring of 1848, when he commenced work here as a blacksmith with his son, Sherburne, as partner and assistant. Their first work was in the old blacksmith shop of David R. Morse, located on the corner of Main and Mill streets, opposite the present shop of A. S. Pitts. He loved his trade as a skilled mechanic, and as a wielder of the tools of his craft, and in after times, even many years after he became the prosperous master of the Harrison machine works, he never shunned the exercise of his skill at the forge and anvil so long as his strength did not fail. His lively interest in the progress of the machine works of himself and sons never flagged until he became so feeble with the weight of years as to prevent his daily visits to the shop, as was his usual custom. He was noted for his kindness of heart and gentle manners toward others. It was his inflexible honesty, coupled with his energy and good judgment, that was at the bottom of all his triumphs in his business enterprises. It is proper and just to the sons of Mr. Ricker, who in his lifetime were bright and energetic factors of success in all his undertakings to say, they are all entitled to equal honor and praise in this brief review of the firm's history. Children of T. H. Ricker and wife:

  Nathan W., b. Apr. 1, 1828; he was in mercantile business in Portland, a few years, subsequently removing to New York and has been for many years a real estate broker in that city.

  Sherburne H., b. Dec. 17, 1830, in Otisfield; he adopted the occupation of his father in early life, and was a skilled iron and wood worker and at the inception of the foundry and machine business of T. H. Ricker & Sons, he was a very leading factor of the many new models and designs of implements and machines employed in the shop, as well as those constructed for their customers for improved machinery. He remained as superintendent of the machine shop more than thirty years. In 1881, he was compelled, by failing health, to retire from the business. In the spring of 1877, Mr. Ricker commenced the erection of the large and elegant dwelling on one of the most eligible sites in the village opposite the new Free Baptist Church, the same residence in which he spent the residue of his life. It was his favorite occupation during the following years to beautify his residence by planting shade trees along the street borders, and by other tasteful devices to make it one of the most inviting and attractive objects of residential art and beauty of that period of village improvement. It was his privilege to live a few years in the enjoyment of the beautiful things of his designing, but, the results of years of intense application and of enervation from overwork were telling upon his native constitutional vigor. He lived through the last years under circumstances of much suffering, and on Jan. 2, 1902, he suddenly expired from an attack of acute heart failure. Mr. Ricker married 1st, Amelia H. Marten of Bridgton, in 1854, b. Aug. 9, 1835, died in Harrison, May 7, 1861. He married 2d, July 31, 1862, Abby H. Merrow of Harrison, b. Aug. 1, 1833; died Feb. 24, 1867. He married 3d, Aug. 26, 1871, Amelia M., daughter of Almon and Dorcas (Sands) Kneeland of Harrison. (See Kneeland family.)

  Horat1o Swasey, b. Jan. 10, 1832; went to California about 1850, and died there.

  Charles Frankl1n, b. Aug. 24, 1834, married Zilpha Brickett of Stow, Me., b. June, 1848; died June 12, 1870. They had a daughter: Anna Adelia, b. June 24, 1866; died Apr. 24, 1881; Mr. Ricker married 2d, Cora Frances Burnham of Bridgton, daughter of Leonard M. and Matilda (Nevers) Burnham. Mr. Ricker is the senior member of the present firm of "T. H. Ricker & Sons."

  Olive Jane, b. Dec. 14, 1836; died Mar. 18, 1876; married Hartley Lewis; they had two daughters, Cora L., b. Aug. 12, 1858, and Carrie; Cora died Oct. 12, 1870; Carrie married George Crockett and lives in Portland. They have one son.

  Freeland Holmes, b. July 19, 1839; married Mary H. Weeden of Stafford Springs, Conn. They had one daughter, Lillian, b. June 16, 1870; married Fred W. Dudley of Harrison; they had one daughter, Florence Lillian, b. Jan. 31, 1895. Mrs. Lillian Holmes Dudley died Feb. 9, 1895, in Hollis, N. H. Mr. Dudley is principal of the Hollis (N. H.) high school. Mrs. Dudley was a graduate of Bridgton Academy, Class of '93. She was distinguished for literary culture, lived a beautiful life and was much lamented at her death.

  Alvin Parsons, b. in Oxford, Aug. 13, 1841; married Fanny F. Tibbetts, daughter of Stephen and Lucy Tibbetts of Harrison, b. in Bridgton, Aug. 16, 1846. Their children: 1. Josephine Pearl, b. June 25, 1878. 2. Jessie Isabel, b. Oct. 30, 1880.

  Ellen K., b. Dec. —, 1843, in Oxford; married John Merrill Smith, b. in Deal, England, Jan. 5, 1840. They had children: 1. Annie Louise, b. in Harrison, Sept. 16, 1861; died at two years old. 2. Olive Alice, b. in Montreal, Can., Mar. 12, 1864; died Sept. 1, 1864. 3. Walter Winfield, b. Nov. 25, 1866, in Boston; married 1st, Alice Jordan of Harrison; married 2d, Mrs. Mary (Proctor) Mills of Harrison; they reside in Springfield, Mass. 4. Mary Drusilla, b. July 21, 1869; married John C. Edgerly of Harrison. 5. Harry Elwood, b. in Portland, Jan. 16, 1879; lives in Harrison.

• An undated advertising postcard from this company shows "The Ricker Sawing Machine", and lists several other products as well.