Not to be confused with the much better-known Crescent Machine Co. of Leetonia, OH, this maker was active from perhaps 1892 until about 1909. In 1900 the owners were Alvin W. Needham, John A. Gray, and William A Gray. By 1909 the sole proprietor was Edward Tannewitz, who had earlier been with the firm of F. Hartmann & Co., operators of the Phoenix Iron Works of Grand Rapids. Tannewitz received a few patents, including two for dowel-making machines.

In about 1909, Crescent Machine Works was succeeded by Tannewitz Works, which was owned by Carl E. Tannewitz.

Information Sources

• The 1900 Supreme Court of Michigan case of Clark v. Needham involved George D. Clark and William L. Cowles, copartners as Clark & Cowles, against Alvin W. Needham, John A Gray, and William A. Gray, copartners as the Crescent Machine Company. Both Crescent Machine Co. and Clark & Cowles manufactured chaplets, which were devices used in supporting cores in large castings. Clark & Cowles initiated an agreement with Crescent to give the former partnership a monopoly on chaplets for a period of five years, renewable (at Clark & Cowl's option) yearly. The agreement consisted of two contracts. The first contract leased Crescent's chaplet-making machinery to Clark & Cowles. The second contract was between Clark & Cowles and the Empire Wire Nail Co., leasing to them the manufacturing capacity (for $1) obtained from the first contract, with the proviso that it could not be used for making chaplets. After one year, the owners of Crescent declined to renew the agreement and Clark & Cowles sued them. The district court recognized that these two contracts, taken together, violated anti-trust laws and hence were void, and the Supreme Court of Michigan agreed.
• For more on Alvin W. Needham, see our entry for J. J. McCabe Lathe & Machinery Corp. and Needham's variable-swing engine lathe patent.
• A 1910 letterhead seen on eBay says, "Crescent Machine Works" preceded by a rubber stamping that says, "Tannewitz Works, succeeding the..."
• From an online transcription of the 1891 book, History of the City of Grand Rapids, Michigan, by Albert Baxter, (available online at rootsweb.com) comes the following extract on Phoenix Iron Works:

  Frederick Hartmann started at 69 South Front street in 1872, in a small way, a jobbing foundry, doing general work, employing four men, in a room only 40 by 50 feet. In 1879 he added a small machine shop, and took Louis Dietz into partnership in the latter, under the firm name of Hartmann & Dietz, the foundry being still that of F. Hartmann. In December, 1884, the foundry was turned over to the management of Henry J. Hartmann. In July, 1886, the partnership between Hartmann & Dietz was dissolved, and the firm of F. Hartmann & Company organized, with Frederick Hartmann, H. J. Hartmann and Edward Tannewitz as members. In June, 1888, they moved to 270 South Front street, where (in 1888) the Phoenix Iron Works are doing a business of about $17,000 annually, giving employment to twenty-four men.