Kingsland & Ferguson Mfg. Co., 1887

This firm was founded in 1835 by George Kingsland, Sr., as a branch of the Pittsburgh foundry of Kingsland & Lightner, whose co-founder was Lawrence Kingsland. His son, George Kingsland, was in charge of the St. Louis branch. When Lawrence died in 1844, the St. Louis operation split from its parent, with George taking on a partner, D. K. Ferguson, and the business becoming Kingsland & Ferguson. Their foundry was known as the Phœnix Foundry. When George Kingsland died in 1874, his son, L. D. Kingsland, replaced him and the business incorporated as the Kingsland & Ferguson Manufacturing Co. In 1886 or '87 it became the Kingsland & Douglas Manufacturing Co., which seems to have survived until about 1900.

The company made a broad array of agricultural products. Those of interest to us include portable and stationary steam engines, circular saw mills, edgers, swing saws, and cordwood mills.

Information Sources

• From an 1882 Tyler, TX city directory, online at rootsweb.com: ad for "G. M. Dilley. F. L. Dilley / DILLEY FOUNDRY & MACHINE WORKS / Engineers, Founders and MACHINISTS, Tyler, Texas... [Agents for] KINGSLAND, FERGUSON & CO'S GINS, PRESSES AND SAW MILLS..."
• An 1885 sawmill-related patent was assigned to this company (under the name Kingsland & Ferguson Manufacturing Co.); the patent was granted to one Darius Parkhurst of St. Louis. We have found other patents to Parkhurst, but they were not assigned, and there is no confirmation that the patents were used by this company.
• At the 1886 Buenos Ayres Exposition, M. Lanus & Co. exhibited machines from Kingsland, Ferguson & Co.
• Kingsland & Douglas Mfg. Co. catalog: Vibrating Threshers, Plain Agricultural and Traction Engines, dated 1887.
• The following extract is from The industries of Saint Louis, published 1887 by J. M. Elstner & Co.:

  Kingsland & Ferguson Manufacturing Company

  D. K. Ferguson, President; L. D. Kingsland, Vice-President; E. W. Douglas, Secretary; Agricultural and Saw Mill Machinery; 1521 North Eleventh street.

  This great establishment has a history covering; more than half a century, having been established in 1835 as a branch of the Pittsburgh firm of Kingsland & Lightner, the senior member of which, Mr. Lawrence Kingsland, started the first blast furnace in Pittsburgh. Mr. George Kingsland, his son, had charge of the branch here, and in 1844, on the death of Mr. Lawrence Kingsland, the connection with the Pittsburgh concern ceased, and Mr. George Kingsland, with Mr. D. K. Ferguson, established the firm of Kingsland & Ferguson. In 1874, upon the death of Mr. George Kingsland, his son, Mr. L. D. Kingsland, succeeded to his interest in the firm, and the business was incorporated under its present style. Mr. E. W. Douglas, who came from Pittsburgh in 1863, and had been employed by the firm, acquired an interest in the business in 1868. Since 1856 the works have been located on North Eleventh Street, and now, with the numerous additions made from time to time, cover the two blocks extending from Eleventh to Thirteenth streets on Mullanphy street. These works have a complete outfit of the latest improved machinery and plant adapted to the manufacture of agricultural and saw mill machinery, and four hundred men are employed. The company manufactures threshers, portable and stationary engines, circular saw mills, head blocks, shafting and pulleys, edgers, swing saws, cord wood mills, saw mill supplies, corn and wheat mills, cane mills, evaporators, corn and cob crushers, corn shellers, agricultural and traction engines, cotton gins, cotton gin condensers and feeders, cotton presses, castings of every description, and many other specialties, which are named in their complete catalogue. Their business extends to all parts of the world, and is especially large in the United States, Mexico and Central and South America. They have recently shipped a saw mill to New Zealand, and orders from other far-off quarters of the globe frequently demonstrate how wide is the celebrity of this great industrial establishment. A specialty of the firm is a thresher especially adapted to Mexico, the company having sent an expert mechanic to that country to devise some practical machine. They make a thresher, with engine, for Mexico for $1,600, while the competing English thresher costs $10,000-. They have a very large business in Mexico and South America, and were the first to seek that trade. They have agencies in the city of Mexico, Chihuahua, and other leading cities. Mr. Ferguson, the President, has been with the works since boyhood, and is a prominent figure in the business s life of St. Louis, He is President of the Mechanics' Bank and otherwise prominent in important enterprises. Mr. Kingsland, the, Vice-President, is the grandson of the founder of the business, to which he has been reared from youth, and is interested in many enterprises for the purpose of improving the trade relations of this country with Mexico. Mr. Douglas is also a thoroughly practical and experienced man and valuable in his position as secretary. The management of the company's affairs befits its greatness, and its success and prominent standing is due to the great care and close attention which has been devoted to every detail throughout its long and honorable history.