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Manufacturers Index - Draver Manufacturing Co.
History
Last Modified: Feb 17 2013 8:22PM by Jeff_Joslin
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Our "history" of this company is fairly speculative because information is so thin. Draver Manufacturing Company was likely established in the 1890s in Stillwater, Minnesota by brothers Emil R. Draver and Henry C. Draver. By the early 1900s they had moved to Richmond, Indiana. Their first specialty was dust collection equipment. Later on they made simple products related to automotive wheels. In the 1920s they made a 12" wood-cutting bandsaw. The company was in business until 1929.

Information Sources

  • Seen on eBay: 12-inch cast iron bandsaw, probably 1920-1940 vintage. The photos show the company's location as Richmond, but the state name is not visible.
  • A patent search reveals at least 44 patents to an Emil R. Draver, who moved to Richmond, IN in 1903, and was active there until at least 1929. His patents are for dust-collection systems; conveyers for particulate matter; automobile wheels, wheel covers, and suspensions; and window sash frames. There is a single 1903 patent to a Henry C. Draver of Richmond, for a dust collector.
  • The 1897-09-18 issue of Modern Miller has a passing mention of "Draver Manufacturing Co., of Stillwater, Minn." as a manufacturer of dust collectors.
  • Article in the 1912-04-01 issue of Automobile Trade Journal on tire clips made by "The Draver Manufacturing Company, Richmond, Ind."
  • Article in the 1918-01-10 issue of The Automobile Journal on a spare tire carrier from "E. R. Draver Manufacturing Co., Richmond, Ind." The February 1918 issue of The Accessory and Garage Journal carried the same article.
  • A 1926 issue of The Iron Age has a snippet that mentions "band saws of the Draver Mfg. Co., Richmond, Ind."
  • A correspondent who is descended from Emil reports that Emil and Henry were brothers. "Both were born in Alliance, Nebraska. His parents moved the family to Stillwater, Minnesota. He died in Richmond, Indiana and is buried in Earlham Cemetery."
  • A correspondent reports that city directories before 1925 list "Draver Brothers, manufacturer". After that year it changed to "Draver Manufacturing Co.", then disappeared in 1929.