During the 1940s and '50s (and perhaps later) Gulledge Machine Works was a California business making precision aircraft parts plus dividing heads, rotary tables, and milling-machine vises. The company survived until at least 2000, although founder James O. Gulledge died in 1963. An obituary stated that the Gulledge Machinery Works [sic] was established in 1925.

Information Sources

• October 1942 Western Aviation, Missiles, and Space, page 175, in a listing of manufacturers: "Gulledge Machine Works, Santa Ana, Calif. 1781. Officer: J. O. Gulledge, owner. / Products/Services: aircraft parts, machine tools, and subassemblies"
• WWII draft registration card: "James Oren Gulledge / (residence) 1338 W. 7th St. Santa Ana, Orange County, Calif. / (mailing address) 1430 W. 5th St. Santa Ana, Calif. / (age) 47 / (date of birth) June 6 1894 / (place of birth) Monticello, Arkansas / (other contact) Ralph Gulledge - 1338 W. 7th Santa Ana, Calif. / (employer) Gulledge Machine Works (owner) 1430 W. 5th St. Santa Ana, Calif."
• 1943 issue of Steel (Vol. 113 page 6). "Santa Ana, Calif.—Gulledge Machine Works has been organized by James O. and Carrie L. Gulledge and will establish its operations at 1428 West Fifth street."
• October 1945 Western Aviation, Missiles, and Space, page 144, in a listing of manufacturers: "Gulledge Machine Works, 1428-30 W. 5th St., Santa Ana, Calif. James O. Gulledge, owner; James A. Fey, plant supt. / Products: Precision aircraft parts and machine tools; dividing heads, rotary tables, 4-inch, 6-inch and 7-inch milling machine vises."
• An information search on James O. Gulledge (wife possibly Carrie O. Gulledge) was complicated by several same-named persons. We did find a for-pay genealogy site that mentioned "Ralph Curtis Gulledge was born circa 1923, to James O Gulledge and Carrie L Pistole." Searching findagrave.com for the son's name produced Ralph Curtis Gulledge (1923-1977), son of Carrie Lou Pistole (1899-2004) and James O. Gulledge (1894-1963). At the time of writing, findagrave has his middle initial as "D" not "O", although a photo of the gravestone shows that this is likely a transcription error.
• 1955 California Industrial Purchasing Guide lists Gulledge Machine Works as a maker of milling-machine vises and dividing heads.
• Undated brochure for the Gulledge 7-inch rotary table. "Gulledge Machine / 1430 North Poinsettia Street / Santa Ana, Callifornia / Kimberly 3-8354". The phone number format of central-office name plus a 5-digit number dates this item to between the late 1930s and the early 1960s.
• 1998 California Manufacturers Register, Vol 51 page 213, under "Machine Shops": "Gulledge Machine Works 1016 Fuller St. Santa Ana 92701".
• From a discussion on hobby-machinist.com: "This is an original 7" rotary table made by Gulledge for the Clausing mill line." Photos and a catalog cut confirm that the Clausing rotary table is identical to that made and sold by Gulledge.
• The opencorporates.com page on Gulledge Machine Works gives their incorporation date as 1977-11-28 and dissolution date 2011-12-12. CEO was Ronald H. Smith; other officers were Matthew K. Smith and Michael K. Allen.