This company's genesis was as Stephen P. Morris & Co., established in 1829. That firm made coal grates and furnaces. In 1835 the company became Morris, Tasker & Co., adding the manufacture of iron tubes to their repertoire. By this time Henry G. Morris, perhaps the son of Stephen P. Morris, was involved in the firm. In 1836 he purchased the Southwick Foundry & Machine Works and then formed the Morris Engineering Co. Sometime between 1906 and 1913 that firm acquired the G. V. Cresson Works, manufacturers of shafting and other power transmission equipment, and Cresson-Morris Co. was formed. The company seems to have disappeared in or shortly after 1923 as we can find no ads or news items after that time.

Cresson-Morris was a diversified maker of iron and steel products. Of interest to us is a combination woodworking machine intended for use by house carpenters. Several surviving examples have been reported to us. These machine were apparently producted in the 1920s.

Information Sources

• King's Handbook of the United States, by Moses Foster Sweetser, 1891, has the following.

  One of the most notable manufacturing plants of Philadelphia is that of George V. Cresson, whose shafting works at the corner of 18th Street and Allegheny Avenue are by far the finest in their line in the whole country. The business Philadelphia: George v. Cresson's Works. was established in 1859 by the present proprietor. It comprises machine-shops, foundry and pattern and blacksmith shops, and employs about 250 men. The product of these admirably constructed works comprises shafting, couplings, hangers, pulleys, and power transmitting machinery of every description. Many of the latest and most important improvements in couplings, pulleys and other similar machinery have originated in these works, which comprise almost a little village by themselves. A specialty of the house is that of designing and fitting out electric-light plants, and building complete power plants from original designs. This house is also known as the Philadelphia Shafting Works, the city being recognized as headquarters in this industry, to the fame of which the good work of George V. Cresson has added a considerable share.

• The July 1906 Machinery has a brief writeup of a spherical boring-bar for machining ball-and-socket joints that was seen in operation at the Geo. V. Cresson Works, Philadelphia.
• Biographical Directory of the American Iron and Steel Institute, by James Thompson McCleary of the American Iron and Steel Institute, 1911, has the following biography of interest.

  Antonio Charles Pessano
  PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER,
  GREAT LAKES ENGINEERING WORKS

  Born in Philadelphia, Pa., July 3, 1857, son of Antonio D. and Elizabeth (Ogden) Pessano. Educated in the public schools of Philadelphia with technical education by private teachers, and course at Franklin Institute. Built the Cresson Works at Philadelphia, becoming Vice-President and General Manager of the company. In 1902, sold interest in Cresson Co., and with others bought the Riverside Iron Works, Detroit and later developed the Great Lakes Engineering Works with plants at Detroit, Ecorse and St. Clair, Michigan, and at Ashtabula, Ohio. ...

• The 1913-03-27 Engineering News lists Cresson-Morris Co., as a maker of a variety of products, including crushing rolls, rotary screens, and bucket elevators.
• The 1913-06-28 Mining and Engineering World lists Cresson-Morris Co. as a maker of various items of mining machinery, such as pulverizers and roll-jaw crushers.
• The 1914-07-01 Automobile Trade Journal has an article on the "Cresson-Morris Company—Makers of the Duryea Cyclecar", which is excerpted here.

  The first gasoline automobile built in America was a Duryea. The date was 1892. The designer and builder was Charles E. Duryea. And the first practical electric motor vehicle in America was the Electrobat, built in Philadelphia in 1894, by Morris & Salom. Henry G. Morris is still a director of the Cresson-Morris Company, who are new building the Duryea Cyclecar. and Charles E. Duryea is the mechanical engineer. Thus are united in the manufacture of this, the latest evolution of the motor vehicle, the combined experiences of the builders of the first motor vehicles in this country. Moreover, in addition to the automobile experience thus combined, there is back of this company one of the oldest practical manufacturing histories in the United States.

  Briefly, it is as follows: Stephen P. Morris & Company, first makers of anthracite coal grates and furnaces, founded in 1829, with later Henry Morris, grandfather of the president and vice-president of the Cresson-Morris Company as a member. The firm moved and was called Morris, Tasker '& Company, 1835, the first manufacturers of wrought iron tubes. In 1836 the Southwick Foundry & Machine Works was acquired by Henry G. Morris. Then followed the formation of the Morris Engineering Company, which later acquired the G. V. Cresson Works, the largest transmission manufacturers in the United States.

  It will thus be seen that the CressonMorris Company possesses a long experience as engineers, founders and machinists.

  The officers of the company are as follows: P. H. Morris, President; A. S. Morris, Vice-President; Gouverneur Cadwalader, Secretary and Treasurer; Henry G. Morris, Consulting Engineer. The motor department is in charge of Henry Crowther as business manager, and Charles E. Duryea as mechanical engineer. Mr. Duryea's reputation as the pioneer inventor and expert in automobiles is too well known to require mention. Mr. Crowther has had long experience in the trade and manufacture, having been vice-president and general manager of the Peerless Manufacturing Company and the Duquesne Manufacturing Company....

• The January 1916 Automobile Trade Directory lists Cresson-Morris Co., 18th St. & Allegheny Ave., Philadelphia, as makers of the Duryea cylecar.
• The June 1922 Factory & Industrial Management lists Cresson-Morris Co. as a maker of bearings, belt shifters and tighteners, iron and steel castings, friction clutches, couplings, gears, power-transmission machinery, cast-iron pulleys, cone pulleys, shafting, rope transmission, shafting collars, sheaves, vacuum pans, flywheels, and sprocket wheels.
• The December 1922 Industrial Management lists Cresson-Morris Co. as a maker of a variety of power transmission equipment.