This maker is known primarily through patent and state corporate records. It was officially incorporated in 1869 and survived until at least the end of 1889. The principal may have been Henry C. Smith, who held several woodworking machinery patents, and who held the only patent assigned to this firm. Smith moved around a lot: in the space of 20 years he was in Clarksville, OH; Cleveland, OH; Lawrence, KS; and Boston, MA. As of this date we have only had a single report of a surviving machine, which likely dates from 1863 to 1870.

Information Sources

• 1852—The patentee of this company's mortisers, Henry C. Smith, also had an 1852 patent, for a lath machine; that patent was both reissued and extended 7 years.
• 1852-1870—Smith moved around: his home town for the 1852 and 1854 patents was Cleveland, in 1860 and 1863 he was in Clarksville, Ohio, but by 1870 he was in Lawrence, Kansas. Somehow during all of this, he managed to hook up with a Boston-based manufacturer.
• 1854—Smith also had an 1854 patent, no. 10,709, for a shingle machine.
• 1869—The Massachusetts corporate registry database lists this company's first registration as 1869-11-26.
• 1870—An 1870 patent, improving on the inventor's 1860 patent, is unusual for its frankness: "These devices for operating the machine failed in practice on account of their complexity, also being unwieldy and liable to get out of order, and the improvements are to remedy these defects." This 1870 patent was the only one that was assigned to this company.
• 1872—Documents Printed by Order of the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts during the Session of The General Court, 1872 lists, among corporations operating in the state, "American Mortising Machine Company, Norfolk County. Organization certified November 26, 1869." In a list of "Appeal Cases of 1871 / From Taxes of 1871", is listed "American Mortising Machine Company. Appeal withdrawn."
• 1874—Report of the Auditor of Accounts, of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for the Year Ending December 31, 1874 lists American Mortising Machine Co. as having paid corporation tax of $38.77.
• 1875—Report of the Auditor of Accounts, of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for the Year 1875 lists American Mortising Machine Co. as having paid corporation tax of $18.35.
• 1880—Abstract of the Certificates of Corporations Organized Under the General Laws of Massachusetts shows that American Mortising Machine Co.
  • Filed a Certificate of Condition on 1881-08-15; their most recent annual meeting had been held 1880-11-04, there was $500,000 in capital stock, and the company had (or claimed) no real estate, machinery or other assets.
  • Filed a Certificate of Condition on 1882-01-30; their most recent annual meeting had been held 1881-12-15, there was $500,000 in capital stock, and the company had (or claimed) no real estate, machinery or other assets.
  • Filed a Certificate of Condition on 1883-01-10; their most recent annual meeting had been held 1882-12-14, there was $500,000 in capital stock, and the company had (or claimed) no real estate, machinery or other assets.
  • Filed a Certificate of Condition on 1883-12-21; their most recent annual meeting had been held 1883-12-18, there was $500,000 in capital stock, and the company had (or claimed) no real estate, machinery or other assets.
• 1887—Abstract of the Certificates of Corporations Organized Under the General Laws of Massachusetts shows that American Mortising Machine Company filed a Certificate of Condition on 1887-01-10; their most recent annual meeting had been held 1886-12-23, there was $500,000 in capital stock, and the company had (or claimed) no real estate, machinery or other assets.
• 1889—Report of the Tax Commissioner of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for the Year Ending December 31, 1988 lists "Corporations existing under Authority of this Commonwealth December 31, 1888", including this firm, Boston. The same bound volume has the 1889 edition which also lists the company.
• A surviving early mortiser from this company can be seen in the Photo Index. The company name is rendered "AM. MORTICING M. CO." This machine, likely from the 1860s, is from an era when spelling was more flexible than it is now.