In 1903 Samuel Nelson House, doing business as S. N. House, was manufacturing his cold tire setter, which was being sold through Macgowan & Finigan, Foundry & Machine Co. of St. Louis. In 1904 the business was incorporated as the House Cold Tire Setter Co. and by 1907 was also manufacturing spoke tenoners. In 1921 they announced that they had acquired the rights to the Reynolds tire bolter from National Steam Pump Co.
Information Sources
- Carriage and Wagon Makers Machinery and Tools by Kenneth L. Cope, 2004 page 114
- A 1908 lawsuit, House Cold Tire Setter Company v. W. E. Whitehurst, involved a breach-of-warranty lawsuit where Mr. Whitehurst sued the company for a refund because the cold tire setter did not work. In court two other wheelwrights testified on his behalf that they also had bad experiences with the House Cold Tire Setter. The company lost and then appealed on the grounds that the wheelwrights who testified did not qualify as experts. The company lost the appeal.
- 1921 Gould's St. Louis Red-blue Book lists all registered St. Louis corporations, including "House Cold Tire Setter Co (Mo 1904, capital $200,000) S N House pres J L Scott vice-pres T B Kelly sec and treas 4143 Lacircle av".
- Find-A-Grave Samuel Nelson House (1850-1934)