Levi Houston was a superintendent at H. B. Smith Machine Co. In 1873 he left and moved to Montgomery, PA, where he opened a foundry and machine shop. In short order he was making endless-bed planers under the name of Houston, Smith & Co. The identify of "Smith" is uncertain. In any event, Houston, Smith & Co. was renamed to Levi Houston Co. in 1877 or 1878.
Information Sources
- 1876 Power, Tainter & Co. miniature catalog from the Centennial Exhibition features a tenoner and two sizes of mortisers manufactured by Houston, Smith & Co. The catalog also features a variety of endless bed planers. These may be Houston, Smith & Co. machines based on the 1875 patent. The catalog does not attribute them to a specific maker.
- 1876 article and 1877 ad in Manufacturer & Builder.
- A molding machine is labeled as follows: "Houston / Montgomery PA / Patented / Dec 14 1875." The patent date corresponds to patent 171,134.