In 1879 Oliver Colborne opened a Chicago machine shop and manufacturing business near the intersection of Division and La Salle Streets. Not much information has been found on Colborne's early activities. An 1887 directory says that he made "machinery". By that time he was at 68 West Monroe. In 1891 the business was incorporated as the Colborne Manufacturing Co. with a modest capitalization. Besides Oliver Colborne, the other incorporators were R. B. Bacon and J. K. Wilson. Those same three men also incorporated the "Chicago Humane Wire Fence Specialty Company" in the same year, with double the capitalization of the Colborne Mfg. Co.

By 1893 Colborne was manufacturing the "Tuttle" gas engine—leading to expansion of both office and factory—and by the following year Colborne was designing and patenting his own gas engines. At some point the company manufactured bench vises; we have only seen a couple of surviving examples, neither of which match the one vise-related patent we found that was granted to Oliver Colborne.

From March 1911 Popular Mechanics

By 1909 the company was manufacturing pie machines, and food processing machinery would become the company's specialty. By the 1920s the sales of vises and engines seem to have wound down in favor of the pie machines and related machinery. The company remains in business today making bakery systems.

Information Sources

• 1878—Oliver Colborne of Chicago was co-patentee of a corn planter, patent 215,203. The patent was assigned to "Chambers, Bering & Quinlan, Decatur, Ill."
• 1883 Farley's Directory of the Metal Workers of the United States lists, under Machinists in Chicago, "Colborne, Oliver / 32 and 34 S. Clinton".
• 1886 A. N. Marquis & Co.'s Handy Business Directory of Chicago: "Colborne Oliver, machinist, 68 W. Monroe T[elephone] 4515".
• 1887 The Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, page 361, lists "Colborne Oliver, machinery 68 W. Monroe, h. Lake View".
• 1888 The Railroad, Telegraph and Steamship Builders' Directory, page 213, lists under "Machinists", "Colborne, Oliver, 70 W. Monroe st., Chicago, Ill."
• 1891 patent 466,126 was granted to Oliver Colborne, for a Fence.
• 1891 National Corporation Reporter (volume 2 page 419).

  July 10. ... Colborne Manufacturing company, Chicago; manufacture machinery, tools, etc.; $30,000; Oliver Colborne, R. B. Bacon and J. K. Wilson.

• 1891-12-19 The Age of Steel, page 15, in a list of new corporations. "The Chicago Humane Wire Fence Specialty Company, Chicago, has been incorproated; capital $60,000. Incorporators—Oliver Colborne, R. B. Bacon and J. K. Wilson."
• April 1893 The American Engineer.

  The Oliver Colborne Manufacturing Company, 59 East Indiana Street, Chicago, are working their force full time, keeping pace with the demand for the Tuttle gas-engine. This firm have recently fitted up up their office in becoming style and greatly enlarged the output of their plant.

• 1903 Certified List of Illinois Corporations lists Colborne Mnfg. Co.; capital stock $30,000; principal offices at 35 E. Indiana st., Chicago,; president or manager Oliver Colborne of 693 Evanston av.; secretary J. K. Wilson, 35 E. Indiana st.
• 1904 Certified List of Illinois Corporations lists Colborne Manufacturing Company; capital stock $30,000; principal offices at 35 E. Indiana st., Chicago,; president or manager Oliver Colborne of 693 Evanston av.; secretary I. E. Colborne, 693 Evanston av.
• 1909 Certified List of Illinois Corporations lists Colborne Manufacturing Company; capital stock $30,000; principal offices at 33 E. Indiana st., Chicago,; president or manager Oliver Colborne of 693 Evanston av.; secretary Oliver Colborne.
• 1909—Oliver Colborne was granted a pair of patents in this year: patent 927,490 for a pie machine, and patent 927,491 for a ladder.
• 1911 Certified List of Domestic and Foreign Corporations lists Colborne Manufacturing Company, $30,000 capital stock, 416 W. Indiana st., Chicago, president or manager Oliver Colborne of 4753 Winthrop av., secretary Olive E. Smith, 1353 Bryn Marw av.
• 1915 Clark J. Herringshaw's City Blue Book of Current Biography.

  Colborne, Oliver, Manufacturer of 157 West Division Street, was born march 24, 1852, in London, England. He is president of the Colborne Manufacturing Company, manufacturers of machinery, which he established in 1879.

• 1926 Who's Who in Chicago.

  Smith, Dennis Wood, pres. Colborne Mfg. Co.; b. LaPort Co., Ind., Feb. 22, 1880; s. John Wood and Lucette (Paddock) Smith; M. E., Michigan State Coll., 1902; m. Olive E., d. Oliver Colborne, of Chicago, June 8, 1909; 1 daughter, Marjorie Colborne. Began as employee Buffalo Forge Co., Buffalo, N. Y., 1902; with Wester Electric Co., Chicago, 1903-5, W. L. Fergus & Co., 1905-6, People's Gas Light & Coke Co., 1906-11, with Colborne Mfg. ...

• 1930 Blue Book of Chicago Commerce, page 398, lists "Colborne Manufacturing Co., 157 W. Division St., DIV rsy 1000. Pie bakers machinery, rubber machinery, special machinery."
• American Gasoline Engines Since 1872 by C. H. Wendel, Volume #1, 1983 page 100
• The Complete Guide to Stationary Gas Engines by Mark Meincke, 1996 page 106
• Colborne bench vise on Garage Journal