1916 photo of Nicholas Chard and employees

In 1897 Nicholas D. Chard was partner in the Barker & Chard Machine Tool Co., makers of engine lathes among other products. He left that firm in 1907 and went to work for Lodge & Shipley Machine Tool Co. In late 1914 the Chard Lathe Co. was established by Nicholas D. Chard, A. S. Long, and J. L. McNab. The company soon introduced a strong lineup of engine lathes in sizes from 18 to 28 inches, and with single or double back gear.

The company was immediately busy due to the demand for lathes to make munitions for the 1914-18 war. The company survived the depression in the machine tool industry following war's end, and went into the 1920s with a solid lineup of modern lathes. It's not clear what happened, exactly, but the company was in trouble after the stock market crash and start of the Great Depression, and in 1931 the company and its assets were put up for auction. The Western Machine Tool Works of Holland, Michigan, bought the company and continued manufacture of the Chard lathes in New Castle with Nicholas D. Chard as plant superintendent. Chard retired a year or so later, age 69, and died in 1942.

Information Sources

• More history and machine information can be found at Tony Griffith's Lathe web site.
• 1909 Annual Report of the Secretary of State, to the Governor of Ohio, page 660, in a table of "Change of name of certain corporations": "(former name) Barker & Chard Machine Tool Company / (location) Cincinnati / (present name) Wm. Barker and Company / (filed) 1907 Dec. 4".
Ohio. Secretary of State · 1909
• 1914-12-10 The Iron Trade Review, page 1108.

  Newcastle, Ind.—Chard Lathe Co., machinery, has been incorporated; $5,000 capital stock; by N. D. Chard, A. S. Long, J. L. McNab.

• 1916-06-22 American Machinist, page 132, ad from Chard Lathe Co., showing the lathes in 18, 20, 24 and 28 inch sizes. Four-step single back gear and three-step double back gear.
• February 1921 Machinery, page 196, text ad: "Chard Lathes / An Unbroken Line of A-1 Machines / We build the first Chard Lathe thirty-eight years ago; it was the best machine the times could produce and we were proud of it... Chard Lathe Company / Newcastle / Ind., U. S. A."
• 1931 issues of The Iron Age. Page 1931-443.

  Auction sale of land, buildings and equipment of Chard Lathe Co., Newcastle, was held Jany 27 under manager of Industrial Plants Corpn., Columbian Building, Columbus, Ohio.

  Page 1931-502.

  Chard Lathe Co. Sold—The Western Machine Tool Works, Holland, Mich., has purchased the complete business of the Chard Lathe Co., Newcastle, Ind. The Chard plant and equipment were recently put up for sale at public auction.

• 1931 issue of Machinery, volume 37 page 1931-568.

  Western Machine Tool Works, Holland, Mich., announces the purchase of the complete business of the Chard Lathe Co., Newcastle, Ind., manufacturers of Chard lathes. The Western Machine Tool Works will continue to manufacture this line of lathes, ranging in size from 16 to 28 inches, at its plant in Newcastle, Ohio.

• 1942 issue of Iron Age, volume 150 page 1942-38, Obituaries.

  Nicholas D. Chard, founder of the New Castle Chard Lathe Co., New Castle, Ind ., died last week in California, aged 79 years. Mr. Chard was born in Cincinnati and for 12 years was associated with the Barker & Chard Machine Tool Co. In 1914 he established the New Castle Chard Lathe Co. on its present site in New Castle and was active in its management until his retirement 10 years ago.

• 1944 issue of Railway Machinery, page 244.

  Nicodemus Bosch—Nicodemus Bosch, president and general manager of the Western Machine Tool Works, Holland, Mich., for forty years, died in the Holland Hospital on October 22 at the age of eighty-one years...