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Manufacturers Index - Cadillac Machine Co.
History
Last Modified: Feb 20 2022 7:26PM by Jeff_Joslin
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There were two unrelated companies of the same name and city. Both of them are covered here.

Established in 1901 by Walter A. Kysor and Frank L. Farrar, by 1908 Cadillac Machine Co. was making a patented sawmill dog. In 1918 the company was taken over by one of its customers, Acme Motor Truck Co., also of Cadillac.


From 1907-07-15 St. Louis Lumberman

During the years immediately following World War II, another Cadillac Machine Co. appeared. This was a much smaller and shorter-lived business that manufactured a bench-top table saw of aluminum. Hundreds of companies appeared after the war, making small items out of the aluminum that was suddenly available after the end of production of warplanes. Like so many of these companies, this second incarnation of Cadillac Machine Company vanished without leaving a trace other than a handful of surviving machines. It is possible that other types of machines were made but so far none have surfaced.

Information Sources

  • Cadillac: Vintage Postcard Memoirs, a 2002 book by Debra Bricault.
    The Cadillac Machine Company began operations at this plant in 1901. It was the former location of William McAddie & Co. on Lake Street between Harris and Mason. A partnership of Water A. Kysor and Frank L. Farrar, the Machine Company manufactured steel-lined charcoal cars and triple-deck bunk beds. They also performed repair work on local lumber mill machinery.
  • November 1918 Automobile Trade Journal.

    Acme Purchases Plant of Cadillac Machine Company

    The area of the Acme plant at Cadillac. Mich. has been increased 70 per cent by the purchase of the plant of the Cadillac Machine Co. The machine shop equipment acquired from the Cadillac company enables the company to handle its machining, forging, heat-treating, etc. The Acme company now possesses a foundry, a machine shop and a structural steel shop, and is able to build directly under its own supervision all truck frames and steel bodies, and to do the steel work on all bodies which was formerly handled under contract with the Cadillac Machine Co.

    The Acme company has also added to its plant a completely equipped printing plant, which will handle all of the small printed forms used by the company and the advertising literature furnished to distributors and dealers.

  • A correspondent reports the following: "I have acquired an 8" table saw. The name plate reads
    CADILLAC POWER TOOLS CADILLAC MACHINE CO. CADILLAC MICHIGAN
    MODEL 100 SERIAL NO. 73963.
    The table is approximately 17-1/2 x 19-1/2." It is possible that this saw is from an unrelated company of the same name.
  • 1954 Directory of Michigan Manufacturers: "Cadillac Machine Co. / 325 Haynes St., Box 382, Cadillac / Machine Work, Custom; Machining, Production; Power Saws / S. Sandelius, Owner. / Est. 1944."
  • 1951-06-06 Cadillac Evening News.

    Power Table Saw Is Made In City

    One of Cadillac’s smaller industries that can attribute its inauguration and present existence to World War II is the Cadillac Machine company located at 281 Haynes street. The company took its initial step in April, 1944, when it became a sub-contractor, machining war equipment parts. The owners of the small industry were Stanley Sandelius and Henry Kidder who had formed a partnership.

    After the war, the plant started construction on a portable power table saw known as the Cadillac Power Saw. With it the company makes complimentary accessories and does general machining as before.

    In 1947, three years after the company’s beginning, the partnership between Mr. Kidder and Mr. Sandelius was dissolved and since that time Mr. Sandellus has been the sole owner. The company occupies the building formerly owned by the B&B Super Market.