Brief History

This company can trace its history back through 1887. Its first incarnation was as L. F. Parks. By 1900 the name had changed to the Parks Ball Bearing Machine Co., and in 1927 it changed again to Parks Woodworking Machine Co. The company survived until 1989, when it was dissolved.

Parks is—by far—most famous for their 12" and 20" planers. Many of the earlier and less common Parks machines are rather agricultural in appearance: they are built primarily of off-the-shelf parts, such as wood beams, angle iron, I-beams, and steel plate.

Ad from February 1914 issue of "Canadian Builder and Carpenter"

Parks 12" and 20" planers were also marketed under the Craftsman name. In Canada they were, for a time, sold under the Moody name.

Parks 18" two-wheel band saw along with the 10" and 12" radial saws were sold by Sears under the Craftsman label.

Parks Resources

All additional Parks articles are available in the Parks section of the OWWM wiki. Some highlights are listed below.

• Detailed history on Parks. An article entitled, "A Gem of a Parks", by Dana Martin Batory.
• History of Parks Heavy Duty 12" x 4" Planer.
• Notes on Dating a Parks Planer. An article by Keith Bohn on approximating the date of a Parks Planer.
• Buying an old Parks/Craftsman 12" planer. What to look for and what to pay.
• As of 2024, parts for 12-inch, 13-inch and 20-inch Parks planers and the 18-inch Parks bandsaw are available from Tom Schiffer at part24parks.com. Parts for Parks bandsaws and planers were formerly available from D. C. Morrison Co., but no longer.

• Parks Planer Gearbox Oil Seal Retrofit. Write up on making and replacing oil seals on a Parks Planer. Saved in PDF format. Submitted by the author, Tom Kadesch.
• Various Settings Knives and Rollers. Related to the above article, indicator settings for a Parks Planer.

Information Sources

• One of this company's logos says, "Since 1887." An 1899 issue of Carpenter and Builder has an ad for L. F. Parks, a predecessor to Parks Woodworking Machine Co. A 1900 issue of the same magazine lists the Parks Ball Bearing Mch. Co., with the same address of 3900 Coleraine Ave. in Cincinnati.
• A 1915 ad in Carpenter and Builder features their "Parks' Planing Mill:" a combination rip saw, crosscut saw, swing cutoff saw, and boring machine; 12" jointer, 22" bandsaw and hollow chisel mortiser were available as accessories.
• A 1925 pamphlet gives the company name as The Parks Ball Bearing Machine Co., but a 1927 catalog gives the name as Parks Woodworking Machine Co. The State of Ohio's business-name database shows that a change of name was filed on 27 April 1927. The same database shows a registration of dissolution on 17 February 1989.
• A 1928 ad notes, "Canadian factory: 208 Notre Dame East, Montreal."