L. Power & Co. was a mid-sized maker of mid-sized industrial woodworking machinery. The business was co-founded by Laurence Power of Philadelphia, as Power & Davis, which became Power, Davis & Tainter, and then Power, Tainter & Co., and then, in 1879, L. Power & Co.
In 1897 Laurence Power died at his home, age 59. His business continued without him, surviving until about 1960.
Some later products of L. Power & Co. were marked simply as "Power".
Ad from December 1886 issue of Power & Transmission"
Information Sources
- Report of the Auditor General on the finances of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the Year Ending November 30, 1879, has a "List of corporations and limited partnership registered under Section One of the Act of 1879" that includes "L. Power & Company".
- 1897-02-25 The Iron Age.
LAURENCE POWER.—Laurence Power, senior partner of the firm of L. Power & C0.. manufacturers of wood working machinery, Philadelphia, Pa., died on Thursday at his residence. 205 North Thirty-sixth street. in that city. Mr. Power was born in Ireland, 59 years ago. At Worcester, Mass, he learned the trade of a machinist. In 1867 he went to Philadelphia and engaged in the manufacture of wood working machinery, being one of the pioneers in that industry. He established the firm of Power & Davis, which was changed to Power, Davis & Tainter, and again to Power, Tainter & Co. Since 1879 he had been the senior member of the firm of L. Power & Co.
- Ads in 1920 and 1921 issues of The Wood-Worker for their "Power Ball-Bearing Jointer."
- 1929 catalog.
- Their ad in the 1955-56 Hitchcock's Wood Workers Digest Directory establishes that they lasted until at least 1954, but there was no mention of the company in a 1964 issue of Hitchcock. The 1955-56 ad says, "Since 1867".
- Mentioned in Planers, Matchers & Molders in America, by Chandler W. Jones, 1980, as active in 1897, and as having made traveling-carriage planers for use during World War I.
- Photos of a 24" planer accompanying an eBay auction clearly show the name "L. Power & Co." on the chip-breaker cover, and "Power" on the base.