Richardson, Meriam & Co. was a partnership of former employees of J. A. Fay & Co., namely Horace A. Richardson, Rufus N. Meriam, William B. McIver and Samuel F. Bond. The partnership was established in 1862 and promptly acquired the assets of planing machinery maker J. Barrett & Co. When the Civil War began, McIver and Bond both enlisted; both survived the war and resumed their role in the partnership at war's end.

From the 1864 Boston City Directory

The primary machine designer was Rufus Meriam, who was also the shop foreman. He was granted several patents and some of these, such as one for improved expansion gearing for planer feed-rolls, represented significant advances.

Apparently the company fell into difficulty during the financial panic of 1876 and went under. Junior partner William B. McIver formed McIver Brothers & Co. to resume the business. See the McIver Brothers entry for the continuation of the history and for references that were used in writing the above.

      “Richardson, Meriam & Co., Whose works are at Worcester, are in every respect among the leading manufacturers of Wood Working Machinery in the United States. As the successors of the original manufacturers who first made this a specialty, and with which firm all the members of the present firm were at one time connected, they may also be called the oldest established manufacturers in their department in this country.

      Previous to 1836, the manufacture of Wood Working machinery was not carried on as a separate and distinct branch in any part of the United States. In that year, the firm of J. A. Fay & Co., commenced the business at Keene, New Hampshire, and by superior workmanship established a reputation that extended even to Europe. As their business increased it became necessary to enlarge their manufacturing facilities. Accordingly, in 1853, they purchased a small concern in Worcester, and organized a branch under the name of J. A. Fay & Co., of Worcester, making its business affairs distinct from those of the parent establishment in Keene.

      In April, 1854, Mr. Fay died, but his widow continued the business with the other partners until 1861, when the prostration of business incident to the breaking out of the Rebellion, rendered a dissolution of the firm advisable, and, accordingly, its affairs were settled so far as they could be, and every demand paid.

      In April, 1852, Horace A. Richardson, Rufus N. Meriam, William B. McIver, and Samuel F. Bond, all of whom, as we have stated, had been connected with the old firm, commenced business under the name of Richardson, Meriam & Co. Mr. Richardson was a nephew of Mr. Joslin, of the firm of J. A. Fay & Co., and he enjoyed the benefit of his uncle's counsel and experience to a large extent. He has been connected with the manufacture of Wood Working machinery since 1846, and from 1858 to its dissolution was a member of the firm of Fay & Co. Mr. Meriam entered the employ of that firm in 1853, and for several years was their foreman in the wood department. Messrs. McIver and Bond entered the employment of J. A. Fay & Co. in 1855, the former as journeyman, the latter as an apprentice in the machinery department. They were devoted to the business, became excellent workmen, and to them was assigned that part of the work which required the greatest skill to execute. At the formation of this firm it was predicted that its career would be short lived on account of the adverse state of the Nation's affairs, but the combined experience of its members, resulting in the production of the most perfect Wood Working machinery ever manufactured, insured a complete and undoubted The machines made by this firm do not differ essentially in appearance from those made by other manufacturers, but they are constantly adding to the variety of their productions by inventing new patterns, substituting iron for wood, steel for wrought iron, and wrought iron for cast iron, whenever a benefit is to be derived from the change. All the working or small parts are made of uniform sizes, so that should a duplicate part be needed to repair, or for any other purpose, it can be furnished without difficulty. Among the inventions made by the members of this firm and the improvements applied to their machines the following may be mentioned:

      The New Cutter Arm for Daniels' Planing machines, invented by Mr. R. N. Meriam, and for which he received Letters Patent dated September 20th, 1864, is the greatest improvement ever attached to that kind of machines, adding not only greatly to their value, without increasing cost to the purchaser, but very much to the personal safety of the operator.

      The Expansive Feed Gearing for Woodworth's Planing Machines, invented by Mr. William B. McIver, and patented March 27th, 1866, is a very valuable addition to that class of machinery. It has been tested most thoroughly for the purpose of ascertaining its real merits and has been found to do the work required of it in a most satisfactory manner, and with less wear and expense for repairs than anything before used.

      The Self-Oiling Journal Box invented by Mr. S. F. Bond, for which Letters Patent issued to him April 23, 1867, is one of those valuable improvements which can be adapted to almost every machine in use, and relates to that description of self-lubricating journal boxes in which the oil or lubricating material is contained in the lower or box part, and is drawn out on to the journal by the rotation of the latter, while the surplus, or any extra oil so extracted, is, by the same motion, returned or worked back to the reservoir. This invention is duly appreciated by the most intelligent machinists and is now applied to all the machines of their manufacture. This firm is, in fact, an eminently progressive one, making improvements constantly in the line of their business, which are furnished to their patrons without extra expense. They have several moulding machines, novel both in design and construction, that bid fair to surpass any thing before made.

      Messrs. Richardson, Meriam & Co., employ about seventy hands and produce machines to the value of nearly two hundred thousand dollars annually. They have recently established a warehouse at No. 107 Liberty Street, New York, for the accommodation of their patrons, and its advantages are very apparent.” (Quote from 1868.)

Information Sources

• From ads in 1866-1867 Scientific American.
• The 1874 work, Wiley's American Iron Trade Manual of the Leading Iron Industries of the United States, has a listing for this firm: "Wood-working machinery. 75 hands employed."
• Planers, Matchers & Molders in America reproduces a Daniels planer ad from this company that uses the same artwork as an early J. A. Fay & Co. ad.
• A History of American Manufactures from 1608 to 1860, V3, 1868, pgs. 351-352