Silver Manufacturing Co. was created when Silver & Deming Manufacturing Co. split in 1890 to form The Deming Company (manufacturers of brass pumps, hydraulic machinery and well supplies) and The Silver Manufacturing Company. A. R. Silver and his sons were the main interest in this new company. An 1890s newspaper article about the company states that in that year a new factory was built about that time and the company made feed cutters, saw gummers, wagon-makers tools, butchers tools, blacksmiths tools, etc.

Ad from November 1915 issue of "American Carpenter and Builder"

In 1954 Silver merged back into Deming Pumps, which was later acquired by the Crane Co. in 1961.

For a timeline of the various companies related to this one, see the entry for Dole, Silver & Deming.

Silver's products included blacksmithing equipment, wheelwright equipment, woodworking machinery, and specialty items for the rural and agricultural market, such as sausage grinders and corn shellers. Note that this web site is focused on woodworking and metal-working machinery plus stationary engines, so we do not provide any information on their other product lines.

Silver's bandsaws are still fairly common. Several examples of band saws made by The Crescent Machine Company of nearby Leetonia, OH have been found with the Crescent name ground from the castings and a plaque with Silver's name affixed. Later in their existence, Silver also apparently re-badged machines made by other manufacturers including Moak and possibly others. One example of a very early Crescent band saw even had the Silver name cast into the frame, indicating a cooperative relationship between the two companies where Crescent was supplying Silver with machinery. Nonetheless, Silver made most of the bandsaws they sold, starting in the 1890s and peaking in the early 1920s.

Silver bandsaws are often found with no manufacturers name on it. If you find an unlabeled bandsaw with 20" or 26" diameter wheels, it's probably either a Silver or a Sidney. Starting in 1907, Silver bandsaws all had pedestal bases that were flat on the bottom—they do not have any arches to create "feet", but rather the contact with the floor forms a complete rectangle.

Information Sources

• An article containing a brief overview about the company appeared in December 6, 1890 issue of The Salem Daily News.
• October 1907 The American Blacksmith (Volume 7 No. 1, page 2) has a full-page ad from Silver Manufacturing Co. that shows a flat-base "Improved Band Saws / Foot and belt power. New patterns throughout—rigid, symmetrical construction, new table tilting device, perfectly balanced wheels. Belt shifter, adjustment of upper wheel, saw guide, tension of saw blade, etc., all within each reach of the operator. Sizes, 20 to 36 inches." The ad also shows "Taylor's New Taper Hub-Boring Machine".
• 1911, 1915 catalogs, 84 and 87 pages, featuring woodworking and blacksmith machines and tools.
• Correspondent Don McConnell provided the following information obtained from city directories in the library of the Ohio Historical Society.
  • Directory, City of Salem, Ohio 1898-1899 (c. 1898)
    SILVER MFG. CO. Mfrs. ensilage and fodder cutters, blacksmith drills, carriage makers and butchers tools, Office, 317 Broadway
    A. R. Silver, Pres.
    H. M. Silver, V. Pres.
    W. Silver, Treas.
    A. O. Silver, Secy.
    E. W. Silver, Supt.
  • The Official City Directory of the City of Salem, Ohio 1915-16.
    SILVER MFG. CO., Mfrs. feed cutters., Office, Broadway, East side below Edna mfgs.
    Emnor W. Silver, Pres.
    A. O. Silver, Treas.
    Homer M. Silver, Supt.
  • Salem City Directory, 1917-1918
    SILVER MANUFACTURING CO., THE, Mfrs. Ohio feed and Ensilage Cutters, Drill Presses, etc., Office and works, Broadway below Etna.
    E. W. Silver, Pres.
    A. O. Silver, Treas.
    H. M. Silver, Supt.
  • Polk's Salem City Directory 1955
    SILVER MANUFACTURING CO., THE, Farm machinery, 707 South Ellsworth Ave.
    Percy B. Tucker, Mgr.
  • Polk's Salem City Directory, 1962
    SILVER MANUFACTURING CO., THE, Paper shredders and farm machinery., 707 South Ellsworth Ave.
    Richard P. Owsley, Pres.
    Gordon O. Calvin, Mgr.
• From the Seventh Annual Cooperative Tractor Catalog, 1922, this firm is listed as a maker of "wood sawing machines".
• A 2000 article from Ohio's The Business Journal gives some history of this company. According to the article, Silver became Deming Pumps in 1954, and was then acquired by Crane Co. in 1961. The Crane web site makes no mention of their history.
• Carriage and Wagon Makers Machinery and Tools by Kenneth L. Cope, 2004 page 157
• A 32" bandsaw appears to be made by Crescent, but the Crescent logo was ground off the casting. Another bandsaw is not obviously a Crescent design, but it bears some resemblance. The two companies were only about five miles apart. A third 32" bandsaw appears identical to a Moak.
• A 24" bandsaw labeled, "Ervin Machinery" is actually from Silver.