A company that manufactured commercial dishwashers in Holyoke during the early 1920s is the topic of today's story. Here's the account of the Century Machine Company.
The Century Machine Company was organized in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1919. The incorporators were Anton C. Schmelzer of Springfield, the inventor of the machine; N. P. Avery, the former mayor of Holyoke; and Attorney Russell L. Davenport.
L. E. Eaton, a Boston businessman, was named President, and Mr. Avery was elected Treasurer of the corporation. Edward A. O'Donnell, a former Holyoke resident who lived in Boston, was a Director of the corporation and its exclusive sales agent.
Highly successful Holyoke businesspeople were named directors, including William J. Walsh and Charles D. Heywood of Walsh Boilers, Joseph F. Ranger of Casper Ranger Construction Company, and Attorney Davenport, a partner in the law firm Avery, Gaylord, and Davenport.
The new dishwasher was protected by 28 patents and was for commercial use. One appliance had already been installed in Holyoke's Hotel Nonotuck. The primary market would include hospitals, hotels, and restaurants. The machine could clean and sterilize 4,500 glasses, 6,000 dishes, or 30,000 utensils in one hour. Mr. Schmelzer had worked on the device for five years to perfect it, ensuring it would not break glass or dishes during the cleaning cycle.
The company had the option to purchase a 10-acre parcel of land to build its one-story factory at the southeast corner of Stebbins and Main streets, adjacent to the Baker-Vawter plant (see atlas below).
In 1920, the plant was built on a two-and-a-quarter-acre site at Main and Stebbins, a smaller parcel than previously reported. Casper Ranger Construction Company was awarded the contract to construct the mill. The deed was conveyed from Holyoke Water Power Company to Century Machine Company in November 1920.
In 1921, the company issued a 10-year $400,000 bond secured by a mortgage on the real estate. The company also offered an additional 700 shares of common stock to investors. Many of the investors in this company were Holyoke residents.
The company was starting out well, having sold large dishwashers to, among others, the Brooklyn Naval Shipyard, Boston City Hospital, and the Hotel Breslin in New York City. The performance reviews were favorable. The company was also manufacturing smaller dishwashers for home use and soda fountain dispensers in 1922.
In April 1922, the company reorganized as the Century Machine Corporation. A $5 million preferred stock offering and 50,000 shares of common stock were available for purchase by willing investors.
In January 1923, cracks were forming in the company's financial foundation. The company had not operated in December 1922, and 12 creditors filed suit seeking $2,305 in unpaid debts. Although this was a small debt even by the standards of the time, it was sufficient to force the company into an involuntary bankruptcy, which occurred in early February 1923.
The bankruptcy schedule of debts exceeded $500,000, primarily due to unpaid bonds and mortgages. This marked the end of barely two years of business operations.
The Bankruptcy Court authorized the sale of the company's assets, and this occurred on April 26, 1923. Joseph Ranger was the successful bidder at the auction and reported receiving inquiries from prospective purchasers of the real estate.
The property was sold to Holyoke Company Inc., a millinery wire producer, in 1925.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; publication dates and pages are shown.
Ancestry.com (paid subscription): Price & Lee Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories
