Elwood1968
Cast Iron
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2017
In doing some research on Cincinnati Lathe & Tool Co., I came across this photo of the Oakley Factory Colony in 1938, shortly before the pre-WWII expansions by the Cincinnati Milling Machine Co. After some sleuthing with a magnifying glass, I identified (I think) what was CL&T in the center of the photo (building "H", behind the Colony's shared powerhouse and stack). And I believe that some of the other factories were:
A - Cincinnati Milling Machine Co. Plant 1. They basically had the entire east 1/4th of the colony, fronting on Marburg Ave all the way from the B&O Railroad tracks to the north end of the Colony. This complex included the "Modern Foundry", which was built in 1911 as one of the first parts of the new facility to be completed.
B - Parking lot for CMMCo., but shortly (1941) to be the new headquarters and engineering offices.
C - Cincinnati Bickford Tool Co. (radial arm drills, upright drills, jig borers)
D - Cincinnati Planer Co.
E - Built as Triumph Electric & Ice Machine Co., but sold to the Mill in 1926 to become Plant 2, and used for Cincinnati Grinders, Inc.
F - Soon to be the new foundry (1941) for the Mill
G - Eventually home of the Mill's Milling Products Division, makers of synthetic milling coolants (Cimcool), and the only part of the complex still in use today
H - Cincinnati Lathe & Tool Co. (lathes and drill presses), sold to the Mill in 1945 and became Plant 4. Eventually demolished and replaced by the Mill's corporate R&D facility.
J - Colony shared power plant
K - Unknown
L - Unknown
M - CMMCo. employee lodge and recreation facilities
N - Baltimore & Ohio company yard (the Colony was also served by the Pennsylvania and Norfolk & Western railroads from the northwest corner)
Alvey-Ferguson Company (manufacturer of conveyors and power transmission equipment) and Cincinnati Ball Crank Co. were also located in the colony, and may be "K" and "L".
So some questions:
1. Does anyone know which buildings were Alvey-Ferguson and Cincinnati Ball Crank?
2. Was the building occupied by Cincinnati Planer ("D") eventually acquired by the Mill, and if so, what was it used for?
3. Cincinnati-Bickford was bought by Giddings & Lewis in 1955, but when did they move out of building "C"? What was it used for after that date?