Page 50 - Copshaholm Curriculum Book_2015

Oliver Business History
Short Version

Words in bold type are defined on the next page.

5 In 1845, James Oliver went to work in a Mishawaka blast furnace company owned by
William Gillen. It was there that he learned the molder’s trade.
When Gillen’s company failed in 1847, James went to work for the St. Joseph Iron
Company that made plows as well as castings. Here James seized the opportunity to
improve his financial situation. James contracted with the company to produce 100

10 tons of plates for $5.00 “and five shillings” a ton. He completed the contract and
produced 35 tons more in four months. James made $675.00 for his efforts.
James became fearful about his future when the St. Joseph Iron Company changed
hands, so, he decided to investigate the possibility of buying into another business. He
overheard that the small foundry owned by Ira Fox and Emsley Lamb on the West

15 Race of the St. Joseph River might be for sale [this building is where the parking lot of
Century Center is now located].
By May 5, 1855, James and a co-worker, Harvey Little, had each purchased a
quarter interest in the foundry from Fox and Lamb. Cast iron plows were one item the
little foundry produced.

20 After 13 years of financial ups and downs, on July 22, 1868 the company
incorporated as “South Bend Iron Works.” Those incorporating were James Oliver,
George Milburn, T. M. Bissell, John Brownfield, and Clement Studebaker.
On April 16, 1874 the Olivers purchased 32 acres of the Perkins farm on the
southwest edge of South Bend (at present this is Chapin Street between Western

25 Avenue and Sample Street) for $30,000 and began construction of a new South Bend
Iron Works plant.
When finished the new complex had five buildings with a total space of 200,000
square feet. The plant was put into operation January 17, 1876. Thirty to forty railroad
cars at a time left the “Upper Works,” (as the new factory was called) each loaded with

30 thousands of plows for shipment from coast to coast.
On October 14, 1901, the South Bend Iron Works was reincorporated as the “Oliver

Chilled Plow Works.” Orders for plows were arriving at such a rate that, even with the
plant working 12 hours a day, not all orders could be filled. Plows were leaving the
factory by the railroad carload and on one day in 1902 the factory used 90 tons of iron
35 to turn out 900 plows and 9,000 cultivators and riding corn planters.

In 1909, J.D. began construction to double the size of the plant. He developed plans
to expand sales into Russia, and planned to build a factory in Canada. On January 1,
1911 operations began in the new plant in Hamilton, Ontario.

In 1929, The Oliver Chilled Plow Works merged with two other companies and
40 became the Oliver Farm Equipment Company. The new company produced a full

range of farm equipment including tractors.
In 1960, The Oliver Farm Equipment Company became part of the White Farm

Equipment Company. The White Farm Equipment Company stopped production in
South Bend in 1985, bringing an end to the Oliver company.