At the 1980 Berkshire Gas and Steam Engine Show, George Pearce
of Wenham, Massachusetts exhibited this little gem with a historic
background. It is a 5 HP 4 x 4 Baxter patent steam engine built by
Colt Manufacturing Company of Hartford, Connecticut, and George
came up with the following information: Colt realized the
manufacture of firearms peaked with the end of the Civil War and
engines would be in demand to power the expected after-war
industrial boom. Accordingly, they bought the rights for the Baxter
engine and from 1866 to 1895 built many thousands in sizes from 5
to 20 horsepower.
The Baxter design placed the cylinder and valve gear on top of
the boiler and more or less in the steam dome claiming better
utilization and efficiency. In any case, the engine shown is a real
nice running engine with this bit of history. It was used from 1868
to 1882 belted to an electric generator to light the Minot Ledge
Lighthouse at Boston, Massachusetts. This was the first light house
on the East Coast to be converted from oil, sperm oil or kerosene,
both were used at the time, to electricity. This rock-ledge about a
mile offshore has a traumatic history.
Numerous early attempts to maintain lights here either by ships
or buoys were not successful and 40 or more ships were wrecked
before a supposedly permanent-type light-house was built on the
actual ledge. Being offshore and entirely surrounded by shallow but
often violent ocean, it was felt an open skeleton-type tower would
offer the least resistance and stand up to the severe wave action.
Thus a tower with eight outer legs and one center leg all anchored
in solid ledge was built and started operating in 1850, and just
one year later a five-day storm toppled it with the loss of two
lives.
A lightship was then anchored nearby while a new one was being
constructed using the original anchors and by dowelling massive
blocks to each other a 40′ high solid masonry section was
constructed. Then a thick wall masonry section for operating and
living quarters was constructed with the center of the new lantern
at 85′ above sea level. At first oil was used, then from 1868
to 1882 this little Colt engine supplied the power for what was
then the most modern light on the coast. When commercial power took
over the engine was put in storage for approximately 50 years and
then sold to a proprietor of a wood working shop. After about seven
years it became part of the owner’s estate and in the settling
of the estate, George bought the engine unseen and to his surprise
found he had a very rare engine in mint condition.
Perhaps history repeats itself for the Colt Firearms Company
also known as the Colt Manufacturing Company by merger with other
companies became Colt Industries and in recent years acquired
Fairbanks Morse Company famous for its scales and engines. So Colt
Industries is now producing diesel engines by the thousands.
