A. W. GRAY & SONS

reputable farm machinery manufacturing companies. It was a family
owned and operated company founded in 1844 by Alfred W. Gray, an
inventive native Vermonter who built a small shop to manufacture
corn shelters and treadmill type horse powers. He already held
patents on the two machines (1836 and 1844) for he was one of the
many inventors who were working on farm machinery at that time. The
basic patents on the mowing machine, the reaper, the threshing
machine, even improvements on the plow relate to this period
between the War of 1812 and the Civil War for agriculture was
advancing from planting and cultivating by hand on stump studded
land to larger and larger fields on larger and larger farms. The
western settlers were moving always further west while the eastern
cities were growing leading to a demand for agriculture products
and in turn to a demand for new and better farm machinery.
Accordingly, the Gray corn shelters, although operated by hand
crank, were a big improvement over shelling by twisting between the
hands or rubbing over the edge of a board or plank. Also the horse
powers made in one, two or three sizes were ideal as power for drag
saws, the new circular cordwood saws and the recently patented
threshing machine, also as belt power for equipment in small shops.
Gray powered his first shop with one of his own horse powers. The
first two products were soon followed by a threshing machine. It
did not have a separator. The straw had to be removed by hand
forking, and the chaff and dirt by winnowing the age-old way on a
windy day, or putting it through a fanning mill invented in 1790
often mistakenly called a windmill.

The first small shop was soon replaced by a larger shop or
factory operated by water power probably with a horse power as
stand-by power and the oldest son soon followed by another son were
taken into the company and the name changed to A. W. Gray and Sons.
It was decided about 1857 to go in heavy for threshing machines
complete with separator and all up-to-date improvements. While the
demand for horsepower continued strong, all the New England states
had forest covered land. Lumber and cordwood and fire or stove wood
were marketable products. For many years the seaboard cities had
coal brought in by coastal schooners; however, inland towns and
cities depended on wood for heating. They did not have coal until
after 1870, so every wood lot owner bought a horsepower to power
drag or cordwood saws. Also many small water powered mills bought
horsepowers as emergency or standby power. With the exception of a
few large commercial water power developments on the larger rivers,
the average water power was too small. It was always a case of too
much or not enough. About midwinter they froze up, then the spring
run-offs were too much, then summer drought had its effect. At the
same time the sales of threshing machines was increasing and
spreading throughout the west leading to the sale of more
horsepowers and to further expansion. The new larger factory was
now operated by steam and employed up to 100 men. Additional items
were added to the so-called company line or as they named it the
‘Gray Line’ now included farm equipment from plows to
cotton gins. All the equipment was well built out of well seasoned
select grade lumber and the best of metal castings. Although these
were made by the Ruggles Foundry in Poultney, Vermont, they were
personally supervised by a Gray, first father and later a son, and
as time went on the foundry was acquired by the Grays. Poultney is
about 8 miles from Middletown Springs, also the railhead or
shipping point for all the finished machines. This required a large
number of horse teams hauling equipment to be out loaded and bring
castings back. Actually parts of most machines passed over this
same route twice. The ever increasing demand for threshing machines
and other implement lead to agencies as far west as Arizona and New
Mexico. Machines were sold in all the European countries and Russia
with a few to South America.

Paralleling this expansion period, the Grays became involved in
a Spa-type resort hotel business (note the hotel in background of
advertisement). In 1870 a spring flood uncovered a mineral spring
on the Gray property whose waters had medicinal qualities. It seems
the Indians knew and used this spring until a previous flood
covered it over, then the later flood re-opened it. At the time
when springs or spas of this type were fashionable, a company was
formed for bottling the water and a hotel built for the vacation at
a mineral spring or spa-type trade. This was a boon to Middletown
Springs, in the number employed by the hotel and the demand for
fresh meats, vegetables and fruits for this high class trade;
however, the fad ran its course and the hotel was dismantled in
1900.

About this time the Grays acquired the previously mentioned
Ruggles Foundry. Along with this acquisition came all the patterns
and rights to the Ruggles gas engine and the company now added the
then so-called ‘new fangled gas engine’ to its line. This
explains why the two engines are identical except for name.

A silo filling crew, about 1910, a Gray 2 HP Ohio ensilage
cutter it looks like they are waiting for someone to bring the belt
and a load of corn. Advertisement on barn is for Story-Clark
organs.

The last of the 19th and the early years of the 20th centuries
produced many changes in the farm machinery manufacturing industry.
Perhaps the Gray Company did not heed the words of Horace Greeley
who served a printing apprenticeship in Poultney, Vermont. The
western manufacturers were expanding, J. I. Case, who set out and
did become the threshing machine King, Cyrus McCormack and his
International Company and John Deere who came from Rutland,
Vermont, twenty miles from Middletown Springs, had become so big,
the small eastern farm machinery manufacturers could not compete.
They either went out of business or were bought in by the larger
manufacturers. So in 1917, A. W. Gray and Sons closed up shop. It
appears it was not a financial failure. It was a family made
decision that closed down this family-owned and operated
business.

Why research this old company? A couple of years ago I acquired
a Gray threshing machine. It was used by one owner and always kept
under cover. After a thorough cleaning and a coat of linseed oil,
the original red color, (more on color later), and striping
reappeared. At our annual show in 1977 and ’78 we put both rye
and wheat through with good results. Also to my surprise, while
visiting the Jensen Historical Farm and Museum operated by the Utah
State University at Logan, Utah, (a visit is highly recommended). I
saw a perfectly restored, as called in the west, separator made by
A. W. Gray & Sons, Middletown, Vermont, on exhibit in the
museum. As this town is about 70 miles from home, I decided then
and there to dig into the background of the company.

Unless one has access to original records this is difficult. One
has to rely on old catalogs, local historical records or hearsay.
The Poultney Historical Society had on hand catalogs and related
information for both the Ruggles Foundry and the Gray Company, a
patent model of the horsepower along with an old original Gray
horsepower. Everyone there was most helpful.

Then I was most fortunate in that I located and interviewed two
young senior citizens. I say young as a compliment, meaning
amazingly active and very keen-minded. Mr. James Matthews, 84,
actually worked for the Grays starting as a young teenager and up
to the time the plant closed. He hauled many loads of implements
winter and summer up to the railroad and brought castings back. In
the winter hauling with sleighs was easier on the horses. At peak
shipping periods it was a continued round of teams coming and
going. Part of a town road was relocated to eliminate a hill thus
making it easier on the horses and one thing neither one of the
Gray Brothers would tolerate was the mis-use or abuse of a
horse.

The Grays worked on the floor right along with the men and would
help the families during periods of sickness, injuries, etc. They
also helped in providing recreation for the entire town. Everyone,
worker and townspeople alike, respected the Grays, elected them to
local office and elected one to the state legislature.

In reference to color, Mr. Matthews stated between 1898 and 1900
the company dark blue for all the machines changed to dark red.
This is one way of dating the implements. He also recalled that for
several years a man with one arm striped and decorated all machines
and could complete a machine in an amazingly short time.

The pay scale was 15 to 25 cents per hour for a 10 hour, 6 day
week; many workers bought or built homes in town and raised
families on these wages.

Mrs. Katherine Kelly, another active senior citizen, did not
work at the factory, but had relatives and friends who did. Again
she stated employee and townspeople respected the Grays and that
labor problems if any were minor. She has a collection of old
photos and graciously loaned me the pictures for this article. It
was a pleasure to visit with Mrs. Kelly and Mr. Matthews and the
several trips to the area proved most interesting and
rewarding.