Texas, put together a lot of information on the Kitten engine
and his family, which we are glad to present. Ed.
Dave Dearborn of West Campton, New Hampshire, is shown on the
1910 Kitten he formerly owned, in a night photo taken at Lebanon,
New Hampshire, October 16, 1977. Alex McDonald of 20 Parkhurst
Street, Lebanon, New Hampshire 03766, who took the photos, said
that this was the only steam traction engine operating in New
Hampshire. We have written to Dave to ask the name of the present
owner.
The Kitten steam traction engine was the product of the Kitten
Machine Works in Ferdinand, Indiana. Quite a few Kittens are still
around, a number in restoration.
The Kitten family in this country was founded when Henry and
Theresa Kitten came from Ibbenburen, Prussia, in 1850. Joseph was
my great grandfather, and Florenz, one of his sons, became the
inventor and manufacturer.
We knew of the Kitten machine works in Indiana but didn’t
use or save any equipment until two years ago. We were spraying
fertilizer in Elm Creek, Manitoba, Canada, and when we were coming
home I bought a Kitten steam engine and thresher from Orman Dorney,
who had bought it from Joseph Lenkin, of Ferdinand, Indiana. So I
guess you would say it’s back in the family.
Florenz had one son Joseph who ran the factory when his father
retired, but Joseph died first. Joseph’s wife and her father
operated it with Florenz after that. Joseph had five daughters, but
no sons.
Then Shipp & Stallings owned the factory. About this time,
the owners started selling off the major machines and, of course,
that was it for the manufacturing. This was in the early 1950s. If
they had only known! They even took four Kitten engines that were
rebuilt like new, and cut them up for junk. They junked all the
molds, castings, and sold lathes and so forth all in the early 50s.
What was left was bought by the Ferdinand Development Company and
saved for the future. However, someone burned down the building in
1972, along with all the wooden molds, etc. Disgusting!
Florenz patented a reverse flue on a two-pass boiler in 1889.
This means the heat or fire went through the boiler twice so as to
make it more efficient, which it was. Other manufacturers did not
use this because of the patent. He filed a claim against one
company for using his idea.
His engine was shorter and lighter than others, so it could
handle the hills of Ferdinand and the light duty bridges.
He also obtained a patent in 1892 for gearing for the steam
engine that gave two different rates of speed, similar to the
differential on cars.
Thresher patents obtained by Ferdinand include one in 1879. This
was for a straw conveyor and shaker in one. It is successive and
pivots in a circular motion rather than in a front-to-back motion.
The grain tray pivots also in the opposite direction. This same
design can be found in today’s combines, for straw walkers and
shakers.
A 1905 patent was granted for an upward inclined grate or finger
bar behind the threshing cylinder and a shield to keep the straw
from being thrown too far. (Even todays combines have the bars
behind the cylinder so the grain will start separating, and a
canvas behind the cylinder to keep the straw from going too
far.)
We are doing more research and may find out some more
interesting things later.
Walter Knapp, of Monroe, Michigan, owned a Kitten engine until
his death. It is shown in the Encyclopedia of Steam Traction
Engines by Jack Norbeck, on page 161. The number on this engine is
missing, but it is probably #211 made in 1915. We picked this
engine up in Byron, Michigan in September of 1981 and Lubbock
County Museum now owns it. I feel sure the engine is in good hands
and that it will stay there. They have a harvest parade every year
about the third week in October.
The museum also owns a Kitten thresher, donated by Mary Brames,
of Jasper, Indiana. She is ‘distant kinfolk’ of the
Kittens.
I own Kitten engine #224, the final steam traction engine made
in America in 1940, and Kitten thresher #127, final thresher
manufactured by the Kitten Machine Works.
(The author is a member of the firm of Kitten-Moseley
Fertilizer and Supply, Inc., Rt. 2, Box 6, Slaton, Texas. Telephone
806-828-6244.)
