This year marks the 100th anniversary of Friend Manufacturing
Company of Gasport, New York. Friend Manufacturing Company started
as a small bicycle repair business. Later, automobile manufacture
was tried but discarded in favor of hand powered pesticide spraying
equipment. In 1901, Friend built the first commercial gasoline
engine-powered sprayer, beginning a business endeavor that
continues to this day. Friend sprayers have been exported to all
parts of the United States where volume fruit growing necessitated
volume fruit spraying. As early as 1910, over fifty Friend sprayers
had been exported to Australia alone. Friend Manufacturing Company,
at present, has no plans to publicly commemorate its 100th
anniversary.
The township of Newfane is located about fifteen miles northwest
of Friend’s home in Gasport. Newfane’s Historical Society
will use its May 1995 Apple Blossom Festival to feature old Friend
engines and spray equipment. In the midst of Niagara County’s
fruit belt, the town of Newfane has been a happy hunting ground for
old Friend sprayers and their single flywheel engines.
The Newfane Historical Society invites all Friend single
flywheel engine collectors and enthusiasts in the U.S., Canada, and
around the world to participate in recognizing Friend Manufacturing
Company’s 100th anniversary. Short articles about your Friend
engines or sprayers, anniversary greetings, photographs of old
Friend equipment will be organized into a commemorative book to be
exhibited to the public at our Apple Blossom Festival held on May
21, 1995. As a service to Friend collectors, those submitting an
engine serial number will receive a reply dating the engine to
approximate month and year of manufacture as best we can.
Send correspondence to: ‘Bring Your Friends to Newfane,’
c/o Dave Dickinson, Chairman, Engine Show Committee, Newfane
Historical Society, 6190 Keller Ave., Newfane, NY 14108; phone
716-778-5294 evenings.