2060I Old State Road, Haubstadt, Indiana 47610
In January 1914, the first engines were manufactured at the new
plant. So began one of the major gas engine manufacturing companies
in North America. The buildings still stand today.
About 400,000 Hercules and Economy engines were made before
production ceased some 20 years later. In addition, a number of
less common brands were also made. They included Thermoil, Arco,
Jaeger, Champion, Reeco, Servel, Rohaco, Loane, Saxon, Enen, Atlas,
Barnwall, Williams and probably others.
Several of us here near Evansville, Indiana are working to
gather together information and history. We hope to reconstruct and
tell the story of the Hercules Gas Engine Company and its
successors.
Our local club, Southern Indiana’s Antique &. Machine
Club, Inc. (SIAM) is planning a special show in 1989 to commemorate
the 75th anniversary of the Hercules venture into the gas engine
business.
If you have information to share or own one or more of these
engines, we’d like to hear from you. We have a special form to
send to you for listing your engine and its characteristics that go
with the serial number. Eventually, we plan to put this all
together in a publication to be made available to collectors and
enthusiasts.
