The Evans
Horsepower: 20
Manufacturer: Evans Mfg. Co., Butler, Pa.
Year: circa 1915
Bore: 10-1/2-inch
Stroke: 17-inch
Evans Mfg. Co. was founded in 1893 by Evan Evans in
Butler, Pa., to manufacture brass fittings and valves.
Located on Center Ave., it was moved in 1896 to S. McKean and E.
Wayne Street where it made clutch pulleys and repaired steam
engines.
In 1898 a partnership was formed with C.A. Templeton and the
firm’s name became Evans-Templeton. The partnership lasted two
years. Two years later the company’s name was changed to Evans Mfg.
Co., and about that time it began to manufacture gas engines for
the oil well trade under that name.
Evan remained active in the company until his death in 1906. The
company probably ceased engine manufacture sometime around World
War I, but remained in business as a brass and iron foundry, along
with offering machine shop services to the oil field trade until
around 1940. The factory had 45 to 50 employees when manufacturing
engines.
Evans built engines in the following known sizes: 8, 10, 15, 20
and 25 HP. It built predominantly 4-cycle engines, but also made
2-cycle cylinders for half-breed conversions, along with
crosshead-style frames.
Evans engines were one of the most reliable engines used to pump
oil. They are famous for their ability to be throttled back, and
run silently for display purposes. Of course, they were loud when
run under a load.
The 20 HP Evans on display at the Coolspring Power Museum sits
on the original wood base on which it pumped oil, using a standard
rig, in the Chicora oil fields in Pennsylvania.It was taken off the
well by the owner of the oil lease and run at home for his
enjoyment. It is currently owned by Roy Pasini.
Contact the Coolspring Power Museum at: P.O. Box 19, Coolspring,
PA 15730; (814) 849-6883; coolspring@penn.com;
www.coolspringpowermuseum.org
