The Fairfield Engine Co., in Fairfield, Iowa, operated from 1916 until 1945. There were many ups and downs for the company throughout its history.
The predecessor company to Fairfield was Anderson Automatic Engine Co., started in 1913 in St. Joseph, Missouri. The principle behind this company, Charles Anderson (C.C. Anderson), claimed to have many years of gas engine building experience. His background also included several years as a bicycle machinist in SW Iowa.
In June 1911, Anderson was granted a patent for a rod-packing invention that improved the sealing of crankcases in 2-cycle engines. This was assigned to Uhler Motor Co. of St. Joseph, Missouri. Uhler Motor Co. had incorporated in July 1909 to build a new engine design. The new design was based on a patent belonging to Francis M. Uhler of Lincoln, Nebraska. It’s likely the unique Uhler engine did not make it into production, with only a few prototypes constructed. A more conventional 2-cycle upright engine was sold by Uhler in small quantities. Uhler had a factory site in St. Joseph at 830 S. Fifth St. The Uhler Motor Co. struggled and, by early 1913, they filed for bankruptcy.
In August 1912, Anderson submitted a patent application for an internal-combustion engine. Perhaps he was influenced by his time with Uhler, as this new invention used a double-acting stepped piston design to fire at both ends. This new engine was described as 2-cycle, and its unique design purported to solve many of the problems with conventional engines. He was granted patent No. 1094398 in April 1914.
Anderson was busy in 1913 trying to secure factory space for a new company in St. Joseph. In July, announcements were made in trade magazines and newspapers that the new company had bought an existing dormant factory in Davenport, Iowa. The new company was Anderson Automatic Engine Co., and it was incorporated in both Davenport and St. Joseph. The purpose of the company was to manufacture gasoline engines and railroad motor section cars. It hoped to be in operation by early August, as they claimed to have contracts for 50 of the section cars per month. Section cars were described as the lightest available in the industry, at under 600 pounds, and they were powered by a high-compression engine.
After the announcement, Anderson went to Chicago in search of equipment. Lead time was two months at best, so the initial startup would focus on the foundry and getting castings underway. In January 1914, the company showed off its newest section car to town officials in Davenport. The company again claimed to have orders from a number of railroads that would take them several months to make.
In August 1914, it was announced in the Fairfield newspaper that Anderson Automatic Engine Co. would be in Fairfield to demonstrate its products on a siding of the CB&Q railroad. In reality the company was looking for investors and a new place to relocate. A week after the demo it was reported in the paper that stock sales were going well and it was almost an assured fact that Fairfield would secure this new industry for the town.
By mid-September it was indeed a done deal. Anderson Automatic Engine Co. would be moving to Fairfield. A board of directors and officers were elected. The president was H.C. Alston. Anderson was the treasurer and manager for the company. A site for a new factory was secured northwest of the intersection of the Rock Island (CRIP) and Burlington (CB&Q) railroads.
With new stockholders and leadership for the company, the direction began to change. Anderson appears to have left the company as early as 1915. In 1917, he was based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he was associated with Reliance Ring Co., and he received a few new patents concerning pistons and piston rings.
Origin of the engine
The earliest mention of a 4hp engine made by Anderson Automatic Engine Co. in Fairfield occurred in July 1915. A local farmer, J.C. Yeager, had attached an engine made by the company to his binder. Other Jefferson County farmers soon followed his example. The local mercantile business, Allen-Streed Co., took up the service to install the engines onto binders. The Anderson Automatic Engine Co. sold all its completed engines for this purpose, as they were well suited for this application.
The new engine got a positive mention again in the local newspaper in October 1916. There was a power outage and one of the engines was used to power the generator that kept the local newspaper in operation. Engines with generators were also placed into service at the movie theater to keep it open. The company name was changed at this time from Anderson Automatic to Fairfield Engine Co. and leadership had transitioned to F.W. Jericho.
The same newspaper article attributes the design and development of the engine to a local man, Buford Murray. Murray had grown up in Fairfield and graduated from Fairfield High School in 1900. He attended Iowa State College in Ames, Iowa, and earned a degree in mechanical engineering. He was an early inventor, with a patent granted in 1901 for a gas and air mixer. In 1904, he designed and built a gasoline-engine-powered-boat for a trip down the Mississippi River to attend the St. Louis Fair. The engine for the boat was of his own design. He made patterns and drawings for the 2hp engine, and later machined the castings. Back in Fairfield, he went to work for the telephone company and then operated an auto shop (Murray-Allender). Murray was an active early promoter of automobiles and attended automotive shows in Chicago and Des Moines. The auto shop business became overextended and filed for bankruptcy in April 1914.
The new engine company in town likely was a draw for Murray, and with his prior experience designing an engine, the company may have come to him. What were the inspirations for the new engine? It is possible that Anderson had brought some of the 2-cycle Uhler engines along with him, and this was the power source for the company’s motor section car. The Cushman engine had been on the market since 1910, and with Lincoln’s close proximity to St. Joseph, it was likely a visible and well-known example to reference. Murray’s automotive experiences also factored into the design of the Fairfield engine. The engine was referred to in catalogs as the “Auto Type” engine. It used spiral cut gears, mechanically operated intake/exhaust valves and extra large bearings from automotive design.
The earliest photos of the engine show it equipped with a Schebler-style carburetor. Both the Uhler and Cushman used Schebler carbs. However, this was soon changed to a Holley type carb, possibly due to Cushman objecting to the use of the Schebler (which they held a patent on), or to differentiate the Fairfield engine further from the Cushman.
Murray left Fairfield Engine Co. and moved on to run Central Mfg. Co. in Fairfield, a company that built and sold radio sets. He returned to the engine company in the 1930s for a time.Murray died from suicide May 1, 1945.
Early years: 1916-1924
Early success with the engine as a power source for binders led Fairfield Engine Co. to initially focus on this market. Other purposes for the engine became apparent over time as the engine was used to power other implements, such as potato diggers. A farm lighting plant configuration was offered after the engine was used to power a dynamo. The engine was also used to power water pumps and saws.
The company struggled in its first several years. Due to the company’s financial condition by 1919, the city council abated the taxes for the 1918 year. Leadership changed several times in early years, with a succession of men serving as president and other officer roles. The manager position changed even more often as the company tried to find its way. An experienced engine man, Raymond Charles, was installed as superintendent in December 1918.
An August 1920 article spoke of the company issues. Shortages of gray iron for castings was a problem that had limited engine production for some time. Early management misfortunes were also blamed for holding back progress and production. But the company was optimistic these issues were now improved. Engine production was stated as 10 engines per day.
The early 1920s were no easier for the Fairfield Engine Co. Factory managers lasted on average two years before they left or were replaced. In an effort to generate more income for the firm, the company took on the agency for J.I. Case Threshing Machinery Co. This consisted of selling and servicing steam engines of all sizes, threshing machines, plows, discs and more. A large area of the Fairfield factory was set up as a showroom for Case products, and there was an area to provide service. The company offered repair work for machines of all kinds.
A flyer from the 1920s lists the retail price as $150 for an engine with battery ignition, mounted on wood skids. A Dixie magneto could be added for an extra $25. Horsepower was at 4-1/2, with the throttling governor providing for speeds from 300 to 1,500rpm.
Bankruptcy and rebirth
Many product sales were done through distributors. The company also was an exhibitor at the county fair for several years and participated in manufacturing expos staged in Fairfield. By late 1925, the company was placing small ads in the local newspaper trying to sell engines at a special low price for a short time.
In September 1926, notice came that the assets of the company were to be sold. On Oct. 5, the assets were sold at auction to Col. W.G. Heaton. The article on the sale notes the factory had been shut down for some time. There was a good stock of completed engines that would be sold. After, the new owner intended to begin building engines again. Heaton had been the manager (and secretary) of the company for the year prior.
In the late 1920s, the company continued to periodically advertise engines for sale. Use on binders was still an area of focus. The company continued to participate in the county fair. In 1929, it was noted the company had even sold two engines to a buyer in New Zealand.
The end
Fairfield engine production continued in the late 1920s and into the early 1930s, though likely in small quantities. The business shifted to focus more on providing service parts for Fairfield engines.
In the late 1930s, a similar engine to the Fairfield was advertised and sold in Australia. Offered by Invincible Motors Proprietary Limited of Sydney, Australia, the 6-8hp Model BS 4-cycle engine was for marine applications. The ad stated it was made in the U.S. and assembled in Australia. This was followed up by ads in the 1940s for a 5hp
Invincible Economy engine for stationary applications. It is similar to the Fairfield and even used the same advertising photos from earlier catalogs. It is likely that Fairfield Engine Co. supplied the parts to Invincible. Only a small number of these engines were built.
In August of 1945, Col. Heaton passed away. With his death came the end of the Fairfield Engine Co. Heaton had continued mailing service parts for engines until just a few months prior to his death.
The factory was sold to August Van Lantschoot in November 1945. He reopened it as Fairfield Metal Products early in 1946 as an aluminum foundry. The company later was known as Fairfield Aluminum Castings Co. (Falco) and became part of Alcast in 2017. Alcast closed the Fairfield factory during the COVID-19 pandemic and moved production and equipment to other facilities. The building is currently empty, but is available for storage. The original building of Fairfield Engine Co. still stands in the corner of the large factory complex.
Surviving engines
The first engines offered by Anderson Automatic Engine Co. and Fairfield Engine Co. were rated at 4hp. The horsepower was raised to 4-1/2hp in 1919. There were few noticeable changes to the Fairfield engine over 30 years, from start of production to the end of the company. There was a shift in the location of the fuel tank (also likely in 1919). The fuel tank started out attached to the water tank, but this design was changed to mounting it on the engine via a special bracket. Fairfield touted use of kerosene fuel in its engines and made the fuel tank with two compartments for a time in the late teens to early twenties.
There are no known surviving production records for Fairfield engines. Additional information on the Fairfield Engine Co., including a registry listing existing Fairfield engines, can be found at the Iowa Engines website. This site will eventually also contain directions on how to add your own engine to the official registry.
Barry Tuller is a collector of gas engines and related equipment, literature and advertising. He enjoys learning about engines and researching the people and companies that made them. He can be reached at btengines@gmail.com
