Perkins Wind Mill Co. was a prominent enterprise that began operating in 1869 in Mishawaka, Indiana. It was founded by Palmer C. (P.C.) Perkins from New York, where he learned blacksmithing and ax making. He developed and manufactured a line of windmills that were attractive and of good quality. Palmer bought the Bement Ax Factory, which had sat empty for five years. The Perkins buildings in Mishawaka were eventually on both sides of Bridge Street. With his twin brother, Pardon Joshua Perkins, and four other partners, a company was formed on July 14, 1873, with capital of $4,000.
Palmer and Pardon passed away in 1895 and 1896, respectively, with six Perkins brothers surviving.
Manuel M. Fisher, age 48, had worked his way up in the company since its founding in 1870. He then became the company president and was able to expand its product lines into gas engines and farm equipment. He also became Mishawaka’s first mayor.
Sales of 1,500 windmills in 1883 had increased to 5,000 annually in 1899, making it the world’s largest manufacturer of windmills. Perkins Wind Mill Co. not only aided in settlement of the Great Plains, but its new line of quality gas engine powerplants and many accessories provided labor-saving equipment for farmers and industry. Perkins Wind Mill Co. became an even more successful company under Manuel’s leadership.
Advertisements in 1902 and 1904 offered a Perkins vertical air-cooled gas engine and feed grinder. With the popularity of gas engines, by 1912, the company was also producing a line of horizontal open-crank hopper-cooled and screen-cooled side shaft engines in 1hp to 7hp and even an opposed two-cylinder 20hp model. A 1910 catalog #45 offered 10 models (A,B,C,D,E,G,H,K,L & P) of vertical gas engines all in 1-1/2hp. Vertical engines up to 5hp came later. It also sold water pumps and tanks, shingle mills, 8-foot cut binders, burr mills, portable saw rigs and other farm equipment.
More than 2,000 companies were producing gas engines in the 1910s and 1920s. Perkins’ vertical and horizontal gas engines were attractive and well-engineered. Their horizontal lines were heavy-duty, hit-and-miss with battery and coil and a magneto option.
The 1912 horizontal open-crank hopper-cooled came in 2-1/2hp, 5hp and 7hp. The 5hp and 7hp had “stove legs” and were unique to the gas engine business. The 5hp first had the spark plug in the center of the head and muffler on left side. A redesign of the 5hp in 1913 placed the spark plug and muffler both in the center of the head and with shorter legs. The 7hp model came with a two-piece subbase.
In September 1915, the company name was changed to Perkins Wind Mill & Engine Co. Production continued until 1917 when the company went into receivership, then moved to South Bend in 1920 as Perkins Corp. Operations ceased in 1925 with the decline of both windmill and engine sales due to electrification.
I have a 1/4-scale model of the Perkins 7hp. Castings came from Bishop in southern Indiana. Attractive models of the Perkins vertical engines have been produce by Debolt.
My 1912 Perkins 5hp #8037 weighs 1,100 pounds and is on battery and coil. The gas tank is elevated, has a “The Schebler” model D carburetor with fuel bowl, a float rather than a lower gas tank, and a check valve to a mixer. The Schebler air intake is not the normal “horn” type air intake cast with the top plate but instead an open inverted pipe that screws into the top mounting plate. With the intake valve cage inverted to install a carburetor, the intake valve is easily depressed to release compression for rotating the flywheels to draw in a fuel charge to prime the engine. Another difference is a “can” muffler instead of their iconic “dome” muffler.
Schebler began business in 1902 and the model D was its first carburetor. Perkins may have experimented with a carburetor on this one engine but continued production using a mixer since no other engine with a Schebler has been found.
I have found only seven other “stove leg” models so far and would like to find others. Contact me at JimmyPriestley@hotmail.com if you know of one. FC
Jimmy Priestly is a longtime showgoer, hobbyist, and contributor to Gas Engine Magazine and Farm Collector.
