The Majestic Gasoline Engine Company was owned by the Hartman
Company of Chicago, Ill., which began business around 1855. From
the beginning of production of the Waterloo Gasoline Engine
Company’s ‘Waterloo Boy’ engine of 1906, until March of
1918, engines with the Majestic name, color and serial number
applied were shipped directly to customers from the Waterloo
Gasoline Engine Company in Waterloo, Iowa, or from one of its
branch warehouses.
Production was likely carried out at the Hedford foundry, which
also made Associated, Galloway and several other brands. By 1917
the Hartman Company product line of ‘Majestic Farm
Necessities’ included cream separators, saws, concrete mixers,
corn shellers, sprayers, fanning mills, cooking kettles, washing
machines, cultivators, plows, hog oilers, egg incubators, grinders
for feed and coffee, tools – and all with one year to pay and with
no interest.
The Waterloo Gasoline Engine Company was sold to Deere &
Company in March 1918 for $2.1 million. Because of the change in
ownership, production of engines for the 64-plus customers such as
the Hartman Company soon ceased. The original Waterloo Boy model
continued to be produced by Deere through 1920. In 1921, Waterloo
introduced the H gasoline and K kerosene models, with many
mechanical changes. In 1923, production of the renowned John Deere
Type E began, and continued through 1946.
Around 1918, and perhaps because of the Waterloo sale, Majestic
became a division of Hastine Enterprises, owner of the National
Dairy Machine Company, which produced the National Cream Separator.
LeRoy I. Baker was manager. Engines were then machined, assembled
and tested by the Majestic Engine Works at South 9th and New York
streets in Goshen, Ind. Castings in 2 HP to 14 HP from Waterloo
patterns were produced at a foundry in Wabash, Ind.
It seems that an arrangement with Waterloo was maintained to
supply crankshafts and perhaps other parts used in assembly at
Goshen. It is being found that Waterloo serial numbers continued to
be used on engines produced at the Goshen/Wabash operation. These
are the Majestic serial numbers in the 180000 and 200000 series
that mesh with Waterloo serial numbers without duplication.
Majestic Engine Statistics:
HP
Bore/inches
Stroke/inches
Flywheel
RPM
Weight
1915 Price
2
3-1/2
5
18-inch
400-575
420
$49.65
3
4-1/2
6
22-inch
350-475
530
$56.75
5
4-1/2
9
26-inch
300-400
775
$89.50
7
5-1/2
10
36-inch
280-360
1300
$177.50
9
6
12
36-inch
275-325
1610
$177.50
14
7-1/2
14
42-inch
250-300
2500
$269.50
Aftermarket Color Guide
IH Red #50 NAPA #90R-224 PPG #70019
CarQuest Bravo #15-0091L Black flywheel rims (optional)
Engines were shipped from the Goshen factory to supply houses
around the country. Leroy Baker Jr., remembers as a young man
helping with the inventory of finished engines in stock. Engines
were crated and stacked on end, and his job, being a boy of small
stature, was to crawl between the rows of engines and check serial
numbers. The company was in business until 1925, with Herbert
Ransom as the manager at its closing.
The earliest engines from the beginning of production in 1906
had an ‘H’ before a four-digit serial number; the H
probably stood for Hartman. As serial numbers progressed to five
digits, the H was dropped. An identification tag is usually found
on the Waterloo-produced engines through 1920. In 1921, with the
180000 and 200000 serial numbers, engines were shipped from the
Goshen factory, usually with no tag. Production seems to have
continued at the Goshen factory through 1925. In 1926, the
Fantus-Majestic Company of Chicago, 111., sold the remaining
inventory at half price.
Contact engine enthusiast James W. Priestley at 117 Lind
Street, McMinnville, TN 37110, or email at:
jimmypriestley@hot-mail.com. The Majestic Home Page can be found
at: http://www.geocities.com/oldengine2
