Fiddlebase
Information on Empire Sewing Machine Company's web pages, regarding the Juengst family and their various companies, factories name and their location, including those links to Remington S.M. Co., come from different sources, appear to present some discrepancies and consequently arduous to line up dates.
EMPIRE SEWING MACHINE
from 1860
EMPIRE SEWING MACHINE CO.
Established 1861
EMPIRE SEWING MACHINE MANUFACTURING COMPANY
from 1864
Factory: Somers, Westchester County, N.Y.
Principal Office: 536 Broadway, New York
MAHOPAC MANUFACTURING COMPANY
...water rights were sold to the Mahopac Manufacturing Company, January 10th, 1869. This company had already established a large manufactory on the Muscoot River, in Westchester County...
WESTERN EMPIRE SEWING MACHINE COMPANY
A joint stock company of Chicago, incorporated under the laws of the State of Illinois for the purpose of manufacturing sewing
machines. On December 20, 1871, some of the stockholders of the Western Empire, how many is not known, met together and, with Wm. G. Moore as chairman, adopted a resolution to form a new company under the name of the
“Remington Empire Sewing Machine Company” in which
new company the stockholders of the old one were to be allowed stock to the amount of their certificates.
REMINGTON EMPIRE SEWING MACHINE COMPANY
a joint stock company of Ilion, New York, constitute after the Great Fire of Chicago in 1871 until 1874 c.
1860 Empire Sewing Machine Co. 335 Broadway, New York
1861 Empire Sewing Machine Co. 335 Broadway, New York
1861 Empire Sewing Machine Co. 510 Broadway, New York
1862 Empire Sewing Machine Co. 510 Broadway, New York
1863 Empire Sewing Machine Co. 510 Broadway, New York
1864 Empire Sewing Machine Co. 454 Broadway, New York
1864 Empire Sewing Machine Mfg. Co. 536 Broadway, New York
1865 Empire Sewing Machine Co. 536 Broadway, New York
1866 Empire Sewing Machine Co. 536 Broadway, New York
1866 Empire Sewing Machine Co. 616 Broadway, New York
1867 Empire Sewing Machine Co. 616 Broadway, New York
1868 Empire Sewing Machine Co. 616 Broadway, New York
1869 Empire Sewing Machine Co. 294 Bowery, New York
1870 Empire Sewing Machine Co. 294 Bowery, New York
The Empire Sewing Machine Co. made this model from about 1860. In 1870 the United States Remington Small Arms Company took over the company but continued to make this model until 1873. The shape of the base is the same as that of the first typewriter made by Remington. After the American Civil War (1861-1865) fewer guns were required. Manufacture of small arms and sewing machines employed many similar production techniques and machine tools and so sewing machine manufacture was a natural industrial development for many companies like Remington.
Science Museum/Science & Society Picture Library
COMPANY'S PATENTS
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Sewing Machine
...what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:
1. The combination of the rotating shafts F K, one of them carrying a revolving arm J and the other two revolving cranks G H, when the said shafts, arm and cranks are arranged and operate as herein shown and described.
2. The shuttle-driver, with its jointed horn i, ear r and spring p, applied and operating in combination with the guide m, n, o on one side of the shuttle-race and operating substantially as herein described.
February 14, 1860
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Sewing Machine Shuttle
In sewing machine shuttles the bobbin is generally made with a male center at each end and held in place between two female centers provided in the shell of the shuttle and one of the latter is made movable for the purpose of permitting the introduction and removal of the bobbin and held up to the bobbin by means of a spring. This movable center and its spring are generally introduced from the exterior of the shell through an opening which extends right through the heel thereof, but which, after the center and the spring are inserted, is closed by a plug inserted in from the exterior and secured by soldering. Shuttles have also been formed with the movable spring-center in the point; but the same was inserted when being manufactured and no provision was made for introducing a new spring in case injury to that before inserted, or when one of a different strength was desired. My said invention consists in a movable bush, through which the center passes and which bush fills up the parallel hole containing the spring and is held in place by a clamping screw.
June 26, 1860
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GB 2.340 Joseph McCrossan
Sewing Machine
To Joseph McCrossan, of Glasgow, in the county of Lanark, North Britain, Merchant, for improvements in sewing machines. A communication to him from abroad by George Juengst, residing at New York. Letters Patent sealed
September 26, 1860
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Sewing Machine
My improvements relate to that class of sewing machines where the straight needle is used with the shuttle and the feed-wheel and they have reference to the means for giving motion to the needle, specially regarding the formation and condition of the loop of the needle's thread, to means for taking up the thread and tightening the stitch and to means for making and regulating the feed.
Assignor to J. McCrossan and T. J. McArthur
March 12, 1861
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US 58.181 Sidney M. Tyler
Sewing Machine
The object of my present invention is to give to the shuttle a slow movement and gradual stop at the time the needle is out of the cloth and the stitch is tightened and a rapid movement at the other end of its motion, the one preventing inequality in the drawing up of the stitch and the breaking of either thread and the other or rapid movement passing the shuttle quickly through the loop of the needle-thread, so that there may be no detention to the drawing up of the needle.
Assignor to the Empire Sewing Machine Company
September 18, 1866
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US 58.182 Sidney M. Tyler
Sewing Machine Shuttle
In sewing machines it is desirable that the shuttle-thread draw off from the shuttle at or near the center of its length, so that there may be but little slack thread. In order that each stitch may be properly drawn up and completed, it is important that the tightening of the stitch take place as the needle reaches its extreme motion in rising and the shuttle simultaneously reaches its extreme movement horizontally; but difficulty is often experienced from the fact that the needle in its next descent is liable to come in contact with and pass through the shuttle-thread, splitting the same, or else to pass between the shuttle and its thread. To obviate this difficulty is the object of the present invention, which consists in a rear ward-projecting point upon the upper portion of the heel of the shuttle, inclined on its under side and tapering toward the needle side of the shuttle, so that the loop of needle-thread is not detained or enlarged as it is drawn up and passes off the shuttle; but such tapering projecting point forms a rest for the end of a spring-detainer (beneath which the shuttle thread passes) at a point to the rear of the heel or usual back end of the shuttle, so that the backward movement of the shuttle shall draw the shuttle-thread out of the path of the descending needle before the point of the needle perforates the cloth and the shape of the said spring and its friction cause the back ward movement of the shuttle to keep the slack shuttle-thread entirely out of the way of the needle.
Assignor to the Empire Sewing Machine Company
September 18, 1866
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1862
Messrs. Bradbury & Co., Oldham, exhibited M'Crossan's "Empire" sewing machine, in which cams are entirely dispensed with, an ingenious arrangement of cranks being employed for giving a differential motion to a straight needle.
1864
Empire Sewing Machine factory was incorporated in South Somers in 1864 on the Muscoot River, under the direction of George Juengst and ceased operation in 1871. Empireville, a busy community which included a hotel and foundry, grew up around the factory, which employed 100 people. After the factory closed the buildings were used by the St. Joseph's Normal College, a Christian Brothers Teaching college. T.J. McArthur & Co., manufacturers and proprietors of the Empire Sewing Machine Company, opened new Salerooms in:
536 Broadway, New York
250 Washington Street, Boston
921 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia
Empire Sewing Machine Mfg. Co.
T.J. McArthur & Co. 536 Broadway, N. Y.
250 Washington Street, Boston
921 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia
1864
1870
The Empire Sewing Machine Company's factory, seem it was built in Somers already, not far from the Red Mill; the article maybe refer to Mahopac Manufacturing Company, which had some connection with the Empire Sewing Machine Company.
In 1871, when the Aqueduct Commission claimed the waters of the Muscoot River, the Juengsts no longer had enough water to power their mills. George Juengst Sr. then founded, with his sons George Jr. and Charles, a machine shop in a building he leased from Joel Purdy in Croton Falls (Somers).
One of the first locations to develop was the corner of Route 6N, Hill Street and Myrtle Avenue. This was due to the fast running stream that flowed from Kirk Lake and Lake Mahopac, creating the necessary power to turn the large mill stones. A small mill was built in the early 1700′s and when the Morris’ saw the potential, they immediately built a much larger one, which was the largest building in all the county. This mill was to play an important part in the coming American Revolution. One of the original mill stones can still be found as part of the front steps of the e Mills branch of the Mahopac Nation Bank. Since all of the building in the area were painted red, this area was called Red Mills for a long period of time. Although the famous mill there is gone, one of its original millstones forms a part of the front steps of the Red Mills Branch of Mahopac National Bank.
1871
In 1871 the Remington will buying out the Empire Company, they went into the sewing machine business. A few years later they put their celebrated type writers on the market and later still they began the manufacture of fire engines. In all these enterprises Samuel took a leading part and much of the success of the company is due to his good judgment and energy. The sewing machine branch of the business has grown rapidly, especially the export trade; as their extensive foreign connections gave them superior facilities in that direction. Mr. Remington was a typical American man of business. He was just as well as generous and his death, even at such an advanced age, when his life-work might be considered ended, leaves a vacancy that will be keenly felt both in his business and his family circle.
"Empire" sewing machine, late 1860s. Although an Empire Sewing Machine Co. existed in New York in the 1860s (the predecessor of the Remington-Empire Co.), it is not known whether this machine was manufactured by that same company, which was primarily concerned with producing shuttle machines. This chainstitch machine is marked “Empire Co., Patented April 23, 1863,” the date referring again to Ketchum’s patent.
It is very similar to Folsom’s Globe, except that it has claw feet rather than a closed base; the painted designs on the base of both are almost identical to those on the Monitor. Its spool holder, mounted in reverse, is a crude imitation of the Folsom patent. The Empire machines were probably manufactured about the same time as the Wilson machine. (Photo courtesy of The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village, Dearborn, Michigan.)
One of the most ornate of the early, small, hand-turned sewing machines was patented and manufactured by Willford H. Nettleton and Charles Raymond whose first patent US 17.049 was received on April 14, 1857. The patent model, believed to be a commercial machine, is beautifully silver-plated. Whether this was a special one-of-a-kind model, or whether the inventors tried to make a commercial success of a silver-plated machine is not known. The machine made a two-thread chainstitch, taking both threads from commercial spools.
SEWING MACHINES MANUFACTURED AND SOLD FOR THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 10, 1867
Double-Thread Machines
The Singer Manufacturing Co. ........................................................... 43.053
The Wheeler & Wilson Manufacturing Co. ........................................... 38.055
The Grover & Baker Sewing Machine Co. ............................................ 32.999
The Howe Machine Co. .................................................................... 11.053
The Florence Sewing Machine Co. ..................................................... 10.534
The Weed Sewing Machine Co. ........................................................... 3.638
The Elliptic Sewing Machine Co. .......................................................... 3.185
The Aetna Sewing Machine Co. ........................................................... 2.958
The Finkle & Lyon Sewing Machine Co. ................................................ 2.488
The Empire Sewing Machine Co. .................................................... 2.121
The Leavitt Sewing Machine Co. ......................................................... 1.051
Total Double-Thread Machines .................................................. 151.135
1872
1873
...Now, then, the object of this article is to inform the public that the Remington Sewing Machine is manufactured by the Remington Empire Sewing Machine Company, a corporation duly incorporated, whose chief office or place of business, is in the town of Ilion, in the county of Herkimer, State of New York...
Watertown Republican 1873
1874
Chicago, July 15. The fire yesterday originated in a low frame building used for storing rags and adjoining an oil factory that stood between Fourth Avenue and Clarke Street on Taylor Street. There was a stiff southwest breeze blowing, so that by time the flames had consumed the small dwellings, stables, carpenter shops and buildings filled with oil, paper and rags, the fire had reached State Street, where there were substantial business houses; they were like the heat of a furnace, all-consuming in power. The newspapers comment in strong terms on the policy of allowing wooden buildings in the city limits. The most prominent among the business losses are the St. James Hotel, the Remington Empire Sewing Machine Company, Remington & Sons gun and pistol manufactory, McCheney’s sale stables, the Pressing Vinegar Works, Schreffertin & Bro., furniture manufacturers and a large number of others. The area burnt over covers 15 squares, taking bits and half blocks here and there and lumping the whole. The burnt area is about half a mile long and a little less wide and embraced tumbledown shanties and palatial avenue residences.