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In 1842, Francis W.
Robinson opened a small machine shop on the northwest corner of Main
and Third Streets and began to manufacture farm implements. In 1866,
his son, Henry, joined the firm, and in 1889, the company was incorporated
as Robinson and Company.
Saumel Swayne married one of Francis'
daughters and came to work for his father-in-law in 1887, first serving
as secretary of the company. Henry Robinson became president of the
company on the death of Francis in 1897, and when Henry died in 1909,
Sam Swayne became president.
In 1914 the name of the company changed
to Swayne, Robinson and Company. |
The company
made most of its own parts, and in 1914 it built an expanded
foundry to accommodate an increase in business. But soon after,
it became evident that most of the agricultural manufacturing
was being taken over by a few large companies, and the company
wisely decided to expand its foundry production and manufacture
parts for other comapnies. For much of the time between the
World Wars, Swayne, Robinson provided most of the castings
used by the local lawn mower manufacturers, Dille & McGuire
and F & N Lawn Mowers.
During World War II, Swayne,
Robinson turned over its production to war materials, particularly
piston ring castings and parts for the manufacture of bombs.
The post-war economic boom created a huge demand for new parts
for new products. |
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Throughout
its 155-year history, Swayne, Robinson was family run. After
Samuel Swayne died in 1933, Henry R. Robinson took over as
president, and upon his death in 1946, Charles K. Robinson
took over. It was Charles who was forced to close the plant
down in 1997 when the company could no longer compete.
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