Images courtesy of Brian Szafranski
M. & J. Rumely was founded in 1853 by brothers Meinard and John Rumely. They began making threshers in 1857 and steam engines shortly thereafter. Meinard bought out his brother in 1882 and renamed the company.
The Enlarged M. Rumely Company
The M. Rumely Company, La Porte, Ind., has increased its capital stock from $3,000,000 to $22,000,000 through reorganization and the merger with it of Gaar, Scott & Co., Inc., Richmond, Ind., and the Advance Thresher Company , Battle Creek, Mich. The three companies are manufacturers of threshing machinery. The capitalization is larger than that of any other manufacturing concern having its headquarters in Indiana and the consolidation makes the new company the third largest threshing machine company in the world. The capital stock is divided into $12,000,000 common and $10,000,000 preferred. The M. Rumely Company was established in 1853 with $250,000 capital; Gaar, Scott & Co. in 1836 and the Advance Thresher Company in 1885. The total assets of the new company are given by the appraisers at $21,281,306, of which current assets are $16,177,784. The three plants employed about 4000 men. In 1912 they then acquired the Northwest Thresher Co.
In 1915, M. Rumely Co. was in financial difficulties, and M. Rumely Co. and Rumely Products companies were reorganized as Advance Rumely Co. In 1927 its line included grain threshers, clover hullers, corn shredders, steam engines, Oil Pull tractors, combine harvesters, light trucks and fuel and water tanks and trucks. It was acquired in 1931 by the Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Co.
Information Sources
- Iron Age, 30 Nov 1911 page 1202
- Encyclopedia of American Steam Traction Engines by Jack Norbeck, 1975 page 226
- Steam Power on the American Farm by Reynold M. Wik, 1953 page 253
- The Steam Tractor Encyclopedia by John F. Spalding & Robert T. Rhode, 2011 pages 306-314
- Report on Manufacture and Distribution of Farm Implements, 1948, pg. 48
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