Morton Manufacturing Company records |
Previous | 1 of 2 | Next |
|
|
|
Morton Manufacturing Company records
Special Collections & University Archives, Grand Valley State
University Libraries
Seidman House
1 Campus Drive
Allendale, Michigan 49401
2010
Descriptive Summary | |
| Repository | Special Collections & University Archives, Grand Valley State University Libraries, Allendale, Michigan 49401 |
| Creator | Morton Manufacturing Company |
| Title | Morton Manufacturing Company records |
| Dates | 1941-1954 |
| Collection Size | 3.75 linear feet (3 cartons) |
| Abstract | The Morton Company was organized by Matthew Morton around 1870. The company built steam engines and later produced valves for saw mills and water work plants, horse power devices, and agricultural machinery. During World War II, the Morton Company produced machines for tanks and jets. The collection documents contract work during the 1940s and 1950s with Westinghouse, General Electric, and U.S. Navy yards in California and Virginia. Materials include project files with contracts, blueprints, correspondence, and purchase orders. |
| Accession number | RHC-20 |
Scope and Content of Collection
The collection documents contract work during the 1940s and 1950s with Westinghouse, General Electric, steel companies, the auto industry and U.S. Navy yards in California and Virginia. Materials include project files with contracts, blueprints, correspondence, and purchase orders.
Arrangement
The materials are arranged in two series 1) Master group sheet forms that include contract number, group name and number, drawing number, and sometimes the machine type and 2) Contract files contain plans and drawings, correspondence, and purchase orders.
Administrative History
Matthew Morton founded the Morton Company in approximately 1870 at Lapeer, Michigan with the purpose of building steam engines. One of the company's first engines is stored at the Ford Greenfield Village museum. After the company moved to Romeo it became a co-partnership known as the Morton Valve Company, and furnished valves to saw mills and water works plans. Some of the company's early products included horse power devices, (treadmills) and agricultural machinery such as feed cutters. In the mid 1880's Matthew Morton patented the first machine for cutting keyways into gear hubs. In approximately 1881 the company purchased property in Muskegon Heights, Michigan from the Muskegon Improvement Company, and departed Romeo, Michigan. On July 8, 1891 a 27 car freight train with machinery and equipment for the Morton Company arrived in Muskegon Heights with about twenty families. Preparation of the new site took 4-5 weeks, and the company employed about twenty-five skilled workmen at that point. President Matthew Morton acted as the General Manager, Henry Morton was the foreman of the machine shops and James B. Stevens oversaw the wood working departments. A description of the plant at that time by a representative of The Weekly Muskegon Chronicle is included in the collection. The depression of 1892 and 1893 threatened the Morton Company until the company developed a draw cut shaper placed on exhibition at the 1893 Worlds Fair at Chicago, Illinois. During the following year the company began its successful export trade. Before 1900 the company developed technology to aid in metal work with large castings, vital to future contract with the U.S. Navy yards, manufacturers, and steel and tin mills. The original plant expanded in 1903, 1912, 1917 and in 1940. The collection depicts the size of these facilities and Morton Manufacturing's role in tank production for the military. After filing for bankruptcy in 1968 a new management group renamed the company IFR Morton Industries. In April, 1972 the management notified personnel that the plant would close unless another group or business firm acquired the plant. Management of the firm had rested in one family from the day the company was first organized until 1968. Matthew Morton was followed upon his death by Mason B. Morton who died in 1935. Henry E. Morton directed the firm for a year and upon his death in 1936, his son H. Earl Morton became head of the company. Upon the retirement of H. E. Morton in 1961, Robert Morton took the helm of the company until the company, forced by lack of business and financial difficulties had to re-organize, Robert Morton was appointed Vice President of Sales and Engineering and held that position until the Morton Manufacturing Company / IFR Morton Industries, Inc. shut down forever.
A more thorough depiction of the history is available in, "The Morton Manufacturing Company: a brief history of a local industrial pioneer" by Derrick Bell with aid and information from Mrs. Matthew Morton, December 8, 1980.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection.
Restrictions
Restrictions on Access
Collection is open for research use.
Publication Rights
For information on copyright or permissions for this collection, contact Grand Valley State University Special Collections.
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Morton Manufacturing Company records (RHC-20). Special Collections & University Archives, Grand Valley State University Libraries.
Acquisition Information
Acquired from W. Derrick Bell in March 1981.