The Geiser Manufacturing Company History
Greencastle, PA
1826 - Peter Geiser was born March 26, 1826 on father's farm one-half mile west of Smithsburg, Maryland.
1852 - October - First Geiser patent for a thresher, separator, cleaner and conveyer.
It was tested on his father's farm in Smithsburg, MD.
1854 – The first Geiser separator was built and sold, as well as three additional machines built and sold, with one being displayed at the Hagerstown Fair in Hagerstown, MD.
1855 – Machines were built in "shops" on the Geiser farm at Smithsburg with two employees.
A patent for Geiser’s automatic or self-regulating blast was issued. Geiser entered into an agreement with Jones & Miller of Hagerstown, MD to manufacture separators.
1858 – Geiser arranged with George Frick to build Geiser separators at his small shop in Ringgold, MD., located about 5 miles north of Smithsburg.
1860 - George Frick moved his business to Waynesboro, PA, where he built Frick steam engines and Geiser separators. Geiser units were also built by the following: John A. Snider at Mt. Joy, PA; A.B. Farguahar at York, PA.; and J. A. Peters at Middletown, DE.
1866 – The Geiser, Price and Co. was formed in Waynesboro PA by Daniel Geiser, Benjamin E. Price, Jacob F. Oller and Josiah Fahrney. Peter Geiser assumed supervision of manufacturing and conveyed all patent rights to the firm.
After Frick built new shops on the east side of Broad St, the Geiser shops were located in the old Frick shops on the west side of Broad St. in Waynesboro.
1869 – As a stock company, the Geiser Manufacturing Co. was incorporated. The stockholders were Daniel Geiser, B. E. Price, Josiah Fahrney, J. F. Oller, Daniel Hoover, John Phillips, A. D. Morganthall, A. E. Price, Joseph Price and Samuel Hoeflich. The company began with capital of $134,600 and new buildings were erected. 400 machines were sold in the first year and employed 175 men.
1879 - The Geiser Manufacturing Co. purchased the Steam Engine works of F.F. & A.B. Landis of Lancaster PA.
1881 – The first "Peerless" steam engine was built by the Geiser Manufacturing Co.
1882 - Fire destroyed the Geiser Works – A much larger plant was built following the erection of a temporary building which allowed production to resume after a few weeks.
1884 - Peerless Steam Plow was developed.
1899 - In the late 1890’s the Crowell company was sold to Rahauser, Shank and Chamberlain, who, after two years, sold the company and complex to the Geiser Company of Waynesboro in 1899. The purpose of the purchase was to start manufacturing Geiser’s first gasoline engines for their agricultural equipment.
1901 - Peter Geiser Died.
1912 - The Geiser Manufacturing Co. is sold to Emerson - Brantingham Co. of Rockford, IL.
1925 - Emerson - Brantingham Co. held a sale and the Geiser Mfg. Co. was sold to a group of investors from Waynesboro, PA.
1939 - The Geiser Manufacturing Co. filed for bankruptcy. At the hearing, a petition was presented to sell all assets.
1940 - M. N. Landay Co. of Pittsburgh, PA purchased the assets and was in the process of removing obsolete equipment when the building was destroyed by fire. The glow of the fire could be seen for over forty miles.
