First came the portable steam engine, pulled by horses to the site of the work do be done by the engine, such as a threshing machine. These engines had no power train to power the wheels off the engines. As the threshing machines got larger, bigger engines were needed. The bigger engines were harder for horses to pull, so the logical next step was to add some gearing between the engine and the wheels so that it could move under its own power. And, of course, that inevitably led to the use of the traction engine for other purposes, such as plowing.
This portable engine doesn't fit into the above chronology as it was built commensurately with otherwise identical traction engines. For a few years after 1910 Sawyer-Massey was manufacturing a 20 horsepower steam engine in both portable and traction engine versions. This unit is one of those, a model L665, likely built around 1915. The L665 was being built in 1900, possibly earlier, as a 17 HP unit with a different configuration. An example is shown to the right. At that time the company name was
Sawyer & Massey, as opposed to
Sawyer-Massey, the name under which this unit was built.
THE SAWYER-MASSEY COMPANY LIMITED, HAMILTON, ONTARIO
John Fisher from New York State founded the company in Hamilton in 1835. In 1836 he produced the first threshing machine ever built in Canada. Realizing the possibility for the company but lacking capital, he convinced a cousin, Dr. Calvin McQuesten of Lockport, N.Y. to become a partner with him. The firm prospered and much of their production was shipped to Western Canada. The company was then known as the Hamilton Agricultural Works. In the 1840s their supplies of iron ore were often in short supply during the winter season as it had to come in by ship from the New York State and from Long Point in Ontario
In the Early 1840s L.D. Sawyer with his brothers Payson and Samuel joined the company. They were nephews of Dr. McQuesten and also expert machinists. In time they became members of the firm and gradually assumed control of the business. After the death of John Fisher in 1856 the firm's name was changed to L.D. Sawyer & Co.
By 1869 the firm was manufacturing Separators, Tread Mills, Horse Powers, a combination grain drill with clover seeding attachment copied from the better American machines such as the Empire. The Company also sold at this time the Ohio Reaper and Mowers, the Woods Mower, the Dodge Self Rake, the Pitts Threshing Machine, the Rochester Cutting Box and the Birdsell Clover Huller. Early in the 1880's they began building a return flue portable steam engine and in 1887 they added horse drawn road machinery and also became agents for Aveling and Porter steam road rollers.
In 1889 Hart A. Massey, Walter E. Massey and Chester D. Massey purchased 40% interest in the L.D. Sawyer firm. Hart Massey was president of the Massey Harris Co. of Toronto and was also elected President of the L.D. Sawyer Co. A reorganization took place and the company name was changed to Sawyer & Massey Co. Ltd. There was no corporate relationship between the two companies. All went well until 1910 when differences arose over the future of gasoline tractors. The Hamilton firm wanted to greatly increase the production of steam traction engines while Masseys favoured developing the gas tractor. The upshot was the Masseys withdrew their interests in the Sawyer & Massey Co. and the firm was reorganized as the Sawyer-Massey Co. Ltd. The following year the new two word circular trade mark appeared on all their machines. Beginning in 1912 this two word circular trade mark appeared in bold letters on the smoke box door of their steam traction engine.
From Smokstak Magazine