Outside, the museum has gathered together a collection of historic buildings, including the 1906 Brisco log schoolhouse and the original Windermere Lake CPR Depot, also built of logs. Further on are several buildings and cabins, to our knowledge all original, from the Windermere Valley area. Outside is also a small collection of vintage machinery, mostly from farms around the area.
In the collection is this road grader, AKA Road Maintainer, manufactured, according to the stencil on the side, by Sawyer Massey. This is a very old grader, lacking the improvements introduced into later models, such as leaning wheels and more blade controls accessible while on the go.
If that is an ampersand between the
Sawyer and the
Massey in the stencil, then this was likely manufactured prior to 1910. Otherwise it was likely made post 1910.
See below.
According to the information on Steam Era and other sources, the Sawyer-Massey Company was founded in 1835 in Hamilton, Ontario by John Fisher, a New Yorker. The following year, he made the first threshing machine to be manufactured in Canada. He brought in his doctor cousin as a partner, and the firm became known as C. McQuesten & Company, and also the Hamilton Agricultural Works.
In the early 1840's, three Sawyer brothers who were nephews of McQuesten as well as expert machinists, joined the firm. After John Fisher passed away in 1856, the company name was changed to L.D. Sawyer & Co. They continued to manufacture agricultural implements, as well as to act as a Canadian distributor for American-made machines.
In 1887, as the "good roads movement" gathered momentum in North America, they ventured into horse-drawn road machinery, as well as becoming agents for Aveling and Porter steam road rollers. Road graders at that time were referred to as road "Maintainers." The Masseys purchased a 40 percent interest in the firm in 1889, and the company was reorganized as the Sawyer & Massey Co. Ltd. It began to specialize in steam traction engines, becoming one of the leading Canadian manufacturers of these machines. In 1910, the Massey interests unsuccessfully pressured the firm to pursue gasoline engines, so the Masseys withdrew, and the new company became Sawyer-Massey Co. Ltd.
From the "Progress is Fine" Blog