In 1922 an article was printed in the Waterloo Daily Courier giving some description of Iowa Dairy Separator Co. and it's relationship with the Associated Mfr's Co.  It is interesting that it says "A branch factory, called the Enterprise Engine Co., and employing about forty people, is also maintained at Independence, Iowa. "  Could this be the defunct Sherman Smith Co. facility?  More research on the location of both factories needs to be done.  Here are more details from the article:

The Iowa Dairy Separator Company is one of the foremost of such separator manufacturing plants of the state or middle west. It had its inception in 1899, when W.W. Marsh bought into the Hackett and Dailey Supply Company, then located near the corner of Park Avenue and Lafayette Street. In 1902 the firm was reorganized and incorporated as The Iowa Dairy Separator Company. But fifteen men were then employed, and only cream separators were manufactured. In 1903 the company moved to the present location on Mullan Avenue, erecting a building 70 by 120 feet. This has been enlarged and others built, until at present twenty-two buildings cover six acres of ground area. Normally 500 are employed in the shops and offices, though at times the number has reached as high as 1000. At the present time, with many other plants shut down or employing but few, a force of over 300 is working at the Iowa Dairy Separator Company. A branch factory, called the Enterprise Engine Co., and employing about forty people, is also maintained at Independence, Iowa. Cream separators and gasoline engines are the two lines of products, the latter having been manufactured since 1908. These are sold under the trade name "Iowa." Iowa over-size guaranteed power engines are made in two types, with different sizes in each type, the horse power varying with the size from one and one-half to twenty-five. Iowa curved disc cream separators are also made in two different types, four sizes to each type. At the Panama Pacific International Exposition, the Iowa cream separator established a record as the closest-skimming separator on the market, and was officially praised by the jury of dairy experts. The products of the company are shipped to all the states of the Union, and to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, England, France, and the countries of South America. An export office is maintained at London, England, and branch houses, with a manager in charge of each, are located at Syracuse, N.Y., Columbus, Ohio, Omaha, Nebr., Minneapolis, Minn., Kansas City, Mo., and Oklahoma City, Okla. Officers of the company are W.W. Marsh, president and treasurer, and H.B. Plumb, vice president and secretary. The Associated Manufacturers Company, a separate corporation officered by the same men, and acting as selling agency for the Iowa Dairy Separator Company, is located in the same buildings with the latter firm.                   © 8/16/1922 Waterloo Daily Courier

According to the article, the sale and manufacture of gasoline engines started in 1908.  Other research tends to lead me to believe that the actual manufacture of engines started in 1909 and I suppose the early engines sold were in fact re-tagged Sherman Smith engines built in Independence, Iowa about 26 miles east of Waterloo, easily accessable by train.

Copyright © 2003, 2004, 2005 These pages were created with the antique engine hobby in mind, and are meant entirely for fun. No copyright infringements (if any) are done intentionally.