Kalamazoo Railroad Velocipede Co.

Hand Powered Rail Vehicles

What is a velocipede, anyway?

The railroad velocipede was a bicycle-like contraption developed in the 1870s and used primarily by railroad workers who were “running the sections,” inspecting their lines for broken rails and other hazards. Two of the world’s largest producers of hand powered rail vehicles were located right here in West Michigan: the Sheffield Velocipede Car Company of Three Rivers, and the Kalamazoo Railroad Velocipede Company in the Celery City.

Kalamazoo Railroad Velocipede Co.

The Kalamazoo Railroad Velocipede Company came about in 1882, when Francis W. Randall of Tekonsha applied for patent protection on his “Railway Velocipede” and an associated lightweight “Wheel,” both of which he assigned to William E. Hill and George W. Miller of Kalamazoo. Hill was the proprietor of William E. Hill & Co., a manufacturer of sawmill machinery and equipment, while Miller was an inventor in partnership with his brother Hiram as the Miller Bros., local manufacturers of farm implements at the time. Hill’s factory and offices were located at the northwest corner of Rose and Eleanor streets. That’s where Miller and Hill set up shop and began to manufacture velocipedes based on Randall’s design.

Randall’s applications were approved, and patent protection was granted in January 1883. Soon after, Miller traveled to St. Louis with hopes of securing several large contracts. Meanwhile, the company had quickly outgrown its space on North Rose Street and was “already a large way behind in their orders” (Gazette). The operation was moved to a newly constructed two-story building on the south side of Kalamazoo Avenue, between Edwards and Pitcher streets.

Hill left the firm in 1883 and returned to manufacturing sawmill equipment. (Hill would later serve two terms as Kalamazoo’s mayor.) In July 1883, an accountant from Cleveland named Horace G. Haines bought shares in the firm and took over duties as company secretary. The day after Haines joined the firm, fire broke out in the rear of the building. Damage to the velocipede company was minor thanks to several onlookers who helped extinguish the blaze. A neighbor saw someone running away from the building shortly before the fire was spotted, so arson was suspected. Haines jokingly called it “a warm reception” as he began his tenure with the company.

Their diligent work paid off and the velocipede business grew rapidly. During 1884 and 1885, the company exhibited its full line of velocipedes and hand cars at the World’s Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition in New Orleans, where it received first place awards for both machines. Miller traveled to St. Paul, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Montreal, and elsewhere to promote his company’s products. Soon, the Kalamazoo Railroad Velocipede Company was filling orders from all corners of the United States, as well as Brazil, Greece, and Australia.

By that time, business had grown to the point where still larger factory quarters were warranted. In November 1885, Miller purchased a residential property on South Pitcher Street, directly across from the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad Depot, and work began immediately on a new factory building. While excavating the site workers discovered what appeared to be the remains of a giant mastodon. The skeleton was supposedly turned over to the University of Michigan for examination.

The firm was soon employing some 45 to 50 “expert mechanics” who manufactured 35 different styles of equipment for the railroad industry. By the 1890s, they were shipping carts and velocipedes, specialized wheels, and cattle catchers by the carload to customers across the U.S. and in Australia, New Zealand, South America, Mexico, and Russia. During the summer of 1893, production was halted for a brief time so employees could visit the World’s Fair in Chicago.

Kalamazoo Railroad Velocipede & Car Company

Miller retired from the firm in February 1896, and sold his remaining interest, including some 16 patents, to Heber C. Reed. The company was reorganized at that time as the Kalamazoo Railroad Velocipede and Car Company, with Heber C. Reed, president; Horace G. Haines, vice president; John H. Bushnell, secretary; and Elbert S. Roos, treasurer. Around 1900 the name was changed to the Kalamazoo Railway Supply Company to reflect its ever-expanding product line.

Kalamazoo Railway Supply Company

Between 1902 and 1905, the Kalamazoo Railway Supply Company’s ownership and corporate structure changed considerably. In December 1902, the firm broke ground on a new factory complex on Reed Street, east of Fulford. Haines had left the firm by then, and Frank Milham was vice president. Heber Reed passed away in April 1903 and in 1904, Bushnell resigned as the company underwent another reorganization. In 1905, capital stock was increased and a new addition to the factory was built. By then, Frank Milham was president, H.H. Everard was vice president, Charles B. Hays was secretary, and Hale P. Kauffer was treasurer.

During the First World War, the company became a pioneer in the production of specialized railroad equipment. After the war, demand for its products grew such that orders were being shipped to Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Cuba, India, Japan, and South Africa. During World War II, the company developed railroad-based moving targets for gunnery practice, along with personnel carriers that were adaptable to the varying track gauges of the railroads overseas.

Kalamazoo Manufacturing Company

After the Second World War, the company became known as the Kalamazoo Manufacturing Company, as it made the switch from railroad products to an ever-increasing line of industrial vehicles and machinery. By the end of the 1950s, the firm had become a world leader in the production of industrial vehicles and plant maintenance equipment.

The Kalamazoo Manufacturing Company sold off the railroad portion of its business in 1968 and continued to focus on its industrial vehicle production. In 1983, the firm celebrated its 100^th anniversary as a Kalamazoo-based manufacturer, but the landscape of industrial manufacturing was changing rapidly by then. During the 1990s the company was sold to Taylor-Dunn, a large manufacturer of commercial and industrial utility vehicles, and the Kalamazoo plant was closed. The c.1902 buildings on Reed Street stood until at least 2012 but have since been razed.

Written by Keith Howard, Kalamazoo Public Library staff, December 2024