CURWENSVILLE – Recently the Curwensville-Pike Township Historical Society was given a special gift: A Tread Power Machine manufactured in Curwensville by J. Robison and Sons.
In October the group was contacted by Jim Thompson, the president of the Worcester Historical Society in Montgomery County, who informed them they had the equipment on display and were looking to move it to make room in their museum, according to information provided by the historical society.
It had been hidden in a barn for almost 50 years before the WHS received it.
Thompson asked if the Curwensville group would want it and they excitedly said, “yes!”
It took a few months to work out how to transport it, but in December it was delivered home to Curwensville.
“We cannot thank Mr. Thompson and the Worchester Historical Society enough!” it says on the historical society’s Facebook page.
“They felt that this unit needed to come back to Curwensville and they were willing to do whatever” took to get it here. “They even covered the cost of shipping!”
“We are so excited to have the opportunity to own and eventually display this awesome piece of Curwensville history.”
So, what is a Tread Power Machine anyway?
This machine was ultimately a tread mill for one or two horses that used gear reduction to power agricultural and forestry equipment, according to the historical society.
- Robison and Sons Company started making them in 1871.
“In an 1881 County Review article, approximately 60 of these units were being used throughout the county. A company out of Milesburg Centre County, with the name of A. Haupt and Co. produced tread power machines at the same time. Peter Bloom of Ansonville became a dealer of these units for Haupt to broaden his customer base into Clearfield County, though Robison’s machines seemed to be more favored locally,” the information states.
The company was started by Jackson Robison who moved to Curwensville from Franklin in 1839.
Initially he and three others started a foundry at the corner of State and Walnut Streets, the current site of the Methodist Church. Here they produced plows and cook stoves, making “as many as 200 stoves in a single season.”
By 1855, he set up a foundry by himself along State Street, possibly near the current location of the Serenity Bridal shop. Unfortunately, a fire in Dec. 1856 destroyed the business.
But, he didn’t give up. He rebuilt at the corner of Filbert and South Streets (near
Where Butch’s Pit Stop stands today.). Another fire in May 1868 destroyed that location.
“Though setbacks plagued him, Robison pressed on with goals of a bigger and better foundry. In 1868, he built his new business along Tanner’s Run on Northern Filbert Street, where the current McCracken’s Auto Body is located,” according to the society.
This time he partnered with his brother-in-law, William Dale and two of Robison’s sons, Frank L. and Tolbert J. It then was formally named J. Robison and Sons.
“At this new location, the group of men began to expand their product lines. Along with plows, cultivators, stoves, and threshing machines, they opened a planing mill.
“The Tread Power machine seemed like an ideal piece of equipment for the company to make, as they could produce the wooden sides and treads with the planning mill while the foundry could produce the frame, wheels, etc.,” according to the information.
Tread power was not only supplied by horses in those days. Smaller versions of the equipment were used in many places, powered by dogs, goats or sheep. ored in an appropriate place: a local barn., according to President Jennifer Tubbs of the Curwensville H
Plans are being made for a special ceremony to showcase the machine, according to President Jennifer Tubbs of the Curwensville Historical Society. Currently the machine is being stored in an appropriate place, a local barn.
“It is amazing to think that this machine was built right here in Curwensville, about 150 years ago and it has just returned home.”
