Linn Factory Water Wheel and Power Plant

In 2018 Gary Fisher shared this information he got from his father George Fisher who worked at the Linn Factory.

Some George Fisher photos of Linn Tractor Plant waterwheel, tools and power plant Thought I would share some that I just found. George Fisher was foreman of the carpentry shop on the fair grounds end of the main plant. Water wheel main shaft for belt driven machinery before electricity were used.

Facebook discussion about the photos above --

Bob Thomas
Admin

Fitz Water Wheel Company history
http://www.waterwheelfactory.com/fitz.html

WATERWHEELFACTORY.COM

Bob Thomas
May 28, 1924 was the date the Joyce Foote put on this event in her book, "Morris, New York: A Look Back."

Gary Fisher
ok and somewrote that date on the top of the article.

Gary Fisher
The MC probably stands for Morris Chronicle, too!

Cliff Costello
Remember going into the old Linn plant well after Raymond Corp. was gone .. and seeing that water wheel!! Also remember climbing the water tower!!! Ahhhh the days of youth and reckless abandon!!! LOL

Rennie M Elliott
The photo below was taken in 1948 when they (American LaFrance Foamite) had sold the plant to liquidators who had to wait a calendar year before the auction for tax purposes, the last tractors built there were being done about now, seventy years ago, for Zonolite asbestos mine in Libby, MT as well as few town highway department tractors. The generator still looked that way when Lay ran his snowplow parts business there, about half of the wheel buckets were removed for replacement, a new gate installed on the pond waterwheel forbear entrance, and we had poured new concrete beds for the axle blocks in hopes of getting it going, Bill McDade, Chris Lord and myself working on the project. But the money wasn't there to complete it, Bill Letterer(?) bought that end of the factory for his "Blue Ribbon" auto repair, and scrapped out the generator room. Hanford Mills was supposed to get over there and save some pieces like the wheel governor but I don't know if they ever did anything. The waterwheel at Hanford Mills is only a 30 hp, and was completely replaced, the original stored in sections in the dairy barn. When the Nov. 1950 blowdown occurred, the Raymond Corp. ran the Linn waterwheel to power the plant for a week until the outside lines were repaired. Supposedly Raymond Corp. would have bought the plant if Bridges would have sold them the pond with the factory. (Utility law in NY State makes it easier if the entire reservoir system is actually owned by the utility generating hydro electric).

Rennie M Elliott
https://youtu.be/xYsuR3kmwuw
Waterwheel, belts, and pulleys at Hanford Mills Museum

Rennie M Elliott
The gift shop at Hanford Mills sold a 1926 Fitz waterwheel catalog reprint the last I knew. The Morris Historical Society has the account ledger for the Morris Power & Light Corp., which is helpful in showing where people or businesses were located c. 1919 to 1928. Thomas Tidd, a blacksmith from Edmeston, was one of the electricians, I think he later went in the US Navy and no idea where after that.

Water tower that was on the Linn Tractor Plant premises until it was taken down after a fire