Automatic Machine Co.
This company was organized in 1900 to continue manufacturing the woodworking lathes and cutter grinders that had previously been made by Wells Brothers Co in the Newell-Snow building. Automatic Machine bought the Riddell Street property June 3, 1902 for "One Dollar and other considerations" from John Riddell for the purpose of building a new factory. John Riddell owned much of the adjacent properties and would profit by selling additional property to employees. The Automatic Machine Company building was sold to the FE Wells & Son company for $4000 on November 18, 1905. At that time Fred W Wells was the President and Clerk of the Automatic Machine Company.
The lathe in the photo has the Automatic Machine Company badge on it. This simple lathe had no feeds or lead screw and was probably used as a wood turning lathe for making cast iron patterns. A totally unique design incorporating a unitized headstock / bed and tailstock with independant dovetail slide. These features were carried through succeding company owerships - F.E.Wells and Sons and Greenfield Tap & Die. The museum has examples of the three versions.
The photos in the following article have been thought to have been taken in the basement shop of the Newell Snow Factory, where our current Blacksmith shop is, but given the similar looks in the brick shop construction of this era this machine could have been at the Riddell St plant.
(Sources: The Conservative Rebel, Franklin County Register of Deeds)