Montague Machine Company

The Montague Machine Company is still in business in Turners Falls Mass.

It was officially formed on April 29th, 1908 as a subsidiary of International Paper Company however there was significant history before this.

The first site on the Turners Falls Canal was originally the Clark and Chapman Machine Company formed on July 24th, 1872 as a machine shop and a foundry which manufactured water wheels, turbines and pumps, many of which were being fitted for use in the mills along the Turners Falls Canal. This location is where The Great Falls Discovery Center is located today.

After a period of prosperous business they reorganized as the Clark and Heald company on or around January 5th, 1881. In addition to water wheels and pumps they added agricultural implements to their product line. On November 16th, 1881 - HN Heald died from pneumonia, his interests were sold, and the company was reorganized as the Clark Machine company in February 1882. Other products manufactured were fire pumps, mowing machines and corn cracking machines.

On March 4th 1903, The Clark Machine company was incorporated as the Turners Falls Machine company.

In 1908, the machine shop was suffering from aged equipment and portions of it were located where it was hindering improvements in the power canal.
Crocker Bank foreclosed on the shop in January 1908 but was unable to find a suitable buyer until April 1908 when International Paper Company purchased the shop and renamed it to The Montague Machine Company. At the time, the shop had one of the largest foundries in the area and they needed it to make the large machinery for required for its paper mills.

On October 13th, 1920 work started on a new machine shop and foundry in Turners Falls located at the corner of Avenue A and 15th Street and in August 1921 they relocated and have been there since.

A 14,000 square foot addition was added in 1953.

The company still manufactures large components for the paper industry, the energy sector (water, gas, hydro, solar), and other machined parts.

Detailed Timeline for the changing-of-hands for Clark & Chapman and the Montague Machine Company:

• 1871 A.S. Clark along with Nathaniel Gilmore (foundry foreman) moves to Turners Falls from Bellows Falls, Vermont and form the Clark Machine Company.
• 1881 (January 5) Henry N. Heald partners with A.S. Clark to become the Clark and Heald Machine Company.
• 1882 (February 15) A.O. Wyman and Warren Burnham purchase the interest of then late Henry N. Heald, in the Clark & Heald Machine Co. The company becomes the Clark Machine Company.
• 1883 (January 3) Clark & Chapman sell their real estate and fixtures to the Turners Falls Company. The Clark Machine Company remains as such.
• 1903 (March 4) Clark Machine Company becomes the Turners Falls Machine Company.
• 1908 (April 29) the Turners Falls Machine Company becomes the Montague Machine Company which is active at present.

Information for this page comes from a chronology available HERE: Montague Machine Co. Turners Falls, Massachusetts Knowledge shared from a variety of available newspaper publications: 1871 – 2003 by ED GREGORY 2022.

Images Courtesy of the Ed Gregory Archive