BICKFORD Steam Engne - Lakeport

[TheProfessor]

Bickford Steam Engine.


Many years ago a friend pulled up from bottom of big lake a steam engine from a sunk steam boat that legend goes used to haul/move/push logs from top of lake to Lakeport.

On the steam engine were the words Bickford Steam Engine - Lakeport, NH.

He has been seeking any information about the Bickford Steam Engine Company located at Lakeport, NH.

Anyone ever heard of such?

[Slickcraft]

Try calling Jeff Fay at Fay's boat yard. He has an interest in old marine engines.
293-8000

[NoBozo]

Check out Post #9 in this thread from "Practical Machinist.com." Note also the name J.A.Fay. This might be a start. :look: NB

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/antique-machinery-history/w-h-halladay-iron-planer-210057/

[BroadHopper]

Laconia, Lake Village had more than its share of machine shops back in the 1800's. There was a Weirs Time article not too long ago about many patents giving to the proprieters of machine shops in the area.

There was an iron foundry in laconia back in the days. The smoke stack is still standing in downtown Laconia. The building is gone. The iron foundry was producing rifle barrels in the '70's

[Chickie]

If I were to venture a guess, I would suspect the engine may have been built by the H. Bickford Machine Co. It was located at 1002 Union Avenue near Stark Street in Lakeport. The building is still there today (next to the Verizon phone store) and is currently vacant. Hezekiah Bickford (1843 - 1918) established the company and operated it until 1911, when it was sold to George H. Milette. A newspaper article at the time of sale in 1911 states Bickford was "a manufacturer of boring mills". Perhaps he made engines at an earlier time, I don't know. George Milette's son, Amber, succeeded his father in the business and operated it into the 1950's - it continued to go under the name of H. Bickford & Co.

[NoBozo]

Here's another link that mentions Henry Bickford and J.H.Fay. Might be time to go over and talk to Jeff Fay to see if he is related to J.H Fay. :look: NB

http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=2543

EDIT: I just had a thought: Maybe the steam engine in question was NOT manufactured by Bickford, but instead was the power plant in the Bickford Machine Shop, used to manufacture the Vertical Boring Mills...

[NoBozo]

Getting back to the original post..If the Bickford NAME was "Cast"... into the major piece of the steam engine, (Ie "Raized Lettering") then that would indicate the engine WAS Mfg by Bickford. :) NB