Nichols-Shepard started business in 1848 and continued uninterrupted until they were acquired by the Oliver Farm Equipment Company in 1929. The business primarily revolved around their grain separator machines, but also included horse powers, steam traction engines, and gas tractors to power the separators. The engines were also marketed as plowing engines in the later years.
1848
Beginnings
John Nichols opened a blacksmith shop in Battle Creek Michigan. His business made farm tools and built his first thresher in 1852.
Circa 1850
Nichols, Shepard and Company
John Nichols joined with David Shepard to form a partnership.
1862
The Vibrating Separator
An advertisement for Nichols & Shepard’s vibrating separator was placed by an agent in the May 1862 issue of “The Prairie Farmer”. It is unfortunate Shepard’s name is misspelled in this early ad. The name “Vibrator” was trademarked much later in 1881.
1869
First Incorporation
In 1869, Nichols, Shepard & Co. was first incorporated.
1871
The “Vibrator Separator” but no steam engines yet
The 50-page 1871 Vibrator Thresher sales brochure is available online for viewing. The brochure shows Nichols-Shepard horse powers for sale. Steam engines are discussed in “Separators for Steam Power” where a recommendation is given that “the 7 or 8-Horse Power Engines are usually used, although some use the 6-Horse Engine. We require to know the speed of the engine per minute and diameter of the Band Wheel.” Clearly, Nichols-Shepard does not yet have their own steam engines for sale at this time. The advertisement in the August 25, 1876 edition of the Michigan Argus newspaper still had no offering of steam.
1878
Early Steam Engines
Advertising in the May 1878 edition of The American Agriculturist magazine mentions “Our Unrivaled Steam Thresher Engine.” March 1881 advertising showed Nichols-Shepard was offering steam engines in 8, 10, and 13HP sizes, but without steering. By 1885 engines were offered in plain (portable), traction (gearing for motion), and self-guiding (steering wheel). A 17HP engine was additionally offered in the plain style. All appear to be locomotive style boilers as single cylinder simple engines. The cylinder was mounted toward the back of the engine as with all future single Nichols-Shepard single engines. The smokestack shape was not yet the standard of the later years.
1886
Re-Incorporation as Nichols & Shepard Company
On December 10th, 1886, new bylaws were adopted to re-incorporate the company. The first annual meeting occurred a few days later on December 21st.
1888
Supreme Court Patent Case
A dispute over Nichols-Shepard use of the Marsh valve gear was lost after going all the way to the United States Supreme Court in 1888 and 1891. Known early engines did indeed use the Marsh valve gear, and it is assumed by mid-1891 that Nichols-Shepard switched to their own variation of the Stephenson valve gear which is simply referenced as “Our Locomotive Link” in later catalogs.
1894
Return Flue Straw Burners
The 1894 catalog offers locomotive style engines of 6, 10, 13, and 15HP. This year also had the addition of “Our New Straw-Burner” in 16 and 18HP sizes. It is unknown if this is their first year of production for a return flue engine, but it is clear it was marketed as ideal for extracting power from burning straw as “all heat must be generated from flame, which rushes through the boiler with great rapidity, unless return flues are provided.”
1897
Compound Engines
By 1897 the catalog offered tandem compound engines in 13, 16, and 20HP locomotive style, and 20 and 26HP straw-burner (return flue) style. The claim was made the mechanism was so efficient “not more than 125 pounds steam pressure is required to operate.” In addition, single simple engines were offered in 8, 10, 13, 15, 22HP locomotive, and 18 and 22HP straw burners.
1901
Corliss Pattern Guides
In1901 “Corliss Pattern” cross-head guides were available in addition to the earlier “locomotive guides.” This would be the last year locomotive guides were offered.
1902
The Red River Special
The “Red River Special” threshing machine was introduced in 1902 with the tag line “The Man Behind The Gun” the following year. This year the return flue and compound engines were gone. Straw burners were now locomotive style with a brick arch and feed mechanism added. Also, 1902 saw the introduction of dry bottom boilers as “straw burners” as well as a “full length cab” (canopy) as an accessory.
1904
The New Company Decal
In 1904 both the old curly style company decal and the new Nichols & Shepard Co. decal were drawn in the catalog. For the remaining years of the company, the old style decal was gone.
1906
Double Cylinder Plow Engines
In 1906, Nichols-Shepard was offering double cylinder engines. The sales pitch included addressing the growing demand for plow engines which need the double cylinder to avoid dead center where there is a moment of no power. A special plowing draw bar with links to the rear axles was offered as an accessory. The big 35HP double was available starting this year.
1911
Announcement of the Gas Tractor
In December 1911 Nichols-Shepard announced their new gas tractor that would be available the following year. It would be offered in both 22 and 35HP models.
1912
End of the 35HP Double Plow Engine
The year 1912 was the last year Nichols-Shepard offered their huge 35HP plowing engine. At this time 13, 16, 20, 25, and 30HP singles and 16, 20, 25, 30, and 35HP doubles were available.
1915
Introduction of the Rear Mount Engines
In October 1915, Nichols-Shepard advertising introduced the new 25HP double rear mount (axle behind the boiler) plowing engine available for the upcoming 1916 model year. The “drawbar-belt” hyphenated power designation first came to be used in 1915 with 13-40, 16-50, 20-70, 25-85, and 30-98HP single engines, and 16-50, 20-70, 25-85, and 30-98HP double engines. The new 25-85 Rear Mounted engine was listed as a “straw burner” and was featured as a contractor engine. The gas tractors were now listed as 25-50 and 35-70HP.
1918
Full Rear Mounted Engine Lineup
By 1918 double rear mount engines were available as 16-60, 20-75, and 25-85HP. Some later catalogs would designate the 25-85 as a 25-90HP. Single cylinder engines were still available as 13-40, 16-50, 20-70, 25-85 and 30-98HP — all as side mounts. The year 1918 was the last year the 30-98HP was offered.
1922
Decline in Steam Engine Production
While World War I certainly had an impact on engine production, the steam engine business was in rapid decline by 1922 when only 30 engines were built. In 1923 only 35 engines were built, and in 1924, the last year of steam engine production for Nichols-Shepard, only 28 engines were built. Compare with production of over an engine per day in the prime of the company. The last known steam engine to be produced was serial number 14073.
1929
Acquisition by Oliver Farm Equipment
In 1929 Nichols-Shepard was absorbed into the Oliver Farm Equipment Company. No Nichols-Shepard branded products are known to have been produced after this time.
