F. E. REED & CO.
WORCESTER, MASS.
11" SPEED LATHE
WORCESTER, MASS.
11" SPEED LATHE
I have been looking for a lathe by the F.E. Reed Co. for some time and was delighted to find this lathe
on Ebay. The lathe was located in New Hampshire and was originally sold by a machinery dealer in
Providence, R.I., in the 1880's. Sadly, no legs came with the lathe. As seen in the two other lathes
from the Worcester shops, the legs are very beautiful. Of all the companies manufacturing lathes in the
late 19th. C. the F.E. Reed was by far the largest.
on Ebay. The lathe was located in New Hampshire and was originally sold by a machinery dealer in
Providence, R.I., in the 1880's. Sadly, no legs came with the lathe. As seen in the two other lathes
from the Worcester shops, the legs are very beautiful. Of all the companies manufacturing lathes in the
late 19th. C. the F.E. Reed was by far the largest.
From age 17, Frederick E. Reed worked for Wood
& Light Co., maker of iron-working machinery and
power transmission equipment. In 1875 he bought
an interest in the A. F. Prentice & Co. A couple of
years later he bought the entire company and
operated it under his own name. Reed oversaw a
period of rapid expansion, and F. E. Reed became
one of the biggest machinists' lathe makers in the
world. In 1891 his foreman, John R. Black, became
a partner and the firm added "& Co." to the name.
& Light Co., maker of iron-working machinery and
power transmission equipment. In 1875 he bought
an interest in the A. F. Prentice & Co. A couple of
years later he bought the entire company and
operated it under his own name. Reed oversaw a
period of rapid expansion, and F. E. Reed became
one of the biggest machinists' lathe makers in the
world. In 1891 his foreman, John R. Black, became
a partner and the firm added "& Co." to the name.
In 1877 the company employed 6 men and produced about 150
machines a year, in 1912 he owned 8 buildings, employed a
thousand men and produced two thousand machines a year. Mr.
Reed retired in 1912 and the Reed-Prentice Co. was formed
which took over management of the Prentice Bros Co. , The F. E.
Reed Co., the Reed Foundry Co., and The Reed-Curtis Machine
Screw Co. This corp had a capitalization of $2,000,000. Mr.
Reed remained as director. He died in 1917.
machines a year, in 1912 he owned 8 buildings, employed a
thousand men and produced two thousand machines a year. Mr.
Reed retired in 1912 and the Reed-Prentice Co. was formed
which took over management of the Prentice Bros Co. , The F. E.
Reed Co., the Reed Foundry Co., and The Reed-Curtis Machine
Screw Co. This corp had a capitalization of $2,000,000. Mr.
Reed remained as director. He died in 1917.