Abe Zimmerman sold Columbus Machine engines early in his New Holland Machine Company business career to fill the market need for engine sales and his other products that relied on the engines. Selling Columbus engines was before Abe had developed his own New Holland engines. Once he designed and began selling his own engines, Abe realized he needed to not sell another companies equipment and sell his own items.
As there are no other known sites that discuss the relationship between Abe and the Columbus engines, we will provide some Columbus literature here along with some Landis Bros. information concerning their selling of Columbus engines.
If you have or are aware of any New Holland Machine Company/Abe Zimmerman paper that discusses the Columbus engines, please let the site editor know for research and possible inclusion for this site.
The following is a high-level timeline concerning Zimmerman and the Columbus engines:
- 1898 - Abe obtained rights to sell a single-cylinder dual flywheel engine called the Columbus which ran on gasoline and kerosene. This engine was made by Columbus Machine Co., Columbus, Ohio.
- 1899 November – Sold Columbus engines on carts and made circulating pumps for cooling engine water. Abe received a patent for cooling engine water. (Clarion, February 24, 1912)
- 1901 – Abe designed and built the 1 ½ HP internal combustion engine. The cob mill experiences a growth in sale. Produced a steel truck for the Columbus engine, designed a clutch pulley for the Columbus engine. Employed seventeen people. (Clarion, February 24, 1912)
- 1905 – Sold the following items: Columbus stationary gasoline engine from 4-40 HP, portable from 6-25 HP, 1 ½ HP New Holland gasoline engine for pumping water, separating cream, churning butter, running wash machine, x-ray machine, et., four sizes and three styles of New Holland feed mills with and without elevating and bagging attachments, three sizes of New Holland wood saw with swinging table which can be equipped a ripping table and adjustable gauge for ripping boards, lath, shingles, etc. They also sold second hand goods: gasoline engines, steam engines and boilers, tread and lever powers.
- 1906 – The Clarion reported A.M. Zimmerman and Harry K. Landis of the New Holland Machine Company, spent several days at the automobile show in Madison Square Garden, New York. (Clarion, June 1 1906)
- 1906 - The agreement to sell Columbus engines was transferred from Zimmerman to Landis Bros., of Rheems, Pa. Rheems is 30 miles west of New Holland.
1908 - "COLUMBUS" Gas, Producer Gas and Gasoline Engines, Stationary, Portable, Pumping and Hoisting Engines Designed and Built By Columbus Machine Company, Columbus, OHIO Established in 1849. The catalog indicates the company was established in 1849 and was 59 years old making the catalog from 1908.
1903 - "COLUMBUS" Gas and Gasoline Engines, Stationary, Portable, Traction, Pumping and Hoisting Engines Designed and Built By Columbus Machine Company, Columbus, OHIO Established in 1849. The catalog indicates the company was established in 1849 and was 54 years old making the catalog from 1903.
Instructions For Maintaining and Operating Columbus Gas And Gasolene Engines, Columbus Machine Co. U.S.A. - neither have dates listed but the first appears older.
1913 - "The Columbus Machine and Tool Co. Columbus, Ohio" catalog from 1913 was promoted in the Dayton Daily News, Dayton Ohio on 16 Oct 1913, page 19 offering to send you Catalog D-1.
1908 December 19 Landis Brothers letterhead mailed to Norristown Pa discussing selling a 8 HP Columbus engine.
1908 - Gas Review magazine with Landis Brothers advertisement for Columbus Gas Engines.
1909 - 1910 Directory of Lancaster Co., Pa which shows Landis Bros. selling 4 - 6- HP Columbus engines.
Columbus engine with "Landis Bros General Agts., Rheems, Pa. stenciled on the battery box.
1910 - later Landis Bros brochure selling New Holland engines and Columbus engines.
Abe Zimmerman - Seller of the Columbus Gasoline Engine
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1906 - "COLUMBUS" Gas and Gasoline Engines, Stationary, Portable, Traction, Pumping and Hoisting Engines Designed and Built By Columbus Machine Company, Columbus, OHIO Established in 1849. The catalog indicates the company was established in 1849 and was 57 years old making the catalog from 1906.
New Holland Hit and Miss Engines