Allan Herschell Company#Previous companies

Scottish immigrant Allan Herschell, with James Armitage, created the Armitage–Herschell Company in 1872.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Allan Herschell|url=https://antiquecarousels.com/team/allan-herschell/|work=AntiqueCarousels.com|access-date=April 11, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241224081643/https://antiquecarousels.com/team/allan-herschell/|archive-date=December 24, 2024}}{{Cite web|last=Schwarzmueller|first=Anton|date=July 20, 2014|title=Herschell–Spillman Steam Boiler|url=https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=75520|work=HMdb.org – the Historical Marker Database|access-date=April 11, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230930004605/https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=75520|archive-date=September 30, 2023}} Originally an iron foundry, it branched out into hand-carved wooden carousels in 1883. That same year, Herschell's son William traveled to London to meet former Limonaire Frères employee Eugene de Kleist. Backed by Armitage–Herschell, in 1888, de Kleist set up band-organ production in North Tonawanda, founding the North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory.{{cite web|url=http://www.carouselnews.com/February-2008/Some-History-on-Limonaire-Freres-And-Its-Famous-Band-Organs.html|author=Tim Trager|title=Some History on Limonaire Freres And Its Famous Band Organs|publisher=Carousel News|date=20 April 2008|access-date=20 April 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110911201257/http://www.carouselnews.com/February-2008/Some-History-on-Limonaire-Freres-And-Its-Famous-Band-Organs.html|archive-date=11 September 2011|url-status=dead}} The company produced a range of barrel-organ based products, suited for all ranges of fairground attraction. Armitage–Herschell carved many portable carousels, made in the simple "country fair" style. Surviving steam riding galleries are located in Mississippi and Maine. In 1901, Herschell left the company due to financial complications, thus allowing de Kliest to buy the pair out, and seek new investment from his association with Rudolph Wurlitzer. Armitage–Herschell declared bankruptcy and went out-of-business in 1903.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Allan Herschell Ride Archive|url=https://nyheritage.org/collections/allan-herschell-ride-archive|work=New York Heritage Digital Collections|access-date=April 11, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250323050533/https://nyheritage.org/collections/allan-herschell-ride-archive|archive-date=March 23, 2025}}

Herschell created the Herschell–Spillman Company in 1901 with his in-laws, the Spillmans. After Armitage–Herschell declared bankruptcy in 1903, Herschell–Spillman bought its assets. Herschell–Spillman started out creating and carving carousels in the basic "country fair" style, but later branched out to larger park machines, such as elaborate carousels with many types of animals. Surviving carousels can be found in California, Michigan, Maryland, and the Herschell–Spillman Noah's Ark Carousel in Portland, Oregon. Herschell–Spillman also constructed engines for the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company and the Daniels Motor Company.{{cite news |title=Reading to Place an Eight-Cylinder Automobile on the Market |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=74gtAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA31 |access-date=16 January 2024 |work=Reading Eagle |date=August 28, 1915}} The Herschell–Spillman Motor Company Complex at North Tonawanda was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.{{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/nr/listings/20130628.htm|title=National Register of Historic Places Listings|date=2013-06-28|work=Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 6/17/13 through 6/21/13 |publisher=National Park Service}} Herschell retired from the company due to declining health in 1911.{{Harvp|Hinds|1990|p=68}}.

The company dropped Herschell's name in 1916 and became known as the Spillman Engineering Company.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Spillman Eng.|url=https://antiquecarousels.com/team/spillman-eng/|work=AntiqueCarousels.com|access-date=April 11, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241224081642/https://antiquecarousels.com/team/spillman-eng/|archive-date=December 24, 2024}} It continued to make the same style of carousels, though later it focused more on horses with a few menagerie-styled machines. Surviving carousels can be seen in North Carolina and the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York. It went out-of-business in 1945 when it was bought out by the Allan Herschell Company.

The Allan Herschell Company, founded in 1915 after Herschell came out of retirement, was the last company he created; it became a competitor for the Spillman Engineering Company. Herschell specialized in horses with rigid poses and portable machines, which enabled them to be packed and shipped easily between towns. Herschell produced over 3,000 carved wooden carousels, which were shipped all over the United States and Canada, as well Mexico, South Africa, and India.https://www.carrouselmuseum.org/allan-herschell.html {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}} Its factory, bought in 1915, is located on Thompson Street in North Tonawanda. It is one of the last factory complexes in the United States to contain the production of wooden carousels. The complex was expanded to meet the growing company's needs. The building has a large carving shop, a woodworking shop, a paint shop, a storage area, an upholstery shop, a machine shop, and a roundhouse where the carousels were assembled and tested.https://www.carrouselmuseum.org/allan-herschell.html {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}} Herschell created other amusement rides besides carousels. He thought up the concept for rides specialized for small children, called "Kiddieland". Twister, Hurricane, Flying Bobs, and the Sky Wheel were thrill rides that catered towards adults.https://www.carrouselmuseum.org/allan-herschell.html {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}} The company moved to Buffalo, New York, in the 1950s, and in 1970, it merged with rival amusement park company Chance Manufacturing of Wichita, Kansas.{{cite book|last=Chance|first=Harold|title=The Book of Chance|year=2004|publisher=Wichita Press|location=Wichita, Kansas|isbn=0-9649065-0-3|pages=31}}

The Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum, at the original factory site on Thompson Street, opened to the general public in July 1983,{{cite web|url=http://carrouselmuseum.org/site/about/the-museum|title=The Museum - Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum|website=carrouselmuseum.org|access-date=2015-06-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906033822/http://carrouselmuseum.org/site/about/the-museum|archive-date=2015-09-06|url-status=dead}} with a full operational carousel from 1916. The first floor of the factory has been opened up to provide exhibits and demonstrations. Different programs are offered, such as woodcarving of various skill levels, guided tours, and a summer lecture series. Special programs, such as the Youth Volunteer Program and Neighborhood Partners Program, are offered to young people and local elementary-school children.

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File:Van Saun Park Train.jpg in Paramus, New Jersey]]

• G-12 {{Track gauge|12in|lk=on}} gauge miniature train{{cite web|url=http://www.arizonaandpacificrr.com/s24/details.html|title=Iron Horse, The Allan Herschell S-24 train|first=Dave|last=Sayre|website=www.arizonaandpacificrr.com}}
• G-16 {{Track gauge|16in|lk=on}} gauge miniature train
• S-16 "1865" {{Track gauge|16in|lk=on}} gauge miniature train
• S-24 "Iron Horse" {{Track gauge|24in|lk=on}} gauge miniature train

• Caterpillar, at Canobie Lake Park, Salem, New Hampshire, US{{cite web|title=Operating Classic Amusement Park Rides |url=http://www.napha.org/nnn/LIBRARY/FactsFigures/OperatingClassicAmusementParkRides/tabid/73/Default.aspx|publisher=National Amusement Park Historical Association |access-date=May 26, 2014}}
• Caterpillar, at Heritage Park Historical Village, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
• Looper, at Knoebels Amusement Resort, Elysburg, Pennsylvania, US{{Cite web |title=An Alan Herschell Looper still operating at Knobels, USA – Amusement Ride Extravaganza |url=https://www.ride-extravaganza.com/intermediate/rok-n-rol/herschell-looper/ |access-date=2022-09-23 |language=en-US}}

Red Baron Wild Waves Theme 7 Waterpark

As of 2019, Allan Herschell Company has built 185 roller coasters around the world.[https://rcdb.com/6872.htm Allan Herschell Company - rcdb.com]

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• {{Cite book|last=Hinds|first=Anne Dion|year=1990|title=Grab the Brass Ring: the American Carousel|edition=1st|publisher=Crown Publishers, Inc.|isbn=0-517-57486-1}}

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{{Commons category|Allan Herschell Company}}

• [http://www.nca-usa.org/Carvers_Builders3.html "Major Carousel Builders and Carvers (Page 3 of 3) | An Introduction by Brian Morgan | NORTH TONAWANDA"] National Carousel Association 24 Nov 2008

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Category:1915 establishments in New York (state)

Category:1970 disestablishments in New York (state)

Category:American companies disestablished in 1970

Category:Amusement ride manufacturers

Category:Carousel manufacturers

Category:Culture of Buffalo, New York

Category:Roller coaster manufacturers

Category:Manufacturing companies disestablished in 1970

Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1915

Category:Motor vehicle engine manufacturers

Category:North Tonawanda, New York