100-year old Reeves engine comes to Historical Society

     A four-cylinder, 140 horsepower gas engine manufactured by Mount Vernon's Reeves Engineering Co. in 1915 has come back home to be part of the Knox County Historical Society's industrial collection. The 22,000 lb. unit was shipped on October 18, 1915, to Toronto, Ohio, where it would be used to drive the electrical generator for the H. E. Stratton Tile Co.

    The Reeves Co. began operations here about 1905 in their facility on Mount Vernon Avenue. In 1914 they joined with the Hope Forge & Machine Co. here, whose operations were later acquired by Cooper-Bessemer.

     The engine has more recently been part of a private industrial engine collection in Wayne County, Ohio, and has frequently been displayed and operated at area engine shows. When it recently was offered for sale, several local collectors donated the funds to bring it back home to Mount Vernon.
  Considerable assistance with delivery and transportation was provided by Ed Buckland Excavating, while unloading and placement at the Historical Society Museum was handled by United Precast of Mount Vernon. The new unit will be ready for display later in 2015, located beside the Society's other smaller, 2-cylinder Reeves engine in the industrial exhibit area.