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Linn History of Centre and Clinton Co, page 244
This firm, carrying on the Bellefonte Machine Shop, grew out of the firm of Todd & Duncan, who, in 1864, started a foundry and machine shop in buildings erected by Edward McGarvey in 1840 near the present Reynolds' mill, and successively occupied for the manufacture of machinery by James Harris, James D. McClanahan & Co., Welch & Leyden, George Welch, Hart & Ryan, Welch & Wilson, Haupt & Bro., Thomas & Harris, and Haupt & Co. In 1869, Todd & Duncan moved their works to the present location of William P. Duncan & Co., where many years before William and Harvey Mann had carried on an axe-factory. In 1871, William P. Duncan succeeded Todd & Duncan, and in 1875 he organized, with W. R. Jenkins and J. H. Lingle, the present firm of W. P. Duncan & Co. Mr. Jenkins has been a practical machinist in the works since 1866. The area used for business purposes covers about one and a half acres, upon which are a foundry, machine-shop, and blacksmith's shop. The machinery is operated by a twenty-five horsepower water-wheel. About thirty men are employed, and about four hundred tons of iron are used annually. The manufactures include stationary steam-engines, turbine water-wheels, ore-washing and mining machinery, square-stroke power-hammers, etc."
Bellefonte Through the Years staff
When Mr. Duncan retired J. Howard Lingle and William Jenkins conducted the foundry under the firm name of Jenkins & Lingle. At that time the foundry was located near the Crider planning mill, but later they moved to the old car shops. Their first successful venture was in equipping the plant of the Bellefonte Iron company with machinery which proved a marked success. During his career, Jenkins had many inventions, possibly the most prominent of which was a power hammer which was widely adopted and universally known among iron manufacturers. The continuous rolling mill was also one of his inventions. Others inventions were a water wheel, low water alarm, coal oil burner, rake, hoe, clevis and ice creeper, etc. Upon the retirement of William Jenkins in 1902, Lingle continued the business under the firm name of the Lingle Foundry and Machine company. For a number of years he supplied large orders of castings to the Pennsylvania railroad company.
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