Singer Sewing Machines

Update: The plant was served by the New Jersey, Indiana and Illinois Railroad, which was bought by the Wabash in 1926.

Rock Island Arsenal Museum posted
The Museum collection includes a 1924 Singer sewing machine that was used for production in the early-20th century.

My sister has my aunt's Singer sewing machine that was built in 1967. It is very heavy because it is made with metal --- no plastic.



Then my Mom remembered that she had the machine of another aunt in her sewing cabinet which she uses as a desk

This machine was bought soon after World War II when metal could be used for domestic purposes again. She thought it was in 1947, but according to the copyrights in the instruction manual, it was 1950. The copyrights were 1915, 20, 21, 23, 24, 26, 28, 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 40, 41, 47, and 50. You can clearly see that Singer quit making sewing machines during World War II.

It came with quite a few accessories. My wife enjoyed reading the instructions for the accessories because it reminded her what was in fashion after the war.

And then the day after I discovered these two machines, I came across a reference to NJI&I. This is a railroad built by Singer to serve the industries by their plant in South Bend, IN in 1905. It stood for New Jersey, Indiana and Illinois Railroad, the three states in which Singer had plants. (The plant in New Jersey was at Elizabethport.) Singer built a plant in South Bend in 1868 because Studebaker had established the town as a manufacturing center and because it was surrounded by oak and walnut hardwood trees. This plant made their cabinets. By 1905 it was producing 10,000 cabinets per day. During World War II "Singer was contracted to make wooden airplane parts, ammunition crates, and wooden buoys. Whatever could be made from wood instead of aluminum, which was in short supply, was crafted in factories like Singer. By 1944 the plant even built more than 500 gas tanks for the war effort.... After the war, Singer could not cope with union demands or competition from the growing consumer market. In short, more women were buying their clothes than making them." (SubStreet)

Before diving deeper into Singer, I note an even earlier sewing machine:

Historic Photographs posted
Buckeye sewing machine from 1867.

Monon

James Holzmeier posted Singer History

Update: James' comment:

This has some photos & description of the New Jersey, Indiana & Illinois (NJI&I) railroad roundhouse in South Bend, Indiana. The NJI&I was a Wabash RR subsidiary serving primarily the Singer Mfg. Co. in South Bend.

Jason Gordan shared

This would be back when a sewing machine was its own piece of furniture and before electric motors were used. This treadle pedal allowed one to use your feet to power the machine. The picture below provides more context. The flywheel on the side would help a lot.

Eric Zerkle comment on the posting

John F. Metzger shared
[A view of a treadle machine cabinet from the back. This illustrates why Singer opened a plant in South Bend to make cabinets from hardwoods.]

Steve OConnor posted seven photos with the comment: "First time I ever saw a treadle sewing machine thrown to the curb for garbage pickup. Serial number says it was made July 10, 1919. Patty finally has her Singer treadle sewing machine she always wanted."

1

2

3

4
Therese Ryan-Haas Sure looks to be a Red Eye!Therese Ryan-Haas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJSwBmjNEQA

5
Therese Ryan-Haas Show Patty Clayton O'Connor this lol https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foDLRYvfL-0...

6

7

Connor Marie posted
One of my favorite abandoned homes. It’s two hours south of dekalb county.
Mary Ann Kaylor That Singer machine is an antique.
Lisa Druien I like that it's still threaded - like someone just got up to do something and was coming right back.
Fern Whitley Theres even a thimble on the sewing machine.
Christine June Renee Wills That's an old Singer. Great grams had one restored.
Beth Ahrens My grandma had a Singer sewing machine just like that.
Pa Barker My mom had a sewing machine exactly like that.
Kathy Morey Pa Barker I made my maternity clothes in the 70’s on a machine just like that!
Theresa Leek I learned how to sew on my mom's identical machine.
Thomas Sanders Use to watch my mom sew on a machine like that. She kept it in excellent condition even for some years after getting an electric one. She preferred the manual for some things.
Michele Brown My dad has one in the basement of our house I sold it for $400.
Fern Whitley Michele Brown wow most people get hardly anything for them!!! You did good.
Rhonda Compton-Flannigan I would love to have that sewing machine. I learned to sew on one like it and I still prefer to use them. They were a much better made machine.
[The machine is still treadle powered. (My grandma had one that was converted to electricity.) Note that the buttons were stored in a frying pan. That spreads them out so that it is easier to find a particular type.]