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From small shops to major manufacturers, these businesses helped shape Sandwich’s growth, industry, and everyday life.

• Testimonials from the Corn Belt, 1896
  Farmers from Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, and even New Zealand wrote to Sandwich Manufacturing Company praising the performance of its shellers in 1896, offering a rare firsthand look at how these machines worked in the field.
• “Still Ahead”: How Sandwich Marketed Its Machines
  The 1896 Sandwich Manufacturing Company catalog reveals how the company marketed its famous shellers through branding, testimonials, reputation, and warnings about inferior imitation machines.
• The “Samson” Horse Powers
  Before tractors transformed agriculture, Sandwich Manufacturing Company’s massive “Samson” horse powers used teams of horses and giant gears to run shellers, elevators, and other farm machinery across the Midwest.
• A Day in the Cornfield, 1896
  The 1896 Sandwich Manufacturing Company catalog captures the busy world of horse-powered corn shelling, where teams of horses, giant machines, and long harvest days transformed Midwestern farmyards into temporary industrial worksites.
• What Did a Corn Sheller Cost in 1896?
  The 1896 Sandwich Manufacturing Company catalog reveals what shellers, horse powers, elevators, and mounted farm rigs actually cost during the age of horse-powered agriculture.
• Sandwich Manufacturing Company Sheller Catalog, 1896
  The 1896 Sheller Catalog captures the Sandwich Manufacturing Company at its peak, featuring machines of every scale, from hand shellers to horse powered rigs, along with testimonials that highlight their performance across the agricultural world.
• A. Adams & Sons (1856–1867)
  Founded in 1856, A. Adams & Sons was the original partnership that established manufacturing in Sandwich, Illinois, and laid the foundation for the Sandwich Manufacturing Company.
• The Second SMC Picnic (1915)
  In 1915, the Sandwich Manufacturing Company picnic expanded into a large, well-organized event, with transportation, music, and competition—reflecting a growing tradition that connected workers, families, and the wider community.
• The First SMC Picnic (1914)
  The first Sandwich Manufacturing Company picnic in 1914 brought employees, families, and local businesses together at the fairgrounds for a day of games, prizes, and community—offering a rare glimpse into life beyond the factory.
• The Businesses of the Opera House Program (1901)
  A snapshot of Sandwich’s business community in 1901, revealing the shops, services, and local enterprises that supported everyday life at the turn of the century.
• The James Knights Company / CTS Knights
  From a small battery service on Wells Street to a nationally recognized manufacturer, this story traces the growth of a Sandwich industry that helped power modern electronics.
• Wallace Brothers
  Merchants, builders, and businessmen, the Wallace brothers played a central role in shaping Sandwich’s commercial landscape during a period of rapid growth in the late 19th century.
• Businesses of the Wallace Block
  Located at a prominent downtown corner, the Wallace Block housed a rotating mix of businesses that reflect the changing commercial life of Sandwich across generations.
• Marseilles Manufacturing Company
  An important extension of Sandwich’s industrial legacy, this company represents the continued innovation and manufacturing strength rooted in the community’s earlier success.
• Sandwich Manufacturing Company
  For decades, this major factory stood at the heart of Sandwich’s economy, producing farm machinery and employing hundreds while shaping the town’s identity as an industrial center.