Vulcan Iron Works started out as a foundry, and from that evolved into a company primarily manufacturing pile driving equipment. Yet throughout its history it engaged in the manufacture of a wide variety of products, as the Special Products Division is evidence of. Sometimes things didn't go according to plan with these "special products," and … Continue reading Caldwell Steam Snow Plow
Vulcan's impetus towards pile driving equipment was driven in part by the involvement of the Warrington family in the marine field, both construction and ship building/operation. That commercialisation wasn't restricted to the pile driving equipment; before World War I, Vulcan was an active builder of dredging equipment, which combined its machinery design and manufacturing capabilities … Continue reading Vulcan and Dredges
For the first half century or so of its existence, Vulcan was a diversified company with several markets related to public and civil works. One of those was bridges, both road and railroad. Today it is customary to build bridges fixed as high as the navigation (or lack thereof) requires. But the combination of expense … Continue reading Vulcan and Bridges
Henry Warrington (1817-1904), Founder of Vulcan Iron Works Henry Warrington was originally from Manchester, England, and immigrated to the U.S. in 1842. He came to Chicago and worked as the shop foreman in the boiler shop of James W. Cobbs, whose plant was located at Canal and Kinzie Streets. In 1852, he founded what ultimately … Continue reading The Beginnings of Vulcan
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