Two young men, fresh out of business college, launch a company. It is a story full of promise – but for the Schmidt brothers – Bernard (“Ben”) and Franz – of Davenport, Iowa, it is also a story of tragedy. Ben Schmidt was 29 and his brother Franz just 22 when, in 1898, the two purchased a portion of the Voss Bros. Mfg. facility in Davenport and established Schmidt Bros. Co. Each brother had completed a course of study at Davenport (Iowa) Business College.
Four years later, in 1902, the Schmidt brothers joined forces with Sam White to found White Lily Washer Co. Although established to build washing machines, by 1904 the company was making gasoline engines, including one- and two-cylinder, water-cooled marine engines, and a 2hp vertical air-cooled engine for stationary applications.
In 1909, the Schmidt brothers sold their interests in White Lily Washer Co., but retained the engine business. For a couple of months, the engines were advertised by another of the Schmidt brothers’ businesses, Davenport Ice Chipping Machine Co., but by September 1909, the company name was changed to Schmidt Bros. Co. Engine Works.
The engine offered was the upright air cooled model (withBros. soon added other engine offerings, including horizontal hopper-cooled engines in a variety of sizes and a smaller 1-1/2hp vertical air-cooled model specifically targeted for pump jack applications. The company also added a number of items for use on farms. The company advertised extensively and did a good business selling engines.
