Identity area
Type of entity
Corporate body
Authorized form of name
Bain Machine Shop
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
1880-1947
History
The Bain Machine Shop was established in Hamilton in 1880 on the corner of Mary and Cannon Streets, by James Dickson Bain (1836-1909), who emigrated from Scotland. The company was originally known as Bain and Colville, advertising as general machinists and engine fitters. The shop produced mostly farm equipment such as tractors but was also well known for machinery repairs of gears, levers, frames and cylinders on many different types of machines, as well as materials including iron and steel. The machine shop was favourably known in the city for its superiority of workmanship and the ability to repair machines back to their original state at low cost. In 1901, the company name changed to James Bain & Sons. Thomas Bain (1866-1950), the eldest son of James, became the manager of the company and remained in this position until the company went out of family hands around 1947. It is unclear if the name officially changed again after Thomas took over, but future references to the business were in the name of Bain Machine Shop.
Places
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Legal status
Functions, occupations and activities
Manufacturing and machinery repair
Mandates/sources of authority
Internal structures/genealogy
General context
Relationships area
Access points area
Subject access points
Place access points
Occupations
Control area
Authority record identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation, revision and deletion
Language(s)
Script(s)
Sources
Bain Machine Shop Scrapbook – Library Call Number: 728.09713521 BAI
Houghton, Margaret. Bain Machine Shop Finding Aid. (date unknown). Local History & Archives Department, Hamilton Public Library.
“James Bain & Son.” Hamilton Herald. December 19, 1908.
“New Machinery Firm.” Hamilton Spectator. June 12, 1884.