Wisconsin Motor Corporation

The Wisconsin Motor Manufacturing Company was established in 1909. Initially located in North Milwaukee, it soon moved into a new facility in West Allis, Wisconsin where it would remain until the 1990s.

Wisconsin's early products included water cooled 4 and 6 cylinder engines for automobile, truck, marine and industrial use. Two of the company's early customers were the Stutz Automobile Company and FWD. In the 1930s the company would cease production of water cooled engines to focus on the manufacture of industrial air cooled engines.

Some early fire apparatus were powered by Wisconsin engines, and the later air cooled engines were often used to power fire equipment such as pumps, and generators.

The company exists today as Wisconsin Engines.

Company History
The company was founded by Charles H. John and Arthur F. Milbrath in 1909. Established in North Milwaukee, production quickly outgrew that location and a new factory was built in West Allis. Early customers included heavy equipment manufacturers Marion and Bucyrus-Erie, as well as automobile makers Kissel and Stutz. In 1912 Wisconsin signed a contract with Four Wheel Drive Company (FWD) providing engines for their Model B truck, this relationship would last until the 1930s.

During World War 1 Wisconsin's entire output providing  engines for military FWD trucks.

By the 1920s the automobile engine market was shrinking with many manufacturers making their own engines. Wisconsin responded by adding engines for railroad and marine use as well as continuing to provide industrial engines. During the 1920s the US Coast Guard ordered a number of patrol boats powered by Wisconsin's White cap marine engine.

The company struggled after the 1929 stock market crash. FWD was also having difficulties and in 1932 they ended the long association with Wisconsin Motors. In 1933 facing collapse the company reorganized as the Wisconsin Motor Corporation.

In 1930 Wisconsin introduced it's first air cooled engines. These first were small single cylinder engines providing 2 to 6 horsepower, but they were soon followed by larger engines of up to 4 cylinders. By the late 1930s sales of these aircooled engines had helped to revive the company, and it ceased production of all water cooled engines. Many of the engines introduced in the 1930s would remain in production into the 1980s.

Large sales of engines during the first years of WW2 helped the company erase its debts. In 1943 the Continental Motors Company became the majority share holder in Wisconsin Motors.

Wisconsin would remain an independent division within Continental through that company's later reorganizations. In the 1990s while a part of Teledyne-Continental, the West Allis facility was closed and production moved to Dyer, Tennessee.

In 2000 the Wisconsin Motors division was sold and became Wisconsin Engines. The company remains in Dyer, TN producing new engines as well as providing service and support for older engines.

During World War 2, Hercules would provide more than 750,000 engines to the U.S. military powering equipment such as generators and maintenance equipment to armored vehicles, trucks and small naval vessels. Military contracts would remain a major part of Hercules busines after the war, with as much as 85% of engine production going to the military in the later years of the company.

In 1958 Hercules acquired the Hall-Scott Motors Company, this acquisition provided them with larger truck engines than their current lineup possessed. It also provided them with a profitable parts and service market for Hall-Scott engines. In 1961 Hercules was acquired by the Hupp Corporation. In 1969 the Hupp Corporation was then acquired by White Trucks and Hercules operated as the White Trucks Engine Division. In 1976 the White Trucks Engine Division was sold becoming White Engines Inc. In 1987 White Engines Inc was sold and renamed Hercules Engines Inc. In 1999 Hercules Engines Inc ceased operations.