Adams Company

The Adams Company is an American manufacturing concern founded in Dubuque, Iowa, in 1883. Its roots were in Roberts & Langworthy Iron Works, a local producer of light castings such as grave crosses and park benches. Eugene Adams invested in the business in June 1883, became secretary and manager, and helped establish the Langworthy and Adams Iron Works name in 1885. After Langworthy retired in 1892, Eugene's brother Herbert acquired Langworthy's interest and the enterprise was reorganized as The Adams Company, operating as a foundry and machine shop. A major fire destroyed the original plant that same year, after which the company established new facilities on East Fourth Street. The business expanded beyond general castings into household and industrial products. Its output included laundry stoves, machine castings, gears, shafts, and other mechanical components. One notable product was a patented floor-heating vent with a rotating internal section designed to distribute warm air to rooms on upper floors. In 1895 Fay Oliver Farwell became the company's manager. Farwell subsequently directed the company's most distinctive venture: the development of a motor vehicle powered by a horizontally mounted rotary engine. Farwell's three-cylinder rotary engine used a vertical crankshaft and an air-cooled arrangement. Rather than relying on a separate flywheel, the rotating crankcase and cylinders supplied the engine's rotational momentum. The first prototype was completed in 1898 and placed the engine between the front wheels of a carriage-like vehicle. This layout proved impractical, so the second experimental car moved the engine to the rear, a configuration retained by subsequent Adams-Farwell automobiles. Early prototypes evolved from bicycle wheels to wooden artillery wheels before the company displayed car number 5 at the Chicago Auto Show in February 1905 and began taking orders. Automobile production remained small, specialized, and technically ambitious. The initial production Model 6 used a 20/25-horsepower rotary engine. For 1906, the range was reorganized as the Series 6, including a larger five-cylinder, 40/45-horsepower rotary engine and several body styles. Later offerings included the Model 7-A touring car, an Extension Brougham, and the Model 8-A Gentleman's Speed Roadster. The roadster used a short chassis and was claimed to reach approximately 75 miles per hour, while its chassisless construction anticipated later ideas associated with unitized bodies. The 1908 Model 9 introduced a four-speed transmission, an unusual design for an era when three-speed gearboxes were more common. It also replaced tiller steering with a wheel and used a movable steering-column and pedal arrangement that allowed the driver to sit on the left, right, or center. Adams-Farwell vehicles were also distinguished by unusual driver accommodations, including a retractable front bench that could serve as a weather shield and mechanisms that allowed the driving controls to be repositioned. Automobile manufacture continued until approximately 1912, with some references extending the date to 1913. Total production was only about 200 cars, generally around 25 per year, although output reportedly reached roughly 52 to 54 vehicles in 1910. Several cars were used by the Dubuque Police Department. Only one Adams-Farwell automobile is known to survive: a Series 6 40/45-horsepower Touring Victoria held by the National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada. It received the Charles A. Chayne Trophy at the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. After automobile production ended, the Adams Company continued developing and supplying engines and mechanical components. Its light gyrocopter engines powered experimental aircraft associated with Emile Berliner and J. Newton Williams around 1909–1910. Fay Oliver Farwell left the company in 1921. The company subsequently relied on its foundry and industrial machining capabilities, particularly the manufacture of gears, shafts, and power-transmission parts. As of the supplied reference material, the closely held company remains active as a custom manufacturer of industrial gears and shafts.

The Adams Company began in 1883 when Eugene Adams invested in Roberts & Langworthy Iron Works in Dubuque, Iowa. The business produced light castings and was renamed Langworthy and Adams Iron Works in 1885. In 1892, after Langworthy's retirement, Eugene's brother Herbert joined the ownership structure and the business became The Adams Company, a foundry and machine shop. A destructive fire led to the construction of new facilities on East Fourth Street. The reorganized company broadened its work to include machine castings, laundry stoves, heating devices, and other mechanical products. In 1895, Fay Oliver Farwell became manager. He began developing a gasoline automobile using a horizontally mounted rotary engine with three cylinders. The engine was air-cooled, used a vertical crankshaft, and relied on the rotating engine mass rather than a separate flywheel. A first prototype appeared in 1898 with the engine between the front wheels, but the design was soon moved to the rear, where it remained in later Adams-Farwell cars. The company displayed its fifth experimental vehicle at the Chicago Auto Show in February 1905 and subsequently offered the Model 6 in limited production. Its automobiles were unusual both mechanically and ergonomically. The vehicles used rear-mounted rotary engines, special driver-control arrangements, and a retractable front bench. The 1906 Series 6 added a five-cylinder 40/45-horsepower rotary engine, while the Model 7-A, Extension Brougham, and Model 8-A expanded the body and chassis range. The Model 8-A Gentleman's Speed Roadster used a short, chassisless construction and was exceptionally quick for its time. In 1908, the Model 9 introduced a four-speed transmission and more conventional wheel steering. Its controls could be shifted laterally, allowing the driver to sit on either side or in the center. The automobile line was simplified after 1906 and remained a low-volume operation. Production ended around 1912, or possibly 1913 according to differing references, after approximately 200 vehicles had been built. A small number were used by the Dubuque Police Department. The company also manufactured light engines for experimental aircraft. Adams engines were associated with flying-machine experiments by Emile Berliner and J. Newton Williams in 1909 and 1910. Farwell departed in 1921 and later pursued a merry-go-round transmission patent and gear-cutting work. The Adams Company eventually concentrated on foundry work and industrial transmission components. The supplied reference describes it as an active, closely held custom manufacturer of gears and shafts as of March 2026.

• 2011

  Surviving car wins Pebble Beach technology trophy

  [1]Adams Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The only known surviving Adams-Farwell received the Charles A. Chayne Trophy at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

• 1912

  Automobile production ends

  [1]Adams Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Adams-Farwell automobile manufacture ended after roughly 200 cars, although some sources place the end in 1913.

• 1908

  Model 9 introduces four-speed transmission

  [1]Adams Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The Model 9 added a four-speed transmission, wheel steering, accelerator pedal, and movable driving controls.

• 1906

  Series 6 and larger rotary engine introduced

  [1]Adams Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The range gained a five-cylinder 40/45-horsepower engine and several new body styles.

• 1905

  Adams-Farwell enters limited automobile production

  [1]Adams Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Car number 5 appeared at the Chicago Auto Show, followed by orders and production of the Model 6.

• 1898

  First Adams-Farwell automobile prototype completed

  [1]Adams Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Farwell completed the first prototype powered by a horizontally mounted rotary engine.

• 1895

  Fay Oliver Farwell becomes manager

  [1]Adams Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Farwell assumed management and began pursuing automotive engineering projects.

• 1892

  The Adams Company is reorganized

  [1]Adams Companyen.wikipedia.org

  After Langworthy retired, Herbert Adams acquired his share and the firm became The Adams Company.

• 1885

  Business renamed Langworthy and Adams Iron Works

  [1]Adams Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The enterprise adopted a new name following Adams's investment and management role.

• 1883

  Eugene Adams joins the iron works

  [1]Adams Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Eugene Adams invested in Roberts & Langworthy Iron Works and became its secretary and manager.

A small, technically inventive American manufacturer whose historical identity is associated with unconventional rotary-engine automobiles and whose continuing business is custom industrial gear and shaft production.

• Automobile · 1905

  Adams-Farwell Model 6

  The first limited-production Adams-Farwell automobile, derived from the company's early prototypes and powered by a rear-mounted rotary engine rated at approximately 20/25 horsepower. Its unusual layout, air cooling, and driver arrangement reflected Fay Oliver Farwell's effort to reduce mechanical weight and provide a practical all-season vehicle.

• Automobile · 1906

  Adams-Farwell Series 6

  The 1906 evolution of the Model 6 added a larger five-cylinder rotary engine rated at 40/45 horsepower. It was offered with bodies including a Landaulet and touring configuration, while retaining the rear-mounted engine and distinctive movable or retractable driving arrangements.

• Automobile · 1906

  Adams-Farwell Model 7-A

  A larger touring model using the 40/45-horsepower rotary engine. Its extended wheelbase and seven-passenger layout represented the company's move toward more conventional touring-car utility while preserving the rear-engine architecture and unusual steering system.

• Automobile · 1906

  Adams-Farwell Model 8-A Gentleman's Speed Roadster

  A short-wheelbase performance car with the larger rotary engine. Its construction omitted a separate conventional chassis, an approach resembling later unitized-body concepts, and its period performance was reported at approximately 75 miles per hour.

• Automobile · 1908

  Adams-Farwell Model 9

  Introduced in 1908, the Model 9 used a 50-horsepower engine and an unusual four-speed transmission operated through linked clutch controls. It also adopted wheel steering and a repositionable steering column and pedal assembly, allowing left-hand, right-hand, or central driving positions.

• Engine · 1909

  Adams rotary and gyrocopter engines

  The company produced rotary engines for its automobiles and light engines used in experimental aviation. Adams engines were associated with flying-machine experiments conducted by Emile Berliner and J. Newton Williams around 1909–1910.

• Industrial components

  Industrial gears and shafts

  After automobile production ceased, the company concentrated on foundry and machining work, including custom gears, shafts, and components for power-transmission systems. This industrial manufacturing activity is described as the company's continuing business.

• 1912

  Withdrawal from automobile productionStrategy

  Background

  The company operated at very low volume, with total Adams-Farwell production estimated at about 200 vehicles.

  Action taken

  The Adams Company ended automobile manufacture and returned its emphasis to industrial manufacturing and mechanical components.

  Aftermath

  The company continued with foundry, gear, shaft, and transmission-related work, while the Adams-Farwell became a collectible example of early American automotive engineering.

  Source

• 1908

  Introduction of the Model 9Generation change

  Background

  The company needed to update its controls and transmission while retaining the distinctive rotary-engine layout.

  Action taken

  Adams-Farwell introduced a 50-horsepower Model 9 with four speeds, wheel steering, an accelerator pedal, and movable driver controls.

  Aftermath

  The Model 9 represented the final major technical development of the automobile line before production ended around 1912 or 1913.

  Source

• 1905

  Launch of the Adams-Farwell Model 6Product launch

  Background

  Following experimental cars and a public appearance at the Chicago Auto Show, the company sought to commercialize Farwell's rear-mounted rotary-engine design.

  Action taken

  Adams-Farwell began very limited production of the Model 6 with a 20/25-horsepower rotary engine.

  Aftermath

  The automobile became the company's best-known historical product, but production remained small and never developed into mass manufacture.

  Source

• 2011

  Adams-Farwell automobile receives Charles A. Chayne Trophy at Pebble Beach[1]Adams Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The surviving Adams-Farwell Series 6 Touring Victoria was invited to the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and received the Charles A. Chayne Trophy for advanced technology of its period.

1. 1Adams Companyen.wikipedia.org