springfieldunion. wason manufacturing company

return home

The Wason Manufacturing Co. was started by brothers Thomas and Charles Wason in 1845. By 1906, Wason became a subsidiary of J.G. Brill and was renamed Brill of Massachusetts. When the streetcar industry slowed down, Wason expanded manufacturing to automobiles, buses, airplane parts, motorboats, and portable gas stations. In the late 1920s, Wason added roadside diners to the list of products! The company didn’t survive the depression and closed in 1932.

Read a short article announcing the completion of sale of Wason to Brill.
- March 29, 1907, New York Times.

An interesting note with the builder’s photos at Wason, the tower that is visible in the background is the company’s office building.

There are 32 preserved Wason streetcars and rapid transit vehicles.

return home