Walker Magnetics

1857

Oakley Smith Walker was born in South Rutland, New York on February 14, 1857. His father died of typhoid while fighting in the Civil War in 1864 and his uncle adopted him. He worked on a farm until he was 14 years old, then worked as a wood-turner in a feather duster factory. He saved $100 to buy "his liberty" from his uncle and became self-supporting. He served three years as a machinist’s apprentice while finishing high school, then worked for the Eames Vacuum Brake Company of Watertown, New York, before moving to England where he oversaw an experimental shop for testing railroad brakes. He then returned to the U.S. and worked in various machine shops in Indiana and Ohio before returning to New York to manufacture drill grinding machinery that he designed.

1883

At age 28, Oakley S. Walker received his first patent for a Ratchet Drill. This would be the first of many patents issued to Oakley Walker, founder of Walker Magnetics.

1887

At age 30, Oakley Walker arranged for some of his tools to be built in the Washburn Shops of Worchester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Mass.

He worked there for 3 years, designing and developing machinery, including a twist drill grinding machine known as the Worcester Twist Drill Grinder.

1890

In 1890 he worked for the Norton Emery Wheel Company as a designer, inventor, and master mechanic. 

The experiences that led up to this point allowed Walker to perfect his Worcester Twist Drill Grinder during his time working at the Washburn Shops of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in the 1890s. It was an extremely successful product in its time.

1896

A business is born! Finally, in 1896 he started the O.S. Walker Company which quickly outgrew its starter location and became an influential manufacturer and employer in the region.

After many years of designing and inventing machinery for other companies, Walker branched out on his own with little capital, but with a product that would earn him success and become the keystone of his new company—the magnetic chuck.

The magnetic chuck, invented by Oakley S. Walker over 125 years ago, is still the best workholding method for many industries. Though our product line has grown significantly since then, our focus remains the same—to provide our customers with reliable, durable, and long-lasting industrial magnets.

1906

Business was booming for Walker in the early twentieth century. The company was producing so many products and taking on new laborers to keep up with demands. They quickly outgrew their space and had to move their operations to a larger space.

The business was moved from the Washburn Shops to the Porter Last Factory; in 4 years had outgrown their two floors that they occupied.

1908

According to the accompanying article, this new type of surface grinder was "simple and rigid in design. The wearing surfaces are ample and the working parts are readily accessible...Manufacturers will find this grinder useful for surfacing small parts which ordinarily are done on planer, shaper or milling machine. By the surface grinding method cost can be reduced and quality of workmanship improved."

Read more about the Walker Grinder #3, including a detailed blueprint and description of how it worked at vintagemachinery.org

1909

Business continued to boom for the young Walker Grinder Co. at the start of the twentieth century. Oakley Walker and his team were consistently developing new products that helped manufacturers streamline their own processes. The Walker No. 2 1-2 Tool Room Grinder was one such machine. This version retained the best features of previous machines while improving upon other features.

Learn more about this tool at vintagemachinery.org

1910

As the company continued to thrive, they found that they needed more space to accommodate their operations. A new factory was built to give more space to the growing organization.

1914

Walker bought out his partner. He was not only the sole proprietor; he was also the president and treasurer of the newly incorporated company. His second-in-command, Isaac Williams, was the secretary and manager.

The business was incorporated as O.S. Walker Company.