Matheson (automobile)
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| Automobile Manufacturing | |
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1905 |
| Defunct | 1912 |
| Headquarters | Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States |
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Area served
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United States |
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Key people
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Charles Walter Matheson and Frank F. Matheson |
| Products |
Vehicles Automotive parts |
The Matheson was an American automobile manufactured from 1903 to 1912. The President of the company was Charles Walter Matheson, born Grand Rapids, Michigan, March 22, 1876. His brother, Frank F. Matheson served as company secretary.
The first production of the Matheson Motor Car Company was shipped from Grand Rapids in July, 1903.
In 1903, Matheson acquired the assets of the Holyoke Automobile Company, and relocated production to Holyoke, Massachusetts.
The business community in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was keen to attract and invest in manufacturing. In 1906, a new Matheson factory was opened in Forty Fort, Pennsylvania. Some 35 skilled employees transferred from the old works in Holyoke, Massachusetts. In the spring of 1913, heavily discounted cars were being sold off by the receiver.
In 1919, the Owen Magnetic Motor Car Company occupied the old Matheson works and in 1920 resumed production of the Owen Magnetic car.
The sprawling building that housed the manufacturing plant still exists, although heavily modified into a series of commercial business locations. The Matheson building is quite long, taking up more than a block of space on Welles Street in Forty Fort. The anchor business is Matheson Warehouse, an agent of North American Van Lines and operated by several generations of the Hinchey Family.
Recently, it was announced that funding for the Welles Street Gateway Project has been awarded as part of the proceeds from state profits garnered from the Mohegan Sun Casino in nearby Plains Township. The Welles Street Gateway Project was the brainchild of former Forty Fort Council President Andy Tuzinski and current Borough Engineer Chris Borton. This project will introduce a "Main Street" USA motif with retail shops, sidewalks and period lighting.
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