The Maxwell began life in 1904, in the former Mobile Steamer factory in Tarrytown, New York. They built a handful of cars that first year. By 1905 business was booming, and through the first half of the year they had sold 542 cars.
In 1905, a second factory was needed to allow for greater production and a plant was leased in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. For 1906 yet more production capacity was needed so a factory was opened in Chicago. Production continued to increase and yet more production capacity was needed.
The factory at New Castle was to solve the space problems for Maxwell for a while. Construction began in early 1907 and on August 13, 1907 at precisely 8:55 AM, production began. The vehicles built at New Castle were the very popular 4-cylinder models. The plant was dedicated by the Vice-President of the United States, Charles W. Fairbanks on June 22, 1907, even though the facility was only half completed. When actually put into operation it was still lacking the roof in some areas.
Production of automobiles continued at the factory until 1911, when the plant was converted to a parts plant. In 1916 the Forge and Hammer Shop was erected to house large steam operated hammers. The plant made history as the home of the largest automotive forge plant in the country.
In 1909, Maxwell sponsored a historic national cross-country drive, the first such drive by a woman with a female mechanic; the drive is being replicated in 2009 in a re-created 1909 Maxwell.
On June 25, 1925, the New Castle plant became one of the original six plants of the new Chrysler Corporation. By 1934 there was a record setting 6,700 employees working at the New Castle plant. (I had the opportunity to speak with one of those employees, standing outside the plant, and he remembers building Maxwell parts as late as 1935. He had joined Chrysler in 1933.)
In the 1950s, New Castle produced over 150 separate parts for all Chrysler Corporations cars and trucks. There was no Chrysler car or truck built without parts from the New Castle plant. Among the parts produced there were Oriflow shocks, steering gears assemblies, tie rods, truck axles and front end assemblies, transmission parts, connecting rods, and many other items.
New Castle has kept changing as the Chrysler Corporation has changed, but the plant has soldiered on. In 1987, the plant became part of Accustar, Chrysler's new parts division, but returned to Chrysler in 1989. The plant remained within the Chrysler fold until 2002, when it became part of a joint venture with Metaldyne. The sale of the facility was completed last year.
What is amazing in all of this is that the original 1907 factory still stands (though sadly not for long). For all it has been in use for nearly a century it has remained in very original condition. You will notice the factory behind many of the cars in the accompanying photos.
The Maxwell centennial celebration at the New Castle plant began as a dream of one man, Paul Niles, five years ago. Celebrate the history of Maxwell, built in his hometown, by members of his family. Paul, his wife Rosemary, and others in his family worked in the New Castle, Indiana plant for more than combined 142 years. And the foundation on which Chrysler Corporation was built by Walter P. Chrysler in the 1920s.
Efforts were made to get as many Maxwells and their owners to come to New Castle as possible, and approximately 90 Maxwells were in attendance. About 750 Maxwells are known to exist today. As you will note from the photographs the majority of the cars present were from the era 1904 to 1915, though Maxwell production continued until 1925 when they became the basis for the four-cylinder Chrysler and later the first Plymouths.
We owe a large thank you to Paul for his vision, and to the many volunteers who made this event happen. It will never be repeated again.
