Great Western Manufacturing and Great Western Stove Companies

Great Western Foundry, later renamed Great Western Manufacturing, was established in Leavenworth in 1858. The company made steam engines, parts for steamboats, milling equipment, and wood and coal burning stoves.

The demand for stoves became so great that the company needed to expand, and the Great Western Stove division was created in 1875. The two companies’ buildings occupied two city blocks in Leavenworth. By 1880, Great Western Stove was producing 25,000 stoves per year and shipping them to customers in Kansas, Missouri, Colorado, Nebraska, and Iowa.

Demand for stoves slowed during the 1930s, and the Great Western Stove division was eventually shut down. Great Western Manufacturing still exists today, making it the oldest operating manufacturing firm in the state of Kansas.

Photographs of the Great Western Manufacturing and Great Western Stove Companies

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Great Western Stove Company sales catalogs, 1879 and 1909

The catalogs contain details about and illustrations of a diverse range of kitchen and heating stoves available for purchase. The company also sold a variety of pots, pans, and related homewares. The catalogs do not include any price information.