Hinkley Locomotive Works

Holmes Hinkley (1793-1866) was born in Hallowell, Maine and was a carpenter by trade until he moved to Boston and set up a small machine shop in 1823. Holmes and Daniel Franklin Child (1803-1876) founded the Boston Machine Works in Boston, Massachusetts in 1831. The company was one of the first to build a stationary steam engine in the state and later became one of the largest manufacturers of reliable steam locomotives in New England. Holmes is not credited with creating the design for the engine. He based his ordinary design on other schematics. The company reorganized in 1848 as the Boston Locomotive Works to reflect the shift in their manufacturing focus. During the panic of 1859, the company fell on hard times and shut down. Towards the end of the Civil War the company reorganized as the Hinkley and Williams Locomotive Works and produced railroads for the War effort. After the Civil War the company changed it's name again to the Hinkley Locomotive Works but declining orders for locomotives forced the company into bankruptcy and the manufacturer was sold to the West End Railroad Company, which eventually became the Boston Elevated Railroad Company. The Hinkley Locomotive Works property and buildings has been used by the Boston Elevated Railroad Company's electric power plant.

The Hinkley Locomotive Works was established sometime after the Civil War, however the company went through many changes over the course of the 19th century. The company was originally found as a small machine shop in 1823 by Holmes Hinkley (1793-1866). The machine shop operated for almost a decade until Hinkley and Daniel Franklin Child (1803-1876) founded the Boston Machine Works in Boston, Massachusetts in 1831. The Boston Machine Works was one of the first to build a stationary steam engine in Massachusetts and later became one of the largest manufacturers of reliable steam locomotives in New England. Holmes is not credited with creating the design for the engine as he based his ordinary design on other schematics. The company reorganized in 1848 as the Boston Locomotive Works to reflect the shift in their manufacturing focus. During the panic of 1859, the company fell on hard times and shut down. Towards the end of the Civil War the company reorganized as the Hinkley and Williams Locomotive Works and produced railroads for the War effort. After the Civil War the company changed its name again to the Hinkley Locomotive Works but declining orders for locomotives forced the company into bankruptcy and the manufacturer was sold to the West End Railroad Company in 1889, which later became the Boston Elevated Railroad Company. The Hinkley Locomotive Works property and buildings became the home of the Boston Elevated Railroad Company's electric power plant.