Pre War Gauge Manufacturer M.M.G. & E. Corp.

[Tom Devoe]

Anybody know anything about the M.M.G. & E. Corp.?  There's nothing on line about them, and I'm curious about where they were located and when they were in business.  Stewart Warner may have bought them out at some point, because I have two water temp gauges, both are nearly identical, but one built by SW, and one MMG&E.

[AzBob]

Found this online, apparently out of La Crosse, Wisconsin.

[Tom Devoe]

AzBob - thanks for the post.  It gave me the clue to find a little history about the MotoMeter Gauge and Equipment Corp.  Strangely, they didn't make motometer radiator caps.  For anyone interested, here's what I found:

 

The National Gauge and Equipment Company was an early and very successful local business associated with the automobile industry. Local entrepreneurs Philo Gelatt and Daniel McMillan purchased the Hans Motor Company in 1913, and changed the name to the National Gauge and Equipment Company and built a new factory on Gillett Street in 1914. As the name suggests, the business made gauges, heaters and instruments for the growing automobile industry. In 1926, Philo Gelatt bought out his partner, changed the business name to the Moto Meter Gauge and Equipment Company and by the late 1920s the company became the largest producer of automotive gauges in the US. In 1929, the company was acquired by Electric Auto Lite Company and by the early 1950s Electric Auto Lite was one of the largest employers in the city, accounting for 20% of all manufacturing jobs in La Crosse. Auto Lite closed its La Crosse operation in 1959. The building is currently used for commercial storage. --Footsteps of La Crosse.

 

So my MMGE gauge is from 1926 to 1929, and my SW gauge is from 1931.