Case / Emerson-Brantingham Agricultural Implement Factory - Rockford, IL
The office building of the Emerson-Brantingham Manufacturing
This powerhouse of industry employed 5,000 from 1905, when the city’s population was 50,000, including elderly, women and children. The company manufactured carriage, wagons, plows, farm implements, and eventually evolved into J.I. Case Co.
The sprawling manufacturing facility encompassed a 24 building, 175-acre complex was the largest modern agricultural implement machinery facility in the world at the time.
A close neighboring company was lurking in the wings. J.I. Case out of Racine, Wisconsin watched closely as Emerson Brantingham fell further and further behind. Their particularly keen interest was in the plant and facilities and the 28 vital patents that Emerson Brantingham held.
Finally, in November 1928, the Emerson Brantingham Company fell to the hands of J. I. Case. For what it's worth, Emerson Brantingham was one of the last of over 800 implement companies to fall prey to the times.
J. I. Case continued to manufacture agricultural implements at its Rockford works until 1970 when they closed the aging manufacturing facility. Finding no buyers for the sprawling complex, Case donated the site and 1.4 million square feet of buildings to the City of Rockford for use as the City Yards. It was demolished between 2023 and 2024.
Case / Emerson-Brantingham Agricultural Implement Factory - Rockford, IL
The office building of the Emerson-Brantingham Manufacturing
This powerhouse of industry employed 5,000 from 1905, when the city’s population was 50,000, including elderly, women and children. The company manufactured carriage, wagons, plows, farm implements, and eventually evolved into J.I. Case Co.
The sprawling manufacturing facility encompassed a 24 building, 175-acre complex was the largest modern agricultural implement machinery facility in the world at the time.
A close neighboring company was lurking in the wings. J.I. Case out of Racine, Wisconsin watched closely as Emerson Brantingham fell further and further behind. Their particularly keen interest was in the plant and facilities and the 28 vital patents that Emerson Brantingham held.
Finally, in November 1928, the Emerson Brantingham Company fell to the hands of J. I. Case. For what it's worth, Emerson Brantingham was one of the last of over 800 implement companies to fall prey to the times.
J. I. Case continued to manufacture agricultural implements at its Rockford works until 1970 when they closed the aging manufacturing facility. Finding no buyers for the sprawling complex, Case donated the site and 1.4 million square feet of buildings to the City of Rockford for use as the City Yards. It was demolished between 2023 and 2024.