GREENVILLE – Ohio-built gas Engines were one of the featured attractions at the 2024 Greenville Farm Power of the Past. Ohio produced some of the highest-quality gas engines.
One of the most unique gas engine designs was built in Greenville by the Wogaman Manufacturing Company. The company produced a “gearless” engine design that used a crossover cam instead of conventional timing gears.
“Wogaman gas engines were made right here in Greenville, Ohio,” said Mike Monnier, Power of the Past Director. “There are currently six of them on the grounds; there are seven that are privately owned that we know of, and six of the seven are here, and there is another engine that is at the Garst Museum. The eighth one, as far as we know, is down in Texas.”
Wogaman also built at least one four-stroke engine with timing gears, which is now displayed at Garst Museum. They also built a unique six-cycle engine for pumping water. This design allowed an extra crankshaft rotation before firing to allow air to be pulled into the cylinder for cooling.
Darke County was an early contributor to the gas engine business. John Lambert, a resident of Hillgrove, was an early inventor credited with several patents for improvements to gas engine ignition and governing. AH Tomas of Versailles went to Springfield, OH, and founded the Gearless Gas Engine Company.
