Celebrating 170 Years of Crane

This July 4th 2025 marks 170 years since R.T. Crane famously opened his one-man foundry in the United States and poured his first order and penned the resolution in 1855 that guides Crane Co to this day.

R.T. Crane’s first big break came only 1 month after starting his foundry. A representative of P.W. Gates and Co., a large manufacturer of freight cars, engines, and saw mills, brought some patterns of “car-boxes” for Crane to see. They asked whether he could make these metal containers that held the lubricating material to lessen axle friction on railroad cars. Due to the scarcity of copper in Chicago, Gate’s regular supplier was unable to fill these orders and Crane jumped on the opportunity. After securing a cask of copper from a smelter he happened to know in Detroit, he delivered his fine castings on schedule. A satisfied customer, P.W. Gates and Co. subsequently awarded ALL of its orders for car-boxes to the up-and-coming R.T. Crane Brass and Bell Foundry.

A key to Crane’s success from the very beginning was an unwavering commitment to listening to the voice of the customer and ensuring customer satisfaction.

Company anniversaries were festive occasions at Crane. One of the most notable was the Fiftieth Jubilee Celebration on July 6, 1905. R.T. Crane reserved sixteen special trains to carry the employees from Chicago’s Northwestern Station to Northwestern Park in Des Plaines, where the above photographed Jubilee picnic was held.

Crane Fluid Systems is a leading brand of Crane Building Services & Utilities which forms part of the Process Flow Technologies group, a division of the parent company Crane Co.