{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2020}} '''National Sewing Machine Company''' was a Belvidere, Illinois-based manufacturer founded in the late 19th century,<ref name=best1/> operating until 1957. The company manufactured sewing machines, washing machines, bicycles, an automobile, home workshop machinery, and cast-iron toys and novelties (under the '''Vindex Toy Company''' label).<ref name=vossler>[http://www.farmcollector.com/Toys/Vindex-Toys.aspx Vindex Toys], Bill Vossler, FarmCollector.com, 1 March 2001</ref>

==History== thumb|right|150px|Barnabas Eldredge (1843–1911)

'''Barnabas Eldredge''' was an industrialist connected with the Ames Manufacturing Company of Chicopee, Massachusetts, a firearms manufacturer that also produced sewing machines with Eldredge. Ames sold off its sewing machine dies and equipment to Eldredge, who went to Chicago. There he joined forces with the existing '''June Manufacturing Company''', founded in 1879 by '''F. T. June''', which already produced the "'''Jennie June'''" sewing machine, which was then eventually replaced by a better model designed by Eldredge. Eldredge took over the company in 1890 on the death of June, renaming it National Sewing Machine.<ref name=ismacs/>

Eldredge led the company until his death in 1911. He was succeeded by David Patton.<ref name=ismacs/> Harold D. Neff headed up the Vindex toy division between 1916 and 1951; Vindex was the name of a product line of National's washing machines.<ref name=vossler/> National Sewing Machine Company and ''Farm Mechanics'' magazine partnered up, with the magazine offering Vindex toys as incentives to children to sell magazine subscriptions.<ref name=vossler/>

In 1953 National merged with the Free Sewing Machine Company but was unable to compete with the imported Japanese sewing machine models and the National Sewing Machine Company closed in 1957<ref name=best1>[http://www.sewmuse.co.uk/national.htm National Sewing Machine Company], David Best, SewMuse, 2020)</ref>

==Products== thumb|250px|National Sewing Machine Company's "Happy Day" washing machine, circa 1910 * Sewing machines * Washing machines * Bicycles<ref name=vossler/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Bicycle Brands |author= |website=The Wheelmen |date=17 November 2019 |url= http://www.thewheelmen.org/sections/bicyclebrands/bicycle-brands-companies.php}}</ref> * Eldredge (automobile) * Cast-iron scale models ** Cars from Oldsmobile and Pontiac ** Harley-Davidson motorcycles ** A power shovel ** Farm machinery from John Deere, Case, and Van Brunt ** Horse-drawn wagons * Book-ends * Table lamps * Dog door stops * Banks (dog and owl) * Cigarette lighters (bulldog) * Home workshop machinery * Vises<ref name=ismacs>[http://www.ismacs.net/national/from_eldredge_to_national_to_janome.html From Eldredge to National to Janome], Graham Forsdyke, ''ISMACS News'' (International Sewing Machine Collectors' Society), Issue 55, April 1997 (retrieved 11 February 2012)</ref> * Food grinders<ref name=ismacs/>

==See also== * List of sewing machine brands

==References== {{Reflist|2}}

{{Sewing}}

Category:Belvidere, Illinois Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1879 Category:Manufacturing companies disestablished in 1957 Category:Sewing machine brands Category:Toy companies of the United States Category:1879 establishments in Illinois Category:1957 disestablishments in Illinois Category:Defunct manufacturing companies based in Illinois

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