R.M. Wade & Co. was founded by Robert Morris Wade in 1865, fifteen years after he crossed the Oregon Trail as a teenager. In the midst of the California Gold rush in the year 1855, he arrived in California and set up a supply store in a gold mining camp. Following this, he moved to
Salem, Oregon and founded R.M. Wade & Co. The company primarily sold farming equipment and buggies to agricultural dealers in the state of Oregon. By 1888, it had branches in Tillamook, McMinnville, Salem, Corvallis, Independence, and Portland. Mr. Wade's son-in-law, Edward J. Newbegin (spouse of Susan Wade), became president in 1915. Under his leadership, the company produced the
Wade Drag Saw, the predecessor of the common
chainsaw, which was sold internationally for several decades. In 1927 R.M. Wade & Co. purchased Multnomah Iron Works, later to become R.M. Wade's subsidiary company,
Wade Rain. In 1929, upon the death of Edward J. Newbegin, his son Wade Newbegin became the President of the company, and remained so until 1991. During his time as president, the company distributed the Ford-Ferguson tractor throughout the Northwest, New Holland Farm Equipment, Howard Rotavators and Goulds pumps. During World War II, R.M. Wade & Co. focused primarily on manufacturing ship component parts, most notably for the Kaiser BB-3 Airplane Carrier as well as Kaiser ships and tugboats produced at
Kaiser shipyard in
Vancouver, Washington. In 1937, the company established the Wade Rain Division, one of original irrigation companies in the United States. Wade Rain is currently operated by Edward Newbegin, Wade Newbegin's son. == Recognition ==