McNab & Harlin Mfg. Co. - NYC Dresser Industries - Bradford, PA. M&H Valve & Fitting Co. - Anniston, Alabama M&H Valve & Fitting Co. was founded in New York City as McNab & Harlin Mfg. Co. M&H, as it would become known, had both a brass and a iron foundry on the premises of their factories in Paterson, NJ, as seen in this engraving from the 1854 McNab & Harlin catalog. They produced brass cocks, valves, and "other plumber's materials" and in the 1850s the company sold flip lid style fire hydrants, manufactured by Metropolitan Brass & Iron, from their warehouses in New York City. They also sold a no-name post hydrant similar to the National. In the 1920s M&H Valve relocated to Anniston, Alabama. It was not much longer before M&H Valve began manufacturing their own line of fire hydrants. The company has gone through change of ownerships including Walworth Valve, Dresser Industries, and now McWane International Inc. Dresser industries was founded as S.R. Dresser & Co. by Solomon Dresser ca. 1880. Mr. Dresser was an inventor involved in various roles with the oil and natural gas fields in and around Bradford, Pennsylvania. His first product was the Dresser Cap Packer patented in 1880. Over the years Dresser Industries was built via acquisitions: Shaw cranes, Robin conveyors, Roots blowers, Clark engines, Wayne pumps, Marion cranes --- all and more became parts of Dresser Industries. In November of 1961 Dresser Industries purchased M&H Valve & Fittings for 6 million dollars from the Walworth company. Dresser ownership of M&H would continue until October of 1984. Patents were held by Dresser for the designs of the model 300 & 500 fire hydrants. The Dresser 500 is still produced as a New York City spec model by various companies. During the period of Dresser ownership some of the hydrants produced in Anniston had both company names/logos cast onto the barrels. Others had just "Dresser / Anniston, AL". See Dresser Industries advertisement from the 1960s All known models of M&H, Dresser/M&H, and Dresser hydrants are shown on these pages. |
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This hydrant is currently somewhat of a mystery to us at FireHydrant.org. It has no barrel markings but the
top of the bonnet rim is marked "M&H Mfg. Co.
Waterford, N.Y. 1882 Bailey's Patent 1870". Our judgment is that it was made for McNab & Harlin
Mfg. Co. private label by someone else.
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2058 Nozzles: 2x 2½" Size: ~4" V.O. Dated: 1882 Closeups: bonnet top, shoe Location: Colorado Photo: © 2003, Todd Grose |
We believe the first M&H manufactured hydrants to be the Model 29. The model
number 29 does not appear on these hydrants.
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0897 Nozzles: 2x 2½" Size: 4½" V.O. Dated: 1941 Location: John A. collection Photo: © 2001, J. Anderson |
0896 Nozzles: 2x 2½", 1x 4½" Size: 4½" V.O. Dated: 1946 Location: John A. collection Photo: © 2001, J. Anderson |
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0907 M&H Nozzles: 2x 2½" Size: 4½" V.O. Dated: 1958 Location: John A. collection Photo: © 2001, J. Anderson |
2146 M&H/Dresser Nozzles: 2x 2½" Size: 4½" V.O. Dated: 1974 (See top view) Location: John A. collection Photo: © 2004, J. Anderson |
2025 ?? Nozzles: 2x 2½", gated Size: 4½" V.O. Dated: 1970 Location: Santa Cruz, CA Photo: © 2003, Steve Parmley |
1283 M&H Nozzles: 2x 2½" Size: ~5¼" V.O. Dated: 1954 Location: Ed M. collection Photo: © 2001, Ed Masminster |
0346 M&H Nozzles: 2x 2½", 1x 4½" Size: 5¼" V.O. Dated: 1960 Location: John A. collection Photo: © 2001, J. Anderson |
2465 M&H Nozzles: 3x 2½" Size: 5¼" V.O. Dated: 1957 Location: Massachusetts Photo courtesy Jeff Kaminski |
0037 ?? Nozzles: 2x 2½" Size: ~6¼" V.O. Dated: 1963 Location: Prairie du Chien, WI Photo: © 1999, Jim Quist |
0690 ?? Nozzles: 2x 2½", 1x 4½" Size: 6¼" V.O. Dated: 1967 Note: Memphis spec Location: Memphis, TN Photo: © 1999, E. Kennedy |
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1960's company literature refers to Model 29 hydrants; but current literature shows an identical
looking hydrant called a Style 129 hydrant. And later hydrants have a 129 model number cast onto
barrel, e.g. see #1338 rear view below.
First, those with no gussets: |
1123 M&H Nozzles: 2x 2½" Note: no cast chain loops Size: ~4½" VO, no gussets Dated: 1954 Location: Eugene N. collection Photo: © 2003, E. Newbry |
1856 M&H Nozzles: 2x 2½" Size: ~4½" VO, no gussets Dated: 1954 Location: John A. collection Photo: © 2001, J. Anderson |
0032 ?? Nozzles: 2x 2½", 1x ~5" Size: ~4½" VO, no gussets Dated: ? Location: Stanton, VA Photo: © 2000, E. Kennedy |
2254 M&H Nozzles: 2x 2½" Size: ~5¼" VO, no gussets Dated: 1955 Location: Jack S. collection |
1064 M&H Nozzles: 3x 2½" Size: ~5¼" VO, no gussets Dated: 1970 Location: Massachusetts Photo: © 2001, J. Kaminski |
1795 M&H Nozzles: 2x 2½", 1x 4½" Size: 5¼" VO, no gussets Dated: 1960 Location: Eugene N. collection Photo: © 2002, E. Newbry |
Next, those with 4 gussets: |
1420 M&H / Dresser Nozzles: 2x 2½" Size: 4½" VO, 4 gussets Dated: 1979, (rear view) Location: Morrison, IL Photo: © 2001, J. Anderson |
0259 M&H / Dresser Nozzles: 2x 2½", 1x ~5" Size: ~4½" VO, 4 gussets Dated: 1980 Location: Harrisonburg, VA Photo: © E. Kennedy |
1284 M&H / Dresser Nozzles: 2x 2½", 1x 4½" Size: ~5¼" VO, 4 gussets Dated: 1975 Location: Ed M. collection Photo: © 2001, Ed Masminster |
Next, those with 2 gussets: |
1338 M&H Nozzles: 2x 2½", 1x 4½" Note: no cast chain loops Size: 5¼" VO, 2 gussets Dated: 1985, (rear view) Location: John A. collection Photo: © 2001, J. Anderson |
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This model was designed as a direct competitor of the Clow Medallion. A production run of less than 5000 hydrants was made. They were made in both 4½" and 5¼" main valve opening sizes. |
0790 M&H Nozzles: 1x ~4" Size: 5¼" V.O. Dated: ? Note: Kansas City Spec Location: Kansas City, MO Photo: © 2001, M. Dieckman |
1855 M&H Nozzles: 2x 2½", 1x 4½" Size: 5¼" V.O. Dated: 1995 Location: John A. collection Photo: J. Anderson |
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This yard hydrant, called the Style 33 in company literature, has a close family resemblance
to the full height Model 29 hydrant.
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1388 (neither) Nozzle: 1x 1½" Size: ~2¼" V.O., 1970 Location: Jack S. collection Photo: © 2001, J. Anderson |
1897 ?? Nozzle: 1x 2½" Size: ~2¼" V.O. Location: Bill H. collection Photo: © 2003, B. Houston |
2373 M&H Nozzle: 2x 1½" Size: ~2¼" V.O., 1997 Location: Jeff K. collection Photo: © 2006, J. Kaminski |
1436 M&H / Dresser Nozzle: 2x 1½" Size: ~2¼" V.O., 1974 Location: Jeff K. collection Photo: © 2001, J. Kaminski |
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