Question over on SO

[34bears]

A guy posted this on SO. I thought there'd be a better chance for info here.

I'm doing some research, looking for a source for the term "gandy dancer" (as presented in the Gandy Dancer article on Wikipedia):

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gandy_dancer

It may be true, or it may be an urban legend that the term Gandy Dancer came from Gandy shovels, which allegedly were made by the Gandy Shovel Company (or alternately, the Gandy Manufacturing Company) of Chicago. Some otherwise credible books print this story, even though it seems more myth than historical.

No one has been able to find the Gandy Manufacturing Company in Chicago. But maybe the name has been mis-remembered. One possible candidate is the G and D Manufacturing Company of Streator, which has made elevators, wind mills, and washing machines, mostly for farmers. When spoken aloud, "G and D" sounds a lot like "Gandy".

Did G and D Manufacturing also make shovels for railroad workers? If so, this could explain something that has puzzled numerous authors and researchers for many years.

Anyone with knowledge of this company's manufacturing history is invited to respond.

Many thanks,
richard myers in Denver

[bluejay201]

Does someone have a copy of Story of Streator, 1912?
I think there is an article about G & D in there. I seem to remember a picture of a windmill.
Joanie

[DumDave]

Nov 17, 2010 14:40:13 GMT -6 bluejay201 said:

Does someone have a copy of Story of Streator, 1912?
I think there is an article about G & D in there. I seem to remember a picture of a windmill.
Joanie

I just looked it up. G&D made grain elevators for corn cribs. It could also be used to lift coal. The idea was to REPLACE the scoop shovel. They also were a leading manufacturer of "oil-less" Wind Mills. Nothing it this article even suggested that they made shovels.
-Dave