In 1898, the first automobile on Erie Pennsylvania's streets, was a creation of Alexander Winton from his Cleveland, Ohio shop. This was the 1st shift from horse-drawn carriages to cars.
The buyer, Jackson Koehler, an Erie brewery owner, had the car personally delivered by Winton, a journey that spanned 5 hours.
Winton stayed a week, instructing Koehler on vehicle operation.
Winton was a Scottish immigrant with a fervor for engineering and racing, Winton crafted his inaugural car in 1896, founding the company the following year in Cleveland. The company thrived until 1924.
Thomas Henderson immigrated to the United States from Scotland in 1881 and
became the business partner of Alexander Winton
He married Alexander's sister, Catherine Winton, also Scottish, and
they had eight children.
Alexander Winton (b. 20th June 1860, Falkirk, near Glasgow) son of a blacksmith who specialized in the manufacture of farm implements. Alexander went to school within earshot of the Clydeside shipyards. He learned the rudiments of mechanics from his father, then perfected his knowledge working in those shipyards, and from there it was a logical step to a job as a ship's engineer. He emigrated to New York and is in the 1880 census for Manhattan, aged twenty.
Alexander's sister, Catherine Winton and her husband, Thomas Henderson, were also in Manhattan at this time. Thomas was some eleven years older than Alexander. Alexander may have followed his sister and brother in law to the US.
His first work was as a machinist with Delameter Ironworks in New York. A year later he left to take up a position as an assistant engineer on a cargo boat plying between New York and South America. He endeavored to learn as much as he could about steam ship engineering.
He left the sea a couple of years later and married Jeanette Muir McGlashan (b. 3rd September 1861, Glasgow) in Manhattan on 18th January 1883. Jeanette had arrived two years earlier but they had known each other from childhood in Scotland. Jeanette was the daughter of foreman engineer's patternmaker William McGlashan and Jean Muir.
In 1884 he was working at the Phoenix Ironworks, and by 1881 was foreman but was again listed as a machinist the following year.
In 1891, he was superintendent of the Cleveland Lock Company.
He opened a bicycle repair shop and this was incorporated as The Winton Bicycle Co in 1892 with a share capital of $25,000. Thomas Henderson, Alexander's brother in law, was President.
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