Louden Machinery Company

In the early 1890s, the company opened a factory in downtown Fairfield (at 607 West Broadway) that is still in existence and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

William added to the company's product line with his inventions of a flexible barn door hanger (1895), barn litter carriers and tracks (1898), all-steel cow stalls (1907), individual automatic watering bowls for cows (1912), an Easy Feeding Hog Trough (1914), and an industrial line of Overhead Carrying Equipment (1917).

[1][4] Albert H. Neller, who has been described as William Louden's "right-hand-man," is also credited with developing a number of products, including the automatic watering bowls, and with being a key to the company's success during the 1910s and 1920s.

[6] The company continued to expand its product line in the 1920s and 1930s, adding a wide array of products, including barn cupolas, exhaust and intake hoods and louvers, fans, valves, pulleys, power hoists, concrete mangers, a patented garage door hanger (using overhead door tracks for ease in opening and closing), playground equipment (including slides, see-saws, gym sets, "swing bobs," and "whirl-arounds"), and thermostats.

The company's architects designed barns "to promote more efficient use of space and labor saving devices," including the use of Louden equipment.

The Architecture Department's projects include Homewood Farms for the president of Deere & Co., as well as several barns that have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Architecture Department also designed specialized dairy barns, horse stables, hog and chicken houses, and farmstead sites.

[1][4][7] "Super Track" systems were also used by the Rocket Express Company to construct department store monorail rides for children during the mid-20th century.

Louden's overhead handling equipment continued to operate and became the Crane & Monorail Systems Division of American Chain and Cable Company (ACCO).

[9] A number of buildings and structures attributed to, or associated with, the company and the Louden family are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.