S. Morgan Smith

Smith personally retained the patent rights to the "Success" turbine and contracted with York to manufacture it.

Hydroelectric turbines powered melting furnaces at steel mills, pumped water for irrigation, and generated electricity for the lighting and transportation.

[2] The York plant turned to the war effort, beginning with the manufacture in 1915 of two 50-inch (1,300 mm) 500,000 lb (230,000 kg) gun boring lathes that Bethlehem Steel ordered.

Another 14 large gun lathes were ordered, making the plants output 90% war related production.

The company president in 1939, Beauchamp Smith, decided to turn to wind turbines for new opportunities.

[6]: 56–58 The site was picked because it was within range of the customer, Central Vermont Public Service, the ridge was high and sharp which meteorologists believe caused accelerated wind speed, and had tree deformities suggesting wind impact over many years.

[6]: 59 After cracks in the blades were welded in May 1942, the turbine ran until February 1943 when the main bearing failed.

[6]: 59 This project, which operated for over a thousand hours, demonstrated that wind power could be generated and supplied into the nation's electric grid at the MW-scale.

Stephen Morgan Smith (1839–1903)
1911 advertisement for Francis-type reaction turbines
The factory as depicted in a 1919 company catalog, with the assertion it is the "World's largest hydraulic turbine works"