Coal-Fed Boiler Hopper, Filer & Stowell Factory, Milwaukee

The Filer & Stowell Company operated this Milwaukee plant for over a century, manufacturing steam engines, sawmill machinery, and heavy industrial equipment after its founding in 1877. Boilers like this one supplied the steam power that ran the factory's production lines before electrification became standard in American manufacturing. The hopper fed coal directly into the firebox, a design common to industrial boilers built through the early 20th century. Filer & Stowell shut down its Milwaukee operations decades ago, leaving much of the original equipment in place inside the building.

Photo taken in August 2023.