John Fea: Lock Keeper / John Fea and Catherine Thomson / Helen Fea and Alexander Winton / Alexander Winton and Jeanette Muir McGlashan / The Winton Motor Carriage Co

The Winton Gas and Engine Manufacturing Co

The company was incorporated in January 1912 with a share capital of $200,000. Those involved included Alexander, his second wife Labelle McGlashan and son in law William McKinstry (wife of Alexander's daughter by his first marriage, Helen Fea Winton).

Experience had been gained from building the six cylinder gasoline engines for Alexander's yacht, La Belle. It was decided to manufacture 80, 125 and 150 hp engines that might be used individually or in pairs for yachts of around 80 to 100ft.

Around 1913, Alexander's attention turned to the diesel engine, which was little known in the US. He had concern about the fire risks of the gasoline engine. Two diesel engines were to replace the three gasoline engines that were in the La Belle. These were quite successful and 250 and 450hp engines were subsequently developed.

The business was absorbed into The Winton Motor Car Company in 1915. With the cessation of motor car manufacture the business passed into The Winton Engine Company, a company incorporated in 1924.

The considerable success of the business can be attributed to George William Codrington whom Alexander first met in 1913 when George was a steam boat engineer on lumber barges on the St John's River. George was hired to run La Belle in 1915 and joined the Winton Engine Works in 1917. From the beginning of the 1920s, the Winton Engine Works built more than 1,000 train engines. The diesel engines were also used in pumping stations.

The Winton Engine Company was purchased by General Motors in 1930. It retained its name until 1938 when it became the Cleveland Diesel Division of General Motors.