Woods Motor Vehicle Company

Incorporated in September of 1899 in New Jersey with an initial capitalization of $10,000,000.

THe first President of the company was Frederic Nicholls.  The first Vice Presidents were J. Wesley Allison and A. E. Ames.  A. E. Chandler was the first Secretary, G. H. Atkin the first Treasurer.  The original Directorate was:  John W. Mackay, President of the Commercial Cable Company; August Belmost, banker; Dr. W. Seward Webb, President of the Wagner Palace Car Company; Charles Miller, Standard Oil Company; the Hon. George A. Cox, President of the Canadian Bank of Commerce; J. Wesley Allison, United States representative of the Canadian Government railway system and Wagner Palace Car Company; W. D. Matthews, Director of the Canadian Pacific Railway; H. P. Dwight, President of the Great Northwestern Telegraph Company; A. E. Ames, Vice President of the Imperial Life Insurance Company; J. W. Lavelle, President of the National Trust Company, Toronto; Frederic Nicholls, President of the Canadian Northern Railway and Vice President of the Canadian General Electric Company; H. A. Ware, Vice President of the Northwestern National Bank; C. E. Woods, General Manager of the Woods Motor Vehicle Company; Benjamin V. Becker of Newman, Northrop, Levinson & Becker, and Sir William C. Van Horne, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Pacific Railway System

Its first factory was in Chicago, and it's first business was contracts taken over from the Fischer Equipment Company.

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