Speedway in Marion County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Allison Machine Shop
Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, June 7, 2017
1. Allison Machine Shop Marker (side 1)
Side 1:
Entrepreneur James Allison helped establish Indianapolis Speedway Team Co., 1915, and later built a precision machine shop here near speedway to improve race cars. Upon U.S. entry in WWI, 1917, 500-mile race was suspended and he devoted shop resources to war effort, including making parts for Liberty aircraft engines. Shop name became Allison Engineering Co. by 1921.
Side 2:
General Motors purchased company, 1929, and focused work on aircraft engines. During WWII, Allison Division built 70,000 liquid-cooled V-1710 engines for fighter aircraft. Company grew to over 23,000 employees and received awards for excellence in production. By mid-1940s, it manufactured jet engines and transmissions, which later played a key role in Korean War.
Erected 2015 by Indiana Historical Bureau and Allison Transmission. (Marker Number 49.2015.1.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Roads & Vehicles • Sports • War, World II. In addition, it is included in the Indiana Historical Bureau Markers series list.
Location. 39° 47.003′ N, 86° 14.467′ W. Marker is in Speedway, Indiana,
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. WWI Aviation Repair Depot (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); A.J. Watson (approx. 0.3 miles away); Indianapolis Motor Speedway (approx. 0.6 miles away); Old Pathology Building (approx. 1.8 miles away); Pathological Department / Old Pathology Building (approx. 1.8 miles away); Floyd "Pop" Dreyer (approx. 1.8 miles away); Central State Hospital (approx. 2 miles away); World War II Memorial (approx. 2.1 miles away).
Additional keywords. Auto Racing
Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, June 7, 2017
2. Allison Machine Shop Marker (side 2)
Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, June 7, 2017
3. Allison Machine Shop Marker looking north along Main Street.
Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, June 7, 2017
4. Allison Machine Shop Marker looking south on Main Street
Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, June 7, 2017
5. Allison Machine Shop Marker in front of Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 2, 2017, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 297 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on August 2, 2017, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
