The Garvin Machine Company, the manufacturers of the People's typewriter, started out life as E. E. Garvin & Co. in 1865, according to vintagemachinery.com. According to newspaper articles, the company incorporated in 1889 and renamed themselves the Garvin Machine Company, owned by Goerge K. Garvin. It seems that this company, while located at 9 and 11 Laight Streets in New York City, suffered from three fires, first in a blizzard in 1888, and then in February and March of 1896. The buildings were extremely close to an embroidery factory, which is the location of one of those fires. After the third fire, the company seems to have re-located to Spring and Varick Streets, also in New York City, and in 1899 offered a public offering of preferred stock to be able to continue to expand the business. It seems that at least 500 employees were part of the International Association of Machinists, a worker's union. When this union called a general strike for reduction of the work day to 9 hours on May 20, 1901, 500 employees went out on strike. It seems that eventually the company gave in as, when another strike for an 8 hour work day was called on August 2, 1915, again 500 employees went out to strike. This one did not seem to be immediately successful as it seems the doors were re-opened with no increase in pay (also requested), and the same 9-hour work day, under the excuse that competitors also had 9 and sometimes 10 hours work days. The company finally held a full liquidation auction on April 28-30, 1925, and seems to have gone out of business.