H. C. Evans

H. C. Evans & Company

Company type	Private
Industry	Casino apparatus, amusement equipment, coin-operated games, jukeboxes, kart manufacturing
Founded	1892
Founder	H. C. Evans
Defunct	1955
Headquarters	Chicago , United States
Key people	Dick Hood (President and CEO)
Products	Casino machinery, trade stimulators, pocket novelties, amusement park equipment, fairground amusements, shooting gallery installations, pinball and coin-operated games, jukeboxes, kart racing vehicles

H. C. Evans & Company, based in Chicago, was a prominent American producer of both legitimate and illicit casino apparatus and accessories. Established in 1892 and formally incorporated in 1907, the company ceased operations in 1955. Its legacy continued through successors such as Evans Park & Carnival Device Corporation, which remained active until at least 1961, and Evans Supply Company, which operated until 1962.

The enterprise specialized in manufacturing casino machinery, trade stimulators, pocket novelties, amusement park equipment, fairground amusements, and shooting gallery installations.

History

By 1909, H. C. Evans had set up its operations at 125 Clark Street in Chicago, relocating to 1528 W. Adams Street during the 1920s. By 1929, the company touted itself as the oldest and largest exclusive producer within its niche, occupying extensive factory facilities.

In 1944, Dick Hood, serving as President and CEO, participated in a coin machine industry committee managing the post-war transition from wartime manufacturing. Hood was renowned for the "Dick Hood Cage," a signature product available since 1909.

The firm expanded into the jukebox market in December 1948 by acquiring the phonography stock of Mills Novelty Company. After Hood’s death around October 1953, H. C. Evans introduced its last coin-operated slot machine titled Saddle and Turf in March 1954; however, the company dissolved within the following year.

By 1961, Evans Park & Carnival Device Corporation was operating from Chicago’s North Halsted Street, while Evans Supply Company in Highland Park, Illinois, marketed products including the Evans 'Herby' Kart.

Crooked casino equipment

Starting around 1914, the company issued "The Secret Blue Book," a catalog revealing crooked casino apparatus such as specialized dice, marked playing cards, and electromagnets. This publication was discontinued by 1929 due to rampant imitation.

Among their exclusive dice were varieties like "tapping dice," "gravitation dice," and "new idea crap dice." Marked cards had been a core offering since the late 1800s; premium versions featured suits that were visible for an added cost. The company also provided "luminous readers" accompanied by "ruby ray" glasses and visors to detect markings.

A notable innovation was their "Giant Electro Magnet," which manipulated dice results either sold as a standalone device or integrated into a card table designed for use with transparent "electric dice," illustrating a pioneering approach to casino device control.

Pinball and other coin-op games

Under the Evans brand, pinball and other coin-operated games included titles such as Kings of the Turf (1935), Big Ten (1935), Olympic Games (1935), Tango (1935), Clipper (1936), Lite A Basket (1936), Poker-eno (1936), Roll-ette (1936), Ski-Ball (1940), Play Ball (1941), and Bat-A-Score (1948).

The Ski-Ball game was protected by US patent No. 2,181,984 granted in 1939 to Joe H. Warner and assigned to Duane W. Price of Chicago. This patent covered a bowling machine design, enabling other manufacturers to create similar manikin-based skee ball or golf games without violating patent rights.

Jukeboxes

In December 1948, H. C. Evans acquired Mills Novelty Company's phonography inventory after that Chicago-based jukebox manufacturer encountered financial troubles. The following year marked H. C. Evans’ entry into jukebox production with the release of the Constellation (model 135). Later models included the Jubilee (1952; models 245 and 278), the Century (1953; model 2045), and the Holiday (1953; model 4045). In 1954, they introduced the Evans Jewel—a jukebox with a fifty-selection capacity—of which only one example is known to survive.

Karts

Under its brand, Evans manufactured kart racing vehicles such as the Evans Special (SPL) and the Flyweight. These models were distinguished by their exceptional handling performance.

References

• H. C. Evans and Company catalogue 1909-1910
• H. C. Evans and Company Incorporated catalogue 1929
• Evans Park & Carnival Device Corporation catalogue "Club, Park and Carnival Equipment" 1961
• Web resource dedicated to H. C. Evans company information

External links

• Jukebox-World – Forum featuring serial numbers, classified listings, and additional details
• DiceCollector.com – Collection of H. C. Evans catalogs and promotional materials