The Origins of the Hercules Gas Engine Company, begin in 1902 even though engines were not produced until January 1914. In 1902, William McCurdy, a manufacturer of buggies, moved his successful Brighten Buggy Company to Evansville, Indiana, USA, from Cincinnati, Ohio. He moved the company to take advantage of the plentiful supply of skilled labour and the hardwood needed to build them in the Evansville area. The relocated business was named the Hercules Buggy Company and started production in 1903. The reasons for the name change are unknown.