I managed to put together a rough timeline...
They are older than I thought, and made quite a lot of things over the years...
Speedway Manufacturing Co, Cicero,IL
1925,,Simplified practice recommendation, US NBS
Mentioned,probably index entry, Cicero,ILL (Not readable)
Included because it is the earliest reference I can find....
1929,,Saturday Evening Post
Unreadable,Electric wrenches??????)
1930,,Contractors & Engineers V20
"THE Speedway heavy-duty electric hand saw"...'Type 175', 14 pounds,12 inches long,
6 inch diameter blade,3800 rpm, AC/DC 12/110/220 Volt
1933,,National Safety News, V27+
Mentions ad Circular for 'Constant level oilers for ring oiled
and waste packed bearings' no address to send to to get circular...duh
1933,,American printer & lithographer V97
"Speedway Manufacturing Co., Cicero, Ill., makers of
Speedway portable electric tools, announces a
line of automatic oilers, known as Speedway Oilers"
1933,,Rock Products
Offers Chart of 29 different types of electric motors
1935,,Domestic Engineering...V145
"Electric Hammer SpeedWay Manufacturing Co..."
1936,,Who's who
Mentions that James S Knowlson is president Speedway, and Chairman Board Stewart-Warner...
(*Might* set start date at 1910??) (Knowlson was previously at General Electric)
1936,,Camera V53
"Speedway Electric Agitator, the efficient agitator for miniature film tanks "
1937,Heating & Ventilating
"Flea power electric motors"
1940,,American Builder
Index, 'Electric screwdrivers'
1941,,Aero Digest
Index, unreadable,?? Probably listed under Selenoids,no address
1943,,Aerosphere
Index, 'Portable electric tools & small motors' ; 52 Ave Cicero
1943,,Aerospace engineering
AD,B&W, Small Motors
1945,,Instruments & Controll systems
'Post war' Ad for small electric motors, S.Laramie ave, Cicero,ILL
(This is the only reference I found to this address)
1947,May,PM&PS
B&W ad, features #89,#209, #69,#229
1947,Aug,PS
B&W ad, no 'BlueLine tools reference. ;S. 52nd Ave, Cicero,IL
Features #89 1/2 drill, #209 drill stand
Ad reads '35 years electric drill manufacturing' (1912?)
1947,Nov,PM
AD 'Blue Line Tools'
Features #117 bench grinder
Shows #129,#69 #229,#209,#89, GA kit (#129+)
1948,Apr,PS
AD Logo transparent, 'Speed Way' with circle through it
Features #117 Bench grinder, adds 'Electric' (apparently this was a question?LOL)
1948,Mar,PM
AD Logo transparent, 'Speed Way' with circle through it
Features #117 bench grinder
1948,Apr,PS
AD Features #117 bench grinder
Shows #129,#69 #229,#209,#89, GA kit (#129+)
1948,Oct,PM
AD Combo kit
1948,Nov,PS (Pg 275)
AD Logo 'Speed Way' transparent, with solid blue circle behind it
Features Lg Combo kit (no #??)
# Combo kit is 'New', #69 drill+#129 mini drill/dremel, +sanding/buffing pads etc
1949,Apr,PM
AD Combo kit ad
+#117 bench grinder
1949,Nov,PM (Xmas ad)
AD Trapazoid logo with circle overprinted, solid blue filled trap ; Cicero,IL
#79 3/8 drill is 'New', has oval barrel, jacobs chuck
#89,#89J 1/2 drill, jacobs chuck
#209,#229 drill stand
#60 1/4 drill, 69K sanding/polishing kit,
#?? bigger kit w 69K+dremel like #129
#700 SpeedSaw (unusual open frame guard,worm or bevel, not drill powered?)
#117,#128 Bench grinders
1950,,Fleet Owner, V45 I6
"UL approved, 3 wire grounded plug (Drill)
1954,,Roads&Construction V92
"Thor Power Tool Co., Aurora, Ill., have expanded their manufacturing
operations into the low-price electric- tool market with the purchase
of the Speedway Manufacturing Co., Chicago, Ill
1954,Oct,Life
Small B&W ad
25 Piece SpeedSander kit (Palm sander&sandpaper in a box)
1955,Sep,Billboard
Index entry, (Speedway was also a maker of
small motors and selenoids, perhaps pinball machine parts?)
1956,Nov,Life
AD Div Thor power tools, 'Thor Speed tools' Speedway in fine print, Thor-circle logo on tools
#450 SpeedSaw (different than speedways'),#25 1/4 SpeedDrill ,#15TK SpeedSander (palm sander)
1956,Dec,Life
Thor Speedtools, Speedway Manufacturing,Div of....(Cicero,IL)
small B&W ad, shows cheap 'Home workshop' kit, no model #'s,
drill,drill powered saw,drill stand, and tiny table saw stand, buffing kit
1956,,Wood & Wood products V61
" Further expansion will be achieved when a new plant is
completed for Thor's division, Speedway Manufacturing
Co., in LaGrange Park, Ill. ..."
1957,American Machinist
Article, mentions Thor's 'SpeedTool division', Speedway still in Cicero
1957,Woodworking digest V59
"SpeedWay Manufacturing Co.. division of Thor Power Tool Company. Prudential Plaza. Chicago "
1958,,Red Tractor Book
Article "...THOROUGHLY TESTED AT THOR RESEARCH CENTER SPEEDWAY
MANUFACTURING CO. LAGRANGE PARK, ILLINOIS DIVISION OF THOR POWER
TOOL COMPANY QUALITY PRODUCTS SINCE 1906 "
1959,,Macroni's Register
Lists Speeday address La Grange Park,ILL
1961,,Hardware Age V188 I7+
Speedway,Div Thor, La Grange Park, IL
1961,,American Beef producer
"The Thor speed heater , developed by Speedway Manufacturing Co., Aurora, Ill.,
is a portable oil-fired unit for temporary heating of work shops, sheds, barns, etc
1961,,Sales Managment V87
"SpeedShiner electric shoe shiner ..."
1964,,Florest&Nursery exchange
SpeedVac - A powerful electric lawn vacuum and sweeper,
1965,,Furniture design & Mfg V37
SpeedVac - electric vacuum and sweeper for easy plant maintenance
( I guess the lawn industry was too competative LOL)
PM - Popular Mechanics
PS - Popular Science