The resources listed in Financial Records may also contain brief histories of public companies.
Moody's (later Mergent) Corporate Manuals and Municipal & Government Manuals, 1909 to the present. Data for significant public companies worldwide: financial statements, histories, properties, mergers and acquisitions, operations, subsidiaries, officers and directors, stocks and bonds.
Historical and current annual reports in .pdf format for over 5,000 companies, some going back to 1925 (use "Annual Report Search" tab.)