SSE = | American | Orms} AMERICAN ARMS ana ARMS MAKERS By Ropert E, GARDNER 0) Copyright 1988 THE F, J, HEER PRINTING CO. “FQREWORD | ‘TH PRESENT HANDBOOK attempts to bring together the bio- graphical data pertaining to the arms craftsmen of America and to bracket such data with a resume of their contributions to the nation’s armament. The advantages of separate lists of the makers of hand guns; of shoulder arms, edged weapons and artillery, were considered. Many manufacturers, however, produced a wide variety of arms. The N. P. Ames Company, for example, produced swords, bayonets, carbines, pistols, revolvers and cannon and a separate listing of this firm for each type of arm would necessitate considerable repetition. The desire for brevity has caused the single listing of all makers, regardless of the character of their products, under an alphabetical arrangement. Only the biographer knows the many pitfalls which beset his search after knowledge. The writer has found the names of early craftsmen published in directories years after their demise. He has noted others who were taken over by more prosperous competitors during the depres- sion of 1873 only to be revived in their own right and continue for years thereafter. All this adds confusion to a difficult task and the biographer needs proceed with extreme caution, The kind assistance of friendly authorities has given a refreshing touch to an otherwise drab task and it is fitting that such assistance be duly acknowledged. . Captain Allen P. Westcott, the well-known Chicago authority, has given most generously of his time and valuable notes. Dr. Joseph R. Mayer, Curator of Military History, Rochester Museum of Arts and Sciences, has made available a portion of the results of his fine research. Mr. Walter E. Heightshoe, Curator of Arms, Ohio State Museum, has been an unfailing source of information of the highest order. Mr. Charles D, Cook has authorized the use of extracts from his occasional papers in the Magazine Antiques. The writer also acknowledges his indebtedness to Mr. Jack W. Rocke, of the Far West Hobby Shop; Mr. Stephen Van Rensselaer, the well- known dealer of Williamsburg, Virginia; Mr. Gustave S. Kidde, of Wil- mington, Delaware, and Mr. Herschel C. Logan, of Salina, Kansas. Columbus, Ohio. March 20, 1938. THE SOURCES In addition to the following primary sources the text contains specific reference to less frequently consulted secondary works. American Archives, 4th & sth Series, Washington, D. C. American State Papers, Class V; vols. I-VII, Washington, D. C.; 1812-19. Barber, E. C., “Ihe Crack Shot,” New York, 1868. Birmie, Colonel Rogers Jr., “Gun Making in the United States,” Washington, D. C., 1879. Broadhead, “Documents Relating to the Early History of the State of New York,” New York, 1910. Browne, “Archives of Maryland,” Baltimore, 1893. Vols. XVI, XX, XX. Burr & Hyde, “Great Industries of the United States,” Hartford, Conn., 1873. Catalogue, First Industrial Exhibition of the Mechanic’s Institute of the City of San Francisco, 1857. Same for 1858. Clark, V. S., “History of the Manufactures of the United States,” New York, 1929. Clark, “Colonial Records of North Carolina,” Halifax, 1906. Cochran, J. W., “Improvements in Ordnance, Firearms and Projec- tiles,” New York, 1860. Commercial Business Directory of the United States, Cincinnati, 1908. Corbin, T. W., “The Marvels of War Inventions,” London, rot. Crowell, Benedict, “The Armies of Industry,” Washington, D. C., 1919; “America’s Munitions,” Washington, 1919. Curtiss, P. A., “Sporting Firearms of Today,” New York, 1922. Draper, L. C., “King’s Mountain and Its Heroes,” Cincinnati, 1881. Englebrecht, H. C., “Merchants of Death,” New York, 1934. Farrow, E. S., “American Small Arms,” New York, 1904. Field, E., “The State of Rhode Island and the Providence Plantation.” Flourney, “Calendar of Virginia State Papers,” Richmond, 1893. Fuller, C. E., “The Breech-Loader in the Service,” Topeka, 1933. Gardner, R. E., “Arms Fabricators, Ancient and Modern,” Columbus, 1934. Greeley, Horace, “Art and Industry, the Crystal Palace,” New York, 1851. Hall, “Marlborough, Connecticut, 1736-1903,” New Haven, 1903. Harris, “A Biographical History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania,” Lancaster, 1872. @ 8 ‘THE SOURCES Hime, Col. H. W. L., “Gunpowder and Ammunition,” London, 1904. Hoadley, “The Public Records of the State of Connecticut,” Hartford, 1922. Lesley, J. P., “Iron Manufacturer’s Guide,” New York, 1859. Mcllwaine, “Journals of the Council of State of Virginia,” Richmond, 1931. Memoirs of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadclphia, 1826, vol. VIII. Morgan, “Documentary History of New York,” N. Y., 1851. Norwood, B. A., Blue Book of the National Iron and Steel Associa- tion, Philadelphia, 1902-11. New York City During the Revolution, Original Documents, Mercan- tile Library Association, New York, 1861. New York Colonial Documents, vol. II. New York Papers, State Paper Office, Albany. Norton, “American Inventions and Improvements in Breech-Loading Small Arms,” 1882 edition. Official Gazette, United States Patent Office, 1879-90. Pennsylvania Archives, Harrisburg, 2nd and 3rd series. Rauch, G. W., “Boonesboro,” The Filson Club, vol. XVI. Report of the U. S. Patent Office, 1851-61. Report of the Secretary of War, Washington, 1877. Rupp, I. D., “History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania,” Lancaster, Pa., 1844. Sampson, Davenport & Co., New England Business Directory, Boston, 1868, Very valuable. Satterlee, L. D., “A Catalog of Firearms for the Collector,” Detroit, 1927. Saunders, “Colonial Records of North Carolina,” vols. X, XV, XXL Seeger & Guernsey, “Cyclopaedia of Manufacturers and Products of the United States,” New York, 1890. Stiles, “History of Ancient Wethersfield, Connecticut,” New Haven, 1904. Swank, “History of Iron and Steel,” Philadelphia, 1900. Watson, “Annals of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania in the Olden Times,” Phila., 1898. United States State Papers, Class VI, Naval Affairs, Vols. I-VII; Se- ries C, Military Affairs, Vols. I-VII. United States Public Documents, 1812-1840. Zell, Business Directory of the United States, Phila., 1875. The Arms And Arms Makers Of America Abbey & Co., F. J.—43 South Clark St., Chicago, Ill. Frederick J. Abbey and James H. Foster. Active 1871-75. Produced rifles, pistols and the Abbey & Foster breech-loading, top-fastening shot- gun, patent of April 25, 1871, No. 114,081. Abbey, George T.—Gunsmith of Chicago, IIl., 1858-74. Secured patent on breech-loading shotgun, March 16, 1869, No. 87,814. Discon- tinued in 1874, the year of the Chicago Gun Trials in which he had entered a number of his arms. Accelerating Fire Arms Co.—New York City. A short-lived promo- tional set-up for the manufacture and sale of Azel Lyman’s patent breech-loader, patent of February 3, 1857, No. 16,568. Adams Revolving Arms Co—New York City. A promotional set- active during the Civil War for the sale of J. Adams (Englis! revolver. U. S. patents of May 3, 1853: June 3, 1856 and April 7, 1857. The arms were produced by the Massachusetts Arms Co., Chicopee Falls, Mass. Many Adams of British origin found their way into the South. Adolph, Fred—Noted gunsmith of Genoa, New’ York and Babylon, Long Island. Active 1909 or before to date. Adirondack Arms Co.—Plattsburg, N. Y. Short lived, purchased by Winchester Arms in 1874. Adventure of Hibernia Furnace—Morris County, New York. Built in 1765 by Lord Stirling, Benjamin Cooper and Samuel Ford. Lord Stirling acquired sole ownership in 1771. Operated as a cannon and projectile foundry, 1776-82. (Pg. 151, “History of Iron in All Ages,” Swank, Philadelphia.) Ager, Alexander—Gunsmith of New Rumley, Harrison County, Ohio. Born in the vicinity in 1821. Established a gun shop in 1848 and produced a number of muzzle loading rifles of fine: workmanship. General George Custer, a native of Rumley, was a frequent visitor to the Ager shop before the Civil War. Ager was active until 1886 and died in 1898. (Pg. 743, “History of Carroll and Har- rison Counties,” Eckley-Perry, Chicago, 1921. Pg. 146, Hawkes & Redfield’s Ohio Business Directory, 1854.) Agnew, Andrew—Listed in business directories as gunmaker of Orange, N. J., 1872-75. The writer has never encountered arms of his production nor found his name on a sales list. (9) ite) AMERICAN ARMS AND ARMS MAKERS A. I. S.—See Darling. Two, four and six barrel pistols of Darling design are met with bearing the initials A. I. S. Albertson, Douglas & Co.—Gunsmiths of New London, Conn. Active about 1840-60. Albrecht, Andrew—Gunsmith of Warwick Township, Lancaster County, Penna., 1779-82. Albright, Henry or Albrecht—Gunsmith of Lancaster County, Penn- sylvania. Active duritig the second quarter of the eighteenth century. Produced fine early Kentucky rifles. Alden, E. B—Gunmaker of Claremont, New Hampshire, active 1863- 68 before and after. Aldenderfer, M—Gunmaker of Lancaster, Penna., 1763-1817. (Metschl.) Alger & Co.—Cyrus. See South Boston Iron Works. Allen, C. B—Gunsmith of Springfield, Mass., 1836-41, before and after. The Elgin “Cutlass Pistol, 1837” produced by this maker are very rarc. Designed for use of the navy they were equipped with a heavy Bowie type blade. Allen, Ethan; Allen & Co.; Allen & Thurber; Allen and Wheelock— Ethan Allen was born in Bellington, Mass., 1810. In 1837 he pat- ented the Allen pepperbox and with his brother-in-law, Charles T. Thurber, began producing this arm at Grafton. Quit that city for Norwich, Conn., in 1842 and thence to Worcester, Mass., in 1847. Thurber retired in 1855 and was succeeded by a second brother-in- Jaw of Allen’s, Thomas P. Wheelock, the firm name being so changed. After operating from 1856 to 1865 it appears that some difficulty arose which resulted in the organization of the Ethan Allen & Company which, while ostensibly the property of Allen, was in fact the property of Messrs. S. Forehand and H. C. Wads- worth, In 1872 the firm name was changed to Forehand & Wads- worth and subsequently to Forehand Arms Company. Active until 1902. Allen, Brown & Luther (Ethan Allen)—Manufacturers of rifle barrels at Worcester, Mass., 1848-52, before and after. (Pg. 189, “Breech-loader in the Service,” Fuller.) Allen, G. F—Gunmaker of Utica, New York, 1852-55. Allen, Henry—Gunmaker of New York City, 1860-62. AMERICAN ARMS AND ARMS MAKERS II Allen, Oliver—Gunmaker of Norwich, Conn. Produced late percus- sion arms. Allen, Silas—Gunmaker of Shrewsbury, Mass. Born in 1775, active until 1843; died 1850. Allen, Thomas—Gunmaker of New York City, 1768-1775. The fol- lowing interesting letter is taken from the State Papers of New York. Governor Tryon to Earl of Dartmouth, On Board the Ship “Duchess of Gordon,” New York Harbour, 8th Decr., 1775. My. Lord: I have engaged John Woods, Thomas Allen and William Tunx, three skillful gunsmiths to quit working at their trade in forwarding the execution of purposes contrary to the feelings of their natures as Englishmen, in the present unnatural Rebellion. There is only one Workman now remaining in America who is capable of the business of Gun welting, as I am informed, * * * I have therefore paid thirty guineas for their passage to England in the packet, and advanced them twenty guineas more to support them to London. I have made it the express condition of their leaving America that they shall be employed in the Tower, or other the King’s Armory. Your Lordship’s most obedient S’vt., Wm. Tryon. Allen & Falls (C. B. Allen)—Gunmakers of Springfield, Mass., 1837- 40. Allen & Thurber—See Ethan Allen. Allen, Thurber & Co.—Worcester, Mass., 1855-56. Allen & Wheelock—W orcester, Mass., 1856-65. Allin, E. S—Master-Armourer of Springficld Armory, 1864-66. Patented a breech-loading arm, Sept, 19, 1865, a number of Spring- field muskets being converted to his system. Alsop, C. R—Gunsmith of Middletown, Conn., 1859-66. Patented breech-loader, July 17, 1860; percussion revolver, August 7, 1860, and breech-loader, May 14, 1861. (Pg. 9, A. F. and R. P. O,, 1860-61.) American Armament Corporation—Developed 37 mm. guns for mounting on heavy bombing planes, 1936.