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Large Bells of America

History of Church Bells, Fire Bells, School Bells,
Dinner Bells and Their Foundries
by  Neil Goeppinger

Commentary and Research Notes

(with errata for the second printing)

NOTE:  If you have not yet read the announcement for this book, please do so before continuing on this page.  Otherwise, this will not be as useful to you as it should be.

The first printing of this important book contained numerous typographic errors, many of which were corrected in the second printing of the book.  Unfortunately, there is no way to distinguish between the two printings except by checking for the presence of these typos.  This page presumes that you have already checked the page of Errata for the first printing and that if your copy is from the first printing, then you have already posted the corrections from that page to your copy of the book.  Thus whether you have a corrected copy of the first printing or a copy of the second printing, the rest of this page is now relevant to you.  Pagination of the two printings is identical.

A few additional errata were discovered after the second printing; these are included with the commentary below, along with the uncorrected errata from the first printing.

Contents of this page:
  Part I (commentary and errata) -
      Chapter 1,     Chapter 2,     Chapter 3,     Chapters 4-5
  Part II (research notes, commentary and errata) -
      Alphabetic sections:   A-B,   C,   D-F,   G-H,   J,   K,   L-M,   N,   O-R,   S,   T   U-W
  Appendix 1 - Manufacturers Listed by State (commentary)
  Appendix 2 - Bibliography (commentary)
  Appendix 3 (added) - Partial Index of Principals

Bell identification tip:  If the first part of a maker's inscription is obscured, and the visible part could be the last name of a person, see Appendix 3 (added here) for possible clues to the complete inscription.

Commentary on Part I

From the Webmaster; all page numbers refer to the book, which the reader of this page should now have in hand.

Title page

Contrary to custom, the subtitle from the front cover does not appear here.

Chapter 1

p.6, fig.12

The lineage depicted here is a business lineage, and possibly also a stylistic lineage, not a genealogical one.  For the lineage of the Hanks and Meneely families, see our Hanks-Meneely genealogy

p.6, fig.12, lower left outer column

Julias should be Julius.

p.7, second paragraph

Watervillet should be Watervliet.

p.7, end of second paragraph

Some historians dispute the alleged connection between the Benjamin Hanks lineage and the Nancy Hanks Lincoln lineage.  Nancy Hanks' parentage, and even her maiden name, are not firmly documented.  See the Wikipedia article on Nancy Hanks Lincoln heritage for further information.

p.7, third paragraph

Philena Hanks was a first cousin of Julius, not a niece.

p.8, third paragraph

I have never seen a bell with both place names on it; perhaps Neil has.

pp.7 & 13

I am highly suspicious of the estimate of 10,000 bells for the lifetime production of the Holbrook foundry.  Although the length of that lifetime might seem to support such a number (82 years, comparable to the 80 years of the Meneely/Troy foundry, which produced about 12,400 bells), I have not seen any evidence that the Holbrooks distributed bells as widely and prolifically as the Meneelys did.  Furthermore, Holbrook never made any chimes, though such sets of bells contributed significantly to the numbers of bells produced by both Meneely foundries.  That large number might be credible if it included small bells such as servant call bells or horse car bells, which could be manufactured rapidly in large quantities.  These could have been supplied to locksmiths and bellhangers - the nomenclature of the day for those who commonly installed call bells in houses, hotels, etc.

p.13, second paragraph, first line

"Stickney's" should be "Stickneys'" (plural possessive form, not singular).

p.15, first line

Bells installed at lighthouses were commonly called fog bells, because they were rung in foggy conditions when the light could not be seen very far.  In the days of sailing ships, in the windless conditions associated with fog, the sound of a fog bell could be heard from a long distance at sea.

p.15, second line

Bridge bells were more likely to be used to warn people that a drawbridge or turnbridge was about to open to allow river or canal traffic to pass through, just as railroad crossing gongs still ring today.  For example, the Meneely/Troy foundry supplied a total of 19 bells of approximately 100 pounds each to the city of Chicago for use as bridge bells, undoubtedly for the early versions of the many canal and river bridges in that city.

p.15, Locations of American Bell Foundries

A number of bell and brass foundries, most notably that of Andrew Fulton, operated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from the early 1800s, supplying not only church bells but also ship's bells for the vast number of steamboats that were built there to carry merchandise and raw materials up and down the Ohio River.
Saint Louis, Missouri, became a major center for bell production after the Civil War, as railroads enabled the shipment of all kinds of durable goods from there to the towns and cities that were springing up all over the Midwest.  From 1863 through 1878 there were never less than four bellfoundries in operation simultaneously in this city, and in some years there were as many as seven.  Thereafter there were two to four bellfoundries in operation simultaneously up until the Great Depression.

Chapter 2

p.18, fig.43

This might better be captioned "Bell Fittings," as it identifies important parts of the equipment associated with a bell, and normally supplied by the bell's manufacturer.

p.19, Components of a Bell

The text identifies a crown as an extension of the top of a bell, used for fastening it to a yoke or something else.  But it doesn't identify two other types of extension that have the same function, though they are pictured and described elsewhere in the book.  One is the TANG, a flat extension with a hole cross-wise through it; this is mentioned and described at the bottom of page 29, and seen in the photo on page 153.  The Holbrook bell pictured on page 7 and page 107 has a tang, fitted into a socket carved into the wooden yoke (headstock) with a single cross-pin to secure it.  The Wilbank bell pictured on page 168 has a wider tang with two holes.  The other type of extension is the NECK, a tapered cone that wedges into a tapered socket in a cast iron yoke.  It is effectively described, though not named, on pages 33-34.  The mounting for the Hooper bell shown in fig.75 could be described as a hybrid of neck and tang; I would call it a cylindrical neck or cylindrical tang.  There are also several variants of the crown, which do not seem to have distinct names.  They differ in the number and orientation of the cannons, the presence or absence of the argent, etc. There is also a major variation on the crown called a BUTTON TOP - a solid flange on top of a short thick neck.  It does not seem to be illustrated in this book, but was commonly used on European-made cast steel bells.

p.19, para.1

It is true that in some places, bells were hung by chains through their crowns and rung by a clapper rope.  However, it was (and is) far more common for the crown to be used to attach the bell to a headstock so that it could be swung.  The earliest method of attachment was blacksmithed straps, bent through the loops of the cannons and affixed to a timber headstock; but eventually these straps were superseded by various kinds of bolts.  Even today, bells can be made with crowns and hung by this method.

p.19, para.6

Yoke is a distinctively American term, derived from the similarity of shape to the yoke of a draft animal (ox, horse or mule).  In European terms, the American yoke would be called a tucked-up headstock (as opposed to a straight headstock).  "Tucked-up" refers to where the top of the bell is with respect to the axis of rotation when swinging (which is always through the gudgeons).  German-made swinging bells, some of which have been imported to America, are almost always hung from straight headstocks.

p.19, para.6

The use of A-frames to support American swinging bells began about the middle of the 19th century, as iron-casting technology was improving.  Prior to that, bell makers commonly shipped a bell with a yoke and a pair of bearing blocks, leaving to a local carpenter the job of building a timber frame to support the bell, and integrating it into the structure of a bell tower.  With A-frames (or the cheaper equivalent of a vertical post with brace rods - see fig.47), the bell manufacturer could mount these supports on a timber base and ship a complete assembly to the destination.  There it just needed to be hoisted into the tower and set on an existing floor or equivalent support.

p.20, para.2

Prior to the development of the clevis in the 19th century, American bellfounders followed the old European tradition of using a cast-in CLAPPER STAPLE, possibly made of wrought iron, to support the clapper.  The clapper was usually connected to the clapper staple by a heavy leather strap.

p.20, para.3

Limiting springs, sometimes called CLAPPER SPRINGS, served two other purposes besides the one described by Neil.  First, they prevent the clapper from lying against the bell, and thus damping the sound.  Second, they prevent the clapper from double-striking, i.e., bouncing off the bell and then striking again before the bell swings back.  It should be noted that clapper springs are only required on bells with a falling clapper, not those with a flying clapper.

p.21, para.2

Outside tolling hammers might exist, but I have never seen one.  What is common on the outside of a bell is a clock hammer, operated by a weight-driven tower clock.  It is shaped very much like a tolling hammer, but it is mounted so that the hammer head just clears the soundbow on the side of the bell opposite to the wheel.  (In this way, the bell is free to swing without interference from the clock hammer.)  The hammer arm rests on a flat spring, and the end of the other arm is connected to a pull wire that goes down through the floor of the belfry to the clock room.  There it is connected to one end of a center-pivoted clock-strike arm, the other end of which rides on a toothed cam wheel.  As the clock approaches the time when the bell should strike, a cam tooth slowly causes the clock hammer to be lifted off the spring.  When the clock-strike arm falls off the other side of the tooth, the clock hammer falls; its falling weight overcomes the spring rest just enough to strike the bell once before settling on the rest again.  The configuration of the cam wheel and other parts of the clock control when and how many times the clock hammer strikes the bell.

p.21, para.3

While I have not seen an American-made steel bell with a crown, some of the steel bells made in England or Germany do have either crowns or button tops.  Some have reeds and lettering as well.

p.25, para.2

The great bell of St.Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Cincinnati is further described here, where a different weight is reported for it.  (At least three different weights for this bell can be found in the literature.)

p.25, Form Follows Function, second paragraph

Fig.79 is an even better illustration of the point than fig.40; there is hardly any hint of a soundbow in the shape of the bell.

p.27, paras.1 & 2

The idea that the sound of a bell comes primarily from its mouth is a common misconception that is easily disproved.  Ring a handbell, then point its mouth straight at your ear.  Now turn your wrist 90 degrees so that the side of the bell is toward your ear.  You will hear that the bell sounds louder, even though the sound continues to decay.  The reason for this is that the mode of vibration in a bell is circular, and the sound waves that are emitted from the inner sides of a bell tend to cancel each other.  This is more obvious in a relatively narrow-mouthed bronze bell than in a relatively wide-mouthed steel bell.  When watching a swinging bell in an open tower, the visual image reaches the eye much faster than the audible sound, but the brain wants to match the sight and sound at the moment they are received, thus producing an incorrect impression of when the bell sounds loudest in its swing.  A swinging bell sounds louder than a non-swinging bell because the clapper hits the bell with much greater force.  Trying to achieve the same loudness from a stationary bell is very likely to break the bell because a tied clapper is not free to bounce after it strikes.  It is actually much easier to keep a swinging bell in motion than it is to make the same amount of sound just by moving the clapper.  (A fire bell is a different matter, because there is so much more adrenaline involved!)

p.29, para.4

The concept of rotating a swinging bell to obtain a fresh strike point was very much a New World invention, and probably sprang out of the fierce competition between bellfoundries selling into all the new settlements that were springing up across America in the 19th century.  Published testimonials from satisfied customers frequently contain remarks to the effect that "our new bell is better than all the others in town!"  And the bellfounders wanted their customers to be assured that they could easily keep that pleasant sound.  As a result, several different rotary mounting systems were developed, patented and advertised, even if in practice they were seldom used.  However, I have seen a few bells that had been rotated twice - always in Catholic churches, where the bells had been very heavily used.

p.29, last paragraph

For a long time, we thought that the Vanduzen 4-bolt mounting system was unique to that firm.  Recently a couple of Meneely/Watervliet bells have been discovered with an identical mounting.  It is not yet known whether the Meneelys were experimenting with Vanduzen's mounting system or whether these bells have been remounted on Vanduzen fittings at some time in their history.  In any event, it makes the bell-hunting campanologist much more cautious about identifying a bell solely with binoculars, though they remain an essential research tool.

p.30, para.1

Garrett should be Garratt.

p.31, fig.79 caption

"Sears Robuck" should be "Sears, Roebuck".

Chapter 3

p.33, Iron and Steel Bell Restoration, last paragraph

"U-shaped cups" refers to the open plain bearings used on most small steel bells (whether mounted on forks or A-frames) and on many small bronze bells.  These plain bearings could operate for many years without any lubrication at all, because their loading (in terms of pounds per square inch of contact surface) was very low, so frictional wear was minimal once the gudgeon and bearing cup had worn each other smooth.  Middle-sized bells with plain bearings often had hold-down straps bolted across the tops of the bearing cups to prevent the bell from jumping out of its bearings if the rope was mis-handled.  More complex bearings (e.g., roller boxes) required regular lubrication for easy operation.

p.33, Bronze Bell Restoration, first paragraph

I heartily agree with Neil's recommendation against removing the patina of a bronze bell.  To me, it's like making your granny get a facelift because you don't like looking at her wrinkles.  An old bell ought to be respected for what it is, rather than making it look like new.  (A brass railroad bell or a chrome-plated fire engine bell is different - it's a piece of equipment which was regularly polished while in use.)

p.36, para.2

The Website of Prindle Station is www.prindlestation.com.

Chapter 4

The two-part molding method, using a perforated metal cask to hold the outer part, is accurately described.  This is a relatively modern method, first used in the 19th century.  The much older method of building a false bell on the core and then building the outer mold on top of the false bell is still used by some foundries.  Details of this method can also be found in the literature.

Chapter 5

p.41, second paragraph, second line

Brasamer's should be Brosamer's

p.41, fourth paragraph, last line

Brasamers should be Brosamer's

Research notes for Part II

From the Webmaster and the author; all page numbers refer to the book, which the reader of this page should now have in hand.  Errata and commentary are included.

NOTE:  On the page number references that follow, if the author's exact name for a bellfoundry is used then the associated items apply solely to that particular foundry entry.  If a generic or family name is used, or any other form that does not match any of the author's foundry names, then the associated commentary applies to several related foundry entries.

p.55, Tips for the Use of this Bell Foundry Directory

The database from which this Part of the book was produced served well for many years as an efficient and effective means of compiling and organizing information about all of the various names found on bells or in documentation about their makers.  Its one shortcoming is that finding and connecting the various names used by a single foundry (or its various proprietorships) over the course of its existence is somewhat awkward.  The Successor field identified in the author's second Tip is helpful in this respect, as is the corresponding Predecessor field.  When an entry has both a Year Closed and a Successor, it should not be assumed that the business was actually closed; more likely that is the year when the Successor took over its operation as a new proprietor.  If the Address of the Successor is the same, then that is undoubtedly true.

A

p.57 (added), Alexandria Iron Foundry and Machine Factory

Address:  Royal Street, Alexandria, District of Columbia [Virginia]

Year Established:  1831?

Year Closed:  No Data

Years Known in Operation:  1843-1844

Founder:  Thomas W. and Richard C. Smith

Predecessor:  No Data

Successor:  No Data

Source: An 1843 bronze bell in the Old Fairfax County Courthouse and an 1844 bronze bell in the Old Presbyterian Meeting House, both in Alexandria; both are inscribed "TW & RC Smith, Alexandria DC", with the year on the center of the yoke.
The name and address of the foundry are reported in the history of the Meeting House.

Other Facts:  The city of Alexandria was part of the District of Columbia (and not part of Virginia) from 1801 to 1847, though the end points of that period are somewhat flexible depending on which particular legal actions one chooses to use to define them.  The establishment of the Foundry & Factory was announced in newspaper articles in March of 1831; other documentation suggests that it may have been in operation as late as 1928, or it may have ceased operation before 1875.

Commentary:  In view of the name of the firm, it seems doubtful that they ever produced more than a few bronze bells.

p.57, Cyrus Alger

Source:  Shepp should be Shep.

p.57, James P. Allaire

Other Facts: Sanger should be Saenger.

p.57, photo caption

Allarie should be Allaire.

p.58, American Bell Foundry Company

Predecessor:  Globe Furniture Company

Commentary:  Advertising material from this company also gives its name as The American Bell and Foundry Company, and proudly identifies its products with the trade name The Bowlden Bell.
Note that Other Facts gives the address as Northfield, Michigan.  I do not know whether this is a typo, or whether the company moved from Northville to Northfield, or vice versa.  Both places do exist, although Northfield is a township with no developed center.

B

p.60, John Bailey

See also Bailey & Hedderly, page 104.

p.61 (added), Baltimore bell and brass works.

Commentary: This was a trade name for Clampitt & Regester (q.v.).  It appeared in Baltimore city directories of 1860-1865, but is not known to have been used on their bells.

p.61, Bartholomew & Brainard

Source:  Shepp should be Shep.

See also Ward, Bartholomew & Brainard

Commentary: The Hartford city directory for 1828 does not list a partnership named Bartholomew & Brainard.

p.62 (added), William B. Belknap & Co.

Address:  Louisville, Kentucky

Years in Operation:  18??-1903

Commentary:  This firm, whose principal was William Burke Belknap, sold private label bells made by the C.S.Bell company, marked "W B B & Co Louisville KY" and bearing the 1886 date of redesign.  In 1904, the name of the firm became Belknap Hardware and Manufacturing Company; it is not known whether they continued to sell private label bells.

p.62, photo

This photo may be incorrectly proportioned; it appears to be too short for its width.

p.63, C. S. Bell & Company

Other Facts:  The last sentence does not belong with this entry but with the following one (The C. S. Bell Company).

Commentary:  Table of weights of C.S.Bell church and school bells (supplied by N.G.)
Table of weights of C.S.Bell fire alarm bells (supplied by N.G.)

p.63, The C. S. Bell Company

Address:  This does not mean that Hillsboro became Tiffin.  The firm that bought the Hillsboro general foundry business (but not its bell business) relocated to Tiffin.  Hence it is not the Successor of the Hillsboro firm with respect to bells.

Successor:  Prindle Station, which bought the farm bell molds after the closure of the Hillsboro foundry.

Other Facts:  Parts of the middle of this section belong with a successor firm, not here.

p.65, Bevin Brothers Manufacturing Company

Source:  Elsnore should be Elsinore.

p.65, Arthur Lynds Bigelow

Commentary:  Bigelow was Professor of Engineering at Princeton University, and a renowned carillonneur.  For an index of carillon and chime bells made by Bigelow, as well as more about the history of his work, see our Bigelow index page.

p.66, M. C. Bignall & Co.

Address:  806 & 808 N. 2nd, St.Louis, Missouri

Years in Operation:  1876-1878

Successor:  Goulds & Ostrander should be omitted.

Source:  add: Saint Louis city directories (annual)

Commentary:  This firm, a partnership between Moses C. Bignall and Nelson O. Nelson, was a manufacturer of pumps and a distributor of brass goods and railway supplies (per city directories).  It might have been a distributor of bells, since the successor firm at the same address did that, but it is unlikely to have been a manufacturer of bells.

p.66, William Blake

Address:  Brighten should be Brighton.

Predecessor & Successor:  Not applicable; so far as can be determined, Wiliam Blake never made bells solely under his own name, but was always an employee or a principal of one of the businesses listed herein.

Commentary:  For an index of chimes made by the Hooper/Blake foundry, as well as more about the history of the foundry, see our Hooper/Blake index page.

p.66, Blake Bell Company

Address:  Brighten should be Brighton.

Founder:  William S. Blake, son of William Blake

Successor:  Bay City Foundry, at a different address. 

Commentary:  William Sullivan Blake died in 1893, and is buried in the same lot as his father, in Mt.Auburn Cemetery.  After his death, the foundry continued to be operated under the same name by unknown principals until 1899, after which its name (but not its property) was taken over by the Bay City Foundry (description TBD).

p.67, William Blake & Company

Address:  Brighten should be Brighton.

Founder:  William Blake, later William S. Blake

Predecessor:  The immediate predecessor of Wm.Blake & Co. was Henry N. Hooper & Co., which operated the same foundry from 1830 to 1868.

Successor:  Blake Bell Company

Commentary:  William Blake died in 1871, and is buried in the lot that he had purchased in Mt.Auburn Cemetery.  Following his death, the foundry continued under the same name while being operated by his son, William S. Blake.

p.69, Bleymeyer Foundry

Commentary:  Bleymeyer is undoubtedly a mis-transcription of Blymyer (q.v.), since it does not appear in the Cincinnati city directories of the day.  Source attributions of this name should be interpreted as Blymyer Manufacturing Company.

p.69, Henry Bloemker

Commentary:  Bronze bells by him survive in the St.Louis area.

p.69, Blymyer Manufacturing Company

Predecessor:  Blymer should be Blymyer; it is undoubtedly a mis-transcription of Blymyer (q.v.), since it does not appear in the Cincinnati city directories of the day.

Successor:  should be Cincinnati Bell Foundry Company.

p.69, Blymyer, Norton & Company

Name:  Insert comma after Blymyer.

p.70, B. N. & Company

Commentary:  In the 19th century, business names ending in "& Co." were always formed from the last names of the active principals, with the "& Co." representing the existence of silent partners or investors.  Thus the B and N are undoubtedly the initials of the principals.  Since the name "B. N. & Co." does not appear in Cincinnati city directories, but "Blymyer, Norton & Co." does, and steel bells with those markings on their yokes are identical in style, the former is undoubtedly an abbreviation for the latter.  Furthermore, that style is exactly the same as those marked CIN B F CO, for Cincinnati Bell Foundry Company, the ultimate successor of Blymyer, Norton & Company.

p.70, The Bowlden Bell

Commentary:  This trade name was used and proudly claimed by The American Bell & Foundry Company, Northville, Michigan, according to their advertising materials.  (See p.58.)

p.71, Bradley & Cochran

Compare the same name on page 80.

p.71, C. Brinckerhoff

Address:  181 or 187 Water Street (1794-1804), 262 Water Street (1805-1813), New York, New York

Year established:  1790/91

Year closed:  (n/a)

Years Known in Operation:  1791-1813

Predecessor:  none

Successor:  Sayre & Force

Source - add:  New York City directories, 1786-1815

Other Facts - add:  Cornelius Brinckerhoff first appears in the city directories in 1791 as a cutler (maker of edged tools), at 164 Water Street.  In 1794, he was at 187 Water Street, as a cutler and brass-founder.  It's not clear whether he relocated or whether the street was renumbered, as the 1797 and 1798 directories alternate between 187 and 181, but from 1797 to 1804 he was consistently listed at 181.  The 1814 directory lists the "widow of Cornelius," as well as the partnership of Sayre & Force, brassfounders, at 262 Water Street.

p.72, Buckeye Bell Foundry

Commentary:  The name Buckeye Bell Foundry seems to have been used throughout the history of this foundry, regardless of changes of ownership.  For an index of chimes made under Vanduzen ownership, as well as more about the history of this foundry, see our Vanduzen index page.

p.72, Burd & Tilden

Years Known in Operation:  1842

Founder:  Principals were William Burd and Richard S. Tilden

Source:  add: Saint Louis city directories (annual)

p.72, Burd, Tilden & Burd

Years Known in Operation:  1842-1845

Founder:  Principals were William Burd, Richard S. Tilden and John W. Burd.

Source:  add: Saint Louis city directories (annual)

Other Facts:  The 1848 advertisement quoted here was actually that of Burd, Rucker & Co.

p.72, Burd, Rucker & Co.

Founder:  Principals were John W. Burd and Alfred M. Rucker.

C

p.73, California Bell Company

Commentary:  John Kolstad purchased the remaining assets of this company in 2000, and revived its operation.  Various reproductions of historic bells can be purchased through its Website.

p.74, Gardiner Campbell & Sons

Commentary:  To be consistent with the style used in the rest of this book there should be three entries for this foundry, corresponding to the various business names that appear in the Milwaukee city directories:
Gardiner Campbell & Son, 237-239 Oregon (1876-1879)
Gardiner Campbell & Sons, 237-239 Oregon (1880), 242-246 Oregon (1881-1886), 238-246 Oregon (1887-1888), 238-256 Oregon (1889-1899)
Gardiner Campbell Co., 238-256 Oregon (1900-1904)
Gardiner Campbell was born in Dunfermline, Scotland, in 1834.  He emigrated to America in 1850 with his parents and three siblings, having just completed an apprenticeship in a bell and iron foundry in his home town.  Settling in Milwaukee, he worked for a variety of iron foundries while starting a family.  When his older son (George Gardiner Campbell) was 18, he started his own iron foundry, with George as his partner.  Four years later, his younger son (Henry Edward Campbell) joined the firm, prompting its first change of name; in the same year, the business was first classified under Bell Foundries in the business section of the city directories.  Following the death of Gardiner Campbell in 1892, his sons retained the company name unchanged.  It survived the nationwide fiscal panic of 1893, and went on to cast the mammoth bell that still rings from the tower of the Milwaukee City Hall.  But the untimely death of George G. Campbell in 1898 (drowned in a diving bell accident) was a catastrophe in more ways than one.  The reorganization of the business in 1900, with outside investors as officers of a new corporation, was insufficient to keep it going, and it ceased operations in 1904.
This is the only verified instance of an American firm operating both a bellfoundry and an iron foundry.

p.74, Caughlan & Bro.

Founder:  David and Adam Caughlan

p.75, Caughlan & Piquett[e]

Piquette should be Piquett

pp.77-78, Cincinnati Bell Foundry Company

Years Known in Operation:  1885-1925

Predecessor:  Blymer should be Blymyer.

Source:  add: Cincinnati city directories (annual)

Commentary:  In the city directories for Cincinnati, an 1884 advertisement for The Blymyer Manufacturing Company includes Bells among the many kinds of durable goods that they produced.  In the 1885 directory, the Cincinnati Bell Foundry Company first occurs, with an advertisement identifying it as "Successor (in Bells) to The Blymyer Manufacturing Company" (which continued to exist).  Clearly, BMCo spun off its bell-making business into a separate company.  D.W. Blymyer was president of CBFCo and also a partner in Blymyer Mfg. Co.  In 1919, an advertisement for The Cincinnati Bell Foundry Company boasts of "Blymyer Church Bells."  The last city directory in which CBFCo was listed was 1925.  There is no evidence that a separate firm named Cincinnati Bell Company ever existed, so the use of CIN BELL CO on bells must have been a form of abbreviation.
The John B. Morris Foundry Company was indeed a Cincinnati firm, but the 1918 city directory identifies them as proprietors of the Eagle Iron Foundry and Machine Works, which occupied a full city block that was nowhere near the Cincinnati Bell Foundry Company.  None of the principals of the Morris firm have been found to be associated with any of the Blymyer firms.  It is conceivable that the Eagle foundry could have been a subcontractor for CBFCo, but that does not seem to be sufficient justification for them to claim proprietorship of it.  So this remains a mystery for the time being.

p.78, Clampitt & Regester

Address:  47 Holliday Street (1845-48), 53 Holliday Street (1848-58).

Year Established:  1845.

Year Closed:  1858.

Years Known in Operation:  1845-1858.

Predecessor:  Joshua Regester.

Successor:  Regester & Webb.

p.79, Centennial Bell Foundry

Other Facts:  On the second line, "Campell" should be "Campbell".

Commentary:  This appears to have been a trade name used by Gardiner Campbell's company (see p.74, above), because it never appears as a separate entry in the Milwaukee city directories, though it does appear on bronze bells produced by this foundry.  It only appears once in this form, as part of the 1901 entry for Gardiner Campbell Co., "props. Centennial Bell Foundry".  A similar wording of "props. Centennial Bell and Iron Foundry" appears as part of the 1897-1899 entries for Gardiner Campbell & Sons.

p.79, The Cleveland Bell Mfg & Foundry Company

Other Facts:  On the last line, "bah" should be "bas".

p.79, James Cochran

Successor:  Cockran should be Cochran (twice).

p.79, Fenton & Cochran

see page 89

p.80, Bradley & Cochran

Compare the same name on page 71.

p.80, C. A. Coffin

Commentary: Although I am credited as a source for this information, I cannot now find any record of what I may have sent to Neil years ago.  At present, I do not believe there was ever a person named C.A.Coffin associated with the Buckeye Bell Foundry, nor even such a resident in the city of Cincinnati.  An advertisement in the 1866 city directory makes it very clear that the partnership of Vanduzen & Tift was the direct successor of G.W. Coffin & Co. as the proprietors of the Buckeye Bell Foundry.  G.W.Coffin retired from business at that point, and lived for several years thereafter.

p.80, G. W. Coffin

Successor:  Vanduzen & Tift (see preceding Commentary)

Other Facts:  I have been unable to find any documentation verifying the existence of a person named W.A. Van Duzen (or Vanduzen), whether in Cincinnati or in Ezra W. Vanduzen's family tree.
The last sentence seems to imply that Vanduzen & Tift were not involved with the foundry before they bought out G.W.Coffin.  On the contrary, they had been partners with him in that enterprise since at least as early as 1860, and so would merely have bought out his share of the partnership when he retired.

Commentary:  G.W.Coffin produced bells which were far more ornately decorated than anything made by any other American bellfounder.  The photo on this page does not show his most ornate style, which had fancy sculptural reliefs repeating around the waist of the bell.

p.81, Concordia

Commentary:  This may be a donor's inscription rather than a maker's inscription.  Concordia Seminary, Saint Louis, has a J.G.Stuckstede bell from 1881 with just the word "Concordia" on the waist; and there are several other Concordia seminaries.

p.82, Melvin C. Corbett

Commentary:  Corbett later became a carillonneur; he was a long-time member (and sometime secretary) of The Guild of Carillonneurs in North America.

p.82, Cordry Caughlin Co.

The name should be "Cordry, Caughlan & Co."

Founder:  Caughlin should be Caughlan.

Source:  add: Saint Louis city directories (annual)

p.83, Curtis

Address:  21 Church street, Albany, New York

Founder:  Daniel Curtis

Years Known in Operation:  1852

Source:  Advertisements in Albany newspapers, offering church and other bells, as well as brass, copper and composition castings.

D

p.83, S. Davis

Years Known in Operation:  1836

p.84, J. C. Deagan, Inc.

The inclusion of Deagan, who made large tubular bells for electrically-operated tower chimes, is somewhat perplexing, because other known American makers of such bells are omitted.  For more about tubular tower bells, see our tubular bells page.

p.86, James Doolittle

Other Facts:  A bell is known with the inscription "Doolittle Fecit 1827 Hartford Con."
James Doolittle's estate was probated in late 1845, indicating that he must have died earlier that year; he was survived by his wife.

E

p.88, Eagle Bell & Brass Foundry

Address:  Delete "- 1900".

F

p.89, B. W. Felthousen Company

Commentary:  It is not clear why Lois Springer thought that B.W.Felthousen was a maker of bells.  In the Milwaukee city directories for 1869 and 1870, Barrent W. Felthousen is identified as a coppersmith, steam and gas fitter; he was operating as an independent craftsman with a few employees, not as the principal of any company.

p.89, Fenton & Cochran

see page 79

p.90, Foote Foundry

Name:  J. B. Foote Foundry

Address:  Fredericktown, Knox County, Ohio

Year Established:  1880s

Year Closed:  2014

Years Known in Operation:  1880s-2014

Founder:  James B. Foote (initially), others later

Predecessor:  Fredericktown Bell Company

Successor:  None

Source: Add:   History of the Fredericktown, Ohio Bells.

Commentary:  According to the above source, the ownership of this foundry changed several times beginning in 1913; but there is no indication that the name of the foundry was ever changed again.  It is not clear when the foundry ceased producing bells, as it continued to produce a variety of other products (including cement mixers, concrete block machines, and playground equipment).

p.91, C. B. Force & Company

Commentary:  Cornelius B. Force first appears in the New York City directory for 1836, at the same address that his father, Ephraim Force, had occupied since 1822.  Both men were listed at that address up until Cornelius' death in 1848, sometimes with "Force & Co." associated with Cornelius' name and once with "Force & Son" associated with Ephraim's name, but often with neither.  In the alphabetic sections of the directories, they were both identified as brassfounders, or simply founders (1843-1848), but in the classified sections, one or the other was often classified as a bell founder.  Newspaper notices in October 1842 announced the dissolution of the copartnership of Cornelius B. Force & Co. as of Oct.1, though both men continued to be listed in the city directory as noted above.  A year later there was a newspaper announcement that the entire stock (including "a large assortment of church, ship and house bells") was to be sold, and the property at 265 Water street was available to let or lease; this is somewhat mystifying. 

p.91, Ephraim Force

Commentary:  Ephraim Force retired from the foundry business upon the death of his son Cornelius (see above), who may well have been named after Cornelius Brinckerhoff.  Thereafter, Ephraim was identified as "late founder" or "late brassfounder" until his death in 1857.  The 1850 census showed that he was living with his widowed daughter-in-law and a grandson; they survived him, and occupied the same house on East Broadway in NYC.  The grandson, Ephraim C. Force, was listed as next of kin (and minor child) when his will was probated.  There is evidence that his brass foundry also produced fire engines, and that he served as a fire warden in his ward of the city.

p.91, Frederick Town Bell Company

Name:  Fredericktown Bell Company

Address:  Fredericktown, Knox County, Ohio

Year Established:  1866-67

Year Closed:  1880s

Years Known in Operation:  1867-1880s

Founder:  Will Cummings

Predecessor:  L. D. Rankin Bell Factory

Successor:  J. B. Foote Foundry

Source: Add:   History of the Fredericktown, Ohio Bells.

Commentary:  Although the author distinguishes Frederick Town, Ohio, from Fredericktown, Pennsylvania, by the presence or absence of the space in the name, no support for the two-word variant has been found in research on the history of the town or the foundry.  This town is not to be confused with another Fredericktown, Ohio -- an uncorporated settlement near the east edge of Columbiana County.

pp.91-92, Fredericktown

On page 91, under Frederick Town, the location of the Fredericktown Bell Co. is given as Cory, Pa.; but on page 92 it is given as Corry, Pa. - the spelling found in current road atlases.

G

p.97 (added), Adam Good

Address:  Ohio street at Washington street, Buffalo, New York

Year Established:  1843

Year Closed:  1864, upon Adam Good's removal to Titusville PA

Years Known in Operation:  1843-1864

Founder:  Adam Good (born 1812 in Bavaria as Adam Guth, died 1877 in Titusville PA) and various partners (see Other Facts here).

Predecessor:  (none)

Successor:  (none)

Source: City directories and newspapers of Buffalo, NY, 1832-1877.

Other Facts:  The Guth family, including Adam, his parents and at least one sibling, immigrated to America in the 1830s, and were settled in Buffalo by 1836.  His father operated a grocery store, and the family tried a couple of ways of Americanizing their name before settling on Good.  At the same time, a blacksmith and brass founder named John Cummings set up shop on the corner of Ohio and Washington streets in Buffalo, and a locksmith named John G. Davock was at work in the city.  It's not known where Adam learned the brassfounding trade, but by 1838 he had set up his own shop next door to his father's grocery.  About that same time, John Cummings had taken into partnership a man named Stephen Clark.  By the next year, Adam Good had taken Clark's place as junior partner at Ohio & Washington.  This also did not last long, as Adam Good became a parter of John W. Davock, a lock maker and bell hanger, at the latter's shop at Washington & Swan streets, while John Cummings retained the property at Ohio & Washington as a blacksmith.  By 1841, Cummings had relocated his blacksmith shop to Main street; it is not known how the property at Ohio & Washington was then being used.  However, by 1842, the partnership of Davock & Good had broken up, and Adam Good was operating a brass foundry on that property; he remained there for almost two decades.  By March of 1843, he had erected a furnace for the casting of large bells and heavy pieces for machinery (probably iron, not brass); he advertised this expanded capability under the name Lafayette Bell and Brass Foundry (see p.119 below).  In 1849-50 he was spelling his last name as "Goode," but thereafter he reverted to "Good."  By 1858, Adam had diversified beyond bells & brass into the manufacture of steam engines, thus implying that he was capable of casting iron as well as brass and bronze.  An 1859 article reported that his firm also had a division dedicated to the production of hose and belting (leather products).  Another article that year reported that he had taken all of the premiums and prizes for Steam Engines at a recent Missouri Fair held in St.Louis.  In 1861, it was reported that he had already shipped 24 steam engines of five to eight horsepower to Tidioute and Titusville in the Pennsylvania oil region, as well as setting up his own oil refinery in Buffalo in connection with the "extensive oil districts in the vicinity" of that city.  Adam continued to own the Ohio Street property after he removed to Pennsylvania in 1864; it was apparently leased to the firm of Farrar, Trefts and Knight, who continued the engine-building operation but not the bellfounding operation, and used the Lafayette name as well.  In Titusville, Adam Good set up another Lafayette Iron Works and Brass Foundry, which included a machine shop; he also constructed and leased office and hotel buildings, and set up a grist or flouring mill.  It is not known whether he ever made any bells in Titusville.

p.97, Good and Moores

Year Established:  August 1852

Year Closed:  August 1857

Years Known in Operation:  1852-1857

Founder:  Adam Good, Daniel Good (his much younger brother) and William Moores

Predecessor and Successor:  not applicable; this partnership was one of a succession of proprietorships of the Lafayette Bell and Brass Foundry (see p.119, below), all of which involved Adam Good as the principal partner.

Source: Newspapers and city directories of Buffalo, NY, 1852-1857.

Other Facts:  Daniel Good left the partnership within a year.

Commentary:  Pratt & Co. of Buffalo were agents for many producers of hardware and other durable goods, including the "Lafayette Foundry," which was undoubtedly the Lafayette Bell and Brass Foundry of this city and not the Lafayette Foundry of Saint Louis, Missouri (see p.119 in the original book and as revised below).

H

pp.99-101, Hanks

Commentary:  All of the Hanks men mentioned here were related to each other - see our Hanks genealogy page for details.  However, whether they were related to Nancy Hanks Lincoln is uncertain, because her parentage is in dispute.  (See our Commentary on p.7, above.)

p.99-100, Benjamin Hanks

Address:  As the Other Facts makes clear, the Hankses did not move from Connecticut to New York until 1808.

Other Facts:  Duxburry should be Duxbury (twice).  Phelina should be Philena.  Hank's should be Hanks' (twice).  Benjamine should be Benjamin.

Commentary:  While Benjamin Hanks' father (Uriah Hanks) came from near Duxbury, Massachusetts (there is no Duxbury in Connecticut), he was married in Mansfield, Connecticut, in 1755, and Benjamin was born there in 1757.  All of Benjamin's siblings were also born in Mansfield, the last in 1782.  Benjamin is reported to have lived and worked in Windham CT from 1777 to 1779, in Litchfield CT from 1779 to 1790, and then in Ashford CT briefly before returning to Mansfield.  Windham and Ashford are not far from Mansfield, but Litchfield is on the other side of the state.  Oddly, all nine of his children seem to have been born in Mansfield.  While he might have cast some bells while in Litchfield, we have seen no evidence of that.  Thus the years of operation of his foundry in Mansfield should be at most 1790-1808, and probably less.

p.100, Julius Hanks

Commentary:  Even before Andrew Meneely took over Julius Hanks' foundry in Gibbonsville in 1826, Julius had moved across the river to Troy, setting up a new foundry and instrument making business.  Thus he became the first bellfounder in Troy, and there should be two separate entries for his work.

p.100, Hanks & Meneely

Commentary:  Although Andrew Meneely was apprenticed to Julius Hanks in the Gibbonsville foundry, I do not believe that Julius was involved with that foundry after Andrew Meneely took it over in 1826.

p.101, Hanks & McGraw

Years Known in Operation:  1842?-1844?

Founder:  George L. Hanks, Arthur Hanks & James McGraw

Source:  add: Cincinnati city directories (which were not published annually in those days).

p.101, George L. Hanks

Other Facts:  What was transferred from St.Peter in Chains to St.Teresa of Avila was a chime of 11 bells, made by George L. Hanks in 1851 with the assistance of Francis Mayer, who moved from Cincinnati to St.Louis, Missouri, later that year.

Commentary:  For an index of chimes made by George L. Hanks, as well as more about the history of his foundry, see our Hanks/Niles index page.

p.102, William Harpke

Years Known in Operation:  1865-1869

Successor:  Harpke & Dauernheim

Source:  add: Saint Louis city directories (annual)

p.102, Harpke & Dauernheim

Predecessor:  William Harpke

Successor:  Harpke Manufacturing Company

Years Known in Operation:  1870-1887

Source:  add: Saint Louis city directories (annual)

p.102, Harpke Manufacturing Company

Years Known in Operation:  1888-1891

Source:  add: Saint Louis city directories (annual)

p.104, Bailey & Hedderly

Other Facts:  New Platz should be New Paltz.

See also John Bailey, page 60.

See also New York Bell Foundry, page 136.

p.106, Henry-Bonnard Company

Other Facts:  "bah" should be "bas".

p.106, Hillsboro Ohio Bell Company

Commentary:  This is probably a generic reference to The C.S.Bell Company, rather than a separate company name.

p.108, James Homan Foundry

Other Facts:  "scraped" should be "scrapped".

pp.108-109, Hooper

Commentary:  For an index of chimes made by the Hooper foundry, as well as more about the history of the foundry, see our Hooper/Blake index page.

p.108, Hooper, Blake & Richardson

Source:  add: Boston city directories (annual)

Commentary:  This partnership was in fact not a separate operation, but the proprietors of Henry N. Hooper & Company (see opposite page) from 1833 to 1865.  It was dissolved, and the company reorganized without change of name, on the death of Henry N. Hooper in 1865.

p.109, Henry N. Hooper & Company

Year Closed:  1868

Years Known in Operation:  1830-1868

Predecessor:  Boston Copper Company

Successor:  Wm. Blake & Company

Source:  add: Boston city directories (annual)

p.109, lower figure

This is almost certainly an illustration of the 13-bell chime made for Christ Church, Cambridge, in 1860; possibly it was made from a photograph.  It shows the chime set up in the yard of the foundry, surrounded by the workers and management.  A narrow sign just above the topmost bells reads, "Cast by Henry N. Hooper & Co. Boston".  Two things are especially notable about the chime as shown here. 
Firstly, the chime-playing mechanism, located on the upper deck with four top-hatted gentlemen, is a taut-rope chiming rack.  (That could be loosely described as an Ellacombe rack, though the construction is somewhat different.)  Oddly, only 10 ropes are visible below the deck, and only 10 note names are shown on the top rail of the rack. 
Secondly, eight bells are hung for swinging - possibly a diatonic octave on the tenor (which is in the independent frame at left).  While this might seem to suggest, or to be inspired by, the idea of change-ringing (e.g., at Old North Church in Boston), these bells clearly have no stays, and thus could not safely be rung full-circle.

I

(no additions)

J

p.111, Jackson Bell and Brass Foundry

Source:  add: Saint Louis city directories (annual)

Commentary:  While the partnership of Mayer & Ruppenthal lasted for about four years (see p.123), they apparently used the Jackson name for only two or three years.

p.112, Cyril Johnston

Commentary:  He doesn't belong in this book; he was the head of the Gillett & Johnston bellfoundry in England, which never cast any bells in America (though it exported many to America and Canada).  See our Gillett & Johnston index page for further information.

pp.112-114, Jones

Commentary:  Table of weights of Jones bells (supplied by N.G.)
For an index of chimes made by the Jones foundry, as well as more about the history of the foundry, see our Jones index page.

p.112, Jones & Company

Year Established:  1857

Years Known in Operation:  1857-1887

Other Facts:  "it's" should be "its".

K

p.115, Kaye & Company

Founder:  add Samuel J. Kaye

Other Facts:  Belleview should be Belleville.

Source:  add: Louisville city directories (annual)

Commentary:  Samuel J. Kaye was the proprietor of the foundry in its last years; he and the foundry last appear in the 1894 edition of the Louisville city directories.  Nothing else is known about him; his death and burial place were apparently not recorded.

p.116, Kentucky Bell Company

Years Known in Operation:  1888-1891

Other Facts:  Principals in this company included as president Charles J. F. Allen, who was also vice-president of W. B. Belknap & Co. of this city (see p.62 above);

Source:  add: Louisville city directories (annual)

p.116, George H. Kimberly

Other Facts:  Kimberely should be Kimberly.

p.116, Daniel King

Commentary:  It seems odd that both the Founder and the Successor appear to be the same person, especially when there is a separate entry for him (see next page).

pp.118-119, Kupferle

Commentary:  There were two men named John Kupferle who worked in the bell and brass industry in Saint Louis.  One of them had middle initial C, and lived until 1908; the other did not, and died in 1875.  They were born a year apart, and thus could not have been brothers.  Although at times they were difficult to distinguish in the city directories (especially because there was in the city a third John Kupferle, who died in 1863), the lineage of the businesses in which they were involved is straightforward.

p.118, Kupferle & Boisselier

Source:  Bellville should be Belleville.

L

p.119, Lafayette Foundry (St.Louis, MO)

Append the city to the title, as shown on the preceding line here.

Source:  Remove the reference to the Buffalo Business Directory (which applies to the added entry that follows here).

Other Facts:  Replace all text with the following:
This foundry should not be confused with the similarly-named bell and brass foundry in Buffalo, NY.  There is no evidence for any personal or business connection between these two foundries.

p.119 (added), Lafayette Bell and Brass Foundry (Buffalo, NY)

Address:  21 Ohio street, Buffalo, New York

Year Established:  1843

Year Closed:  1864, upon Adam Good's removal to Titusville PA

Years Known in Operation:  1843-1864

Founder:  Adam Good (see p.97, added above), sometimes with various partners, as follows:
  1843: sole proprietorship
  1844: with William B. Dodd, formerly a machinist for Adam Good; partnership dissolved Aug.1844; Dodd sold his interest in the firm to Adam Good about Dec.1844.  (This partnership was of such brief duration that it never appeared in the city directories--only in newspaper articles.)
  1844-51: sole proprietorship
  1852: with Daniel Good, as Adam Good & Brother
  Aug.1852 to early 1853: with Daniel Good and Wm. B. Moores, as Good, Moores & Co.
  Early 1853 to Aug.1857: with Wm. B. Moores, as Good & Moores
  1857-64: sole proprietorship

Predecessor:  Adam Good, brass founder (not making bells; see addition to p.97, above)

Successor:  (none)

Source: City directories and newspapers of Buffalo, NY, 1832-1877.

Other Facts:  In the Buffalo Business Directory of 1855, Pratt & Co. of that city had numerous full page advertisements, one of which was devoted to the Lafayette Bell Foundry, for which Pratt & Co. were agents.  The advertisement included a large cut of a church bell, on which the manufacturer's inscription "GOOD & MOORES" was clearly visible.  It is not yet known whether the "Lafayette" name actually appears on any of the bells produced by this foundry.

p.122, Louisville Foundry

Other Facts:  Rickets should be Ricketts.

p.122, Lusk & Company

Address:  Jackson, Michigan, opposite MCRR Depot

Year Established:  about 1853, under a different name

Year Closed:  after 1886, under a different name

Years Known In Operation:  1872-1886

Founder:  Thomas E. Lusk (1825-1886)

Predecessor:  Vandercook Bros. & Lusk (though it is not known whether that firm ever made any bells)

Successor:  Holton & Weatherwax (though it is not known whether that firm ever made any bells)

Source (added):  Jackson city directories, 1869-87

Other Facts (added):  A similar bell has been seen, with "Lusk & Co." on the left arm of the yoke, "3" on the center boss, and "Jackson." on the right arm.

M

p.122, P.P.Manion

Commentary:  Peter P. Manion was an Irish immigrant; he and his brothers were blacksmiths.  Within a few years after his arrival in Saint Louis, his shop had grown into a large-scale business that was involved in salvaging metal from wrecked steamboats (hence the "Wrecking" in his company name) and re-working it into new heavy equipment for steamboats and other purposes.  He undoubtedly salvaged and re-sold the bells of wrecked steamboats as well, but it is doubtful that he ever manufactured any.  He did buy eight bells from Henry Stuckstede of St.Louis (see pp.156-157), and he donated a Stuckstede bell to a local Catholic church in memory of his daughter.

p.123, Manny & Company

Founder:  Abraham J. Manny was principal of this firm.

Successor:  Baver should be Bauer.

p.123, Emil C. Mayer

Address:  Covent should be Convent.

Source:  add: Saint Louis city directories (annual)

p.123, Francis Mayer

Address:  Covent should be Convent.

Source (added):  Saint Louis city directories (annual)

Other Facts:  Append to the last sentence the following: "in the St.Louis area.  It can be seen at the museum of the St.Louis (Missouri) Fire Department."

Commentary:  Francis Mayer must have been trained in Germany.  In 1848, he was working in the bellfoundry of Timothy Dyre of Philadelphia to cast the first chime made in North America (for Charleston, SC).  In 1850-51, he was working in the bellfoundry of George L. Hanks of Cincinnati to cast the second and third chimes made in North America (see our Hanks/Niles index page).  Some of the early bells that he cast in Saint Louis are profusely decorated.

p.123, Mayer & Ruppenthal

Founder:  Emil C. Mayer and Jacob Ruppenthal

Predecessor:  No Data.

Source:  add: Saint Louis city directories (annual)

Commentary:  After this partnership split up, Emil C. Mayer took over Francis Mayer's foundry on Convent Street.  Francis Mayer then worked as a moulder for Emil C. Mayer for two years before disappearing from the St.Louis city directories.  It is not known whether the two men were related.

p.124, Wm. McKenna & Son

Successor:  Unknown, but not Emil C. Mayer (of Saint Louis, MO).

pp.124-126, McShane

Commentary:  Table of weights of early McShane bells (supplied by N.G.)
Table of weights and prices of 1983 McShane bells (supplied by N.G.)
For an index of chimes made by the McShane foundry, as well as more about the history of the foundry, see our McShane index page.

p.124, Henry McShane & Company

Predecessor:  McShane & Bailey

Years Known in Operation:  1863-1891.

Source:  add: Baltimore city directories (annual)

p.126, McShane Bell Foundry Company

Predecessor:  Henry McShane Manufacturing Co. of Baltimore City, Inc.

Successor:  (none)

Years Known in Operation:  c.1904-present

Source:  add: Baltimore city directories (annual)

p.126, McShane & Bailey

Predecessor:  McShane's Bell Foundry

Successor:  Henry McShane & Company

Years Known in Operation:  1857-1863.

Source:  add: Baltimore city directories (annual)

p.127, Meeks & Watson

Name:  Though the firm is commonly known as Meeks & Watson, its official name is Meeks, Watson & Company.  See their Website at MWBells.com.

Founder:  William Meeks & Richard M. Watson

Commentary:  For an index of carillons made by Meeks & Watson, as well as more about the history of the foundry, see our Meeks, Watson & Co. index page

pp.127-129, Meneely (West Troy / Watervliet)

Commentary:  Table of weights of Meneely (West Troy) bells (supplied by N.G.)
For an index of chimes and carillons made by Andrew Meneely's foundry, as well as more about the history of the foundry, see our Meneely/Watervliet index page.

p.127, Andrew Meneely

Other Facts:  on the next-to-last line,  "it's" should be "its".

See also West Troy Bell Foundry

Commentary:  The foundry did not begin making chimes until several years after Andrew Meneely's death in 1849.

p.128, Andrew Meneely & Son

Predecessor:  Phelina should be Philena.

Other Facts:  "thier" should be "their".
Some historians dispute the alleged connection between the Benjamin Hanks lineage and the Nancy Hanks Lincoln lineage.  Nancy Hanks parentage, and even her maiden name, are not firmly documented.  See the Wikipedia article on Nancy Hanks Lincoln heritage for further information.

p.128, Meneely & Company

Commentary:  The earliest known chime made by this foundry is dated 1854.  The first complete chime made in America was cast in 1848 by Francis Mayer working with Timothy Dyre at the latter's bellfoundry in Philadelphia.  This Meneely foundry did produce the first American-made carillon, but it was not the first carillon in America, several having been imported from Europe in prior years (see our North American carillon history).

pp.130-132, Meneely (Troy)

Commentary:  Table of weights of Meneely (Troy) bells (supplied by N.G.)
For an index of chimes made by Clinton H. Meneely's foundry, as well as more about the history of the foundry, see our Meneely/Troy index page.
Actual production of this foundry was at least 12,400 bells, but certainly not 25,000.  See our Meneely/Troy foundry production analysis for more information.

p.134, Milwaukee Foundry

Commentary:  In the Milwaukee city directory for 1892, there is no foundry name that can be made to fit with this--neither in the alphabetic section, nor under the classification Brass Founders, nor under the classification Iron Founders.  So this is a mystery.

p.134, Montgomery Ward

Other Facts:  Robuck should be Roebuck (twice).

Commentary:  The practice of contracting for the manufacture of goods under one's own name is now commonly called private label manufacturing.

p.134, More, Jones & Company

Founder:  Principals of this company were Edward A. More and Henry T. Jones.

Other Facts:  Roger Plaquet of ABA has reported the existence of horse car bells made by this firm, but no evidence of large bells has yet been found.

p.134, Morgan Iron Works

Other Facts:  The name of the sidewheel steamboat "Central America" should be in quotes.

N

p.135, National Bell Foundry

Address:  various, 2933 Spring Grove Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio (same address as The Cincinnati Bell Foundry Co.)

Years Known in Operation:  1901-1921

Other Facts:  Calhoon should be Calhoun (twice).

p.136, N. O. Nelson Mfg Company

Name:  Copmpany should be Company.

Years Known in Operation:  1884-1889

Predecessor:  N. O. Nelson & Company.

p.136, N. O. Nelson & Company

Successor:  N. O. Nelson Mfg Company.

p.136, New York Bell Foundry

See also John Bailey, page 60.

See also Bailey & Hedderly, page 104.

pp.136-7, Niles Bell Foundry

Predecessor:  George L. Hanks, dba Cincinnati Bell Foundry

Commentary:  It is doubtful that the name "Niles Bell Foundry" was actually used, as the foundry appears to have been an integral part of the industrial complex known as Niles Works.  The Niles Works had been started and operated by brothers James and Jonathan Niles, but they retired from business a year or two before the demise of George L. Hanks and the acquisition of his bell foundry. 
For an index of chimes made by the Niles Works, as well as more about the history of this foundry, see our Hanks/Niles index page.

O

p.139 (added), H. Owen

Address:  various, St.Louis, Missouri

Year Established:  18??.

Year Closed:  18??.

Years Known in Operation:  1867-1882

Founder:  William Huntington "Hunt" Owen (1830-1910)

Predecessor:  none

Successor:  none

Source:  8-inch brass bell owned by Carl Scott Zimmerman, inscribed "H. Owen St. Louis Mo."

Other Facts:  Hunt Owen appears in St.Louis city directories from the 1850s to the 1890s, initially as a riverboat engineer and then (after the Civil War) as a steam and gas pipe fitter.  He seems to have been an independent craftsman for much of his life, and added a brass foundry to his operation about 1870. 

P

p.140, Perin & Gaff Mfg Company

Years Known in Operation:  1875-1882.

p.141, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard

Name:  Navel should be Naval.

p.141, Pugh & Russell

Other Facts:  Horse car bells marked "PUGH & RUSSELL NEW YORK" have been offered for sale on eBay.

R

p.141 (added),  L. D. Rankin Bell Factory

Address:  Fredericktown, Knox County, Ohio

Year Established:  1851

Year Closed:  1866/7

Years Known in Operation:  1851-1866/7

Founder:  L. Davis Rankin (1805-1866)

Predecessor:  None.

Successor:  Fredericktown Bell Company, Fredericktown, Ohio

Source:  History of the Fredericktown, Ohio Bells.

Other Facts:  None.

Commentary:  Although the author distinguishes Frederick Town, Ohio, from Fredericktown, Pennsylvania, by the presence or absence of the space in the name, no support for the two-word variant has been found in research on the history of the town.  This town is not to be confused with another Fredericktown, Ohio -- an uncorporated settlement near the east edge of Columbiana County.

p.141, Rankins Snyder H. Co.

Name:  This is undoubtedly the Rankin-Snyder Hardware Company, which operated in Louisville KY from 1883 to 1903 (according to the city directories).

p.142, Regester & Webb

Address:  53 Holliday, Baltimore, Maryland

Year Established:  1857-59?

Year Closed:  1861-2?

Years Known in Operation:  1860

Founder:  Joshua Regester and William G. Webb

Predecessor:  Clampitt & Regester

Successor:  Joshua Regester

Source:  Add: Baltimore city directory, 1860.  (Baltimore city directories were not published for 1857-9 and 1861-2.)

Other Facts:  None.

Commentary:  The McShane Bell Foundry Company was not the successor to Regester & Webb; the McShane foundry and the Regester foundry operated in competition for half a century.  The assertion that the Regester and McShane families were related has not been substantiated by genealogical research.  The closest connection that has been found is that Henry McShane was boarding with Joshua Regester's family at the time of the 1850 federal census; that probably indicates nothing more than that he was employed in the Regester brass foundry prior to setting up his own foundry six years later.

p.142 (added),  J. Regester & Son

Address:  53 Holliday, Baltimore, Maryland

Year Established:  1867-8

Year Closed:  1868-9

Years Known in Operation:  1868

Founder:  Joshua and Samuel W. Regester (1841-1924)

Predecessor:  Joshua Regester

Successor:  J. Regester & Sons

Source:  Baltimore city directory, 1868.  (A Baltimore city directory was not published for 1869.)

Other Facts:  None.

Commentary:  Samuel Willson was the oldest son (and second child) of Joshua Regester.

p.142, J. Regester & Sons

pp.143-146, Revere

Commentary:  For more details, see our page on the Revere foundry.

p.147, H. W. Rincker Foundry

Year Established:  1846

Year Closed:  1858

Founder:  Heinrich Wilhelm (Henry W.) Rincker

Predecessor:  None.

Successor:  None.

Commentary:  H.W. Rincker was the eldest of the siblings in his generation of the Rincker family of German bellfounders.  (That family foundry is still in existence - see the Rincker foundry Website.  For an index of chimes and carillons made by them, as well as more about the history of both the German and the American foundries, see our Rincker index page.)

p.148, Charles T. Robinson & Company

Years Known in Operation:  1888-1889

Commentary:  Charles T. Robinson apparently seized control of the foundry that had been operated by Blake & Company sometime in early 1888; the Boston city directory for that year not only lists both firms at the same address, but it contains advertisements from both of them using the same Hooper & Co. graphic!  The Robinson firm claimed to be the successor of the Blake firm, and at least three single bells (dated 1888 or 1889) are known to bear the name of C.T.Robinson & Co.  This did not last long; though William S. Blake was apparently unemployed as of the time the 1889 directory was compiled, by the time of the 1890 directory compilation Robinson was gone and William S. Blake was back running the foundry, this time under the name of Blake Bell Company.  No additional evidence has been found to identify or distinguish this Charles T. Robinson from several others that were living in the USA around this time period.  For more about the complex history of this foundry, see our Hooper/Blake index page.

S

p.150, Sayre Force

Name:  Sayre & Force

Address:  265 Water Street, New York, New York

Year Established:  n/a

Years Known in Operation:  1815-1821

Year Closed:  n/a

Founder:  Ephraim Force

Predecessor:  Cornelius Brinckerhoff

Successor:  Ephraim Force

Source:  Add:  New York city directories & newspapers

Other Facts:  Add:  The first address shown for this partnership in the city directories was the same as that of bellfounder Cornelius Brinckerhoff the preceding year.  Newspaper reports show that the partnership of Sayre & Force was dissolved on 27 Dec. 1821.  Although everything in the establishment (stock, tools, etc.) was advertised for private sale, it is evident that Ephraim Force continued its operation at the same address.

Commentary:  It seems likely that Nathan Sayre was a businessman who had no knowledge of the technical side of the foundry.  He appears in the city directories first as a shoemaker, then as a partner in a grocery store.  Both before and after his partnership with Ephraim Force, he is listed without any occupation, which might indicate that he was more of an investor than an operator.  A New York City death report for Col. Nathan Sayre, aged 49, appeared in a July 1825 newspaper; that rank was acquired in the War of 1812.

p.150, Schmidt & Wilson Brass Foundry

Other Facts:  Sain should be Saint.

p.151, Schmieding & Witte

Founder:  Principals were Frederick E. Schmieding and Otto Witte.

p.151, L.H. & G.C. Schneider

Commentary:  The hypothesis is correct; in 1862, the partnership of L.H. & G.C. Schneider was operating a brass foundry at 271 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C.  The principals were Lewis H. Schneider and Gottleib C. Schneider.  Further research into the city directories would probably show how long this foundry was in operation.

p.151, Schulmerich

Commentary:  Before entering the handbell business, Schulmerich was a producer of electronic devices that attempted to imitate carillons.  For many years they were also the American representative of the Eijsbouts bell foundry of the Netherlands, so their name may appear on some Eijsbouts bells.  It is therefore probable that the Liberty Bell replica mentioned here was made for Schulmerich by Eijsbouts.  The company was dissolved in 2014; its electronic division was sold to Verdin, and its handbell division was reconstituted as a new enterprise.

p.151, photo caption

Schulmarich should be Schulmerich.

p.152, Sellew & Company

Commentary:  The local principal of this company in St.Louis was Ralph Sellew; the other principals were his brothers, who operated a similar enterprise in Cincinnati.

p.152, Semple, Birge & Company

Founder:  The partners were Edward H. Semple, Julius C. Birge and others.

Commentary:  This firm was primarily a manufacturers' agent and distributor of agricultural machinery and related products.  It seems likely that they sold bells made by others.

p.152 (added), A.F.Shapleigh Hardware Co.

Address:  various, St.Louis, Missouri

Year Established:  1863

Year Closed:  c.1960

Years Known in Operation:  uncertain

Founder:  Augustus Frederick Shapleigh (1810-1902)

Predecessor:  Shapleigh, Day & Co. (from 1847)

Successor:  Various changes in ownership retained the company name, which changed to Shapleigh Hardware Co. at some point.  Descendants of A.F.Shapleigh held the presidency of the company until 1957.

Source:  city directories, and online history of Shapleigh Hardware.

Other Facts:  Two size 2 farm bells, in the style of the C.S.Bell foundry and bearing the name "A.F.Shapleigh Hdw. Co. St.Louis, Mo." on the yoke, are known.  August F. Shapleigh and his wife Elizabeth are memorialized in a pair of stained glass windows at Central Presbyterian Church in St.Louis.

p.152, Sheriffs & Loughrey

Commentary:  This bell and brass foundry was in business from 1869 to 1872; its principals (John B. Sherriff and Hugh Loughrey) were involved in similar enterprises both before and after this period, with various other partners.

p.152/153 (added), Simmons Hardware Co.

Address:  various, St.Louis, Missouri

Year Established:  about 1873

Year Closed:  1922

Years Known in Operation:  1888

Founder:  Edward Campbell Simmons (1829-1920) was president of the company from its inception until 1898, after which it was operated by his three sons while he became advisory director and chairman of the board.

Predecessor:  E.C.Simmons & Co. (from 1871)

Successor:  sold to Winchester Repeating Arms in 1922; Simmons assets sold to Shapleigh Hardware Co. in 1940.

Source:  city directories, pages from Simmons Hardware Co. 1888 catalog, and an online history (c.2010)

Other Facts:  Four pages devoted to bells (from over 1000 total) show that in 1888 the company was a retailer for sleigh bells, cow bells, cast steel farm bells, school bells and church bells.  The manufacturers of these bells have not been determined, but they were probably not made on a private-label basis, because no bells bearing the Simmons name have been reported.  It is not known when Simmons began retailing bells nor when they stopped doing so.  City directories show that Simmons was initially a wholesaler of hardware and cutlery; the company later expanded into retail operations and advertised house furnishing goods, sporting goods and bicycles as their major product lines.

p.154, Smith & Beggs

Founder:  The partners were Anthony W. Smith and Johnston Beggs.

p.154 (added), TW & RC Smith

See "Alexandria Iron Foundry," p.57

pp.155-158, Stuckstede

Commentary:  Table of weights of large Henry Stuckstede bells (supplied by N.G.)
Table of weights of small Henry Stuckstede bells (supplied by N.G.)
For an index of chimes made by the first Stuckstede foundry, as well as more about the history of both Stuckstede foundries, see our Stuckstede index page.
Both Stuckstede foundries used the Germanic profile of angular sound bow, but their work is easily distinguishable by significant differences in shape of yoke, shape of A-frames, and style of lettering, as well as the firm names. 

p.156, Henry Stuckstede & Co.

Founder:  Henry Stuckstede

Commentary:  Although The Henry Stuckstede Bell Foundry Company was incorporated in 1888, they continued to use the name Henry Stuckstede & Co. on their bells until 1891.

See also Western Bell & Metal Company

p.156, J.G. Stuckstede & Bro.

Predecessor:  J.G. Stuckstede

Successor:  Henry Stuckstede & Co.

p.157, Stuckstede & Bro.

Commentary:  Table of weights of Stuckstede & Bro. bells (supplied by N.G.)
The sons of J.G. Stuckstede were originally named John Henry (called Henry) and John Herman (called Herman), following the Germanic tradition of using both honorific and personal given names.  When both were Americanized to John H., it caused considerable confusion, so John Herman reversed his given names to become Herman J.

T

p.159, Todd-Donigan Iron Company (added)

Commentary:  Located in Louisville, Kentucky, this firm appears in the classification "Bells (Hand, Call, Cow, School and Church)" in city directories of 1901 and 1902, and in the classification "Bells (Church and Farm)" in city directories from 1903 to 1914.  A size 3 cast steel farm bell, apparently made by the C.S.Bell foundry, bears the name "T-D. I. Co." on the yoke; a size 4 cast steel bell, apparently made by the C.S.Bell foundry, bears the name "T-DI. Co." on the yoke.  The company itself was founded in 1881-2 by George D. Todd and Richard W. Donigan, and was a dealer in iron, nails, wire, heavy hardware and contractors' supplies.  It is therefore possible that it was selling Hillsboro bells as early as 1882, but there are as yet no clues as to when it might have made a private-label arrangement with the Hillsboro foundry.

U

(no additions)

V

p.160, Van Bergen Bell Foundry

Commentary:  H.T. VanBergen was a brother of A.H. VanBergen, who continued to operate the family foundry in Heiligerlee, Netherlands.  The two brothers worked together on some American chimes and carillons, with the larger bells being cast in Heiligerlee and the smaller ones in Greenwood.  For an index of chimes and carillons made by both foundries, as well as more about the history of the foundries, see our Vanbergen index page.

p.160, photo

Commentary:  The larger bells, which have fancy shoulder bands and button tops, were cast in Heiligerlee; the smaller ones, with straight necks and no decoration, were cast in Greenwood.  These 15 bells are most likely the chime that was made for Ousley Methodist Church, Atlanta, Georgia, in 1961.

pp.161-2, Vanduzen

Commentary:  For an index of chimes made by the Vanduzen foundry, as well as more about the history of this foundry, see our Vanduzen index page.

p.161, W.A. Vanduzen

Commentary:  This entry is very puzzling, because there appears to be no mention of a W.A. Vanduzen in the Cincinnati city directories of the day.  The first mention of any Vanduzen connected with foundry work occurs in 1853, when E.W. Vanduzen was identified as a bell founder (living across the river in Newport).  By 1860, Ezra W. Vanduzen and Cornelius Tacitus Tift were partners in G.W.Coffin & Company, and after the retirement of G.W. Coffin, they were the principals of Vanduzen & Tift.  Ezra's middle name was Williams, after his paternal grandmother's maiden name, so it is highly unlikely that he changed his name from W.A. to E.W.  It's a mystery!

p.161, Vanduzen & Tift

Founder:  Ezra Williams Vanduzen and Cornelius Tacitus Tift
(see preceding Commentary)

p.163, Veazey & White

Other Facts:  "firms bells" should be "firm's bells"; Weslyan should be Wesleyan.

Commentary:  At least two of the three bells listed are equipped with a novel train of gears designed to rotate the bell slightly each time it swings, using a large horizontal gear between the top of the bell and the yoke.  (See the article on this foundry in Vol.80, Nr.2 of The Bell Tower, March-April 2020.)  No other maker of tower bells ever used such an apparatus, though a different design with a similar intent has been seen on one farm bell.

p.163, The Verdin Company

Other Facts:  mobil should be mobile; "firms equipment" should be "firm's equipment"; it's should be its.

Commentary:  The Verdin family history as makers of tower clocks (formerly called town clocks) dates back to 1842, working at various locations in and around Cincinnati.  However, the corporate history goes back only to the formation of the I.T.Verdin Machine Company in 1927/8.

W

p.164, Ward, Bartholomew & Brainard

Compare Bartholomew & Brainard

Address:  Since there is no Hartford in Massachusetts, it seems likely that this should be Hartford, Connecticut.

Commentary: The Hartford (Connecticut) city directory for 1828 identifies the partnership of Ward, Bartholomew & Brainard as proprietors of a Hardware store located on main street at #229.  While the partners are not explicitly identified, the same directory identifies three men of appropriate name who were Copper-smiths located nearby on main street, as follows:  James Ward, at #238; Roswell Bartholomew, at #228; and Charles Brainard, at #232.  Also, a bell made by [James] Doolittle of Hartford in 1827 bears the additional inscription "FOR W B & B".  Thus it appears likely that W B & B were resellers, not bellfounders.

p.167, J.W.Wilbank & Son

Source:  Brasamer should be Brosamer.

p.168, E.A.Williams & Son

Other Facts:  bouy should be buoy.

p.170, Witte

See also Schmieding & Witte

p.170, F. A. Witte

Other Facts:  "Never the less" should be one word.

p.170, Witte Hardware Company

Years Known in Operation:  1881-1900+

Founder:  hardward should be hardware

Manufacturers Listed by State (Appendix 1, pp.171-176)

p.171, second column

Add District of Columbia (Virginia), with two entries as follows:
Alexandria Iron Foundry
T.W. & R.C. Smith

p.172, Kentucky

Add: T-D. I. Co - see Todd-Donigan

Add: W B B & Co - see Belknap

p.172, top of second column

Shift "Roland Farm Bells" to the right to align with the two names below it.

p.173, Missouri

All of the firms listed in this state were located in the city of Saint Louis.  Further information can be found on our page about Saint Louis Bell Foundries.

Add: Wm. Hunt Owen
Append "(St.Louis, MO)" to Lafayette Foundry
Add: A.F.Shapleigh Hardware Co.
Add: Simmons Hardware Co.

p.174, New York

Add: Lafayette Bell and Brass Foundry (Buffalo NY)

p.175, Ohio

Add: L. D. Rankin Bell Factory

p.176, Washington

Change Navel to Naval.

p.176, Unknown

Move "The Bowlden Bell" to p.172, Michigan

Delete Cyril Johnston, who should not be in this book.  (See commentary above for his entry on p.112.)

Move "Rankins Snyder H. Co." to p.172, Kentucky, as "Rankin-Snyder Hardware Co."

Bibliography (Appendix 2, p.177)

Forbes, Esther

See especially p.384ff.

Partial Index of Principals (Appendix 3, added)
The people listed below were principals in various foundries, but in most cases their last names were not the first part of the foundry name, so they cannot be easily located in the alphabetic list of foundries in Part II.  A few were involved in multiple foundries, some of which are not obvious; these are marked "see also" or "etc." to indicate the non-obvious foundries with which they were associated.  Also included are the last names of persons whose existence is implied by a partnership name, but whose full name is unknown.

Aldrich, Evangeline - California Bell Foundry

Allen, ? - Hall & Allen

Azpeitia, Julio E. - Bay City Foundry

Bartlett, ? - Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett & Company

Beggs, Johnston - Smith & Beggs

Birge, Julius C. - Semple, Birge & Co.

Blake, William - see also Hooper etc., Revere etc., Boston etc.

Blymyer, John S. - Bates & Blymyer Co.

Boisselier, G.E. - Eagle Bell & Brass Foundry; Kupferle etc.

Booth, ? - Holmes, Booth & Haydens

Brainard, ? - Bartholomew & Brainard; also Ward, Bartholomew & Brainard

Brown, John - Baker, Holmes & Brown

Brown, ? - American Bell Company

Caughlan, Adam C. - Cordry, Caughlan & Co.

Chapman, Amiel - East Hampton Bell Company

Cochran, James - Bradley & Cochran [alphabetized under both names], Fenton & Cochran

Collingridge, William - Kentucky Brass & Bell Foundry

Dauernheim, Louis/Lewis - Caughlan & Dauernheim; Cordry, Caughlan & Co.

Davis, ? - Harrison and Davis

Day, ? - Blymyer[,] Day & Company

DeRome, ? - Whyte & DeRome

Dimick, Daniel B. & Harry V. - American Casting Company

Dow, Julian E. - American Casting Company

Forbes, Mrs. Armitage S. C. - see also California Bell Foundry

Force, Ephraim - see also Sayre & Force

Frank, ? - Lawson & Frank

Free, ? - Hedges, Free & Company

Fulton - see also Chaplin-Fulton

Gaff, ? - Perin & Gaff Mfg Company

Gergely, John & Steven - Square Deal Bronze Foundry

Gibbs, ? - Beecher-Gibbs, Bucker-Gibbs

Goff, Louis & Eugene - East Hampton Bell Company

Goodyear, Jesse - Doolittle & Goodyear

Grainger, William - Phoenix Foundry

Hanks, Arthur - see also Brass & Bell Foundry (Cincinnati)

Harpke, Wm. - see also Central Bell & Brass Foundry

Harris, George H. - American Casting Company

Harmon, Frank S. - American Bell Foundry Company

Haydens, ? - Holmes, Booth & Haydens

Hernandy, Gil - South Bay Bronze

Hitchcock, James Harvey - Jones & Hitchcock Troy Bell Foundry

Holmes, Robert S. - Baker, Holmes & Brown

Hosack, ? - Commings & Hosack

Hubbard, ? - Bradley & Hubbard Manufacturing Company

Ives, ? - Odell & Ives

Johnston, ? - Frank and Johnston

Kimberly, George - Meneely & Kimberly

Kolstad, John - California Bell Company

Kupferle, John - see also Eagle Bell & Brass Foundry

Lamb, ? - Blake, Lamb & Company

Lawson, ? - Collingridge, Lawson & Co.

Long, ? - Gallagher, Long & Miller

Loughrey, Hugh - Sherriffs & Loughrey

Harris, George H. - American Casting Company

Macy, ? - Field & Macy

Manning, ? - Jenny & Manning

McGraw, James - Hanks & McGraw

Meehan, Ross - Ross Meehan (under R)

Meredith, ? - Gilbert & Meredith

Meyer, ? - Godfrey & Meyer

Miller, ? - Gallagher, Long & Miller

Mills, ? - Bogue & Mills Manufacturing Company

Moores, William P. - Good & Moores

Nelson, Nelson O. - also M.C.Bignall & Co.

Newsom, ? - Hardy & Newsom

Norton, ? - Blymyer[,] Norton & Company

Oothout, Jonas Volkert - Meneely & Oothout

Ostrander, John J. - Bignall & Ostrander

Parker, Levi - Brass & Bell Foundry (Cincinnati)

Piquett, David - Caughlan & Piquett

Ralston, William M. - Chaplin-Fulton Manufacturing Company

Regester, Joshua - see also Clampitt & Regester

Reno, ? - Fulton & Reno Company

Revere, Paul 3d - see also Boston etc.

Ricketts, L.M. - Louisville Foundry

Rucker, ? - Burd, Rucker & Co.

Russell, ? - Pugh & Russell

Ruppenthal, Jacob - Jackson Bell and Brass Foundry; Mayer & Ruppenthal

Snyder, ? - Rankin-Snyder Hardware Co.

Spencer, ? - Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett & Company

Stow, Charles, jr. - Pass & Stow

Sullivan, John W - Revere etc., also Boston etc.

Thomas, Lyman - East Hampton Bell Company

Tift, Cornelius T. - Vanduzen & Tift

Tift, John W - Revere etc.

Tilden, Richard S - Burd etc.

Vandercook, Henry - Lusk & Company

Watson, Richard - Meeks & Watson

White, ? - American Bell Company

White, Alfred B. - Veazey & White

Whittermore, ? - Hall & Whittermore

Wilson, ? - Schmidt & Wilson

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This page was created on 2018/01/03 from parts of the original announcement page, and last revised on 2023/04/05.

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