Whitman & barnes, Mfg. Co (or the W & B)

This week I took my wife to the Toledo Museum of Art and some of the paintings would list a year with a question mark (something like 1760 ?) ,because they did not know when it was painted. Well like the following story which has me very confused as too the very start and ending I will also use question marks. If you guys find out any more information please share it and I will try and update it.

The AA web-site lists one start date of 1877 and other sites list it as 1848 ? and 1854 till 1915 ? The one thing for certain is it was active the 19th and 20th Century in Akron, Ohio.

Founded in 1877 ? by the merger of Whitman and Miles Company along with the George Barnes and Company. They acquired the Acme line of monkey wrenches from the Capital Manufacturing Company in 1893 (best known for their Bulldog Alligator Wrench). They also had a several other lines along with a drill bit line. J.H. Williams acquired the drop forge and wrench operations in 1920.

I will leave you with some more information but the dates vary on the years which only confuses me more.

http://www.davistownmuseum.org/bioWhitmanbarnes.html

http://www.sheaff-ephemera.com/list/gaslight_album/the-whitman-barnes-manufact.html#previous-photo

http://www.goantiques.com/whitman-barnes-124326

http://auctions.findtarget.com/deta...IT_INDEX__HOLDER_WHITMAN_&_BARNES_(W&B)_MFG._

A few more pictures:

I'll get on this in the morning Woody.

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woody 73 said:

A few more pictures:

Click to expand...

Well Woody, this is the first hit from Google Books. Looks like you need this book and it'll tell you everything. https://books.google.com/books?id=M...ved=0ahUKEwjvgOGaj4TOAhWCNSYKHceaBjoQ6AEIJzAA

Here's where you can find it in a library near you. http://www.worldcat.org/title/first-100-years-of-whitman-barnes-1848-1949/oclc/12438794

Also, here's the article announcing the consolidation of J. H. Williams and Whitman & Barnes in 1920. It explains the history of both companies.

https://books.google.com/books?id=d...IRDAJ#v=onepage&q="Page Whitman & Co"&f=false

twertsy thanks I did find the book along with other information but for some reason when I tried to down load it all in more links (plus google patent information everything went blank).

As too the next article that one must have escaped my old eyes interesting date of 1846.

Thanks again google is are friend!

woody 73 said:

twertsy thanks I did find the book along with other information but for some reason when I tried to down load it all in more links (plus google patent information everything went blank).

As too the next article that one must have escaped my old eyes interesting date of 1846.

Thanks again google is are friend!

Click to expand...

You're probably going to need to use the second link and go to your local library, should you care to take it that far. But I'm betting the first book I referenced will give you more details than you'd ever want to know.

Today at a garage sale, I picked up a very rusty wrench and the seller is a man that cleans up old houses and sells all that he finds for the extra money. Not able to read it until I cleaned it up and much to my surprise it was a W&B, and it was stamped from the J. H. Williams co., a new one for my old eyes and a nice surprise.

I wonder if that could be a Chicago manufactured wrench around 1920?

interesting. I ran into a dual-marked nut wrench like that yesterday - "Coe's" on one side, "Billings" on the other. Didn't even know I owned it.
Not a clue, other than assuming somebody was outsourcing something from somebody.

woody 73 said:

Today at a garage sale, I picked up a very rusty wrench and the seller is a man that cleans up old houses and sells all that he finds for the extra money. Not able to read it until I cleaned it up and much to my surprise it was a W&B, and it was stamped from the J. H. Williams co., a new one for my old eyes and a nice surprise.

Click to expand...

I have a few and they also have , Railroad Special, on them.