Aaron Montgomery Ward

[woody 73]

He started his first Mail order house in 1872. Some interesting notes from long ago.

-His first inventory was destroyed by the great Chicago Fire.
-In 1896 his first competition came from none other than Richard Warren Sears.
-In 1939 a staff member of MW Robert L. May created Rudolph, the red -nosed reindeer for a Christmas promotional campaign.
-President FDR had to seize control of the MW Company (see link).
- The 1950's brought people to the suburbs unfortunately executives at the MW company were to slow in moving and that hurt them in the long run.
-In 2001 they closed their doors. (be sure and read the links for the full story).

Ok now this is where the story gets difficult for me because I am not actively searching out their tools I am not able to provide you with enough information as a well seasoned MW collector can. Therefore a lot of other members will need to help me with filling in the blanks.

I can tell you a few things:

-Like Sears MW did not produce their own tools.
-They used names like Master Quality, Wards Master Quality, Powr-Kraft, Lakeside and Eclipse for their tool brands.
-Just a few names so far of companies that produced their tools include but not limited to: Stanley, Sargent, Millers- Falls, Barcalo-Buffalo, Wright, Indestro ??? and Utica.

It is my hope that like the Craftsman time line post maybe this post can be a good future resource so I need your help.

-If you have any catalogs of tools post them up.
-If you have any tools or power equipment post them up.
-If you know of a certain year that your Family bought the tools in question post them up even a guesstimate like say late 1940's, 1950's etc., will help.

The following is the only contribution that I can offer; I picked up this set of nos Powr-Kraft screwdrivers at full retail knowing that if I passed up this deal I would never see them again ever.

Someone is going to ask Woody who made them and what year were they made (all great questions) but I can not answer them. unlike my Sherlock Holmes post I need an exact match from another company so I can compare them to; the best I can guess at this Time & Date are my two lone wolf Martin screwdrivers still not an exact match.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Montgomery_Ward

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montgomery_Ward

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Montgomery_Ward

http://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/29/business/montgomery-ward-to-close-its-doors.html

http://vintagemachinery.org/MfgIndex/detail.aspx?id=657

http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/montgomery-ward/history.html

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fdr-seizes-control-of-montgomery-ward

 

[lakota]

Went to the only Monkey Ward store in the Buffalo, NY area that was in Lockport, NY. Did a walk thru the tool and lawn equipment area many years ago, early 80's? Was not impressed.

 

[woody 73]

Went to the only Monkey Ward store in the Buffalo, NY area that was in Lockport, NY. Did a walk thru the tool and lawn equipment area many years ago, early 80's? Was not impressed.

Lakota Thank you for that wonderful post reply it was so helpful.

Some more tools to look at from my Fathers small tool box from the 1960's.

 

[redmed]

Went to the only Monkey Ward store in the Buffalo, NY area that was in Lockport, NY. Did a walk thru the tool and lawn equipment area many years ago, early 80's? Was not impressed.

At on time Montgomery Ward was a equal competitor to Sears Robuck then started loosing in the late 60's.

 

[Steinmetz]

Sewell Avery (MW Chairman during WW2 years) was literally carried out of his office by the U.S. Army for failure to comply with an order from the War Production Board to end a strike against Montgomery Ward. I have a photo of it somewhere around here.

 

[Steinmetz]

At on time Montgomery Ward was a equal competitor to Sears Robuck then started loosing in the late 60's.

Sears offered to buy them out sometime before WW2, as I recall.

 

[woody 73]

Sears offered to buy them out sometime before WW2, as I recall.

If you read the links it's all there.

Any help from the GJ hive did MW have a line called speedmaster? I have one socket somewhers and I will hunt for it.

 

[Steinmetz]

If you read the links it's all there.

Any help from the GJ hive did MW have a line called speedmaster? I have one socket somewhers and I will hunt for it.

Yes. There was generally an "M W" mark between "Speed" and "Master". They were made by Wright, Penens or Thorsen, I think.

 

[3baygarage]

If you read the links it's all there.

Any help from the GJ hive did MW have a line called speedmaster? I have one socket somewhers and I will hunt for it.

Yep. I think Speedmaster is part of the PLOMB/Proto/Fleet/Penens family.

 

[woody 73]

Thank you guys for starting to fill in the gaps, I hope in the future maybe someone needing the information can get some use out of all of it.

Socket as promised:

 

[3baygarage]

Yes. There was generally an "M W" mark between "Speed" and "Master". They were made by Wright, Penens or Thorsen, I think.

Here's a 3/8 ratchet with the MW in the logo. "Plomb/Proto family" style.

Sorry, haven't flipped the gear yet since I got it.

 

[3baygarage]

I know a lot of the MW drive tools were also Wright made just like the Powrkraft line.

 

[rusty65]

I believe the screwdrivers were made by wright but could also be made by thorsen but 80% sure wright I came to the conclusion about a year ago but since forgot lol. The reason I had done some research is because I have the same style screwdriver in a #3

 

[woody 73]

Rusty65 Good to know

 

[woody 73]

I managed to remember another MW tool in my Man cave but all I know is that cold chisels from Western Forge have a WF mine just has the letter W so I have no clue at this point anyone want to take a guess?

 

[woody 73]

Could the W just by itself stand for the wright Company ?

 

[Cope]

When I lived at home, my neighbor's son-in-law was an electrician. Al he used was Powr-Kraft screwdrivers. I had a nice set of them, but gave them to my daughter's boy friend some 24 years ago. I still have a long 1/8" blade and a pocket screwdriver. I still have a lot of their punches and a few chisels. They also carried Diamond pliers. I still have a 6" slip joint and a 6" narrow jawed slip joint that I bought from them in the mid 1960s. When I was in junior high I could walk to a nearby Wards. I also still have a 6' 1/2" wide tape measure I bought there around 1962. I carried it in high school when I worked at an auto parts house, and rubbed the nameplate shiny. I remember they had a woman in hardware who really knew her stuff.

 

[woody 73]

Cope hi any way we could see some of your pictures of the tools you are talking about.

 

[Cope]

Cope hi any way we could see some of your pictures of the tools you are talking about.

The pocket screwdriver is in one of my cars, so is MIA.

 

[Jeeper]

I bought a MW floor ******** someone. It's a rebadged Hein Warner WS. At least some of the rebadged stuff was pretty good.

 

[woody 73]

Jeeper cool find now Hein-Warner can be added to the list.

 

[Jeeper]

Wood - Curious, what triggered the sudden interest in Montgomery Wards?

 

[Outlawmws]

Flat will probably weigh in sometime as he's a PowrKraft guy. He should be able to fill in some info.

 

[woody 73]

Jeeper Hi,

Good question I figured we had a fantastic craftsman time line of who made what tools for them and what years those tools were made; so naturally I thought hey why not try that same approach with MW tools.

Will it work well I am not sure but at least it is a start in the right direction. Plus in the future when some new member asks about the tool in question and says "HEY WHO MADE IT AND WHAT IS THAT COMPANY ALL ABOUT" then he or she will hopefully find this post at least that is what I am hoping.

 

[Steinmetz]

Here's a 3/8 ratchet with the MW in the logo. "Plomb/Proto family" style.

Sorry, haven't flipped the gear yet since I got it.

That example shows the M-W between the words. I'd guess that ratchet was made by Proto.

 

[Steinmetz]

Jeeper cool find now Hein-Warner can be added to the list.

Hein-Werner.

 

[Steinmetz]

I believe the screwdrivers were made by wright but could also be made by thorsen but 80% sure wright I came to the conclusion about a year ago but since forgot lol. The reason I had done some research is because I have the same style screwdriver in a #3

Looks like a Lufkin.

 

[rusty65]

Yeah I also believe the tape measure is made by lufkin for monkey wards.


Sent directly from the Snap On Kool Aid factory.

 

[kyrbz]

Not tools, but I'll jump on the opportunity to post some pictures of my Montgomery Wards Riverside motorcycle that I restored a few years ago. It's actually an Italian made Benelli that Wards imported and sold in the 60's as a Wards Riverside.

And here's some catalog pages and brochure cover -

More Wards Riverside motorcycle stuff and pictures of my restoration here -

http://bzisettas.blogspot.com/2013/09/1967-wards-riverside-125-benelli-cobra.html

BZ

 

[kyrbz]

Forgot to mention that I have several Wards catalogs from the 60's. When I get a chance I'll scan some tool pages and post them.

BZ

 

[Tucko]

Not tools, but I'll jump on the opportunity to post some pictures of my Montgomery Wards Riverside motorcycle that I restored a few years ago. It's actually an Italian made Benelli that Wards imported and sold in the 60's as a Wards Riverside.

And here's some catalog pages and brochure cover -

More Wards Riverside motorcycle stuff and pictures of my restoration here -

http://bzisettas.blogspot.com/2013/09/1967-wards-riverside-125-benelli-cobra.html

BZ

They also rebadged and sold Lambretta Li125's as Riversides. Same thing Sears did with the rebadged Cushmans, Vespas, and Puch's....

 

[kyrbz]

They also rebadged and sold Lambretta Li125's as Riversides. Same thing Sears did with the rebadged Cushmans, Vespas, and Puch's....

You forgot "Allstate" Gilera's and Wards also rebadged French made Motobecane mopeds.

 

[Outlawmws]

Wow, nice job on the Riverside!

 

[kyrbz]

Wow, nice job on the Riverside!

Thanks!

 

[kyrbz]

From Spring/Summer 1967 Catalog

 

[Jarhead0408]

Very cool thread.

I especially enjoyed the motorcycles and toolchests.

 

[wild cowboy]

The restoration of that motorcycle is such perfection that if you had told us that it was taken in the 60's of the bike when brand new, I totally would have believed it!

 

[lakota]

Lakota Thank you for that wonderful post reply it was so helpful.

Some more tools to look at from my Fathers small tool box from the 1960's.

If I offended you, I apologize.

I know I went to the MW store at the tail end of their career just before they ended doing business.

That said, it was an honest appraisal of what I saw at the time.

 

[woody 73]

Don't worry Lakota all is good.

Kyrbz Thank you dead spot on Fantastic job you did on that bike.

 

[WNYflyer]

Went to the only Monkey Ward store in the Buffalo, NY area that was in Lockport, NY. Did a walk thru the tool and lawn equipment area many years ago, early 80's? Was not impressed.

They recently knocked down the mall and thus the old MW's. The site is now a soon to be opened Super Wally-World. Going to have to stand in line with everyone else around here on opening day so I get the first look/crack at the tools

When I was cleaning out my grandfathers house after his passing I kept saying to my mother and uncle "did grandpa buy everything at MW's ?" Jeez, it looked like a ton of stuff came from them. We also had Sears, etc. but almost everything looked to be from MW.......he really liked his MW's I guess. Surprisingly very few tools from them given that he had A LOT of tools, suppose most of those were obtained through work though.

I passed on a Lakeside adjustable and some other miscellaneous Wards wrenches yesterday at an Estate Sale. I have a few of their tools though that I will post up later. I also got ripped because I paid more than $9.50 for a 10 piece set of opens with the roll