My Great Great Grandpa's Toolbox

[freudianfloyd]

I got a call this morning from my mom who is helping my grandpa go through my grandma's stuff to give to family members who want them.

Anyway, my grandpa, who doesn't have much longer either told her to call me and see if I would be interested in a toolbox he was given. He said my uncle was interested in it, but would rather it go to me.

I was told the toolbox was made by my Great-great-grandfather who worked in maintenance for his brother-in-laws company "The American Laundry Company" or "American Laundry Machinery Company" in Norwood, Ohio, I'm not completely sure which.

Anyway, from what I was told, there was a labor strike at some point and my great-great-grandfather decided not to strike, and instead try to keep the company running. Well apparently an inexperienced worker left a crank handle in one of the machines, and somehow this struck my grandfather in the stomach when he was near it, and unfortunately killed him.

This had to have been in the late 1800's, which makes this toolbox quite old.

Anyway, it has lots of dings and dents, many of which my grandfather said he put in it trying to break in when they lost the key. I plan to clean the dust off, but that's it. Not sure where I will keep it but I will cherish it for sure.

 

[RTM]

Nice, I like the drawer. I have two, but both very basic, only sliding tills, no drawers.

 

[southalabama]

Common design without drawers. I have two.

but

drawers sets this one ahead.

 

[MarkH]

To me it is amazing to have something your relatives before you owned and used. In this world that looks on everything in the dollar value. Treat it as it should be treated Priceless. How many people can say they have an item with a family history like that

 

[d42jeep]

I think that I have a similar one in the basement that belonged to Grandpa Al. It’s covered with years of collected bins but I guess I should dig it out and put it to use. Cool chest with a great family history.
-Don

 

[StillTooManyHobbies]

Very nice, especially since it was your grampas's. I have not seen one with a drawer, and that makes it even more special. Kudos to Mom for thinking of you.

 

[captain14]

Very nice. Do you have a good place to show it as you use the tools out of it?

I think the drawers add something special to it.

 

[lpakiz]

I'm 72 and my Dad just passed, at 100YO. He recalls the brand new 1941 Case SC tractor being delivered to my grandpas farm, right after an April blizzard.
I recently rebuilt the engine and it runs just like new.
m
My 13 YO motorhead grandson now has his great, great grandfathers tractor!
.

 

[Farmer J.]

That's a lovely old box.
Now I have got to do some thinking.. this thread has set me wondering, what is the oldest heirloom tool or box used in my family?

 

[d42jeep]

I dug Grandpa Al’s old toolbox out of it’s resting spot. It’s not as attractive as the one above but it does have sentimental value and two drawers. It will be great for storing some of my collection.
-Don

 

[Stillgottimefor1]

I dug Grandpa Al’s old toolbox out of it’s resting spot. It’s not as attractive as the one above but it does have sentimental value and two drawers. It will be great for storing some of my collection.
-Don

. I love the smell of opening an old wooden box that used to have-or still does have-old oily metal things in it…magic.

 

[leg17]

I got a call this morning from my mom who is helping my grandpa go through my grandma's stuff to give to family members who want them.

Anyway, my grandpa, who doesn't have much longer either told her to call me and see if I would be interested in a toolbox he was given. He said my uncle was interested in it, but would rather it go to me.

I was told the toolbox was made by my Great-great-grandfather who worked in maintenance for his brother-in-laws company "The American Laundry Company" or "American Laundry Machinery Company" in Norwood, Ohio, I'm not completely sure which.

Anyway, from what I was told, there was a labor strike at some point and my great-great-grandfather decided not to strike, and instead try to keep the company running. Well apparently an inexperienced worker left a crank handle in one of the machines, and somehow this struck my grandfather in the stomach when he was near it, and unfortunately killed him.

This had to have been in the late 1800's, which makes this toolbox quite old.

Anyway, it has lots of dings and dents, many of which my grandfather said he put in it trying to break in when they lost the key. I plan to clean the dust off, but that's it. Not sure where I will keep it but I will cherish it for sure.

Do you have any idea exactly what kinds of tools your gr-gr-grandfather would have used?
Might make a neat collection to add to the box.

 

[Jmellc]

Looks like he probably had a lot of large bulky tools and a handful of smaller ones needing the drawers. I would sure hang onto that and restore it best I could. Maybe add partitions if needed in top and use it in the garage. Probably not sturdy enough any more to carry around in your vehicle.

My father had on old small metal tackle box I wish I had kept. Being young & foolish at the time, I didn't keep it. Thought it looked way too outdated.

 

[freudianfloyd]

Do you have any idea exactly what kinds of tools your gr-gr-grandfather would have used?
Might make a neat collection to add to the box.

I have no idea honestly, but that could be a cool box to put my random antique tools in.

 

[freudianfloyd]

Looks like he probably had a lot of large bulky tools and a handful of smaller ones needing the drawers. I would sure hang onto that and restore it best I could. Maybe add partitions if needed in top and use it in the garage. Probably not sturdy enough any more to carry around in your vehicle.

My father had on old small metal tackle box I wish I had kept. Being young & foolish at the time, I didn't keep it. Thought it looked way too outdated.

I'm kind of on the fence about restoring it. On one hand, it will help ensure it lasts for the next several years assuming I could do it justice, but on the other hand, it takes away a lot of the character and story to it.

 

[d42jeep]

On my Grandpa’s box, I’m just cleaning it out and doing a lot of vacuuming. As long as the drawers slide in and out and the hinges on the lid are okay, I’m leaving it as it is. I think that your box looks great just as it is. Why restore it?
-Don

 

[freudianfloyd]

On my Grandpa’s box, I’m just cleaning it out and doing a lot of vacuuming. As long as the drawers slide in and out and the hinges on the lid are okay, I’m leaving it as it is. I think that your box looks great just as it is. Why restore it?
-Don

When my grandfather gave it to me, he said "fix it up" but that I would have a hard time finding the lock that he destroyed getting into the box. I like the story behind it, so it will probably just get cleaned up and put on display somewhere.

 

[Cleave]

Very cool box and story.

I have a sliding T bevel gauge from my grandpa who was a dairy farmer. Engraved on it are the initials of (I think) his grandfather. There was an old barn at his place, that when I was a kid (in the 90's) they did a controlled burn of. We got to watch and it was REALLY hot. That sliding t bevel probably helped build that barn, with timber framing, in the late 1800's, but I was too young at the time to care about the details like that or know to ask grandpa those kinds of questions!

 

[RTM]

As long as it’s not covered in oily grime, I’d give it a wipe down with a t shirt rag, and say done. The two I bought had been in a guys auto shop for years, and were disgusting to the touch, oils and metal dust all over it. Had a sandblaster nearby too, and his kids played with some of the tools prior to me buying it.