1850 Harrington & Warren, Manufacturers, Garrattsville

Ever have trouble spelling Garrattsville? Many people do, including the printer of this price list for Manure and Hay Forks and Hammers manufactured in Garrattsville. The printer spelled Garrattsville with only one T, but the postmaster managed to get it correct noting that the letter was being mailed on Dec. 26.

The price list is printed on a piece of paper 9 7/8 by 15 1/4 inches. The 8 1/2 by 14 inch size had apparently not yet been devised. The price list also serves as an envelope folded down to 2 3/4 x 5 1/2 inches and there is no stamp. Stamps were issued for US Mail starting in 1847 but apparently the Garrattsville Post Office ran out of them and used the old method of recording the fee collected up in the corner where the stamp is usually placed. The fee in this case was 5 cents. Signified by "Paid 5," in the top right corner.

The price list was being sent to A. & T. Bamber of Boonville, Oneida County, N.Y. Archibald and Thomas Bamber ran a general store in Boonville for a number of years. They had come over from northern Ireland and settled in Boonville. From 1853-1855 Archibald Bamber was the postmaster of Boonville. His appointment is noted on the bottom line of the image below near the end of the line that begins with Boonville.

Looks like you have to buy hammers by the dozen, while you could get manure and hay forks one at a time. If you are like me at all you wonder what is meant by an "adze eye hammer." It has to do with taper of the hole in the head of the hammer. David Maydole was a blacksmith from Norwich NY. After many attempts to make a hammer head that would not fly off, in 1840 he finally invented the adze-eye hammer head. It has the opening at the top of the head larger than the opening at the bottom, and is wedged in accordingly. The difference between this and the adze is that the handle for the hammer is inserted from the bottom of the head and wedged, and the adze handle is inserted from the top of the head and doesn't need to be wedged. As such, the hammer handle can be thicker and stronger than the adze handle - as it needs to be to take much more striking force. The head and handle of this piece is very tightly held together.The hammer was never patented, but became an immediate success, and is used by all makers today.

The message to A. & T. Bamberg continued on the other side.

The final image shows the way the price list and message were protected by folding the once folded page into an "envelope."

Archibald Bamber passed in 1894.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/19808914/archibald-bamber

Thomas Bamber passed in 1902 in New York City
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/19808920/thomas-bamber

You can learn more about hammers at this link.

https://www.garagetooladvisor.com/hand-tools/different-types-of-hammers-...

Read the life story of David Maydole at the link below.

On the map below the Hammer Factory is marked as Fork Factory at bottom right.

Read the story of the Garrattsville Hammer Factory on the link in the list below from the Midwest Tool Collectors

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/211855225/victory-jackson-warren