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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: hosman321 on July 21, 2010, 11:01:19 PM
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I'm trying to find info on this company but am not having much luck. The only lumber company info I can find that uses the name "Hammerschmith" is mentioned on this page. About 3/4 of the way down the page in 1896. Any ideas of how I can find more info on this company? I think the company on that page is a different company though cause it's not in Washington State. Thanks for any advice!
http://www.trainweb.org/foothill/txtrosm.html
In case you are wondering why, here's the story...
Last summer, my cousin gave us a truckload of wood pieces to burn. He doesn't have a burn pit and we do. We unloaded it all into our backyard and it's just been rotting in a pile. We never burned much. Well, today we decided to actually clean up the area and get rid of a lot of the wood. Some of it is pieces of an old picket fence. It's beautifully shabby with it's chippy paint and I just can't burn it. Not without knowing how old it is. My cousin's house was built in 1922. I think this picket fence was original to the house. But I can't ask him until tomorrow. I just want to know if it's 20 years old or 100 years old, ya know? So, I'm trying to find this company. The piece with the company stamp is pretty gross and I was gonna toss it until I saw the stamp. I know this isn't worth anything and I am just going to use it for decorating but pieces of history end of being lost for that very reason. People think it's garbage and should just be burned!
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http://www.trainnet.org/Libraries/Lib002/WASHLOG1.TXT
Under "H" I found Hammerschmith & Sons. But I think those dates are just the dates the train hauled lumber here. I think the Company is in California, as stated in the first link.
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Ok, this is from my area. When I type in "w hammerschmith lumber" into yahoo, the first link that pops up seems like a match. But I can't find it on the page. Grrr
I found it on the page finally. Just a W Hammerschmith that was in a class there. Dangit.
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What is the 1st letter of the “brand” stamp on the left side - ?IB
I have never seen a piece of lumber marked like that
HAMMERSCHMITH …… STAND ……. W(hite) CEDAR
With my imagination running wild, maybe that “?IB” is the Timber Company logo. And in that a “track of timber” is called a “stand”, maybe the name Hammerschmith is the name of the track of timber from whence that white cedar was cut.
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It's some kind of funky symbol rather than a letter, I am also guessing it's the company's logo. ???
There is a small "W" next to cedar. Thank you for pointing out that it's for white cedar.
Thanks for putting effort into such an unimportant little thing! But seemingly insignificant items like this help me learn how to do research on companies and how to determine the age of everyday vintage items. I call items like this "learning tools." I appreciate it. Now if I could only find a site that has old lumber company logos.
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hosman give this a shot.......appears to relate to the Pacific Northwest area.
Ignore the 'blank' page and scroll to the next. Page 459 (Time, Tide and Timber)
http://books.google.com/books?id=LpqaAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA458&lpg=PA458&dq=hammerschmith+lumber&source=bl&ots=9Ovyj3IBWt&sig=Qp8LJk0kq2gexXAmheXsOYW0Ink&hl=en&ei=-i9ITOSrKuK0nAel_6X5DQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CBsQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=hammerschmith%20lumber&f=false
In the yellow 'Results' line <Previous Next> View All.......click on View All, it will give all the hits for Hammerschmith and on page 308 you can scroll up and down through the other pages and get a fair bit of info.
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Somewhere in here you will find this.......
"William N. Hammerschmith, hired by McCormick in 1926 and "
http://www.dahp.wa.gov/gis/pdfs/747.pdf
Not near enough caffeine in me to get through it yet! ;)
WHOOT !! Page 22, paragraph 3
Are we getting closer??
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Another angle......
"L Hammerschmith & Sons Yelm 5 1g 1926-1932"
http://www.trainnet.org/Libraries/Lib002/WASHLOG1.TXT
Might be more likely where the company name is Hammerschmith, rather than McCormick
still looking ;)
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Geeze Sapphire, you are a whiz. I've been searching for hours! So, I'm thinking my little picket fence is 1920's-30's. Probably was put up by the proud owners of a brand new house. Pretty sad because it was in five or six 15 foot sections last summer but he cut it to bits to burn. Would have been really cool yard art or as art in my aviary room. Oh well. I'll salvage the little pieces for decoration. :(
Thanks for helping with dating, gives me good research practice!
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Paragraph 5 under Logging Takes Off
http://www.yelmhistoryproject.com/?p=1403
Despite such setbacks Yelm had entered the lumber age. In the Oregon and Washington Gazetteer and Business Directory, between 1908 and 1932, the following timber related enterprises were listed for the Yelm area: Corbet and Moore, saw mill; Fox and Garstand, sawmill; G. E. Goodard, sawmill; Hammerschmith and Sons, lumber; W. S. Kelter, sawmill; George Lochead, sawmill; McKenna Lumber Company; Mosman Brothers, sawmill; Neat Brothers (Clifford and Roy Neat were killed in a donkey engine accident in 1917 in Kalama, brother Winston was injured), sawmill; Robinson Lumber Company, sawmill; Type Y Shingle Company; and Lee Vale, sawmill.
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Don't you DARE paint that !!!
;)
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How did I miss that section? :P
I emailed that yelm history project a couple hours ago to see if they knew anything. Hopefully they'll write back, maybe I'll get a little history lesson about my area. :)
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I love the chippy paint on them! No painting! :)
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I love how that section says they were "killed in a donkey engine accident." LOL
Times sure have changed!
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I love how that section says they were "killed in a donkey engine accident." LOL
Times sure have changed!
Having a dad who was logging in the 20's the term is at least familiar, but I can imagine the images it conjures up for the 'younger generation' :D
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A wee bit more from that same Yelm site ;)
Logging in the Twenties
"World War I (1914-18) spurred lumber production in the state and Yelm was no different. By the time of the 1920 census, nearly 25% of heads of households in the Yelm area identified themselves as having, in some way, jobs related to the timber industry. By then the McKenna mill was operating. Hammerschmith and Betchard had moved from their site in Roy to the Thurston County side of the river. Their mill employed 10-15 men in the woods and 15-20 workers at the mill on the hill that now bears the family name. A number of smaller mills still operated in the surrounding area."
Logging and the Great Depression
"The Hammerschmith mill sold its Yelm operations in 1931"
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I wonder if the ?IB mark was LIB......L Hammerschmith and sons ? ::)
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You Rock Sapph!
You mean like....the "L" was for the father's initial and the "I" and the "B" were the initials of each of the sons?
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And another little bit about Hammerschmith. Almost the same as a previous hit, but with one added detail.....
L Hammerschmith & Thu 1926 1932 lr unknown, 5 mi track at Yelm
Listed as a Surveyor for the State of Washington, 1926-32 (at least for that 5 mi) ;)
http://www.olsonengr.com/download/surveyors.state.chrono.20060805.pdf
The previous link I had was in relation to logging roads and the railroad. So your little picket fence may have had a part in bringing the railway through :)
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You Rock Sapph!
You mean like....the "L" was for the father's initial and the "I" and the "B" were the initials of each of the sons?
Tried to find some reference to the 'sons', but nothing so far. The first figure just seems to resemble the start of an "L"
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Better pics. I don't know what the heck it is. Looks like it has 2 little legs on the bottom. It could also be incomplete, as you can see under the "I."
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Maybe something like this? ::)
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You know, the first initial is an L. I can see the outline if I look really close. :P
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Ha! We posted at the exact same time. Thanks Sapphire. :)
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With or without the curly loop? :D
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I can't decide which. :P
I think the line may go straight up like a normal "L." Through the middle of the circle. But I like your way better. Ugh, now that it's daylight I have to go see if the other pieces have this mark. Be right back.
Nope. No others. Thanks for all the help Sapphire!
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Great work guys.
Sapphire,once again your research skills are amazing and quite the asset to A.S.C.
Hosman321 way to go on giving this thought and not carelessly throw it into the fire.
It must have been the glory days when this fence served it's purpose and I think it's cool that your keeping a few pieces.
Would be neat to find a photo of it proudly standing in it's hey day.
Do you have any ideas on how or where your going to display your rescued 'arties'?
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Thanks Dean, small things can have some pretty cool stories. Wish I could find an old pic of the house back in the day. That'd be awesome. But my cousin has only owned the house for a few years, so I couldn't think of how to find one.
I'll probably put the pieces in random places. Probably on the floor in the new aviary room. Behind a plant or something. As an indoor ivy trellis. I don't know, somethin' cool lookin'. I'm still upset it was cut up man. I could have saved it! lol
I'm DYING for this cabinet to go with my new room but don't have the cash til the first. The new bird project sucked up all the spending cash. GRR
http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/atq/1850452463.html
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hosman are they any museums, library archives or heritage societies locally? It's amazing what they have in their collections.......h eck, even post on Craigslist or Kijiji looking for pics! You certainly wouldn't be the first. Elderly neighbors from the area with old albums or shoe boxes. The possibilities for finding are endless.
It would be so awesome to have a picture and if you had a few scrap pieces from the fence, make a frame for it.
This search for you got me going back to some sites and discussions on an old family homestead. More than 120 years of history, logging and ship building. The original family home, land and wharf were donated to the province to be used as a provincial park. The main condition being the land and wharf be kept up and preserved in perpetuity. The 300 ft wharf was built by family and local workers from trees off the land over 120 years ago. After the gov't took over they ripped away half the wharf (not to mention they leveled the house shortly after taking possession). In the last couple of years the fight has been on to save the rest of the wharf. Generations from old to very young have written and petitioned to save the last part of visible history. Last January demolition crews arrived unannounced, dismantled and carted away the remaining 150 ft. No one was given the chance to even request a piece of it.....all hand logged off family land, hewn and placed by the hands of our previous generations. Ships were built that sailed the world from that wharf and now nothing is left of it or the beach it once sheltered.
The more you can locate about your little piece of history the better.......at the rate our society is trashing our past there will soon be nothing left to help us and future generations remember.
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Hey hosman......found something else to go with your fence and the shabby chic pink cabinet you want. ;)
So how did you want me to ship it? :D
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Dang, I want that one too! So far away. :(
I wrote the people with the pink cabinet. Checked our bank account a minute ago and we got an unexpected huge amount of money from the VA for back pay we didn't know we had. Guess it's a lucky day.
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Awesome! A double treat ;)
And don't worry about the distance, daughter coming home from BC for a wedding. I'll squeeze it into a super size suitcase and she can haul it back out there. Just be a short hop over the border for you then :D
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That'd be one mighty heavy suitcase. :)
I've never been to Canada. What part are you in? Have you ever been to Washington?
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Other side of the continent from you, in Nova Scotia (head to Bangor or Portland and hang a right :D). Three of the kids live 'up' from you in BC (Vancouver). My daughter keeps bugging me to take a trip down to Seattle ....... says I have to see it! They fly me out every summer to visit. This year it'll be fall before I get there, she's home for a wedding in August and wants her younger sister to make the trip with me.....determined she's going to get her hooked on the West Coast and moved out there too.
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Yea sapphire once you come to the Emerald city it is very hard to leave, espically when you are from Kansas like me :D Tried going back to Kansas a couple of times but keep finding my way back here. Yea you would love it here, come for a visit some time. We don't have the Antiques like the east or midwest, but what shows up at our thrift stores and Rummage sales are wonderful treasures.
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Agree with ironlord, the Great Northwest is a beautiful place. I've thought of leaving but I can't bring myself to do it. The mild weather is great. I love "The Mountain." Washingtonians feel like it's theirs and in my opinion it's the most beautiful mountain on the continent. I'm closer to Mount Rainier than Seattle is, so everyday I get to see it no matter where I am. If I'm ever feeling down, I take a drive up there and suddenly you feel so small in the world and you feel like your problems are so insignificant. Definitely worth a trip for you. Our history isn't as rich as the Northeastern states but the area makes up for it with natural beauty. I'd love to go to Canada, Canadians just seem so laid back and polite. :)
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Truly enjoying this thread! Great sleuthing and chatting!!!!! :)
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I'd love to go to Canada, Canadians just seem so laid back and polite. :)
Thank you hosman for that lovely compliment to us Canucks! Wish you could have been with me at the grocery store today. While holding my wallet in one hand and placing my emptied basket out of the way under the counter, a dime popped out of the hole in the side of my coin slot. The nice lady behind me bent over immediately to retrieve it from beside my foot, taking enough time to check it's 'value' right before she gently placed it in her own wallet for safe keeping. I, in the true friendly Canadian way, turned to smile at her while commenting "guess I should be glad I didn't drop a twenty".
Like all countries and cultures.........it takes all kinds (and don't mess with people who have spent most of their life in the service industry) ;)
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My two cents about Canada & it's citizens is that all my trips 'up north' have been positive experiences .
I have found it strangely similar to crossing the border from Mexico into the U.S., in consideration of the facts that: Canadian cities are considerably 'cleaner' than U.S. cities , where we've slowly become numb to all the litter on our streets.
Having been in many Canadian cities & towns, I am always a bit fascinated at how many folks don't lock their doors.
I have also witnessed a few street scenes that seemed like they came straight out of "Trailerpark Boys", but nothing like the things witnessed in the U.S.
On the whole, I have found Canadians to be much more friendly, polite/civil & engaging (and less fearful) than many of their counterparts south of their border!
I suppose that I should confess that I frequently use the words "aboot" & "eh", when up in BC (& avoid using the term "Frost-backs" when discussing immigration).
:) :) :) :) :D
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LOVE CANADA AND CANADIANS.
Can honestly say I love the deep south hospitality and the extreme north hospitality as well!!!!
Sara Finn, how do you now that they don't lock their doors? (LOL)
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Note to self: Start locking the doors!! :o
:D
That is too funny though. I know so many people who never give a second thought to locking their house up when going out.......but double check to make sure the shed is locked. Gotta protect those ATV's. ;)
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KC- I was visiting a friend in Saskatoon, just sitting down having a cup of tea together & a stanger just walked in the flat.
I thought "Who the Hell is that?!", while my Canadian counterpart said :"Oh, hi there. Who you lookin' for eh?", (the guy had the wrong address) which sparked a conversation between us aboot locking doors.
A couple more friends dropped in & the consensus was something along the lines of "Well, if they want to come in,they will. Why should I have to pay to fix a broken door or window?".
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Just wanted to comment that I have seen a few people use shabby chic picket fencing mounted on the wall above a bed like a headboard. It would look really cute over a pair of twin beds if you have a couple of three foot long sections.