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| 1906 Abernathy Vise and Tool Co. Advertisement Seen are the No. 70 and No. 20 vises Image Credit: Google Books |
About
The Abernathy Vise and Tool Company was founded by Hugh H Abernathy in the early 1900s. Abernathy was born January 1871 in Indiana to Thomas and Emma, his family later moved to Chicago and he studied to become a lawyer [11]. His brother Robert L was a machinist and his other brother Thomas B worked in the lumber industry [10].
By 1903, he had applied for a patent on a quick release vise that could be loosened without turning the screw. His company had seven different vise models by 1906 of the 'clutch' and 'roller' varieties [13].
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| 1904 Advertisement Image Credit: Google Books |
His business was located on W. 62nd Place (also known as Englewood Avenue) in Chicago, Illinois on the site of the Simpson Methodist Church. The church was moved to 60th and Prince. The Abernathy factory was a stones throw away from the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne, and Chicago Railway and bordered on the East and West by South Wentworth and South Princeton Avenues. The block was later razed for Interstate 90
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| An 1895 Sanborn map showing the Simpson M. E. Church that previously occupied the lot Image Credit: Library of Congress |
After Abernathy's company was purchased in 1919, he retired to Los Angeles, California. By 1930, he had moved his mother out with him and owned a $100,000 home on Wilcox Avenue. He died in 1938 at the age of 67 having never married [11]
Timeline
- 1897
- US593551A - Patent applied for on a box cutting and nailing machine with his brother Thomas B Abernathy
- 1898
- Hugh was working as a lawyer in Chicago [10]
- 1899
- US656574A - Patent applied for on a chain brake for street cars, assignor to L P Ingersoll
- 1903
- US831919A - Patent applied for on a quick release vise with a cam
- 1904
- Located at 1264 Monadnock Building in Chicago, Illinois [4]
- 1906
- Patent granted on US831919A
- US1140646A - Patent applied for on a quick release vise design that uses a roller to actuate the release
- 1907
- Located at 603 51st Street [12]
- 1908
- Located at 331 Englewood Avenue [6]
- 1909
- Located at 327-331 Englewood Avenue [7]
- Capital stock of $10,000 [15]
- 1913
- Located at 229-231 Englewood Avenue [9]
- 1915
- Patent granted on US1140646A
- 1919
- Located at 2814-42 W. 26th Street [8]
- The company was purchased by C. Christiansen, a workbench manufacturer, in January [1][14]
- 1920
- Business at 2227 Grand Avenue [3]
- 1936
- Located at 2828 W. 26th Street [5]
- 1961
- Located at 132. W Home Avenue in Villa Park, Illinois [2]
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| 1904 issue of Wood Craft. The Abernathy booth is left of center This image is from the 1904 St Louis Worlds Fair Located at Block 6, Aisle 1 Image Credit: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Wood_Craft/uJJZn9Yfp6YC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=abernathy+vise+and+tool+co&pg=RA1-PA46&printsec=frontcover
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| 1908 Advertisement Image Credit: Google Books |
Sources
[1] http://www.vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=11528
[2] https://books.google.com/books?id=KtwDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA76&dq=abernathy+vise+and+tool+co&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjsrqOTodj3AhXVLs0KHau5B5w4FBDoAXoECAkQAg#v=onepage&q=abernathy%20vise%20and%20tool%20co&f=false
[3] https://www.google.com/books/edition/Rudder_Marine_Directory/WeksAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=abernathy+vise+and+tool+co&pg=PA428&printsec=frontcover
[4] https://www.google.com/books/edition/Iron_Age/raU-AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=abernathy+vise+and+tool+co&pg=RA17-PA74&printsec=frontcover
[5] https://books.google.com/books?id=otsDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA629&dq=abernathy+vise+and+tool+co&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjW6Ky6pNj3AhUGCM0KHSXCCAAQ6AF6BAgBEAI#v=onepage&q=abernathy%20vise%20and%20tool%20co&f=false
[6] https://www.google.com/books/edition/Hardware_Dealers_Magazine/ANxNAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=abernathy+vise+and+tool+co&pg=PA1125&printsec=frontcover
[7] https://www.google.com/books/edition/Hendricks_Commercial_Register_of_the_Uni/xsovAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=abernathy
[8] https://www.google.com/books/edition/Manual_Training_Magazine/IfDNAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=abernathy+vise+and+tool+co&pg=PT25&printsec=frontcover
[9] https://www.google.com/books/edition/Chilton_Automobile_Directory/wR9bAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=abernathy+vise+and+tool+co&pg=PA390&printsec=frontcover
[10] https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1232664824:2469?tid=&pid=&queryId=46fceb249ef3a692fc4260c56c9fe85c&_phsrc=zMK1123&_phstart=successSource
[11] https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/967691/person/7025590577/facts
[12] https://www.google.com/books/edition/Industrial_Education_Magazine/y7E_AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=abernathy+vise&pg=PT19&printsec=frontcover
[13] https://www.google.com/books/edition/Proceedings_of_Meeting/HGRLAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=abernathy+vise&pg=RA3-PA193&printsec=frontcover
[14] https://www.google.com/books/edition/Industrial_Arts_and_Vocational_Education/OoQ9AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=abernathy+vise&pg=PR35&printsec=frontcover
[15] https://www.google.com/books/edition/Certified_List_of_Domestic_and_Foreign_C/iFdJAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=abernathy+vise&pg=PA4&printsec=frontcover
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