1.   Historical note

2.   Scope and content

3.   Provenance

4.   Processing note

5.   Inventory

6.   Subjects


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 Providence Tool Company Records

 

 Records, 1844-1945

 Size: 3.5 linear feet

 Catalog number: MSS 89

 Processed by: Cindy Bendroth, November 1988.

Additional material updated through January 2003


©Rhode Island Historical Society

Manuscripts Division

 


Historical note:


            The Providence Tool Company was the outgrowth of the business ventures of two brothers. In 1834, Joseph and Jeremiah Arnold began manufacturing nuts and washers in Pawtucket. When Joseph retired, Jeremiah joined William Field, named their business William Field & Co., and moved to Providence in 1846. In April 1847 the name was changed to the Providence Tool Company.

            The company is known for its ammunition production. However, in its early years, it primarily made hammers, pick axes, marlinspikes, nuts, and bolts. In 1856 it merged with the Providence Forge and Nut Company. The Providence Tool Company was successful in supplying machine parts and tools across the nation.

            The Civil War created a demand for companies to make munitions for the Union army. The Providence Tool Company took up the call and began weapons manufacturing in 1861. The Company hired Frederick W. Howe, a former supervisor at the Robbins and Lawrence Armory in Windsor, Vermont, to help start the manufacturing of arms.

            During the 1860 and 1870s the company continued to produce hardware and machinery. The business expanded so much that in 1867 it opened an office in New York and London. In 1869 the London office closed and when the company encountered difficulty in 1875, the New York office closed as well. In 1873, it received a contract from Singer Sewing Machines to make sewing machines and made machines under other brand names.

            From 1872 to 1875, the Providence Tool Company obtained arms contracts with the Turkish government. These contracts helped finance the company's expansion from 148 West River St. to additional plants at 41 and 95 Wickenden St. By the turn of the century the Tool Company had produced 850,000 firearms. The Turkish government did not pay for the arms produced by the 1873 and 1875 contracts. The company became involved with legal battles and lost money on interest and defaulted loans. Finally in 1885 the company reorganized as the Rhode Island Tool Company, which still exists in 1999.


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Scope and content:


            The Providence Tool Company Papers cover from 1844 to 1944, with the bulk of the material from the years 1856 to 1875. Some of the earlier material involves William Field & Co., and records after 1885 are from the Rhode Island Tool Company. Some of the records were kept by William B. Dart, treasurer and president for 1865 to 1876. Important subjects include: selling arms to the Turkey, arms manufacturing, and hardware production and sales. Important people represented in the collection include: O.F. Winchester, Rufus Waterman, J.B. Anthony, George Rusher, N.E. Watrifs, James A. True and William Field.


Series descriptions:


Series I: Correspondence (1846-1944), 1 lin. ft

Correspondence contains mostly orders for company products and requests for payment. Also contains correspondence with the Turkish government. Arranged chronologically.


Series II: Bills and Receipts (1844-1883) 3 folders

This series includes bills to and from the William Field and Company as well as the Providence Tool Company. Arranged chronologically.


Series III: Contracts (1872-1876), 3 folders

Contracts are with the Turkish government and are written in French, English and Turkish. Arranged chronologically.


Series IV: Miscellaneous (1847-1944) 1 folder

Consists mostly of articles on the company, a company history, and sample of a stockholder's certificate.


Series V: Patents (1867-1879) 3 folders

Patents are primarily for guns. Arranged alphabetically by patent holder.


Series VI: Payroll (1863-1865) 3 folders

This series consists of lists of workers from contracted companies and the amount owed to them from the Providence Tool Company. Arranged alphabetically by contracted company's name.


Series VII: Reports and agreements (1865-188l) 4 folders

Reports and agreements are to and from the company's clients and employees. Consists primarily of material from the Turks and Columbian government. Arranged chronologically.


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Provenance:


            The collection has arrived in a series of accessions over the past fifty years. The company's archives apparently fell into the hands of an individual who periodically sells small portions to dealers. These are the portions that have arrived so far:

 

1944Single contract dated 1875 with Providence Tool Company, gift of William C. Dart, company president.

 

1945    Four items regarding Turkish contracts, gift of Mary and Jane Anthony, probably descendants of a former president.

 

1967    Letter from Josiah King to Providence Tool Co., 1849, gift of Nino Scotti.

 

1973    Records kept by William B. Dart, treasurer/president, 1865-1876. 150 items. Gift of Mrs. M. Dart Dunbar of Saunderstown, R.I., a family member.


1988    Approximately one and a half linear feet of records, purchased from Millie Longo.


1990    About 250 items, 1856-1865 (trial balances, payroll,bills) purchased from Mildred Longo.


1994    1 box of invoices and orders, mostly 1847-1862, purchased from Mildred Longo.

 

1997    10 items dated 1854, purchased from Mrs. Hudson's Fine Books and Paper.

 

1999    68 items dated 1847-1849, purchased from Charles Apfelbaum

 

2001    Two receipts to William Field & Co. dated 4/18/1846 and 6/16/1846, gift of Rick Stattler

 

2002    Short letter from Corlis, Nightingale & Co. dated 3/15/1850, gift of Cherry Bamberg


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Processing note:


            Papers were unfolded as much as possible and put in acid-free folders and boxes. Materials that had been processed before were refoldered and incorporated with the new material and put in acid-free boxes. Steel pins that held papers together were left in, unless rusted. Oversize material was left in the original box and folders.


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Inventory:


Box 1  Correspondence

Folder 1                      January - May 1846 (William Field & Co.)

            2                      May - August 1846 (William Field & Co.)

            3                      August - December 1846 (William Field & Co.)

            3a                    1847

            3b                    1848

            3c                    1849

            4                      February 1847 - June 1849, 1850

            5                      April 1, 1851 - May 8, 1851

            6                      May 9, 1851 - June 30, 1851

             7                      July l, 1851 - July 18, 1852

            8                      July 19 - August 20, 1852

             9                      August 21, 1852 - September 9, 1852

            10                    September 10 - September 30, 1852

            11                    1853-1854

            12                    January 1- January 30, 1855

            13                    February 1 - February 22, 1855

            14                    February 23 - March 16, 1855


Box 2  Correspondence

Folder 1                      March 17 - October 1855

            2                      January l - February l6, 1856 [George Rushner]

            3                      February 19 - April 5, 1856 [George Rushner]

            4                      April 21- June l7, 1856 [George Rushner]

            5                      1857 

            6                      January - February l7, 1858

            7                      February 18 - April 5, 1858

            8                      April 6 - April 26, 1858

            9                      April 27 - May 19, 1858

            10                    May 20 - June l5, 1858

            11                    June 16 - June 30, 1858

             12                    1859-1861

            13                    1862-1863


Box 3  Correspondence

Folder 1                      1871-1872

            2                      1873

            3                      1873 [Turkish memo]

            4                      1875-1879

             5                      1883-1944

            6                      undated

 

            Bills and receipts

            7                      1844-1848

            8                      1853-1862

            9                      1875-1883


            Contracts with Turkish government

            10                    1872

             11                    French copy, 1873

            12                    1876


            Miscellaneous

             13                    1847-1945


             Patents

            14                    Martini, 1878

            15                    Norcross, Joseph, 1877-1879

            16                    Peabody, Henry O., 1867


             Payroll

            17                Forging job, February 1864 - June 1865 [including N.E. Watrifs]

             18                    Henry Hammond, 186l-1864

            19                    True and Boyden, August 1863 - March 1864

            20                    James A. True, April 1864 - May 1865


            Reports and agreements

            21                    1865-1873

            22                    1874-1875

            23                    1879

             24                    1881


Boxes 4 and 5: Unprocessed accession, 1990

            Trial balances, payroll, bills, etc, 1856


Box 6: Unprocessed accession, 1994

            Invoices, orders, 1847-1862


Oversized box l

Folder l                       Bills and receipts, undated

                                     Contract - Turkish government

            2 & 3              1873 - Dual language (2 folders)

            4                      1873 - French copy

            5                      Correspondence - April 1876

                                    Patents

            6                      Chassepot, 1866

            7                      Crispin, Silas, 1866

            8                      Wessely, Zdenko Ritter von, 1869

            9                      Reports and agreements, 1874-1879


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Subjects:


Anthony, John B. (1829-1904)

Field, William & Co.

Firearms industry and trade - Rhode Island - Providence

Machinery - Trade and manufacture

Rifles

Tools

Turkey

Waterman, Rufus (1817-1896)

Winchester, Oliver F. (1810-1880)


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RIHS1822