The ChroniCleof the

Early American Industries Association

September 2014Volume 67 Number 3

The Goodell Brothers—The Bedrock of Goodell-Pratt Company, Part II

Made In PHILADa No. 9: John Gage, John Porcius Gage, and the Gage Tool Company, Part II

Who Is Christian Bodmer? Part VI

A Richard Bacon Jointer Plane

The Chronicle of the Early American Industries Association, Inc. (ISSN 0012-8147) is published quarterly by the Early American Industries Association, Inc. John Verrill, Executive Director, PO Box 524, 402 South Main St., Hebron, MD 21830. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Chronicle of the Early American Industries Association, Inc. c/o John Verrill, Executive Director, PO Box 524, 402 South Main St., Hebron, MD 21830. USPO Publication Number 560-620. Periodical postage paid at New Bedford, MA, and at additional mailing offices. ©2014 The Early American Industries Association. The Chronicle is available on microfilm from: ProQuest, 300 Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Articles appearing The Chronicle are abstracted and indexed in Historical Abstracts and America: History And Life. Design: Patty MacLeish, Ideas into Print, 31 Walnut Street, Newport, RI 02840. Printed by Cayuga Press, 215 South Main St., Cortland, NY13045.

The Early American Industries Association

President: Paul Van Pernis

Executive Director: John H. Verrill

THE PURPOSE of the Associa-tion is to encourage the study of and better understanding of early American industries in the home, in the shop, on the farm, and on the sea; also to discover, identify, clas-sify, preserve and exhibit obsolete tools, implements and mechanical devices which were used in early America.

MEMBERSHIP in the EAIA is open to any person or organization sharing its interests and purposes. For membership information, write to John H. Verrill, Executive Di-rector, P.O. Box 524, Hebron, MD 21830 or e-mail: executivedirec-tor@earlyamericanindustries.org.

ADDRESS CHANGE: Please send all changes in contact information to: John H. Verrill, Executive Di-rector, P.O. Box 524, Hebron, MD 21830 or e-mail: executivedirec-tor@earlyamericanindustries.org.

The ChronicleEditor: Patty MacLeish

Editorial BoardKatherine BoardmanRaymond V. GiordanoRabbit GoodyCharles F. HummelWalter JacobJohanna M. Lewis, Ph.D. Michael H. LewisBill RobertsonJack Whelan Frank White

The Chronicle welcomes contribu-tions from anyone interested in our purpose. Submit articles to: Patty MacLeish, Editor, 31 Walnut Street, Newport, RI 02840. Tele-phone: (401) 846-7542; Fax: (401) 846-6675; E-mail: pmacleish@verizon.net. We prefer articles to be submitted on disk or electronically. Please submit in any commonly used word processing program. If typed, please double space.

The Chronicle of the Early American Industries Association, Inc.Volume 67 No. 3 September 2014

ContentsFeatures

The Goodell Brothers—The Bedrock of Goodell-Pratt Company, Part IIby Wiktor Kuc -----------------------------------------------------------89

Made In PHILADa No. 9: John Gage, John Porcius Gage, and the Gage Tool Company, Part II

by Carl Bopp ---------------------------------------------------------- 106

DepartmentsStanley Tools

Who Is Christian Bodmer? Part VIby Walter W. Jacob ---------------------------------------------------- 123

Plane Chatter A Richard Bacon Jointer Planeby Patrick Lasswell ---------------------------------------------------- 127

CoversFront. A replica of the Gage Tool Company’s see-through wooden shipping box and an example of Gage’s famous self-setting plane and its paste-board box. The shipping box—with a Gage plane inside—was made by Carl Bopp. Gage promoted his planes in every possible way, and the open-sided box was one of the most ingenious. The paper shipping tag advertised the plane, and all who handled the box could see the contents. The second part of Carl’s history of the company appears in this issue. Photo by Carl boPP

Back. At Windy Hill Forge. EAIA member Raymond Zeleny has worked as a black-smith for about sixty years making among other items, hinges, washers, wall fasteners, and holdbacks. The photograph was taken at Ray’s Windy Hill Forge in Perry Mill, Maryland at an EAIA regional meeting. Photo by Emily PoPE

Figure 1 (left). Bench hack saw patent no. 627,183 was granted on June 20, 1899, to Henry E. Goodell and Herbert D. Lanfair.

Figure 2 (right, top). The “Goodell Bench Hack Saw No. 1” was advertised in The Blacksmith and Wheelwright 37 (Decem-ber 1898).

Figure 3 (right). An ex-ample of the Goodell bench hack saw no. 1.

The Chronicle Volume 67, No. 3

The Goodell Brothers—The Bedrock of the Goodell-Pratt Company, Part II

by Wiktor KucPart I of this series described how in 1866, the brothers Albert D. and Henry E. Goodell established a small business for manufacturing wooden furniture parts. Two years later, Albert received a patent for an “Improvement in Bit-stock” and the company began produc-tion of a bit brace based on this patent. The Millers Falls Company bought the Goodell patent in 1870; the two brothers began working for Millers Falls and stayed with the company for eighteen years. At that point, the brothers left and established their own business, Goodell Brothers, but by 1882, the brothers had gone their separate ways. One of Henry’s companies, Goodell Brothers, was eventually purchased by William Pratt. That company became Goodell-Pratt. The careers of the Goodell brothers continued for many years, and William Pratt remained involved in their businesses off and on over this time. Part II examines the careers of the two brothers from 1897 until their deaths and their relationship with William Pratt.

Goodell, Son & Co.In 1897, Henry E. Goodell, together with his son Harry G. Goodell and Herbert D. Lanfair, a nephew, organized Goodell, Son & Company.1 An interesting note on prelimi-nary planning for this company was published by the North Adams Daily Transcript in January 27, 1897.

Henry E. Goodell, the former president of the Goodell Bros.’ company, and Harry G. Goodell, his son, have now severed their relations with the company. They remained for three weeks to assist Superintendent Taft in becoming accustomed to his new duties. The Goodells retired with

the best wishes for the success of the company, and still they are perfectly free to engage in the same business.

Yesterday the Messrs. Goodell and H. D. Lanfair, a rela-tive of the Goodells, started in small way to develop certain ideas on hardware specialties that H. E. Goodell has long wished to develop. They have engaged rooms in Pond’s Miles Street block and use electricity. Judging of the success that Mr. Goodell has achieved heretofore, the foundations of a promising new industry were started yesterday.2

Herbert D. Lanfair had been employed by Millers Falls Company until 1895, when he joined Goodell Brothers Com-pany. Aside from the details about the Goodells leaving Goodell Brothers and forming this new company, another bit of infor-mation was revealed in the Daily Transcript article. Although Lanfair was known through his inventions and association with the Goodells and Millers Falls, what was only recently discovered in the course of this research is the fact that he was Henry E.’s nephew, the son of his sister Anne P. Goodell.3

Figure 4 (above, left). The belt-driven power hacksaw published with Machinery magazine’s review of it, March 1899.

Figure 5 (above, right). An advertisement for “The Goodell Power Hack Saw” under the “Goodell-Pratt Company” name, published in Machinery magazine in the August 1899 issue.

90 The Chronicle September 2014

The business that emerged out of these ideas and planning was Goodell, Son & Company. Henry E. Goodell and Herbert D. Lanfair plunged into a new venture without delay. They began working on designing a bench hack saw. Indeed, in August 1898, they filed a joint patent application. The patent no. 627,183 was granted on June 20, 1899 (Figure 1). The description in the patent provided clear and concise objectives:

Our invention is an improvement in a hack-saw, a carriage, and the frame of the same. It has for its object chiefly to provide a hack-saw firmly and adjustably fixed in a frame and in connection there-with a carriage, by means of which the said saw may be adjusted vertically and reciprocated horizontally.

In connection with the base of the carriage is an adjustable vise adapted to hold the materials of varying size to be cut at any angle with reference to the plane of the saw.4

It was a successful design and implementa-tion (Figures 2 and 3). However, despite all the right planning the future of this company was not meant to be. Harry G. Goodell, Henry’s son, became ill and had to resign from his duties. The situation was serious, and Henry E. decided to stop Goodell, Son & Company venture short. He sold the company to Goodell Brothers Company in September, 1898, after only one year of operation.5 These events, however, did not slow down the production of the bench hack saw.

Goodell Brothers Company, now the owner of the pat-ent and production rights, eagerly went to work. By the end of 1898, the bench hack saw was available for purchase and was advertised in trade magazines.

In a later catalog published by Goodell-Pratt Company, the hack saw was described as a...

… device for which there has long been a place in repair shops, stores, and small factories. It can be readily fastened to any bench, and will pay for itself in a week’s time where iron, steel, or brass rod or tubing have to be cut off.

It is fitted with a swivel vise, which can be set to saw at an angle. This point alone is a valuable addition to the usefulness of the machine, as the ability to saw on a miter will often save the operator much time which would oth-erwise be spent in filing.6

In a few months, the bench hack saw was modified, and the belt-driven power hack saw arrived on the market. In March 1899, Machinery magazine published its review of the belt-driven hack saw (Figure 4):

The Goodell Brothers Co., of Greenfield, Mass., have just brought out and are putting on the market their new power hacksaw, no. 30, an illustration of which is shown herewith.

The manufacturers state that they have spent a long time experimenting upon machines of this character, in order that this one might embody every mechanical idea that experience and study could devise, which would enhance its working value. It will be noted that the ma-chine is very compact and economizes floor space, and also that its various working parts, and the operating levers, are convenient to the hand of the operator when he stands in front of the machine.

One of the features is an automatic stop, which can be set to stop the saw at any desired depth in the work, or after the same has been completely cut off. This mechanism is instantaneous in its action. The starting or stopping lever is connected directly with a clutch on the main driving pulley, which either locks or disengages the crank shaft of the machine. The vise is square with the saw, the bed of it extending beyond the jaws to avoid the possibility of sawing into the end of the work after it has been cut off.

The frame which carries the saw runs in a guide at its back, which, in turn, slides up and down on a perpendicular guide rod, and the traveling motion is conveyed with a hori-zontal guide rod, which runs parallel to the blade of the saw.

Each machine is fitted and furnished with one 12-inch Goodell Hack Saw Blade, and is capable of sawing work 4 in. by 4 in. The dimensions of the machine are as follows: Extreme height, 43 in.; height to the top of vise, 28 in.; net weight, 150 pounds.7

A few months later, in August 1899, Machinery maga-zine contained advertisement for “The Goodell Power

Figure 6. The factory and office of Goodell Manufacturing Company of Greenfield, Massachusetts.

Figure 7. A drawing from patent no. 751,908 for a miter box issued on Feb-ruary 9, 1904, and assigned to Goodell Manufacturing Company.

The Chronicle Volume 67 No. 3 91

Hack Saw” under the “Goodell-Pratt Company” name (Figure 5).

Greenfield Machine CompanyHenry E. Goodell now found himself idle. He had sold his last business, Goodell Brothers Company, and his only son had died. Henry did not seem to have been a man who could stay still for long, and despite this personal tragedy he searched for new opportunities. At the beginning 1900, a new opportunity presented itself. Edward F. Smith, a gradu-ate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and draftsman at Wells Brothers, invented a machine for grinding and finishing precision tools and machine parts. In 1900, Smith proceeded with the formation of a business, and Greenfield Machine Company was organized. Henry E. invested in this venture, became its first president, and served as superin-tendent; Smith assumed position of the treasurer. The new company began production of the “universal grinder” used for sharpening machine tools and finishing small parts.

In November 1900, Henry E. became seriously ill and had to give up daily work at the company. He retained his position as the president, however. The work of superin-tendent fell on Smith, treasurer.8 Henry’s health did not improve fast enough, and he resigned from all his duties in December 1890 and sold his stock back to the corporation.9

Goodell Manufacturing CompanyAt the age of 54, Henry E. had achieved several goals in his life. He was a successful, financially stable, self-made businessman, who had earned the recognition and respect of the Greenfield community, but even with this latest prolonged illness, he was not ready to retire. After his recovery, Henry E., who would later be described as being of “untiring energy and enterprise,” was ready for a new project. In 1902, he founded, together with his son-in-law Perley E. Fay, Goodell Manufacturing Company of Greenfield, Massachusetts (Figure 6). It was incorporated in August 1902 with a capital of $15,000 and an objective to manufacture hardware specialties. Henry E. served as the president, Fred L. Gaines (Henry’s wife’s brother) took position of clerk, and Fay assumed positions of the secretary and treasurer.10

William M. Pratt, who by 1902 was at the helm of Goodell-Pratt Company, provided a portion of the initial

capital in exchange for partial ownership and product distribution rights.

In 1912, Western New England magazine published a short piece on Goodell Manufactur-ing Company.

The Goodell Manu-facturing Company, whose plant is located on Shelburne Street, was established in 1903 for the manufacture of the Goodell Steel Mitre Box, and the Green-field Drill Chuck. These tools are the inventions of Mr. Henry Goodell, who for many years was connected with the concern now known as the Goodell-Pratt Mfg. Co. The output of the company has been sold exten-sively throughout the United States and a market has been established in Canada and several European countries. This firm pursues a very liberal policy toward its employees with the result that it has had few changes in the personnel of its working force since its establishment. 11

Henry E. had specific ideas in mind when he started the company. In August 1903, he filed a patent application for a miter box. The patent, no. 751,908, was issued on February 9, 1904, and was assigned to Goodell Manufac-turing Company (Figure 7).

This was not the first time that the Goodells broth-ers were involved in manufacturing miter boxes. In 1879, Albert working together with D. C. Rogers of Langdon Mitre Box Company, helped to redesign and to make im-provements to the mitre box. That patent, no. 220,732, was assigned to Langdon Mitre Box Company.

Henry E.’s 1904 miter box patent was made in two versions: iron and all-steel (Figure 8). He marketed them as the “Greenfield Miter Box” and “Goodell Steel Miter Box.” Following his usual practice, Henry E. didn’t wait for the patent award and began production as soon as the design was completed. One of the first reviews appeared in Carpentry and Building magazine, August 1903:

The Goodell Miter BoxWe take pleasure in presenting to the attention of our readers an illustrated description of a new miter box, which has just been placed upon the market by the Goodell Mfg. Company of Greenfield, Mass. The box is made entirely of Bessemer steel, thus doing away with all liability of breakage, and the manufacturer’s claim that it is the first of its kind ever placed on the market.

Figure 8. An illustration of the Greenfield miter box and Goodell steel miter box reviewed in Carpentry and Building, August 1903.

Figures 9 (top). An advertisement for the “Goodell Mitre Box” published in The National Builder, November 1903.Figure 10 (bottom). An advertisement for the same miter box shown with a saw published in The National Builder, January 1905.

92 The Chronicle September 2014

The backs are made of cold rolled steel, corrugated to a 1⁄4 inch in depth to 1⁄2 inch in width, thus allowing perfect clearance for sawdust. In addition to the angles found on regular boxes, it is possible to instantly set the Goodell miter box to any desired angle by simply turning a lever.

The construction is said to be such that the box gives 10-1/2 inches width at right angles and 7-1/4 inches at the miter. It is made in two sizes, both of which can be furnished with extra angle attachment to increase the angle above 45 degrees.12

Advertising for the miter box began almost immedi-ately. Starting in November 1903, The National Builder printed advertisements for the miter box (Figure 9); in January 1905, this advertisement was modified to include a saw (Figure 10) advertisement.

The advertisement text from the January 1905 issue states:

GOODELL MITRE BOXMade Entirely of STEEL. No More Breaking. Our Automatic Stops for holding up saw are the sim-

plest, quickest acting and by far the most convenient, the saw being released by simply pressing down on it. Backs corrugated, allowing clearance for sawdust. Graduated. Many Improvements. Quality ahead and entirely in a class by itself, and the carpenter that once sees it will have no other.

SEND FOR CIRCULAR AND PRICES GOODELL MFG. CO., Greenfield, Mass.13

In December 1906, The National Builder editor ran a short evaluation of the miter box:

GOODELL MITRE BOXThe Goodell Mitre Box, an illustration of which can be seen in the Goodell Manufacturing Company’s adver-tisement in this issue, has had a wonderful sale during the past year. The popularity of this mitre box among the best carpenters and building people is accounted for from the fact that the Goodell “Steel” Mitre Box is the only one of its kind on the market. The advantage of having a mitre box that will not break and with all the

Figure 12 (below). A drawing of the “Greenfield Drill Chuck” that accompa-nied a review of the chuck by Automobile Dealer and Repairer journal, March 1915.

Figure 13 (right). Various chucks, includ-ing Greenfield drill chuck, advertised by Goodell-Pratt Company in Machinery magazine, vol. 23, 1917.

Figure 11. A full-page advertisement from the Western New England, vol. 2, July 1912.

The Chronicle Volume 67 No. 3 93

desirable improvements, seems to be just what is wanted.The manufacturers state that in designing this mitre

box the aim has been to see how good a box they could make, regardless of cost, and they feel that the big demand for their box is evidence that quality counts. The reading matter sent out contains a full description of this “steel” box and is worth reading by anyone in-terested in the most modern woodwork-ing tools. The Goodell Manufacturing Company, makers of this mitre box and other tools for the mechanic, is located in Greenfield, Mass.14

Another item that came out of this shop was the Greenfield drill chuck. Although Western New England maga-zine stated that the chuck is an “inven-tion of Mr. Henry Goodell,.” I haven’t located a patent for this chuck (Figure 11). In later Goodell-Pratt Company’s catalogs, the chuck is illustrated with-out a patent date — not the common practice — which suggests that there is no patent for this design (Figure 12). Automobile Dealer and Repairer journal published a review of the “Greenfield Drill Chuck” in March 1915:

The Greenfield Drill ChuckThis is a strong, accurate, and well made drill chuck at a popular price, and it is especially adapted for use in automobile garages and repair shops.

The shell is one piece, and the jaws are of tool steel, carefully hardened and tempered. It has ball-bearing thrust, and the thread of the shank being concealed, there is no chance for it to become bruised or injured. The bearing in the Greenfield Drill Chuck is in the center of the shell, which produces an accurate and more reliable chuck than when the bearing is at the extreme rear. The chuck has such a strong grip that no spanner wrench is required to tighten, but one is furnished with the two larger sizes, as occasionally one is needed to loosen. The shank forms part of the chuck, making it complete, ready for use. For prices and full particulars write to the Goodell Manufacturing Company, Green-field, Mass.15

The miter boxes and chucks were sold by Goodell Manufacturing Company directly as well as by Goodell-Pratt Company. After the integration of Goodell Manufacturing Company into the Goodell-Pratt operation, the “Goodell Miter Boxes” and “Greenfield Drill Chucks” remained in production until Goodell-Pratt Company was absorbed by Millers Falls Company in 1931 (Figure 13).

Millers Falls Company continued offering the Goodell steel miter box under the name “All Steel Miter Boxes.” The Greenfield drill chuck was also offered, but for a shorter time. It was listed in the Millers Falls Company Catalog no. 41, published in 1935, for the last time.

Figure 14 (left). The illustra-tion that accompanied the description of Goodell Manu-facturing Company’s boring tool in the December 1904, is-sue of The National Builder.

Figure 15 (below). An adver-tisement for Goodell Manufac-turing Company’s round-stock cutter that appeared in Ameri-can Machinist 27, August 1904.

Figure 16 (right) . A drawing from patent no. 862,069, “Improvements in Breast Drill” granted on July 30, 1907.

94 The Chronicle September 2014

There were other tools that Goodell Manufacturing Company made as well (Figure 14). In the December 1904 issue of The National Builder, an announcement described one of these tools:

New Boring ToolThe Goodell Manufacturing Company, of Greenfield, Mass., has recently placed on the market a new boring tool, of which we show an illustration.

This tool is for boring holes, especially through hardwood floors, where so much difficulty is found in using common bit brace. It does the work in much less time and with great saving of strength. It is made very strong and rigid. The feed screw is of the same pitch as the lead of the bit, which overcomes entirely the trouble of the bit not feeding, as is experienced in the old method. After getting to the desired depth the bit can be instantly raised.

It is geared back from two and one and half to one, and has an adjustable handle to regulate the speed. It has a capacity of boring to the depth of nine inches and an extension can be furnished to go to a greater depth. The center of the hole can come within two inches of a side or corner. Each tool is furnished with Clark Expansive Bit with two cutters, boring from seven-eighths to three inches. It weighs seventeen pounds and the price with bit is $6.00.16

The same year Goodell Manufacturing Company placed another tool on the market — a round-stock cutter tool (Figure 15).

The variety of these tools and their uses explains why Goodell Manufacturing was often described as a “specialty tool” maker. Obviously Henry was a keen observer of the needs of industry and designed tools that filled a particu-lar niche. These tools were only a few of the company’s specialty tools. In October 1906, he filed a patent applica-tion for improvements for a breast drill. The patent, no. 862,069, was granted on July 30, 1907. Henry E. described his new drill as follows:

This invention especially relates to improvements in “breast drills” and analogous small manually-operated machines such as have a drill, or other tool-carrying-spindle, and means for rotating the spindle.

An object of this invention is to provide change speed gearing between the operating crank or handle and the spindle, whereby the spindle may be rotated very rapidly, with comparatively low power, or quite slowly with correspondingly increased power. Another object of the invention is to improve the construction of the breast drill in respect to details of construction of the machine for increasing the efficiency, convenience of use, and durability of the same.17

This patent was used on a series of breast drills — no. 58, no. 59, and no. 60 manufactured by Goodell-Pratt Com-pany under the name, “Giant Breast Drills” (Figure 16).

Figure 17. Henry E. Goodell

The Chronicle Volume 67 No. 3 95

By 1916 Henry E. Goodell was ready to retire for good. He had been dealing with declining health for some time already and needed to slow down. His son-in-law, Perley E. Fay, took over all aspects of business management.

After Henry’s passing in 1923, William M. Pratt, a ma-jority owner, took over the presidency of the company, but daily operations resided with Perley E. Fay. Around 1930, Pratt purchased the remaining stock of the company and incorporated the production into Goodell-Pratt operation.

Henry E. GoodellLearning about busi-ness ventures of Henry E. Goodell afforded me with opportunity to gather bits and pieces of information about his family and personal life (Figure 17). Al-though not a fully ex-haustive biography, the following paragraphs will give us better un-derstanding of who this man was.

The Biographical Review — Biographical

Sketches of the Leading Citizens of Franklin County, Massa-chusetts, provides the following description:

Mr. Goodell is a man of much stability of purpose and integrity, and by his untiring energy and enterprise has reached his present place among the successful men of the period.

Although physically frail, he is known as a rapid and enthusiastic worker, doing more actual labor than any of his employees, and at the same time superintending his extensive business. In politics he is a strong adher-ent of the Republican party; and he and his wife belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church, he being an officer therein. They have a fine new home at 31 Main Street, which he built in 1893.18

On May 13, 1873, Henry E. married Miss Alice S. Gaines, a teacher, of Montague, Massachusetts. The Goodells lived in Millers Falls, Massachusetts, and their two children were born there. Harry G., their first child, was born on May 8, 1874, and their daughter, Josephine M. Goodell, was born on September, 1876.19

After schooling, Harry G. worked with his father at the Goodell Brothers business. As described previously, in 1897, Henry E. established Goodell, Son & Company and Harry G. became a partner.20 Unfortunately soon after Harry G. became seriously ill and had to resign from his

duties. On May 9, 1900, the Greenfield Recorder published his obituary:

It came as a shock — the death of Harry G. Goodell at the home of his father, H. E. Goodell, on Main Street, Thursday night, about 10:45, after lingering illness of several mouths. He had been confined to the bed. Tuberculosis was the cause of his death. He was 26 years of age.

Mr. Goodell was born in Millers Falls, May 8, 1874. The family moved to Shelburne Falls when he was small and his schooling was received in that place. He was gradu-ated from Arms Academy in class of ‘92. In company with his father, he came here for the manufacture of fine tools.

Later their business was bought by what is now known as the Goodell-Pratt Company, and not being in good health, young Mr. Goodell took up the life insur-ance business. He later bought Lester A. Luey’s grocery store, which he ran for some time, selling out last year. Not feeling very well, and thinking a change of climate would be beneficial, he departed for New Mexico and Southern California last fall, returning this spring, but not receiving as much benefit as he desired.

Mr. Goodell married Miss Elizabeth E. Doolittle, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew J. Doolittle, six years ago. Mr. Goodell was a young man of excellent character and was held in highest esteem by all who knew him.

Josephine M. Goodell graduated from high school in Shelburne. In August 1900, the Greenfield Recorder an-nounced her engagement to Perley E. Fay, and on October 10, 1900, they were married.

The marriage of Miss Josephine May Goodell, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry E. Goodell of Main Street and Perley Everett Fay, son of S. E. Fay of Athol, was solemnized at the residence of the bride’s parents at 2 o’clock this afternoon. Rev. W. C. Townsend of the Methodist Episcopal Church performed the ceremony....The bridesmaid was Miss. Helen E. Goodell of Shelburne Falls, a cousin of the bride (a daughter of Albert D. Goodell). 21

From everything I have learned about Henry E., it seems to me that he preferred a simple life. He was a humble man and preferred to limit his social life to his church and family. Whenever needed, he was generous and charitable.

An excerpt from report on events at First Method-ist Episcopal Church published by Greenfield Gazette and Courier, March 7, 1903, describes his efforts:

During the year the church has been moved, electric lights put in, the walls frescoed, a now chimney parsonage has been moved and raised up, giving room for a fine basement, on the bottom of which a cement floor has been laid. The valuation of the church property is now $3000 for the parsonage and $10,000 for the church.

At the business meeting, resolutions thanking F. A. Pond and Henry E. Goodell for their generosity in connection with the moving of the church were passed.22

Table I Patents received by Henry E. Goodell

Patent No. Date Patent Title and Patentee Name

432,729 July 2, 1890 Screw Driver by Albert D. and Henry E. Goodell

463,506 November 17, 1891 Automatic Screw Driver by Albert D. and Henry E. Goodell

463,507 November 17, 1891 Drilling Tool by Albert D. and Henry E. Goodell

472,259 April 5, 1892 Shoe Float or Rasp by Albert D. and Henry E. Goodell

557,328 March 31, 1896 Breast Drill by Albert D. Goodell and Henry E. Goodell

591,097 October 5, 1897 Reversible Automatic Screw Driver by Henry E. Goodell and Herbert D. Lanfair

627,183 June 20, 1899 Bench Hacksaw by Henry E. Goodell and Herbert D. Lanfair

751,908 February 9, 1904 Miter Box by Henry E. Goodell

862,069 July 30, 1907 Breast Drill by Henry E. Goodell

96 The Chronicle September 2014

Seven years later the church needed additional remod-eling, and after its completion the Greenfield Gazette and Courier reported on December 3, 1910:

The First Methodist Episcopal Church has been greatly improved and modernized by changes just being completed. An addition, 24x12, has been made to the north end of the building, and the pulpit is moved to this side, the seats turned around, and the choir and organ go behind the pulpit. New seats can thus be put in accommodating 75, making the total capacity of the main audience room 400. The old opera chairs are taken out and there are new pews of old English oak. Henry E. Goodell was chairman of the building committee that had charge of the new work, and he has personally paid the bills.23

In 1913 the First Methodist Episcopal Church cel-ebrated its re-dedication and more details were revealed by the Greenfield press:

At the close of the sermon the bishop called the board of trustees of the church to come forward to the front of the church, and the president of the board, Mr. Goodell, presented the keys of the church to the bishop.

A few years ago it became necessary to move the church in order to permit, the widening of Franklin Street and since that time many alterations and improvements have been made, chief of which were a remodeled church and an entirely new parsonage. The work on the build-ings has been done at an expense of $25,000, the greater part of which has been born by one member, Henry E. Goodell of Greenfield. The officers and members of the church believe that they have one of the most commodi-ous and beautiful churches and parsonages in western Massachusetts, and they are especially grateful to Mr. Goodell for his generosity, in making all this possible.24

Henry E. Goodell was, as described earlier, “a man of much stability of purpose and integrity” and this charac-teristic clearly manifested itself in his commitment to his business ventures.

It seems to me that earlier on in his career, although somewhat overshadowed by his older brother Albert, he

appeared to be firmly committed to the business they had both started, Goodell Brothers. Even after Albert’s departure, he did not change the name of the business, which he could have done and renamed it after himself. De-spite his separation from his brother Albert, Henry E. continued the busi-ness, expanded and transformed it, both financially and technically. He moved to Greenfield, Massachusetts, and invested his capital into building the new factory, making it a modern production facility. Despite the de-

parture of his brother Albert from the business, Henry E. didn’t hesitate to bring along his other brother, Dexter W., and share with him an opportunity to build the business.

Henry E. possessed many of the traits necessary to build a new business, but he also seemed to understand his limitations. Soon after relocation to Greenfield he realized that to make his company valuable, capable to compete, and assure successful existence, he would need help.

I believe this is why he brought William M. Pratt and incorporated his business as Goodell Brothers Company. Henry E. didn’t hesitate to give him the responsibility for finances, marketing, and sales. With Pratt in place, Henry E. could focus on the areas where his skills were most pro-ductive — new tools design and production. He assumed the position of company president and superintendent and took tool design and production into his own hands.

Within two years the Goodell Brothers Company patented, designed, and built an impressive number of new tools and put them on the market (Table I). To me, Henry E. in his dealings appeared to be humble, realistic, but also firm. Even after his departure, he assured that the name “Goodell” would be preserved in the industrial history. Not only the was the name Goodell Brothers not changed after company incorporation, but even after his complete departure, the new company preserved its roots

in a new name — Goodell-Pratt Company.Henry E. enjoyed work and the industry he had been

with from the beginning of his professional life. After the departure from Goodell Brothers Company, he started other businesses and continued to offer his best – new tools and their best implementation.

On rare occasions Henry E. took time off from work. In July 1913, he took one of the more interesting and ambitious trips. The whole family, including Henry’s wife Alice, his daughter, Josephine, and her husband, Perley E. Fay, went to Nahant, Massachusetts, for ten days, making a trip by car.25

Key Events in Albert and Henry E. Goodell’s Lives1866 Albert D. and Henry E. Goodell establish a small production

business for the manufacturing of wood furniture parts.

1868 Albert receives the first patent for “Improvement in Bit-Stock” and begins production of the bit brace based on this patent.

1870 Millers Falls Co. buys Goodell patent for $10,000 and hires the Goodells to work at its factory in Millers Falls, Massachusetts.

1870 - 1888 Albert and Henry E. spend eighteen years working for Millers Falls Co. Albert patents twelve tools for this company. In the 1886/1887 Millers Falls Co. catalogs, the name “Goodell” ap-pears on five tools.

1888 Albert and Henry E. establish their own business in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, and name it Goodell Brothers. The company patents and manufactures four tools.

1892 Albert leaves the company, moves to Worcester, Massachusetts, and starts his own business—Goodell Tool Co.

1892 Henry E. moves Goodell Brothers to Greenfield and begins construction of a new factory.

1893 Relocation to Greenfield is completed and production of tools begins. Dexter W. Goodell, Henry’s brother, joins the Goodell Brothers.

1893 Albert returns to Shelburne Falls and restarts the Goodell Tool Co.

1895 Henry E. incorporates Goodell Brothers as Goodell Broth-ers Co., becoming its president and superintendent. Harry G. Goodell, Henry’s son, joins the company as a director and William M. Pratt as the treasurer and manager. Dexter W. Goodell leaves Goodell Brothers Co.

1895 –1896 Development of new tools, marketing and sales intensifies under the management of William M. Pratt.

1897 Henry E. and Harry G. sell their interests in Goodell Brothers Co. William M. Pratt becomes the president and treasurer and Frank Taft of Brattleboro, Vermont, superintendent and manager with stock ownership. Several Greenfield business-men became minor investors.

1897 Henry E. Goodell, together with his son Harry G. Goodell and Herbert D. Lanfair, a nephew, establish Goodell, Son & Company.

1898 Harry G. becomes ill. His father, Henry E., closes Goodell, Son & Company and sells it to William M. Pratt’s Goodell Broth-ers Co.

1899 Goodell Brothers Co. re-incorporates under new ownership and changes its name to Goodell-Pratt Company.

1900 Henry G. Goodell dies. Henry E. joins Greenfield Machine Com-pany as its president. Due to health issues he resigns at the end of the year.

1902 Henry E. organizes a new business, Goodell Manufactur-ing Company, which produces miter boxes, specialized drill chucks, and other small tools.

1904 Albert establishes a new factory of Goodell Tool Company.

1907 Albert incorporates the Goodell Tool Company in Buckland, Massachusetts.

1915 Albert D. Goodell dies.

1916 Henry E. retires from active business engagements.

1923 Henry E. Goodell dies.

Figure 18. The headstone of the grave of Henry E. Goodell at the Green River Cemetery, Greenfield, Massachusetts.

Figure 19. Albert D. Goodell.

The Chronicle Volume 67 No. 3 97

By 1916 Henry E. Goodell had retired for good. He was dealing with declining health for some time already and needed to take increased time for rest. In 1917 he became seriously ill, but recovered after a stay in hospital.

At the beginning of February 1923, Henry E. Goodell contracted severe case of pneumonia and after two week he passed away. He was buried in Green River Cemetery, Greenfield, Massachusetts (Figure 18).

His obituary reads: “Henry E. Goodell, for many years a manufacturer of tools and hardware special-ties, died in his home in Greenfield, Mass., Feb. 23, at the age of 77 years. He was born in Whitingham, Vt. With Albert D. Goodell he engaged in the manufacture of hardware under the name of Goodell Bros., at Shelburne Falls and Greenfield, and in 1893 founded the establishment now conducted as the Goodell-Pratt Company.”26

Albert D. Goodell and Goodell Tool Company

Albert D. Goodell was born in Whitingham, Vermont, on August 3, 1845 (Figure 19). He spent his childhood on the farm of his father, Anson Goodell. He attended public schools in the area and learned some carpentry.27

After moving to Millers Falls, he mar-ried Emily J. Hoyt on June 1, 1870. She died two years later, on Feb-ruary 1, 1872. A few months later Albert married for a second time. His bride was Harriet E. Peters and the marriage was cel-ebrated at the Method-ist Episcopal Church on August 21, 1872. They had two chil-dren; Frederic A., born

Figure 20 (above). Fredric A. Goodell became his father Albert’s partner in Goodell Tool Company.

Figure 21 (right). A drawing from the new company’s first patent, no. 488,691 for a bit stock, granted to Albert on December 27, 1892.

Figure 22. The Goodell-Hay ratchet brace with a quick-action chuck was manufactured by Goodell-Pratt Co. and appeared in its catalog no. 7, 1905. A ratchet mechanism that was part of patent 488,691 was incorporated into this brace.

98 The Chronicle September 2014

on August 26, 1873, and Helen E., born on November 14, 1879.28 Albert was a very talented mechanic with excellent problem-solving skills.29 In 1868, while still working in Buckland, he designed a new way to fasten drilling bits in a brace. His design was accepted by the U.S. Patent Office, and Albert received his first patent, no. 79,825, for “Improvement in Bit-Stock” on July 14, 1868. With his brother Henry E., he began making a limited number of braces with a new chuck in the Perry & Demming shop.

Soon after, Millers Falls Company discovered the Goodells’ patent for the brace and immediately offered to buy the patent and employ both brothers at the company’s new factory in Millers Falls, Massachusetts.

In 1888, the brothers started their own business and moved to Shelburne, Massachusetts. They designed and patented four new products; a screw driver, automatic screw driver, drilling-tool and a shoe float or rasp. Although both brothers’ names appear on these patents, I feel that Albert was leading this work.

Everything I learned about Albert leads me to surmise that he was the one that had more ability to arrive with new solutions in tool design. The author of the entry for Albert in The Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of the State of Massachusetts, noted that “In this work, he [Albert] displayed unusual ingenuity and mechanical ability.” 30 Only Albert’s name appeared on the patents assigned to the Millers Falls Company. Also from my analysis of all patents received by Albert, it is clear to me that he would work on the design by himself and would achieve excellent results (Table II).

On Henry E.’s patents, his name always appears in tan-dem with someone else. Obviously this doesn’t take away importance of the input and ideas that Henry E. offered, but he was not a leading voice. Could it have been that Albert

left Goodell Brothers because he wanted to be in a leadership position and did not want to be in an equal partnership with his brother? His brother, knowing his own abilities and traits, most likely insisted on an equal partnership and this difference was irreconcilable.

In any case, in 1892 Albert sold his share of the Goodell Brother business to Henry E. and moved to Worcester, Massachusetts. There, with his son, Fred-eric A. Goodell, as a partner, he set up Goodell Tool Company (Figure 20).31 Albert’s stay in Worcester was short, but he managed to work on the design of two new tools and applied for patents. On December 27, 1892, the first patent, no. 488,691, for a bit brace was granted (Figure 21). From the complexity and broadness of this design I assume that Albert started work on this project some time previous, probably while he was still in Shelburne Falls. He stated his objectives in the patent description:

The object of my present invention is to provide a bit-stock or bit-brace in which the working joints between the parts that rotate one against another can be maintained in a condition for perfect operation, and to provide facilities whereby any looseness of said joints due to wear can be taken up by adjustment thereof.

Another object is to provide a bit-brace with an improved reversing ratchet mechanism, simple and ef-ficient of operation, not liable to deterioration by use, and which can be economically manufactured.32

The information about the production of this brace is very limited. A portion of this patent, a ratchet mecha-nism, was incorporated by Goodell-Pratt Company into

Figure 23. The combined hinge and square based on patent no. 531,114, issued on December 18, 1894.

Figure 24 (above). The Goodell Tool Company factory, Greenfield, Massachusetts circa 1912.

Figure 25 (right). Drawing from patent no. 544,092, granted on August 6, 1895 for miter box.

The Chronicle Volume 67 No. 3 99

a brace it called the “Goodell-Hay Ratchet Brace with a Quick-Action Chuck” (Figure 22). It appeared in the 1905 Goodell-Pratt Company Catalog No. 7.

The design work during Albert’s stay in Worcester produced another tool — a combined hinge and square (Figure 23). The patent, no. 531,114, was issued on Decem-ber 18, 1894, after Albert and Frederic had moved back to Shelburne Falls. The objectives for this design were stated in the patent description:

The object of my present invention is to provide a gage, adapted for use either as a hinge-gage or mortise gage, which shall be light, convenient and efficient for use; and also of such form and construction that it can be used as a try-square for making the ends of mortises and hinge recesses.

Another object is to provide a hinge-gage having facilities for adjustment whereby the relative distances for the door and rabbet markings for the hinge can be varied in relation to each other, as explained.33

The Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of the State of Massachusetts reported on the move to Shelburne Falls:

In 1893 they [Albert and Frederic] removed their business to Shelburne Falls, and rented the shop and power of H. H. Mayhew Company, remaining until November, 1904, when they purchased the peg shop of J. R. Foster, where they have continued up to the present time; they are manufacturers of mechanics’ tools, and their business has been exceedingly prosperous.34

Several years later, a 1912 issue of Western New Eng-land magazine published a short profile of the company, its new factory and its manufacturing capabilities (Figure 24):

Mr. A. D. Goodell, president of the Goodell Tool Com-pany, has long been an inventor, as well as a practical mechanic. He has invented and perfected many impor-tant tools some of which were put on the market before 1893 when in a small way, in company with his son, F. A. Goodell, they started in business for themselves, renting room and power of the H. H. Mayhew Com-pany. Mechanics’ tools have been specialized on, and a business built up which compelled them to seek larger quarters in 1904.

The factory which they then bought of J. R. Foster stands beside the B. & M. tracks with excellent shipping facilities. Some forty or fifty men are now employed, and the business continues to increase. Recently, thoroughly up-to-date appliances have been added indicating con-clusively the attention the management always pays to keeping abreast of the times.

Since the electric power supply has been available several motors have been installed to supersede water

Table II Patents Awarded to Albert D. GoodellPatent No. Date Patent Title and Patentee Name

79,825 July 14, 1868 Improvement in Bit Stock by Albert D. Goodell

139,667 June 10, 1873 Bit-Stock by Albert D. Goodell

141,345 July 29, 1873 Bit-Stock by Albert D. Goodell

220,732 October 21, 1879 Miter Box by D. C. Rogers and Albert D. Goodell

222,820 December 23, 1879 Machine for Re-Cutting Axles by Albert D. Goodell

228,810 June 15, 1880 Ratchet Bit Brace by Albert D. Goodell

228,811 June 15, 1880 Bit Brace by Albert D. Goodell

293,651 February 19, 1884 Spokeshave by Albert D. Goodell

332,391 December 15, 1885 Scroll Sawing Machine by Albert D. Goodell

374,593 December 13, 1887 Drill Chuck by Albert D. Goodell

374,594 December 13, 1887 Drill Chuck by Albert D. Goodell

391,242 October 16, 1888 Spirit Level by Albert D. Goodell

432,729 July 2, 1890 Screw Driver by Albert D. and Henry E. Goodell

463,506 November 17, 1891 Automatic Screw Driver by Albert D. and Henry E. Goodell

463,507 November 17, 1891 Drilling Tool by Albert D. and Henry E. Goodell

472,259 April 5, 1892 Shoe Float or Rasp by Albert D. and Henry E. Goodell

488,691 December 27, 1892 Bit Brace by Albert D. Goodell

531,114 December 18, 1894 Combined Hinge and Square by Albert D. Goodell

544,092 August 6, 1895 Miter Box by Albert D. Goodell

557,200 March 31, 1896 Glass Cutter by Albert D. Goodell

557,328 March 31, 1896 Breast Drill by Albert D. and Henry E. Goodell

563,372 July 7, 1896 Tools Chuck for Bit Stock by Albert D. Goodell

566,905 September 1,1896 Drill Chuck by Albert D. Goodell

789,536 May 9, 1905 Corner Brace by Albert D. Goodell

974,482 November 1, 1910 Bench Stop by Albert D. Goodell

984,478 February 14, 1911 Saw Setting Device by Albert D. Goodell

1,010,894 December 5, 1911 Device for Shoulders on Wooden Spokes by Albert D. Goodell

100 The Chronicle September 2014

wheels. Then, too, individual sanitary wash bowls, with faucets for both hot and cold water, also individual steel lockers for clothing, have been supplied. On each floor of the factory are sanitary, bubble drinking fountains.

After repairs and adaptations Albert settled in the new factory and immediately plunged into new tool designs. Frederic concentrated on production.35

In another source is this description of Albert’s busi-ness, “Until his death, one of the Goodells was actively identified with the Goodell Tool Co., of Shelburne Falls, in which the Goodell-Pratt Company was a large owner, and the sale of whose products it controlled.”36

This description requires a few com-ments. It seems to me the decision to move back to Shelburne Falls was rather hasty, and Albert was ill-prepared. It looks like he didn’t have a place in mind to move into and it is possible that his finan-cial situation was rather poor. He turned to an old ally, H. H. Mayhew Company and rented space there to start his own shop.

The H. H. Mayhew Company was well known to Albert. When he started Goodell Brothers with Henry E. in 1888, Mayhew Company provided sale services for the brothers. At the time, the superintendent of H. H. Mayhew Company was Francis Roscoe Pratt. William M. Pratt, his son, at that time employed by H. H. Mayhew Company as the secretary, was familiar with the Goodell Brothers’ story through his father. In November 1894, Albert had an opportunity to establish his own shop and needed capital to do that. I believe it is at this moment that Francis R. Pratt and William W. Pratt offered to help in exchange for partial owner-ship of the business. The offer seemed to be right and timely, and Albert ac-cepted it. The transaction was struck, and Albert became a happy owner of his own shop. He could begin his develop-ment and production work. This was also the first step for William M. Pratt toward his own business — the future Goodell-Pratt Company. The next step was dealing with Goodell Broth-ers Company and Henry E., but this was still in the, not-too-distant, future.

In 1894 or the beginning of 1895,

Albert began work on improvements to the miter box — a job contracted by Millers Falls Company. This was the second time he worked on miter boxes for Millers Falls Company. The first time was in 1879, when Albert helped with the redesign and improvements in miter boxes, work-ing together with D. C. Rogers of Langdon Mitre Box Company This time the application was filed in April 1895 and patent no. 544,092 was issued on August 6, 1895 (Figure 25).

Albert was accustomed to working on designs or patents for third parties. In 1879, while working for Millers Falls Company, he had developed a “Machine for Re-cutting Wagon

Figure 26 (left). A drawing from patent no. 557,200 for a glass cutter granted to Albert Goodell on March 31, 1896.

Figure 27 (above). Glass cutter manufactured by Goodell Tool Company based on patent no. 557,200, granted on March 31, 1896.

Figure 27, detail (below). Detail of the cutting wheel in the glass cutter.

The Chronicle Volume 67 No. 3 101

Axles,” patent no. 222,820. It is possible that he developed this tool for one of the wagon-repair shops in the area.

Parallel to Albert’s work on improvements to the mi-ter box for Millers Falls Company, he and Henry E. began working on a new tool for Goodell Brothers Company. This work began even before Goodell Brothers’ incorporation and William M. Pratt formally joined the company.

The patent application for a new tool, a breast drill with a speed changer, was ready shortly after the company filed an incorporation application (July 1, 1895), and the brothers filed it on July 26, 1895, the same day on which the company incor-poration was approved. The patent was awarded on March 31, 1896, and received no. 557,328. The recipients of the pat-ent were Albert and Henry E. Goodell, and it was assigned to Goodell Brothers Company. This suggests that the talks about the incorporation of Goodell Brothers, the possibility of Pratt joining the company, and the baseline arrangements were already in progress in 1894.

Goodell Brothers Company and later both Goodell-Pratt Company and Millers Falls Company profited from this patent for decades. It was a basis for the development of the hand drill no. 51⁄2, a flagship hand drill made by Goodell Brothers Company.

After completion of the project for Goodell Brothers, Al-bert focused on a project for Goodell Tool Company — a new tool that became a hallmark of his company. On November 9, 1895, he filed a patent application for a glass cutter. The patent, no. 557,200, was awarded on March 31, 1896, and pro-duction of the cutter began (Figure 26). The tool became very

popular and was used in small home workshops to fix broken window glass as well as by professional glass-fitting shops.

Albert described his design with a series of objectives.

The object of my present invention is to provide a glass-cutting tool with a series of cutting-wheels arranged in such a manner that any one of the several cutting-wheels may be quickly set ready for use, while the others are left well protected.

Another object is to provide a steel-wheel glass-cutting tool with a series of steel cutting-wheels and means for connecting said wheels with the handle-head in a manner adopted for the convenient removal and replace-ment of the cutting-wheels when damaged or worn-out.37

The tool was produced for decades by Goodell Tool Company, and later by Goodell-Pratt Company and Millers Falls Company (Figure 27). The principle of this design was so simple and popular, that years after the patent ex-pired, many companies made similar cutters throughout the twentieth century, and some still make them today.

The period between 1895 and 1896 was probably one of the most busy and productive for Albert. He developed at least six different tools and received patents for all of them. There were most likely other tools and manufacturing solu-tions developed during this time, which were not patented.

Figure 28 (above). The univer-sal corner brace offered by the Rayl’s Hardware’s catalog no. 21 in 1905.

Figure 29 (right). A bench hook designed by Goodell Tool Com-pany and listed in Goodell-Pratt’s Catalog No. 10, 1911, as a “Bench Hook No. 196.”

Figure 30 (below). A saw set, patent no. 984,478, patented on February 14, 1911, that was manufactured and sold by Goodell Tool Company.

102 The Chronicle September 2014

By the end of 1896, Albert registered two more patents; both of them were for chucks. The first patent, no. 563,372, was issued on July 7, 1896, and it was designed specifically for bit braces. The second patent was granted on September 1, 1896, and received no. 566,905. This chuck was designed for drills.

It appears that the flow of new designs stopped for a while at the end of 1896. Apparently, sometime in the early 1889s, Albert was struck by arthritis and heart disease. This illness limited him to a great extent and shadowed him for the rest of his life.38

In 1904, Albert went back to the drawing board and designed a corner brace. The patent, no. 789,536, was issued on May 9, 1905. The brace was manufactured and sold by Goodell Tool Company and by various hardware houses. Rayl’s, a Detroit, Michigan, hardware dealer, offered the brace in its 1905 catalog (no. 21) as the highest priced of three choices (Figure 28). Goodell-Pratt Company also listed this brace in its Catalog No. 10, 1911.

On April 4, 1907, Albert incor-porated Goodell Tool Company in Buckland, Massachusetts. He became the president and treasurer, and Francis R. Pratt, a su-perintendent from a H. H. Mayhew Company, assumed the position of vice-president.39

After a few years interlude, Albert put his creativ-ity to work again in 1910. He filed an application for a bench stop in July 1910, and the patent, no. 974,482, issued on November 1, 1910, was assigned to Goodell Tool Company. Although similar types of bench stops were already known and available on the market for several years, Albert included some unique features in his design.

The improvements especially pertain to construc-tions in the bench stop, which enable the user to obtain an engagement between the shank of the stop piece and an internal portion of the bushing piece for supporting the stop very little, or considerably above the top surface of the bench, and to also insure, when the stop is not required for use, that it will have a lowered position to leave the top of the bench flush and clear.

The bench stop was advertised and sold directly by Goodell Tool Company, but it also appeared in the Goodell-Pratt Company’s Catalog No. 10 in 1911. As a matter of fact, several tools designed

and marketed by Albert appeared in the Goodell-Pratt Catalog No. 10. Among them were several variations of glass cutters, a universal corner brace, and now a bench stop, named “Bench Hook No. 196” by the Goodell-Pratt Company (Figure 29).

The next year Albert designed two more tools — a saw set and the device for turning shoulders on wooden spokes. The saw set was patented on February 14, 1911, and received no. 984,478. It was manufactured and sold by Goodell Tool Company and later by Goodell-Pratt Company (Figure 30).

Figure 31 (left). A drawing from Albert Goodell’s patent no. 1,010,894, “Device for Turning Shoulders on Wooden Spokes,” granted on December 5, 1911.

Figure 32 (above). The Millers Falls Company’s catalog published in 1887 listed this tool as “Goodell’s Patent Adjustable Hollow Auger.”

The Chronicle Volume 67 No. 3 103

The last patent received by Albert was for the “Device for Turning Shoulders on Wooden Spokes.” It was granted on December 5, 1911, with no. 1,010,894 (Figure 31). There is a history to this tool, although somewhat convo-luted, and I did not find answers to all the questions I had.

Looking into the past, I found a tool named “Goodell’s Patent Adjustable Hollow Auger” (Figure 32), listed in the Millers Falls Company’s catalog published in 1887. These were the years when the Goodell brothers were working for Millers Falls Company. Despite my best efforts, I could not find a patent for this tool.

The same tool appeared in the Millers Falls Company 1894 catalog, but in the 1903 catalog edition the name of the tool was changed to “Patent Adjustable Hollow Auger No. 1.” Was the 1894 catalog listing another subterfuge perpetrated by Millers Falls Company? A similar situation occurred with another tool, a ratchet drill (as described in Part I of this article). It appeared in the 1887 Millers Falls catalog as “Goodell’s Ratchet Drills,” but the tool was not described as patented, and it is not found in the U.S. Patent listings. In the Millers Falls Company catalog dated 1903, however, the tool is simply called “Ratchet Drill.” I have a nagging feeling that William W. Pratt had a very serious conversation with Levi J. Gunn of Millers Falls Company and convinced him to drop Goodell’s name from the catalogs.

The last patent Albert received on December 5, 1911, with no. 1,010,894, is obviously a quite different tool than “Goodell’s Patent Adjustable Hollow Auger” listed in Millers Falls catalogs and seems to be a closing chapter in relations of Albert with Millers Falls Company.

The last tool patented by Albert D. Goodell was in

production and for sale in 1911. In the Goodell-Pratt Company Catalog No. 10, 1911, it is described as follows:

Hollow Auger, No. 248In designing this tool we have aimed to combine the best of the old features with many valuable new ones. The Cutter is so secured that it cannot slip in use.

Changing the cut of the chip to any thickness without changing the Cutter is another decided improvement. It will handle any size tenon from 1⁄4 inch to 11⁄4 inch in diameter, 4 inches in length; graduated for both diameter and length of cut. Furnished with 14 inch sweep, with steel-clad head.40

In June 1915, Machinery magazine announced:Albert D. Goodell, one of the founders of the Goodell-Pratt Co., Greenfield, Mass., manufacturer of mechanical tools, died at his home in Shelburne Falls, Mass., aged sixty-nine years.

For nearly twenty years, however, Mr. A. D. Goodell has been a sufferer and badly crippled, and yet he kept on devising new tools and working out his inventions as assiduously as though he were unhampered by the afflictions that have distressed him for so many years. 41

Albert D. Goodell was buried at Arms Cemetery in Shelburne, Massachusetts (Figure 33).

Goodell-Pratt CompanyAfter Albert’s death his company and its assets were pur-chased by Goodell-Pratt Company. Orra L. Stone com-mented in The History of Massachusetts Industries:

Later the Greenfield corporation [The Goodell-Pratt Company] purchased the Goodell interest, and all the bit braces, rim wrenches, and glass cutters manufactured at Shelburne Falls were produced there until this type of production was consolidated and removed to the main factory, in Greenfield, in 1925.42

Figure 33. Headstone on the grave of Albert D. Goodell at the Arms Cemetery in Shelburne, Massachusetts.

104 The Chronicle September 2014

The historical overview of Goodell-Pratt Com-pany belongs to a separate chapter. It is vast and intricate. However, I would like to make a few com-ments about my impression of the relations between Henry E. Goodell, Albert D. Goodell, and William M. Pratt (refer to chart at right).

I believe the relations between these three men were one of the key factors contributing to the successful and mutually satisfying transition from Goodell Brothers Company and other Goodell busi-nesses to Goodell-Pratt Company. The recognition for this successful process, in my view, belongs to all three men at the helm of these companies.

I am specifically impressed, however, with the handling of this process by William M. Pratt. My impression is that his relation with Henry E. was very respectful. Several situations provide a clue. After joining Goodell Brothers Company, Pratt appeared to concentrate on building up the company with Henry’s participation and inclusion. Even after Henry E. left the company, Pratt did not change the company name imme-diately and continued to use name “Goodell Brothers” for almost two years.

Also, the agreement between the new owners of the company included the provision for Henry E. to start another business in the same field. Instead of creating restrictions and worrying about the competition, Pratt participated in Henry’s ventures and even invested in his second business, Goodell Manufacturing Company.

He also applied the same posture in dealing with Albert. He helped Albert in restarting his Goodell Tool Company in 1893 and provided sale expertise for Albert’s products. Pratt recognized Albert’s talents and created an atmosphere of a teamwork to benefit everyone involved.

Some contemporary interpretations of the Goodell-Pratt Company history prefer to call the transitions of various Goodell businesses as “take-over” or “buy-out.” I disagree. For me these terms imply rapid dissolution of old companies and immediate incorporation into existing, different organizations. This was not the case with any of the Goodells’ businesses. It was an intentionally slow transi-tion and incorporation into the Goodell-Pratt organization.

By this, I do not imply that William M. Pratt had al-truistic motivations. He was simply a smart and patient businessman. He knew that creating a friendly environ-ment around Goodell-Pratt Company was the right way to build the business. I believe he was not disappointed in this approach.

William M. Pratt had in mind much bigger “fish to fry.” He had ambitions to compete with a company that was much stronger and already had a long and well-established reputation — the Millers Falls Company.

The Chronicle Volume 67 No. 3 105

AuthorWiktor Kuc is a member of EAIA and a student of the history of industrial development in the United States. He is a publisher and editor of “wkFineTools.com,” a website dedicated to the history of toolmaking, the development of hand tools, and the study of how these tools were used in the past and are used today. He can be contacted at Wiktor.Kuc@wkFineTools.com.

AcknowledgementsFirst, thank you to all the readers who were able to fol-low my thoughts. I know it was a long read, but without these analyses I could not tell the story of two incredible men. The author would like to thank Patty MacLeish, the editor of The Chronicle, for her painstaking work. I found a patient partner in Patty, who was able to advise and guide me through this work. My recognition and appreciation of the pioneering work on the Goodells goes to Randy Roeder of “Millers Falls Home Page” (www.oldtoolheaven.com), George Langford (www.georgesbasement.com), and San-ford Moss (www.sydnassloot.com). Their research on bor-ing tools and postings on the Internet began long before words like blog, Facebook, and Twitter were conceived.

My thanks also to Carl Bopp and Roger K. Smith for encouragement and acknowledgement of my work. Thank you to Professor Geoffrey Tweedale, Ph.D., for his guid-ance and comments about my research. Their support is instrumental in continuing my work.

Notes 1. William T. Davis, The New England States, their Consti-

tutional, Judicial, Educational, Commercial, Professional and Industrial History, vol. 4, (Boston, Mass., 1897), 2,036.

2. North Adams Daily Transcript, January 27, 1897 3. Ancestry.com, (http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/13034354/

person/13087497883), accessed December 11, 2014. 4. “Bench Hack Saw,” U.S. patent no. 627,183, granted June

20, 1899 to H.D. Lanfair and H.E. Goodell. 5. Bureau of Statistics of Labor, Commonwealth of Mas-

sachusetts, The Annual Statistics of Manufactures for 1898 (Boston, Mass.: 1899), 283.

6. Goodell-Pratt Company, Tools Catalog No. 7, 1905 (Green-field, Mass.: Goodell-Pratt Co.), 103.

7. Machinery 5, (March 1899): 204 8. Greenfield Gazette and Courier, November 3, 1900. 9. Greenfield Gazette and Courier, December 26, 1900. 10. Bureau of Statistics of Labor, Commonwealth of Massachu-

setts, The Annual Statistics of Manufactures for 1902, (Boston, Mass.: 1903), 6; Jenkins, Paul, The Conservative Rebel, A So-cial History of Greenfield, Massachusetts (Town of Greenfield, Massachusetts, 1982), 172; Lucy Cutler Kellogg, History of Greenfield: Shire Town of Franklin County, Massachusetts, vol. 3 (Greenfield, Mass., 1931), 1716; Kenneth Cope, “Sort-ing out the Goodell Companies,” The Chronicle 45, no. 4, (December 1992): 115; Springfield Republican, August 20, 1902, 9.

11. Western New England, vol. 2 (July 1912): 180.

12. “The Goodell Miter Box,” Carpentry & Building (August 1903): iv.

13. The National Builder (January 1905): 12. 14. The National Builder (December 1905): 46. 15. Automobile Dealer and Repairer XIX, no. 1 (December 1904):

75. 16. “New Boring Tool,” The National Builder (December 1904):

48. 17. “Improvements in Breast Drill” U.S. patent no. 862,069,

granted July 30, 1907 to H.E. Goodell. 18. Biographical Review — Biographical Sketches of the Leading

Citizens of Franklin County, Massachusetts, (Boston, Mass. Biographical Review Publishing Company, 1895), 326.

19. Biographical Sketches, 326. 20. William T. Davis, The New England States, their Constitu-

tional, Judicial, Educational, Commercial, Professional and Industrial History, vol. 4, (Boston, Mass., 1897), 2036.

21. Greenfield Gazette, October 1900. 22. Greenfield Gazette and Courier, March 7, 1903. 23. Greenfield Gazette and Courier, December 3, 1910. 24. Greenfield Recorder, December 3, 1913. 25. Greenfield Recorder, July 16, 1913. 26. American Machinist 58, no. 10, March, 8, 1923; Springfield

Republican, February 27, 1923. 27. Biographical Sketches, 326; William R. Cutter, Genealogical

and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of the State of Massachusetts, vol. 3, (New York, 1910), 1,666.

28. Genealogical and Personal Memoirs, 1,667. 29. Machinery (June 1915) 21. 30. Genealogical and Personal Memoirs, 1,666. 31. “Sorting out the Goodell Companies,” 115. 32. “Bit Brace,” U.S. patent no. 488,691, granted December

27, 1892, to A.D. Goodell. 33. “Combined Hinge and Square,” U.S. patent no. 531,114,

granted December 18, 1894, to A.D. Goodell. 34. Genealogical and Personal Memoirs, 1,667. 35. American Machinist, 27 (December 1904): 1,755. 36. Orra L. Stone, History of Massachusetts Industries — Their

Inception, Growth and Success, Vol. 1, (Boston-Chicago: 1930), 448.

37. “Glass Cutter,” U.S. patent no. 557,200, granted March 31, 1896, to A.D. Goodell.

38. Springfield Republican (January 17, 1889): 6. 39. “Sorting out the Goodell Companies,” 115. 40. Goodell-Pratt Catalog No. 10. Boring Tool.” 41. Machinery (June 1915): 21. In some instances news reporters

and magazine journalists took a liberty in interpretation of history. In this case, Albert D. Goodell is named as one of the founders of Goodell-Pratt Company Although his work in tools design contributed to the birth of Goodell-Pratt Co., in a literal sense he was not a founder of Goodell-Pratt Co.; Springfield Republican May 3, 1915, 3.

42. History of Massachusetts Industries, 448.