John Spring and Allen Babcock Notes

Written

July 28, 1937

(This article was transcribed by Jerry Jones. For those interested in learning more about the history of Unadilla Forks, NY you can visit my web site at http://home.roadrunner.com/~Unadillaforks)

The first hoes were made in the Lane. The shop there was moved to the Glen and from the Glen to Checkerville, NY- later called Washington Mills. Charlie Wagner’s father worked in Washington Mills for years. The shop at the Glen was built by Ludwig and Hamilton Brown, brothers, and John Spring says they did a good job. There were five houses built at the Glen about the time the shop was built. There were three of the houses across the road from the plant. On the plant side of the street were the homes of Mr. White and George H. Bassett. A sizable warehouse was built near the plant for storage of finished goods. The plant contained among other machinery two Bradley trip hammers made at Syracuse, N. Y. The necks of the hoes were padded out by these hammers.

Forks, rakes and hoes were all made at the Glen, as well as small meat forks. John Spring has one of the four tine hay forks of the lot first turned out at Checkerville by John Bassett, brother of George R. and Lewis Bassett. Hank Page made wooden headed steel tooth rakes at Lloydsville, N Y, near Unadilla Forks. Later rakes with steel heads and steel teeth were made at Checkerville. Jesse Moon hauled the forks, rakes and hoes with his team to Utica from the Glen. Oscar Clark made the lathes in his machine shop for turning the handles at the Glen. The knobs were turned on the handles with a hand chisel. The ferrules were blanked out, formed and brazed.

George Beecher bought an interest in the Huntley and Babcock factory at Leonardsville, three miles from Unadilla Forks. In 1868 Milton St. John and H. D. Babcock formed a partnership, and in 1872 a company was formed called the Babcock Manufacturing Company. H. D. Babcock made the oscillating hoe roll which St. John and Babcock patented and sold for $5000.00 cash to Mr. Remington, President of the Remington Arms Company at Ilion, N.Y. Remington really founded the fork and hoe business, so Allen Babcock thinks. He had the capital and licensed others to use the hoe rolls. C. C. Bradley of Syracuse, N. Y. was influential at this time in the steel goods industry and made the Bradley hammer.

H. D. Babcock developed the tempering method for forks by using high carbon crucible steel. He made a contract with the American Fork & Hoe not to manufacture forks, rakes and hoes, and “not to lend his head” to help make them. This contract remained in force for a number of’ years and the $10,000 yearly payment tided the Babcock Manufacturing Company over some rocky years, so Allen Babcock, son of H. D., stated to me.

Jay Brown was the master mechanic of the Babcock Manufacturing Co. Today the US Steel Co. produces high carbon steel of analysis called Babcock analysis.

By John Spring and Allen Babcock