PLEASE READ BEFORE BUYING! I sell ONLY ORIGINAL items
and NOT ANY reproductions
This sale is for TWO
ADVERTISING Billheads
It is from
THE SIMMONS HARDWARE COMPANY
Located
in
ST. LOUIS MISSOURI
Circa 1931
The top item is not dated, but was in a l1931 edger of billheads from the Bonham Hardware store in Bonham Texas. The second one has a handwritten year of 1931. At the time of creating this listing, I have another similar billhead with a color logo of
Keen Kutter. (see second image of logo)
Historical Notes found on line:
The Simmons Hardware Company was a Hardware
Manufacturer based in St. Louis with location in six states. The company was founded
by Edward C. Simmons in 1874 and he retired in 1898. His son, George Welch
Simmons, started working in the company in 1901, first driving trucks and then becoming
the general manager. Later he became
vice-president of all the warehouses.
Simmons was a Distinguished Successful Americans of his Day in
1912.
L. E. Crandall was
originally working as part of the Churchill Hardware Company. After entering
into a partnership with the Simmons Hardware Company, he became well known as a
salesman by traveling through Illinois. Crandall became a sales manager at the
St. Louis warehouse due to this reputation, later becoming General Sales
Manager of all locations. His office was in New Haven Connecticut.
The company's stock
consisted of many items, including ammunition, knives, mincers, wires, and even
dog collars. They defined its products saying,
"If you can't eat it, and it don't pour or fold, it's
hardware".
Salesmen were employed
to sell either all items or specific items.
By 1880, the Simmons Hardware Company applied the name
to all of the company’s top-of-the-line cutting tools including axes, hatchets,
saws, knives, scythes, adzes, bill hooks, shears, scissors, files, stones &
razors. By 1900, the Keen Kutter catalogue included every
conceivable type of tool & hardware item needed by carpenters, mechanics,
gardeners, farmers & handymen of any discipline.Keen Kutter tools were manufactured by the company, and are now
collectibles. The book Keen Kutter Planes lists over 800 items
from the brand.
The company had used an aggressive system of business where it aimed to buy up its suppliers so that it had the choice of best machinery and they could give priority to their needs. The company would then sell off the excess capacity in these companies. Their Keen Kutter brand advertised nationally, and the KK initials were used for several of their other brands. In 1902 they bought the Walden Knife company in Walden New York. This was of interest when the Winchester Repeating Arms Company decided to include knives among their products. They merged with the Simmons Hardware Company, and moved the Walden machinery from New York to their base in Connecticut. The Winchester and Keen Kutter brands flourished during the 1920s but in 1929 they agreed to separate and Simmons returned to their core business.
CONDITION: Normal letter folds, visible toning, and in good
condition. They "EBAY ITEM" thing is just a loose piece of
paper that is not attached to the billhead.
Approximate
size of billheads is 6 1/4" X 11".
If you have any
questions, please contact me.
TERMS & CONDITIONS:
Payment to Ebay upon
purchase. Free shipping to the continental U.S. only. When you
receive your item, PLEASE leave feedback (I will see it) and I will reciprocate
feedback at that time.
PLEASE
visit my Ebay store items for related ephemera, antique documents, and
paper collectibles at TexasJohnnyboy Ephemera!
THANK YOU VERY MUCH and GOOD
LUCK TO YOU.