The village of Norwich has cause indeed to remember with esteem, veneration and gratitude the gentleman named above, who over half a century ago, as a simple worker at the forge, laid the solid foundations of the great hammer industry, that more than any other agency has brought prosperity, weat5lth and fame to Norwich. Seldom has it fallen to our lot to compile a life record that compared in uniqueness and in the practical lessons taught with that of David Maydole, whose name will ever be associated with the best and most finished types of that most useful industrial tool, the hammer. His was a busy life, and whatever the success that he achieved, and whatever words of praise have been uttered in his behalf, all that came to him was richly deserved. Labor he did incessantly; even when fortune had beamed on him and made him a rich man. He was still to be found in the factory with his employees, directing their efforts, and seeking by experiment to improve his products. Labor he did incessantly; even when fortune had beamed on him and made him rich man, he was still to be found in the factory with his employees, directing their efforts and seeking by experiment to improve his products. Such labor as his was surely ennobling, for he put his soul into what he did, always with the ever present idea of doing the best he could. He was never satisfied with good work until he was thoroughly convinced it was the best. He's careful attention to the smallest details, and his careful search for improvements that could be made, met with results that could hardly have been looked for by Mr. Maydole in the commencement of his career, for the hammers with the inscription "D. Maydole" are par excellence standard of the world, and may be found in the markets of every civilized country.
Mr. Maydole was born January 27, 1807 in the town of Seward, Schoharie County, N.Y., near "Neeley's Hollow", better know by the people of the present day as "Seward's Valley". In him were united by right of descent the enterprising and persevering traits of the Scotch-Irish, and the solid patient characteristics of the Hollander. His paternal grandfather was of Scotch origin, while his mother traced her ancestry to the "land of dykes and ditches". They both took up their residence in the English colonies of America prior to the Revolution and the close of the century found both families domiciled in Albany, N.Y. Alexander Maydole, the father of the subject of this writing, was one of several children whose names are still represented in those of descendants, who live chiefly in New York State. Alexander Maydole was born in East Albany, Rennsalaer County, and served an apprenticeship as a shoemaker. His trade having been acquired, he journeyed into Schoharie County, where he labored at his bench with awl and last for several years. His location was in the town of Sharon, on the old Cherry Valley turnpike; there he settled won to a happy domestic life with his wife, Anna Van Valkenburgh, who was a member of a old and well known family in that part of the state. Nine children out of the twelve born to this worthy couple grew to maturity and were present at their father's funeral in 1818.
------From the time of his father's death, David Maydole, who was then but eleven years of age, sixth in a family of twelve, experienced little but hard work, with little or no schooling or leisure. In 1816 the family moved to Cortland County settling on a small tract of land in Texas Valley, in what is now the town of Marathon. Until 1822, he was employed by different farmers in the summer being able in the winters to attend school. In January 1822, having passed his fifteenth birthday, he took the step, which initiated him as an apprentice member of one of the oldest and most honorable trades followed by man. He became apprenticed to the late James Glover of Oxford, who was a well known blacksmith and most respected citizen of that village, the indenture papers being drawn by the late Governor Tracy, at whose instance David also chose Mr. Glover as his guardian.
Having attained his majority and finished his apprenticeship, he went to Eaton, in 1828 and entered into partnership with his brother Jacob, who had finished his apprenticeship at the blacksmith's trade a year or two previous. The two brothers worked in company until the fall of 1830, when David sold his interest to his brother and made an engagement with Gardiner and Abbot to work at his trade for them for one year. In 1831 he went into partnership with David Abbott at Lebanon, in the edge tool business, which arrangement satisfactorily continued for two years. Mr. Maydole then returned to Easton and bought out a chair factory, attached to which was a water power, which was utilized when he transformed the plant into a blacksmith establishment, and entered upon a business in edge tools, and carriage springs, besides attending to general blacksmithing work. The custom he received was large in quantity and quite flattering was the success that attended his efforts, the magnitude of the work requiring four fires. In 1837 he prepared to enlarge his business, and for that purpose he built an addition to his buildings, designing to begin the manufacture of lumber wagons for the Chicago markets; however, misfortune, in the form of fire, overtook him, his buildings, stock and overtook him, his building, stock and machinery being destroyed. But nothing daunted Mr. Maydole, in the same year (1838), in company with a younger brother James, who was also a blacksmith, he bought the Gardiner & Abbott scythe factory, connected with which was a water power and sixty acres of land. The remainder of the year was spent in working the farm and in preparing for business, but nothing more was done, for the title to the property proved to be defective and the brothers refused to accept it. At this juncture Mr. Malydole was induced to consider the subject of leaving Eaton for another location, and the result was he became a resident of Norwich in 1840, and formed a partner ship with Levi Ray, since deceased, in the old stone balacksmith shop, which still stands on East main Street. His special part in the business was the manufacture of edge tools and carriage springs, in which branches he had become an acknowledged expert, the character of his work having given him a wide reputation throughout this section.
It was soon after locating in Norwich that the events occurred that led up to the founding of the present mammoth hammer business. At that time there was no recognized hammer industry; blacksmiths made their own hammers, and similar tools for other artisans as well. Mr. Maydole's hammers did not suit him; oftentimes the heads would fly off, then if the iron was soft, the head would spread and wear away, while if the metal was a trifle too hard it would split. But the chief trouble was the head coming loose from the handle; there were a number of expedients to obviate this, one kind had an iron rod running through the handle with nuts at either end, another was made of metal throughout, handle and head being of iron, but all were clumsy and awkward. In regard to the mixing and tempering of the metal, Mr. Maydole only reached a point where he could feel satisfied by many years of experiment, carried on at odd moments. He finally came very near to his desires in the metal and tat the same time hit upon an improvement which lead to his being able to put a hammer upon a handle in such a way that it would stay there, the head being attached to the handle after the manner of an adz; the improvement consisted in merely making a longer hole for the handle to go into, thus giving a much firmer hold of the head. He made a number of other changes, all for his own convenience, however, for he did not dream as yet of going into the manufacture of hammers. He would have hardly benefited from the improvements he had originated, at least not so soon as he did, for very few hammers were ever required in the little village, had not a party of six carpenters come to Norwich to work upon a new church. It so happened that one of these men had left his hammer at home, and the necessity was so great that he repaired to the village smithy, which David Maydole was then conducting, to have one made, there being none at the village store. "Make me a good one," said the carpenter, "as good a one as you know how." David had in his experiments arrived at some notion of what a hammer ought to be, and knew that he was able to produce a very superior article, but he was not sure that the workman wanted the best, so he asked him about his willingness to pay a good price, remarking, "But perhaps you don't want to pay for as good a hammer as I can make." To this the carpenter rejoined, "Yes, I do; I want a good hammer." So the tool was made, the best one probably that was ever make in the history of iron-working, for it contained several important improvements, original with Mr. Maydole. To say that the customer was satisfied would be a mild expression for his feelings; he took the greatest delight in the hammer, showed it to his friends and fellow-workmen, and could not say enough in praise of the young blacksmith and his work. The result was that on the following day the man's five companions went to the shop and each ordered one, and when they were done the contractor came to the shop and ordered tow more, intimating that the blacksmith ought to make the hammers a little better than those he had made for his men. " I can't make any better ones," said honest David. "When I make a thing, I make it as well as I can, no matter who it's for." Soon after the storekeeper of the village gave him what seemed the magnificent order for two dozen, which in due time were placed on the merchant's shelves. There the hammers chance to catch the eye of a New York tool merchant, who at once recognized their superior merits, and when he left Norwich, it was after giving David Maydole a standing order for as many hammers of that kind as he could make. This was the beginning of prosperity for David Maydole, for orders increased, and gave him an opportunity of enlarging his works, and of employing more men, thus in the end building up the great industry of which Norwich is justly proud.
About this time, in the summer of 1845, Mr. Maydole leased one-half of the building that stood on the site now occupied by the Maydole Hammer Factory, and engaged in the manufacture of edge tools on his own account and in his own name. In this building he began the manufacture of the adz-eye and other hammers in quantities. In the spring of 1847, the partnership that had existed in the blacksmithing business with Mr. Ray was dissolved and from that time our subject's attention was devoted to the hammer business. In 1848 a fire burned the building and stock, causing Mr. Maydole loss of $1, 500,000.00, above his insurance, which was for the same amount. This second scorching he did not allow to interfere much with his work, for he at once set about the work of repairing damages, recovering lost ground, and firmly establishing himself once more. He purchased the entire property of the owners, and erected a factory, which is the eastern portion of the present main building, but it was then only two stories in height. The works have since been several times enlarged, and extension upon the ground and a third story over the whole having been put on in 1856.
During the first twenty years, Mr. Maydole was constantly experimenting with a view to perfecting the hammer. The proper combination of ores was at last decided and the requisite amount of tempering found by experiment. The curve of the handle, the curve of each part of the head, and every little point about the tool was carefully considered, thought over, tried, until at last Mr. Maydole could say with pride, " I make the best hammer in the United States." The handle is made of selected hickory, seasoned for a term of three years, so as to prevent any appreciable shrinkage, when the head is put on. Mr. Maydole never tried to compete with others in price; he made the best took he could, set a fair price on it, and let it sell on its own merits. He never advertised his hammers, never pushed the enterprise and never borrowed money. He was content to secure a steady growth, that had its foundation on real merit.
In 1857 the hammer business suffered with other manufacturing enterprises, but while Mr. Maydole's business felt, it did not long nor materially suffer from the effects of the panic. As early as 1860 he was working from 75 to 80 hands and was forced to put in a 50 horse-power engine to supplement the water-power obtained from the canal. From then to the present time, the business has gone on increasing, and except for the period of depression that followed the panic of 1873, there has been no time when the establishment has been able to keep up with the orders, despite the constant enlargement of facilities. In 1873 there were 115 men employed. The forging had all been done by hand up to 1876, each hammer being heated slowly and carefully over a charcoal fire, and then fashioned by experienced workmen. In that year machinery was first introduced and has been added to from that time to this. At the present time the adz-eye hammer is made in three heats, while the ordinary blacksmith and riveting hammers are forged at one heat. The capacity of the establishment has in this way been increased very largely, at the same time greater perfection being obtained than by hand forging. Mr. Maydole invented the now common adz-eye hammer. It was always a matter of regret to him that he never had it patented; on the introduction of forging machinery, he invented and patented several important improvements, the one for drawing up the adz-eye being especially ingenious and perfect, excelling all other known contrivances designed for the same kind of work.
Mr. Maydole was often interviewed and visited by great men, who had been attracted by his original character and excellent traits. In 1878 James A. Garfield, afterwards president of the Untied States, visited Norwich and was shown around the works by Mr. Maydole. A year later, Gen. Garfield made an address before the Consolidated Business College at Washington on the "elements of Success," and told the story of Mr. Maydole, substantially as we have told it, citing him as an example of a successful man, who by diligent application on one object became the leader in his special line of work. James Parton, in his "Captains of Industry", gives an account of his beginning in life, and places him with Peter Cooper, Horace Greeley, Richard Bobden, and Henry Bessemer, all kings of business in their own fields of effort.
At the time of his death, Mr. Maydole was the head of the concern, his sons-in-law, Charles H. Meritt and Cyrus B. Martin, being associated with him. In 1861, Mr. Merritt bought a quarter interest in the plant, and from then until his death was most influential in building up the business. In 1877, Mr. Martin purchased a quarter interest of Mr. Maydole, and has since been and is now identified with the management of the company. In 1890, the present company was organized, the interest of each partner continuing in the new conern. Mr. Merritt was the first president, and was succeeded by Mr. Martin, who still retains the presidency; he and his children own one half of the stock. Mrs. Cornelia F. Merritt owns the half of the stock and is the vice president of the company.
The Maydole hammer has received premiums in every industrial exposition where exhibited. In the Centennial Columbian case, now standing in the engine room of the factory, may be seen the Chicago exhibit intact. The machinery used requires a 200 horse-power engine to move it and several hundred tons of solid, crucible steel, made especially for their use, are cut up in the works each year. Grindstones by carloads are used us. A half million and more hickory handles are necessary for a full years supply. In their catalogue are shown thirty-six different styles of hammers, some new in design, but most are of the old and approved patterns. Many sizes are made of every style, but the heaviest hammer on the list weighs but four pounds. The works employ 30 men and turn out about a hundred dozen a day.
Mr. Maydole's habits of life were ever temperate and industrious. At the age of eighteen he firs experienced religion and untied with the Presbyterian Church of Oxford and was a t different times a member of societies of Morrisville, Eaton, and Norwich. He was a pronounced advocate of temperance. He was a generous contributor to church, charitable and public enterprises. Though Mr. Maydole was no politician, he took a hearty interest in public affairs, affiliating originally with the Democrats, but becoming a Republican, when the former organization became hopelessly wedded to slavery. Mr. Maydole was joined in marriage, May 5, 1830 with Mary Adella Hartshorn, daughter of Jacob Hartshorn, long a magistrate and prominent citizen of Lebanon, Madison County. Three daughters were born to this union, namely; Jane Madelia, wife of Co. William B. Guernsey; Ann Vernette, wife of Cyrus B. Martin; and Cornelia Eliza, wife of Charles H. Merritt. He contracted a second marriage with Charlena Dickinson, daughter of Abner Dickinson Esq, who now survives him.
David Maydole died October 14, 1882, at his residence in Norwich. The funeral services were most impressive, business generally being suspended, while the citizens of Norwich, and adjoining towns joined in paying their last respects to him who had finished his life-work and had been called home. The casket was borne by eight of Mr. Maydole's trusted employees. At the close of the services, which were held in the Congregational Church, the coffin lid was removed and nearly the entire audience availed themselves of the opportunity of gazing upon the face of him who for upwards of forty years had been most intimately associated with everything that was best and noblest in the village of Norwich. The casket was then placed in the hearse, and was followed by a large number in carriages and on foot to the cemetery, where the last impressive rites of the burial service were concluded and white flowers, "emblems of immortality," covered him from the sight of those left behind. David Maydole, after a life of the greatest usefulness, had entered into his reward.∼Aged 76yrs
Mr. Maydole was born January 27, 1807 in the town of Seward, Schoharie County, N.Y., near "Neeley's Hollow", better know by the people of the present day as "Seward's Valley". In him were united by right of descent the enterprising and persevering traits of the Scotch-Irish, and the solid patient characteristics of the Hollander. His paternal grandfather was of Scotch origin, while his mother traced her ancestry to the "land of dykes and ditches". They both took up their residence in the English colonies of America prior to the Revolution and the close of the century found both families domiciled in Albany, N.Y. Alexander Maydole, the father of the subject of this writing, was one of several children whose names are still represented in those of descendants, who live chiefly in New York State. Alexander Maydole was born in East Albany, Rennsalaer County, and served an apprenticeship as a shoemaker. His trade having been acquired, he journeyed into Schoharie County, where he labored at his bench with awl and last for several years. His location was in the town of Sharon, on the old Cherry Valley turnpike; there he settled won to a happy domestic life with his wife, Anna Van Valkenburgh, who was a member of a old and well known family in that part of the state. Nine children out of the twelve born to this worthy couple grew to maturity and were present at their father's funeral in 1818.
------From the time of his father's death, David Maydole, who was then but eleven years of age, sixth in a family of twelve, experienced little but hard work, with little or no schooling or leisure. In 1816 the family moved to Cortland County settling on a small tract of land in Texas Valley, in what is now the town of Marathon. Until 1822, he was employed by different farmers in the summer being able in the winters to attend school. In January 1822, having passed his fifteenth birthday, he took the step, which initiated him as an apprentice member of one of the oldest and most honorable trades followed by man. He became apprenticed to the late James Glover of Oxford, who was a well known blacksmith and most respected citizen of that village, the indenture papers being drawn by the late Governor Tracy, at whose instance David also chose Mr. Glover as his guardian.
Having attained his majority and finished his apprenticeship, he went to Eaton, in 1828 and entered into partnership with his brother Jacob, who had finished his apprenticeship at the blacksmith's trade a year or two previous. The two brothers worked in company until the fall of 1830, when David sold his interest to his brother and made an engagement with Gardiner and Abbot to work at his trade for them for one year. In 1831 he went into partnership with David Abbott at Lebanon, in the edge tool business, which arrangement satisfactorily continued for two years. Mr. Maydole then returned to Easton and bought out a chair factory, attached to which was a water power, which was utilized when he transformed the plant into a blacksmith establishment, and entered upon a business in edge tools, and carriage springs, besides attending to general blacksmithing work. The custom he received was large in quantity and quite flattering was the success that attended his efforts, the magnitude of the work requiring four fires. In 1837 he prepared to enlarge his business, and for that purpose he built an addition to his buildings, designing to begin the manufacture of lumber wagons for the Chicago markets; however, misfortune, in the form of fire, overtook him, his buildings, stock and overtook him, his building, stock and machinery being destroyed. But nothing daunted Mr. Maydole, in the same year (1838), in company with a younger brother James, who was also a blacksmith, he bought the Gardiner & Abbott scythe factory, connected with which was a water power and sixty acres of land. The remainder of the year was spent in working the farm and in preparing for business, but nothing more was done, for the title to the property proved to be defective and the brothers refused to accept it. At this juncture Mr. Malydole was induced to consider the subject of leaving Eaton for another location, and the result was he became a resident of Norwich in 1840, and formed a partner ship with Levi Ray, since deceased, in the old stone balacksmith shop, which still stands on East main Street. His special part in the business was the manufacture of edge tools and carriage springs, in which branches he had become an acknowledged expert, the character of his work having given him a wide reputation throughout this section.
It was soon after locating in Norwich that the events occurred that led up to the founding of the present mammoth hammer business. At that time there was no recognized hammer industry; blacksmiths made their own hammers, and similar tools for other artisans as well. Mr. Maydole's hammers did not suit him; oftentimes the heads would fly off, then if the iron was soft, the head would spread and wear away, while if the metal was a trifle too hard it would split. But the chief trouble was the head coming loose from the handle; there were a number of expedients to obviate this, one kind had an iron rod running through the handle with nuts at either end, another was made of metal throughout, handle and head being of iron, but all were clumsy and awkward. In regard to the mixing and tempering of the metal, Mr. Maydole only reached a point where he could feel satisfied by many years of experiment, carried on at odd moments. He finally came very near to his desires in the metal and tat the same time hit upon an improvement which lead to his being able to put a hammer upon a handle in such a way that it would stay there, the head being attached to the handle after the manner of an adz; the improvement consisted in merely making a longer hole for the handle to go into, thus giving a much firmer hold of the head. He made a number of other changes, all for his own convenience, however, for he did not dream as yet of going into the manufacture of hammers. He would have hardly benefited from the improvements he had originated, at least not so soon as he did, for very few hammers were ever required in the little village, had not a party of six carpenters come to Norwich to work upon a new church. It so happened that one of these men had left his hammer at home, and the necessity was so great that he repaired to the village smithy, which David Maydole was then conducting, to have one made, there being none at the village store. "Make me a good one," said the carpenter, "as good a one as you know how." David had in his experiments arrived at some notion of what a hammer ought to be, and knew that he was able to produce a very superior article, but he was not sure that the workman wanted the best, so he asked him about his willingness to pay a good price, remarking, "But perhaps you don't want to pay for as good a hammer as I can make." To this the carpenter rejoined, "Yes, I do; I want a good hammer." So the tool was made, the best one probably that was ever make in the history of iron-working, for it contained several important improvements, original with Mr. Maydole. To say that the customer was satisfied would be a mild expression for his feelings; he took the greatest delight in the hammer, showed it to his friends and fellow-workmen, and could not say enough in praise of the young blacksmith and his work. The result was that on the following day the man's five companions went to the shop and each ordered one, and when they were done the contractor came to the shop and ordered tow more, intimating that the blacksmith ought to make the hammers a little better than those he had made for his men. " I can't make any better ones," said honest David. "When I make a thing, I make it as well as I can, no matter who it's for." Soon after the storekeeper of the village gave him what seemed the magnificent order for two dozen, which in due time were placed on the merchant's shelves. There the hammers chance to catch the eye of a New York tool merchant, who at once recognized their superior merits, and when he left Norwich, it was after giving David Maydole a standing order for as many hammers of that kind as he could make. This was the beginning of prosperity for David Maydole, for orders increased, and gave him an opportunity of enlarging his works, and of employing more men, thus in the end building up the great industry of which Norwich is justly proud.
About this time, in the summer of 1845, Mr. Maydole leased one-half of the building that stood on the site now occupied by the Maydole Hammer Factory, and engaged in the manufacture of edge tools on his own account and in his own name. In this building he began the manufacture of the adz-eye and other hammers in quantities. In the spring of 1847, the partnership that had existed in the blacksmithing business with Mr. Ray was dissolved and from that time our subject's attention was devoted to the hammer business. In 1848 a fire burned the building and stock, causing Mr. Maydole loss of $1, 500,000.00, above his insurance, which was for the same amount. This second scorching he did not allow to interfere much with his work, for he at once set about the work of repairing damages, recovering lost ground, and firmly establishing himself once more. He purchased the entire property of the owners, and erected a factory, which is the eastern portion of the present main building, but it was then only two stories in height. The works have since been several times enlarged, and extension upon the ground and a third story over the whole having been put on in 1856.
During the first twenty years, Mr. Maydole was constantly experimenting with a view to perfecting the hammer. The proper combination of ores was at last decided and the requisite amount of tempering found by experiment. The curve of the handle, the curve of each part of the head, and every little point about the tool was carefully considered, thought over, tried, until at last Mr. Maydole could say with pride, " I make the best hammer in the United States." The handle is made of selected hickory, seasoned for a term of three years, so as to prevent any appreciable shrinkage, when the head is put on. Mr. Maydole never tried to compete with others in price; he made the best took he could, set a fair price on it, and let it sell on its own merits. He never advertised his hammers, never pushed the enterprise and never borrowed money. He was content to secure a steady growth, that had its foundation on real merit.
In 1857 the hammer business suffered with other manufacturing enterprises, but while Mr. Maydole's business felt, it did not long nor materially suffer from the effects of the panic. As early as 1860 he was working from 75 to 80 hands and was forced to put in a 50 horse-power engine to supplement the water-power obtained from the canal. From then to the present time, the business has gone on increasing, and except for the period of depression that followed the panic of 1873, there has been no time when the establishment has been able to keep up with the orders, despite the constant enlargement of facilities. In 1873 there were 115 men employed. The forging had all been done by hand up to 1876, each hammer being heated slowly and carefully over a charcoal fire, and then fashioned by experienced workmen. In that year machinery was first introduced and has been added to from that time to this. At the present time the adz-eye hammer is made in three heats, while the ordinary blacksmith and riveting hammers are forged at one heat. The capacity of the establishment has in this way been increased very largely, at the same time greater perfection being obtained than by hand forging. Mr. Maydole invented the now common adz-eye hammer. It was always a matter of regret to him that he never had it patented; on the introduction of forging machinery, he invented and patented several important improvements, the one for drawing up the adz-eye being especially ingenious and perfect, excelling all other known contrivances designed for the same kind of work.
Mr. Maydole was often interviewed and visited by great men, who had been attracted by his original character and excellent traits. In 1878 James A. Garfield, afterwards president of the Untied States, visited Norwich and was shown around the works by Mr. Maydole. A year later, Gen. Garfield made an address before the Consolidated Business College at Washington on the "elements of Success," and told the story of Mr. Maydole, substantially as we have told it, citing him as an example of a successful man, who by diligent application on one object became the leader in his special line of work. James Parton, in his "Captains of Industry", gives an account of his beginning in life, and places him with Peter Cooper, Horace Greeley, Richard Bobden, and Henry Bessemer, all kings of business in their own fields of effort.
At the time of his death, Mr. Maydole was the head of the concern, his sons-in-law, Charles H. Meritt and Cyrus B. Martin, being associated with him. In 1861, Mr. Merritt bought a quarter interest in the plant, and from then until his death was most influential in building up the business. In 1877, Mr. Martin purchased a quarter interest of Mr. Maydole, and has since been and is now identified with the management of the company. In 1890, the present company was organized, the interest of each partner continuing in the new conern. Mr. Merritt was the first president, and was succeeded by Mr. Martin, who still retains the presidency; he and his children own one half of the stock. Mrs. Cornelia F. Merritt owns the half of the stock and is the vice president of the company.
The Maydole hammer has received premiums in every industrial exposition where exhibited. In the Centennial Columbian case, now standing in the engine room of the factory, may be seen the Chicago exhibit intact. The machinery used requires a 200 horse-power engine to move it and several hundred tons of solid, crucible steel, made especially for their use, are cut up in the works each year. Grindstones by carloads are used us. A half million and more hickory handles are necessary for a full years supply. In their catalogue are shown thirty-six different styles of hammers, some new in design, but most are of the old and approved patterns. Many sizes are made of every style, but the heaviest hammer on the list weighs but four pounds. The works employ 30 men and turn out about a hundred dozen a day.
Mr. Maydole's habits of life were ever temperate and industrious. At the age of eighteen he firs experienced religion and untied with the Presbyterian Church of Oxford and was a t different times a member of societies of Morrisville, Eaton, and Norwich. He was a pronounced advocate of temperance. He was a generous contributor to church, charitable and public enterprises. Though Mr. Maydole was no politician, he took a hearty interest in public affairs, affiliating originally with the Democrats, but becoming a Republican, when the former organization became hopelessly wedded to slavery. Mr. Maydole was joined in marriage, May 5, 1830 with Mary Adella Hartshorn, daughter of Jacob Hartshorn, long a magistrate and prominent citizen of Lebanon, Madison County. Three daughters were born to this union, namely; Jane Madelia, wife of Co. William B. Guernsey; Ann Vernette, wife of Cyrus B. Martin; and Cornelia Eliza, wife of Charles H. Merritt. He contracted a second marriage with Charlena Dickinson, daughter of Abner Dickinson Esq, who now survives him.
David Maydole died October 14, 1882, at his residence in Norwich. The funeral services were most impressive, business generally being suspended, while the citizens of Norwich, and adjoining towns joined in paying their last respects to him who had finished his life-work and had been called home. The casket was borne by eight of Mr. Maydole's trusted employees. At the close of the services, which were held in the Congregational Church, the coffin lid was removed and nearly the entire audience availed themselves of the opportunity of gazing upon the face of him who for upwards of forty years had been most intimately associated with everything that was best and noblest in the village of Norwich. The casket was then placed in the hearse, and was followed by a large number in carriages and on foot to the cemetery, where the last impressive rites of the burial service were concluded and white flowers, "emblems of immortality," covered him from the sight of those left behind. David Maydole, after a life of the greatest usefulness, had entered into his reward.∼Aged 76yrs
The village of Norwich has cause indeed to remember with esteem, veneration and gratitude the gentleman named above, who over half a century ago, as a simple worker at the forge, laid the solid foundations of the great hammer industry, that more than any other agency has brought prosperity, weat5lth and fame to Norwich. Seldom has it fallen to our lot to compile a life record that compared in uniqueness and in the practical lessons taught with that of David Maydole, whose name will ever be associated with the best and most finished types of that most useful industrial tool, the hammer. His was a busy life, and whatever the success that he achieved, and whatever words of praise have been uttered in his behalf, all that came to him was richly deserved. Labor he did incessantly; even when fortune had beamed on him and made him a rich man. He was still to be found in the factory with his employees, directing their efforts, and seeking by experiment to improve his products. Labor he did incessantly; even when fortune had beamed on him and made him rich man, he was still to be found in the factory with his employees, directing their efforts and seeking by experiment to improve his products. Such labor as his was surely ennobling, for he put his soul into what he did, always with the ever present idea of doing the best he could. He was never satisfied with good work until he was thoroughly convinced it was the best. He's careful attention to the smallest details, and his careful search for improvements that could be made, met with results that could hardly have been looked for by Mr. Maydole in the commencement of his career, for the hammers with the inscription "D. Maydole" are par excellence standard of the world, and may be found in the markets of every civilized country.
Mr. Maydole was born January 27, 1807 in the town of Seward, Schoharie County, N.Y., near "Neeley's Hollow", better know by the people of the present day as "Seward's Valley". In him were united by right of descent the enterprising and persevering traits of the Scotch-Irish, and the solid patient characteristics of the Hollander. His paternal grandfather was of Scotch origin, while his mother traced her ancestry to the "land of dykes and ditches". They both took up their residence in the English colonies of America prior to the Revolution and the close of the century found both families domiciled in Albany, N.Y. Alexander Maydole, the father of the subject of this writing, was one of several children whose names are still represented in those of descendants, who live chiefly in New York State. Alexander Maydole was born in East Albany, Rennsalaer County, and served an apprenticeship as a shoemaker. His trade having been acquired, he journeyed into Schoharie County, where he labored at his bench with awl and last for several years. His location was in the town of Sharon, on the old Cherry Valley turnpike; there he settled won to a happy domestic life with his wife, Anna Van Valkenburgh, who was a member of a old and well known family in that part of the state. Nine children out of the twelve born to this worthy couple grew to maturity and were present at their father's funeral in 1818.
------From the time of his father's death, David Maydole, who was then but eleven years of age, sixth in a family of twelve, experienced little but hard work, with little or no schooling or leisure. In 1816 the family moved to Cortland County settling on a small tract of land in Texas Valley, in what is now the town of Marathon. Until 1822, he was employed by different farmers in the summer being able in the winters to attend school. In January 1822, having passed his fifteenth birthday, he took the step, which initiated him as an apprentice member of one of the oldest and most honorable trades followed by man. He became apprenticed to the late James Glover of Oxford, who was a well known blacksmith and most respected citizen of that village, the indenture papers being drawn by the late Governor Tracy, at whose instance David also chose Mr. Glover as his guardian.
Having attained his majority and finished his apprenticeship, he went to Eaton, in 1828 and entered into partnership with his brother Jacob, who had finished his apprenticeship at the blacksmith's trade a year or two previous. The two brothers worked in company until the fall of 1830, when David sold his interest to his brother and made an engagement with Gardiner and Abbot to work at his trade for them for one year. In 1831 he went into partnership with David Abbott at Lebanon, in the edge tool business, which arrangement satisfactorily continued for two years. Mr. Maydole then returned to Easton and bought out a chair factory, attached to which was a water power, which was utilized when he transformed the plant into a blacksmith establishment, and entered upon a business in edge tools, and carriage springs, besides attending to general blacksmithing work. The custom he received was large in quantity and quite flattering was the success that attended his efforts, the magnitude of the work requiring four fires. In 1837 he prepared to enlarge his business, and for that purpose he built an addition to his buildings, designing to begin the manufacture of lumber wagons for the Chicago markets; however, misfortune, in the form of fire, overtook him, his buildings, stock and overtook him, his building, stock and machinery being destroyed. But nothing daunted Mr. Maydole, in the same year (1838), in company with a younger brother James, who was also a blacksmith, he bought the Gardiner & Abbott scythe factory, connected with which was a water power and sixty acres of land. The remainder of the year was spent in working the farm and in preparing for business, but nothing more was done, for the title to the property proved to be defective and the brothers refused to accept it. At this juncture Mr. Malydole was induced to consider the subject of leaving Eaton for another location, and the result was he became a resident of Norwich in 1840, and formed a partner ship with Levi Ray, since deceased, in the old stone balacksmith shop, which still stands on East main Street. His special part in the business was the manufacture of edge tools and carriage springs, in which branches he had become an acknowledged expert, the character of his work having given him a wide reputation throughout this section.
It was soon after locating in Norwich that the events occurred that led up to the founding of the present mammoth hammer business. At that time there was no recognized hammer industry; blacksmiths made their own hammers, and similar tools for other artisans as well. Mr. Maydole's hammers did not suit him; oftentimes the heads would fly off, then if the iron was soft, the head would spread and wear away, while if the metal was a trifle too hard it would split. But the chief trouble was the head coming loose from the handle; there were a number of expedients to obviate this, one kind had an iron rod running through the handle with nuts at either end, another was made of metal throughout, handle and head being of iron, but all were clumsy and awkward. In regard to the mixing and tempering of the metal, Mr. Maydole only reached a point where he could feel satisfied by many years of experiment, carried on at odd moments. He finally came very near to his desires in the metal and tat the same time hit upon an improvement which lead to his being able to put a hammer upon a handle in such a way that it would stay there, the head being attached to the handle after the manner of an adz; the improvement consisted in merely making a longer hole for the handle to go into, thus giving a much firmer hold of the head. He made a number of other changes, all for his own convenience, however, for he did not dream as yet of going into the manufacture of hammers. He would have hardly benefited from the improvements he had originated, at least not so soon as he did, for very few hammers were ever required in the little village, had not a party of six carpenters come to Norwich to work upon a new church. It so happened that one of these men had left his hammer at home, and the necessity was so great that he repaired to the village smithy, which David Maydole was then conducting, to have one made, there being none at the village store. "Make me a good one," said the carpenter, "as good a one as you know how." David had in his experiments arrived at some notion of what a hammer ought to be, and knew that he was able to produce a very superior article, but he was not sure that the workman wanted the best, so he asked him about his willingness to pay a good price, remarking, "But perhaps you don't want to pay for as good a hammer as I can make." To this the carpenter rejoined, "Yes, I do; I want a good hammer." So the tool was made, the best one probably that was ever make in the history of iron-working, for it contained several important improvements, original with Mr. Maydole. To say that the customer was satisfied would be a mild expression for his feelings; he took the greatest delight in the hammer, showed it to his friends and fellow-workmen, and could not say enough in praise of the young blacksmith and his work. The result was that on the following day the man's five companions went to the shop and each ordered one, and when they were done the contractor came to the shop and ordered tow more, intimating that the blacksmith ought to make the hammers a little better than those he had made for his men. " I can't make any better ones," said honest David. "When I make a thing, I make it as well as I can, no matter who it's for." Soon after the storekeeper of the village gave him what seemed the magnificent order for two dozen, which in due time were placed on the merchant's shelves. There the hammers chance to catch the eye of a New York tool merchant, who at once recognized their superior merits, and when he left Norwich, it was after giving David Maydole a standing order for as many hammers of that kind as he could make. This was the beginning of prosperity for David Maydole, for orders increased, and gave him an opportunity of enlarging his works, and of employing more men, thus in the end building up the great industry of which Norwich is justly proud.
About this time, in the summer of 1845, Mr. Maydole leased one-half of the building that stood on the site now occupied by the Maydole Hammer Factory, and engaged in the manufacture of edge tools on his own account and in his own name. In this building he began the manufacture of the adz-eye and other hammers in quantities. In the spring of 1847, the partnership that had existed in the blacksmithing business with Mr. Ray was dissolved and from that time our subject's attention was devoted to the hammer business. In 1848 a fire burned the building and stock, causing Mr. Maydole loss of $1, 500,000.00, above his insurance, which was for the same amount. This second scorching he did not allow to interfere much with his work, for he at once set about the work of repairing damages, recovering lost ground, and firmly establishing himself once more. He purchased the entire property of the owners, and erected a factory, which is the eastern portion of the present main building, but it was then only two stories in height. The works have since been several times enlarged, and extension upon the ground and a third story over the whole having been put on in 1856.
During the first twenty years, Mr. Maydole was constantly experimenting with a view to perfecting the hammer. The proper combination of ores was at last decided and the requisite amount of tempering found by experiment. The curve of the handle, the curve of each part of the head, and every little point about the tool was carefully considered, thought over, tried, until at last Mr. Maydole could say with pride, " I make the best hammer in the United States." The handle is made of selected hickory, seasoned for a term of three years, so as to prevent any appreciable shrinkage, when the head is put on. Mr. Maydole never tried to compete with others in price; he made the best took he could, set a fair price on it, and let it sell on its own merits. He never advertised his hammers, never pushed the enterprise and never borrowed money. He was content to secure a steady growth, that had its foundation on real merit.
In 1857 the hammer business suffered with other manufacturing enterprises, but while Mr. Maydole's business felt, it did not long nor materially suffer from the effects of the panic. As early as 1860 he was working from 75 to 80 hands and was forced to put in a 50 horse-power engine to supplement the water-power obtained from the canal. From then to the present time, the business has gone on increasing, and except for the period of depression that followed the panic of 1873, there has been no time when the establishment has been able to keep up with the orders, despite the constant enlargement of facilities. In 1873 there were 115 men employed. The forging had all been done by hand up to 1876, each hammer being heated slowly and carefully over a charcoal fire, and then fashioned by experienced workmen. In that year machinery was first introduced and has been added to from that time to this. At the present time the adz-eye hammer is made in three heats, while the ordinary blacksmith and riveting hammers are forged at one heat. The capacity of the establishment has in this way been increased very largely, at the same time greater perfection being obtained than by hand forging. Mr. Maydole invented the now common adz-eye hammer. It was always a matter of regret to him that he never had it patented; on the introduction of forging machinery, he invented and patented several important improvements, the one for drawing up the adz-eye being especially ingenious and perfect, excelling all other known contrivances designed for the same kind of work.
Mr. Maydole was often interviewed and visited by great men, who had been attracted by his original character and excellent traits. In 1878 James A. Garfield, afterwards president of the Untied States, visited Norwich and was shown around the works by Mr. Maydole. A year later, Gen. Garfield made an address before the Consolidated Business College at Washington on the "elements of Success," and told the story of Mr. Maydole, substantially as we have told it, citing him as an example of a successful man, who by diligent application on one object became the leader in his special line of work. James Parton, in his "Captains of Industry", gives an account of his beginning in life, and places him with Peter Cooper, Horace Greeley, Richard Bobden, and Henry Bessemer, all kings of business in their own fields of effort.
At the time of his death, Mr. Maydole was the head of the concern, his sons-in-law, Charles H. Meritt and Cyrus B. Martin, being associated with him. In 1861, Mr. Merritt bought a quarter interest in the plant, and from then until his death was most influential in building up the business. In 1877, Mr. Martin purchased a quarter interest of Mr. Maydole, and has since been and is now identified with the management of the company. In 1890, the present company was organized, the interest of each partner continuing in the new conern. Mr. Merritt was the first president, and was succeeded by Mr. Martin, who still retains the presidency; he and his children own one half of the stock. Mrs. Cornelia F. Merritt owns the half of the stock and is the vice president of the company.
The Maydole hammer has received premiums in every industrial exposition where exhibited. In the Centennial Columbian case, now standing in the engine room of the factory, may be seen the Chicago exhibit intact. The machinery used requires a 200 horse-power engine to move it and several hundred tons of solid, crucible steel, made especially for their use, are cut up in the works each year. Grindstones by carloads are used us. A half million and more hickory handles are necessary for a full years supply. In their catalogue are shown thirty-six different styles of hammers, some new in design, but most are of the old and approved patterns. Many sizes are made of every style, but the heaviest hammer on the list weighs but four pounds. The works employ 30 men and turn out about a hundred dozen a day.
Mr. Maydole's habits of life were ever temperate and industrious. At the age of eighteen he firs experienced religion and untied with the Presbyterian Church of Oxford and was a t different times a member of societies of Morrisville, Eaton, and Norwich. He was a pronounced advocate of temperance. He was a generous contributor to church, charitable and public enterprises. Though Mr. Maydole was no politician, he took a hearty interest in public affairs, affiliating originally with the Democrats, but becoming a Republican, when the former organization became hopelessly wedded to slavery. Mr. Maydole was joined in marriage, May 5, 1830 with Mary Adella Hartshorn, daughter of Jacob Hartshorn, long a magistrate and prominent citizen of Lebanon, Madison County. Three daughters were born to this union, namely; Jane Madelia, wife of Co. William B. Guernsey; Ann Vernette, wife of Cyrus B. Martin; and Cornelia Eliza, wife of Charles H. Merritt. He contracted a second marriage with Charlena Dickinson, daughter of Abner Dickinson Esq, who now survives him.
David Maydole died October 14, 1882, at his residence in Norwich. The funeral services were most impressive, business generally being suspended, while the citizens of Norwich, and adjoining towns joined in paying their last respects to him who had finished his life-work and had been called home. The casket was borne by eight of Mr. Maydole's trusted employees. At the close of the services, which were held in the Congregational Church, the coffin lid was removed and nearly the entire audience availed themselves of the opportunity of gazing upon the face of him who for upwards of forty years had been most intimately associated with everything that was best and noblest in the village of Norwich. The casket was then placed in the hearse, and was followed by a large number in carriages and on foot to the cemetery, where the last impressive rites of the burial service were concluded and white flowers, "emblems of immortality," covered him from the sight of those left behind. David Maydole, after a life of the greatest usefulness, had entered into his reward.∼Aged 76yrs
Mr. Maydole was born January 27, 1807 in the town of Seward, Schoharie County, N.Y., near "Neeley's Hollow", better know by the people of the present day as "Seward's Valley". In him were united by right of descent the enterprising and persevering traits of the Scotch-Irish, and the solid patient characteristics of the Hollander. His paternal grandfather was of Scotch origin, while his mother traced her ancestry to the "land of dykes and ditches". They both took up their residence in the English colonies of America prior to the Revolution and the close of the century found both families domiciled in Albany, N.Y. Alexander Maydole, the father of the subject of this writing, was one of several children whose names are still represented in those of descendants, who live chiefly in New York State. Alexander Maydole was born in East Albany, Rennsalaer County, and served an apprenticeship as a shoemaker. His trade having been acquired, he journeyed into Schoharie County, where he labored at his bench with awl and last for several years. His location was in the town of Sharon, on the old Cherry Valley turnpike; there he settled won to a happy domestic life with his wife, Anna Van Valkenburgh, who was a member of a old and well known family in that part of the state. Nine children out of the twelve born to this worthy couple grew to maturity and were present at their father's funeral in 1818.
------From the time of his father's death, David Maydole, who was then but eleven years of age, sixth in a family of twelve, experienced little but hard work, with little or no schooling or leisure. In 1816 the family moved to Cortland County settling on a small tract of land in Texas Valley, in what is now the town of Marathon. Until 1822, he was employed by different farmers in the summer being able in the winters to attend school. In January 1822, having passed his fifteenth birthday, he took the step, which initiated him as an apprentice member of one of the oldest and most honorable trades followed by man. He became apprenticed to the late James Glover of Oxford, who was a well known blacksmith and most respected citizen of that village, the indenture papers being drawn by the late Governor Tracy, at whose instance David also chose Mr. Glover as his guardian.
Having attained his majority and finished his apprenticeship, he went to Eaton, in 1828 and entered into partnership with his brother Jacob, who had finished his apprenticeship at the blacksmith's trade a year or two previous. The two brothers worked in company until the fall of 1830, when David sold his interest to his brother and made an engagement with Gardiner and Abbot to work at his trade for them for one year. In 1831 he went into partnership with David Abbott at Lebanon, in the edge tool business, which arrangement satisfactorily continued for two years. Mr. Maydole then returned to Easton and bought out a chair factory, attached to which was a water power, which was utilized when he transformed the plant into a blacksmith establishment, and entered upon a business in edge tools, and carriage springs, besides attending to general blacksmithing work. The custom he received was large in quantity and quite flattering was the success that attended his efforts, the magnitude of the work requiring four fires. In 1837 he prepared to enlarge his business, and for that purpose he built an addition to his buildings, designing to begin the manufacture of lumber wagons for the Chicago markets; however, misfortune, in the form of fire, overtook him, his buildings, stock and overtook him, his building, stock and machinery being destroyed. But nothing daunted Mr. Maydole, in the same year (1838), in company with a younger brother James, who was also a blacksmith, he bought the Gardiner & Abbott scythe factory, connected with which was a water power and sixty acres of land. The remainder of the year was spent in working the farm and in preparing for business, but nothing more was done, for the title to the property proved to be defective and the brothers refused to accept it. At this juncture Mr. Malydole was induced to consider the subject of leaving Eaton for another location, and the result was he became a resident of Norwich in 1840, and formed a partner ship with Levi Ray, since deceased, in the old stone balacksmith shop, which still stands on East main Street. His special part in the business was the manufacture of edge tools and carriage springs, in which branches he had become an acknowledged expert, the character of his work having given him a wide reputation throughout this section.
It was soon after locating in Norwich that the events occurred that led up to the founding of the present mammoth hammer business. At that time there was no recognized hammer industry; blacksmiths made their own hammers, and similar tools for other artisans as well. Mr. Maydole's hammers did not suit him; oftentimes the heads would fly off, then if the iron was soft, the head would spread and wear away, while if the metal was a trifle too hard it would split. But the chief trouble was the head coming loose from the handle; there were a number of expedients to obviate this, one kind had an iron rod running through the handle with nuts at either end, another was made of metal throughout, handle and head being of iron, but all were clumsy and awkward. In regard to the mixing and tempering of the metal, Mr. Maydole only reached a point where he could feel satisfied by many years of experiment, carried on at odd moments. He finally came very near to his desires in the metal and tat the same time hit upon an improvement which lead to his being able to put a hammer upon a handle in such a way that it would stay there, the head being attached to the handle after the manner of an adz; the improvement consisted in merely making a longer hole for the handle to go into, thus giving a much firmer hold of the head. He made a number of other changes, all for his own convenience, however, for he did not dream as yet of going into the manufacture of hammers. He would have hardly benefited from the improvements he had originated, at least not so soon as he did, for very few hammers were ever required in the little village, had not a party of six carpenters come to Norwich to work upon a new church. It so happened that one of these men had left his hammer at home, and the necessity was so great that he repaired to the village smithy, which David Maydole was then conducting, to have one made, there being none at the village store. "Make me a good one," said the carpenter, "as good a one as you know how." David had in his experiments arrived at some notion of what a hammer ought to be, and knew that he was able to produce a very superior article, but he was not sure that the workman wanted the best, so he asked him about his willingness to pay a good price, remarking, "But perhaps you don't want to pay for as good a hammer as I can make." To this the carpenter rejoined, "Yes, I do; I want a good hammer." So the tool was made, the best one probably that was ever make in the history of iron-working, for it contained several important improvements, original with Mr. Maydole. To say that the customer was satisfied would be a mild expression for his feelings; he took the greatest delight in the hammer, showed it to his friends and fellow-workmen, and could not say enough in praise of the young blacksmith and his work. The result was that on the following day the man's five companions went to the shop and each ordered one, and when they were done the contractor came to the shop and ordered tow more, intimating that the blacksmith ought to make the hammers a little better than those he had made for his men. " I can't make any better ones," said honest David. "When I make a thing, I make it as well as I can, no matter who it's for." Soon after the storekeeper of the village gave him what seemed the magnificent order for two dozen, which in due time were placed on the merchant's shelves. There the hammers chance to catch the eye of a New York tool merchant, who at once recognized their superior merits, and when he left Norwich, it was after giving David Maydole a standing order for as many hammers of that kind as he could make. This was the beginning of prosperity for David Maydole, for orders increased, and gave him an opportunity of enlarging his works, and of employing more men, thus in the end building up the great industry of which Norwich is justly proud.
About this time, in the summer of 1845, Mr. Maydole leased one-half of the building that stood on the site now occupied by the Maydole Hammer Factory, and engaged in the manufacture of edge tools on his own account and in his own name. In this building he began the manufacture of the adz-eye and other hammers in quantities. In the spring of 1847, the partnership that had existed in the blacksmithing business with Mr. Ray was dissolved and from that time our subject's attention was devoted to the hammer business. In 1848 a fire burned the building and stock, causing Mr. Maydole loss of $1, 500,000.00, above his insurance, which was for the same amount. This second scorching he did not allow to interfere much with his work, for he at once set about the work of repairing damages, recovering lost ground, and firmly establishing himself once more. He purchased the entire property of the owners, and erected a factory, which is the eastern portion of the present main building, but it was then only two stories in height. The works have since been several times enlarged, and extension upon the ground and a third story over the whole having been put on in 1856.
During the first twenty years, Mr. Maydole was constantly experimenting with a view to perfecting the hammer. The proper combination of ores was at last decided and the requisite amount of tempering found by experiment. The curve of the handle, the curve of each part of the head, and every little point about the tool was carefully considered, thought over, tried, until at last Mr. Maydole could say with pride, " I make the best hammer in the United States." The handle is made of selected hickory, seasoned for a term of three years, so as to prevent any appreciable shrinkage, when the head is put on. Mr. Maydole never tried to compete with others in price; he made the best took he could, set a fair price on it, and let it sell on its own merits. He never advertised his hammers, never pushed the enterprise and never borrowed money. He was content to secure a steady growth, that had its foundation on real merit.
In 1857 the hammer business suffered with other manufacturing enterprises, but while Mr. Maydole's business felt, it did not long nor materially suffer from the effects of the panic. As early as 1860 he was working from 75 to 80 hands and was forced to put in a 50 horse-power engine to supplement the water-power obtained from the canal. From then to the present time, the business has gone on increasing, and except for the period of depression that followed the panic of 1873, there has been no time when the establishment has been able to keep up with the orders, despite the constant enlargement of facilities. In 1873 there were 115 men employed. The forging had all been done by hand up to 1876, each hammer being heated slowly and carefully over a charcoal fire, and then fashioned by experienced workmen. In that year machinery was first introduced and has been added to from that time to this. At the present time the adz-eye hammer is made in three heats, while the ordinary blacksmith and riveting hammers are forged at one heat. The capacity of the establishment has in this way been increased very largely, at the same time greater perfection being obtained than by hand forging. Mr. Maydole invented the now common adz-eye hammer. It was always a matter of regret to him that he never had it patented; on the introduction of forging machinery, he invented and patented several important improvements, the one for drawing up the adz-eye being especially ingenious and perfect, excelling all other known contrivances designed for the same kind of work.
Mr. Maydole was often interviewed and visited by great men, who had been attracted by his original character and excellent traits. In 1878 James A. Garfield, afterwards president of the Untied States, visited Norwich and was shown around the works by Mr. Maydole. A year later, Gen. Garfield made an address before the Consolidated Business College at Washington on the "elements of Success," and told the story of Mr. Maydole, substantially as we have told it, citing him as an example of a successful man, who by diligent application on one object became the leader in his special line of work. James Parton, in his "Captains of Industry", gives an account of his beginning in life, and places him with Peter Cooper, Horace Greeley, Richard Bobden, and Henry Bessemer, all kings of business in their own fields of effort.
At the time of his death, Mr. Maydole was the head of the concern, his sons-in-law, Charles H. Meritt and Cyrus B. Martin, being associated with him. In 1861, Mr. Merritt bought a quarter interest in the plant, and from then until his death was most influential in building up the business. In 1877, Mr. Martin purchased a quarter interest of Mr. Maydole, and has since been and is now identified with the management of the company. In 1890, the present company was organized, the interest of each partner continuing in the new conern. Mr. Merritt was the first president, and was succeeded by Mr. Martin, who still retains the presidency; he and his children own one half of the stock. Mrs. Cornelia F. Merritt owns the half of the stock and is the vice president of the company.
The Maydole hammer has received premiums in every industrial exposition where exhibited. In the Centennial Columbian case, now standing in the engine room of the factory, may be seen the Chicago exhibit intact. The machinery used requires a 200 horse-power engine to move it and several hundred tons of solid, crucible steel, made especially for their use, are cut up in the works each year. Grindstones by carloads are used us. A half million and more hickory handles are necessary for a full years supply. In their catalogue are shown thirty-six different styles of hammers, some new in design, but most are of the old and approved patterns. Many sizes are made of every style, but the heaviest hammer on the list weighs but four pounds. The works employ 30 men and turn out about a hundred dozen a day.
Mr. Maydole's habits of life were ever temperate and industrious. At the age of eighteen he firs experienced religion and untied with the Presbyterian Church of Oxford and was a t different times a member of societies of Morrisville, Eaton, and Norwich. He was a pronounced advocate of temperance. He was a generous contributor to church, charitable and public enterprises. Though Mr. Maydole was no politician, he took a hearty interest in public affairs, affiliating originally with the Democrats, but becoming a Republican, when the former organization became hopelessly wedded to slavery. Mr. Maydole was joined in marriage, May 5, 1830 with Mary Adella Hartshorn, daughter of Jacob Hartshorn, long a magistrate and prominent citizen of Lebanon, Madison County. Three daughters were born to this union, namely; Jane Madelia, wife of Co. William B. Guernsey; Ann Vernette, wife of Cyrus B. Martin; and Cornelia Eliza, wife of Charles H. Merritt. He contracted a second marriage with Charlena Dickinson, daughter of Abner Dickinson Esq, who now survives him.
David Maydole died October 14, 1882, at his residence in Norwich. The funeral services were most impressive, business generally being suspended, while the citizens of Norwich, and adjoining towns joined in paying their last respects to him who had finished his life-work and had been called home. The casket was borne by eight of Mr. Maydole's trusted employees. At the close of the services, which were held in the Congregational Church, the coffin lid was removed and nearly the entire audience availed themselves of the opportunity of gazing upon the face of him who for upwards of forty years had been most intimately associated with everything that was best and noblest in the village of Norwich. The casket was then placed in the hearse, and was followed by a large number in carriages and on foot to the cemetery, where the last impressive rites of the burial service were concluded and white flowers, "emblems of immortality," covered him from the sight of those left behind. David Maydole, after a life of the greatest usefulness, had entered into his reward.∼Aged 76yrs
Family Members
Siblings
Advertisement
Advertisement
