Thumper
07-15-2014, 08:43 PM
I just dug out an old socket set I bought a few months ago at an estate sale. I brought it home, stuck it on a shelf and kinda forgot about it. I just stumbled upon it today and figured I'd get it cleaned up a bit, take some pics and list it on The Bay sometime soon. It just now hit me that you might be interested. It's an early Frank Mossberg set ... a large set ... and so far, I have it narrowed down to 1912-1915 (I'm 90% sure it's 1912). I don't have any pics yet, but it has the original wooden box and 30 pieces including a ratchet, extension, universal and a spark plug socket!
I'll post pics when I get some. In the meantime, here's the history of Mossberg. (anybody here interested?)
Company History
Frank Mossberg was a notable inventor and businessman in Attleboro, Massachusetts, a center for jewelry manufacturing in the 19th century. Mossberg was born in Wermland, Sweden in 1858 and had immigrated to America in 1882. After working as a draftsman for Brown & Sharpe for a few years, he began his first manufacturing business in 1889 as the Mossberg Manufacturing Company in Attleboro, Massachusetts. Another early business venture, the Mossberg Wrench Company, was also founded in Attleboro, probably in the early 1890s. (Mossberg Wrench might have been a subsidiary of Mossberg Manufacturing, although the exact relationship is not yet clear.)
The Mossberg companies were initially a maker of tools for the jeweler's trade, but by the early 1890s had begun producing several styles of adjustable bicycle wrenches, which were very popular tools at the time. Several patents for adjustable wrenches were issued to Mossberg in the 1890s, with assignments made to the Mossberg Wrench Company.
In 1899 Frank Mossberg and other investors founded the Frank Mossberg Company to manufacture tools, with the intended production of pipe wrenches, bicycle wrenches, and related items. The company was initially located in Providence, Rhode Island and operated independently of Mossberg's earlier business(es), but by 1900 the company had moved to Attleboro, and then in 1901 the earlier business operations were merged into the Frank Mossberg Company. By the early 1900s the company was producing bicycle wrenches in a number of styles, with names such as Sterling and Diamond.
As a side note, although apparently operating as a subsidiary of the Frank Mossberg Company, the Mossberg Wrench Company continued to operate under its own name until at least 1915 or so. In July of 1902 the Mossberg Wrench Company moved to Central Falls, Rhode Island, according to the Massachusetts Annual Statistics of Manufactures for 1902. Since the Central Falls location is known to have been marked on bicycle wrenches made by the Mossberg Wrench Company, this indicates that Mossberg Wrench continued to manufacture these tools after the consolidation with the Frank Mossberg Company. In later years Mossberg Wrench produced a variety of other products, including braiding machines for textile makers and equipment for the overhead line shafting.
I'll post pics when I get some. In the meantime, here's the history of Mossberg. (anybody here interested?)
Company History
Frank Mossberg was a notable inventor and businessman in Attleboro, Massachusetts, a center for jewelry manufacturing in the 19th century. Mossberg was born in Wermland, Sweden in 1858 and had immigrated to America in 1882. After working as a draftsman for Brown & Sharpe for a few years, he began his first manufacturing business in 1889 as the Mossberg Manufacturing Company in Attleboro, Massachusetts. Another early business venture, the Mossberg Wrench Company, was also founded in Attleboro, probably in the early 1890s. (Mossberg Wrench might have been a subsidiary of Mossberg Manufacturing, although the exact relationship is not yet clear.)
The Mossberg companies were initially a maker of tools for the jeweler's trade, but by the early 1890s had begun producing several styles of adjustable bicycle wrenches, which were very popular tools at the time. Several patents for adjustable wrenches were issued to Mossberg in the 1890s, with assignments made to the Mossberg Wrench Company.
In 1899 Frank Mossberg and other investors founded the Frank Mossberg Company to manufacture tools, with the intended production of pipe wrenches, bicycle wrenches, and related items. The company was initially located in Providence, Rhode Island and operated independently of Mossberg's earlier business(es), but by 1900 the company had moved to Attleboro, and then in 1901 the earlier business operations were merged into the Frank Mossberg Company. By the early 1900s the company was producing bicycle wrenches in a number of styles, with names such as Sterling and Diamond.
As a side note, although apparently operating as a subsidiary of the Frank Mossberg Company, the Mossberg Wrench Company continued to operate under its own name until at least 1915 or so. In July of 1902 the Mossberg Wrench Company moved to Central Falls, Rhode Island, according to the Massachusetts Annual Statistics of Manufactures for 1902. Since the Central Falls location is known to have been marked on bicycle wrenches made by the Mossberg Wrench Company, this indicates that Mossberg Wrench continued to manufacture these tools after the consolidation with the Frank Mossberg Company. In later years Mossberg Wrench produced a variety of other products, including braiding machines for textile makers and equipment for the overhead line shafting.