Saturday, November 2, 2013

History of William Johnson Inc., Newark, NJ, Trowel Maker

1910 advertisement
William Johnson made a variety of forged steel and cast iron tools in Newark, NJ. An eBay search shows dividers, calipers, pinch dogs, gas burner pliers, smelting ladles, a nail puller, a faucet seat cutter, scrapers, and dibbles. Mr. Johnson was a prominent businessman in Newark in 1872, as described in The Report and Catalogue of the First Exhibition of Newark Industries. Mr. Johnson was a member of the executive committee and a speaker at the 1872 exposition, and his company exhibited "a great case of carpenters' and other tools." The firm was advertising its brick trowels in 1910 and 1917. In 1958 it was sold to C.S. Osborne & Co. of Newark. C.S. Osborne continues to sell many of the items that Johnson made, including brick trowels, an edger, jointers, and finishing towels, including some with the Johnson name.

Full text of The Report and Catalogue
Short article in American Scissors and Shears (Google Books)
C.S. Osborne & Co. website

William Johnson pointing trowel
William Johnson pointing trowel etch

William Johnson brick jointer
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8 comments:

  1. Mark StansburyJanuary 28, 2019 at 8:27 PM

    Email a picture to me at wvamark21@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownJanuary 18, 2020 at 11:56 PM

    I have a friend who has a tool with Mark Twain Johnson Newark New Jersey but it looks like a hand-made dueling pistol wooden curved handle with a pointed Steel Bullet Head looking tip what is it

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownJanuary 13, 2021 at 8:42 AM

    I HAVE A SIMILAR ITEM

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousJanuary 17, 2021 at 3:30 PM

    Sounds like a gardening tool used to plant bulbs, although it looks like something much cooler. Compare to ones on ebay.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Rosemarycarroll@comcast.netMarch 28, 2021 at 1:28 PM

    I am a direct descendant of William Johnson. I am interested in purchasing any of his tools, particularly a pointing trowel with company name visible. Thank you. rosemarycarroll@comcast.net

    ReplyDelete
  6. BIGGPAPAokcSeptember 20, 2021 at 6:12 PM

    I have a couple of his tools if ur interested in them I believe family should have family things. My name is Matt u can email me if your interested and I can give u my number or send u pics whatever. My email is “malonesmt@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Susan M B JohnsonFebruary 6, 2022 at 6:36 PM

    I am William Johnson’s great granddaughter. I am interested in purchasing something made by his company. My email is asbartell@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete

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