New Hampshire Axe Thread

Thanks again M1Riflenut, that's an amazing collection! The stamps on the claws are incredible. And to have the Reynolds AGT on a fire axe?!?!? Not sure I'll ever see another like it. The 9 in the circle on the handled claw suggests that it is an AA&TC axe (I did a thing a while back where I tried to inspire people build a catalog of stamps from AA&TC acquired plants, and some of the examples were NH pieces (no Ameokeag, but Underhill's has 9 stamps I think, could have been from Amoskeag plants Underhill aquired) https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/american-axe-tool-company.1516680/), but the 'cast steel' stamp makes it interesting. And that Pennsylvanian (always happy to be corrected on patterns)! Chills!!

I love the Blodgetts as well. I had an apartment on Blodgett st in Manchester for a while. Are you from, or connected to NH? Here is a re-posting on my connection to Amoskeag..

"During the late eighties into the early nineteens I worked in the mill district of Manchester NH, on the Merrimack river, presumably where Amoskeag axes was made. There is (was?) a mile or so of loong massive (northern New England massive, not real city massive) brick buildings on the river. I worked in those buildings for years. Amoskeag was the name of my bank and the bridge I used to sit under and read books (yup, books) underneath the traffic. I lived there for 10 years, mostly without a car, so my experience of the city, and specifically the mill district, is a grounded one. I definitely feel connected to the history of Amoskeag axe co and all NH axe manufactures. There were early 20's yr old shenanigans that happened in those old brick buildings that I won't write about..."
 
Glenn,
My interest in all things Amoskeag is due to the fact I live in Manchester NH. The family name came over from Lithuania with my great grandfather in 1916. By 1919, he made it from NY to Manchester NH and purchased a small 21 acre farm on the southern border of town. The cost was $5 and one cow. That is actually recorded as the purchase price. My house sits on a piece of the original 21 acre tract. The family name has been here ever since. I would have been born here but my brother and I were both born in a New York military hospital as my father was in the Air Force at that time. When he got out he moved his new family back to Manchester NH.

My main collecting area for the past 25 years has been military firearms. I started with the Korean War era and WW2, then WW1, then moved back in time as funds allowed. About 15 years ago, I was visiting the Springfield Armory museum and noticed the collection of Civil War muskets from all the subcontractors that built them. That was my first exposure to the fact that the Amoskeag Manufacturing Co. of Manchester, NH made muskets. Armed with that newfound knowledge, I began my search for an example to add to my collection. It wasn't easy because as you know, when you are desperately searching for something, you will never find it. It seemed like eternity before I finally located one in an online auction. I won it and oddly enough after that, I came across 3 more within two years time thanks to all my military arms collecting buddies I had online all over the country. One of them even sent me two complete Amoskeag lock assemblies he found at a gunshow in Florida.

That began my interest in Amoskeag and Manchester made items. The axe collecting was something that just happened as a side interest. I can't remember where I got the first one but it was a similar situation as when I learned about the muskets. Ever since I got the first axe head, I've just kept a look out for more. I find myself checking old axes and tools at all the flea markets and antique shops now and once in awhile I get lucky. I really don't know much about them and most of what I know has been very recent knowledge from this website, such as Blodgett axes. I never knew of those or that they were made here, but now that I do.....

I also have other odd Amoskeag items, and a few old Amoskeag bank trinkets. A couple years ago I found an old side by side shotgun that was made in Manchester NH so I grabbed that as well. The maker is listed as a gunsmith in Manchester from 1840's to the 1870's.

Dave

https://imgur.com/YnBAoXc
 
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M1Riflenut, your post brought back a good memory for me. In 1987 I did the restoration to the Springfield Armory's wooden clocks, in the clock tower, for the National Park Service. During the project the park staff gave my crew and I a look at all the rifles in the climate controlled storage cabinets. What a wonderful project that was, almost as good as when I worked on Washington's headquarters at Valley Forge !
 
Dave,

Thanks for sharing your story. I'll admit two things. First, I'm thrilled that NH axes are being represented by people who are actually from NH. Manchester specifically. I spent many of my 'character defining years' in Manchester, but that's not what this forum is about. Second, I'm not a fire arms person. Third, (the one that's most out of place for this forum), I'm fascinated by a Lithuanian immigration to Manchester. I never lived on the west side, but had roommates from the west side, so the French- Canadian tension was ever present (and the divide betwixted the Merrimack river). I never experienced any other specific cultural immigration influence in Manchester.

I started writing a bunch of stuff about how living in Manchester in the late 80's was more divided based on SES vs race, but a 2021 me just got a kick in the face. It was a horribly racist place at the time in my experience, (this is even prior to the Nashua push). This isn't what this forum is about either, but your story really got me thinking about a place I was raised in some respects, and how much I didn't know about that place and other specific communities that lived there. Thanks for sharing your story.

Thanks again for sharing Dave,

Glenn
 
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