Cleveland File Works, Industry File Works, Cleveland File Co.

Railroad Gazette, Vol. 2, Oct. 1870

Cleveland, Ohio was a railroad, lake shipping, and industrial center in the 19th and 20th centuries. File making in Cleveland dates to 1852, and the products were sold to railroads and industry, and not the hardware trade. John Parkin operated John Parkin & Co. and Cleveland File Works, making and re-cutting files and rasps and selling English cast tool steel. Parkin incorporated 4 April, 1882 as Cleveland File Co. In 1884 the firm was at 19 to 23 Columbus St., Parkin and Bosworth, proprietors.

The Iron Trade Review, 13 Jul 1893

By 1890, Industry File Works was at 46 to 48 Columbus St., operated by Arthur and Harry Gough. They may have taken over Parkin & Co's. business given the closeness of the addresses. About 1905 the street was renumbered and 48 Columbus St. became 1736 Columbus Rd. NW. The building is now part of a National Historic District and has been renovated (article with interior pictures).



William McClellan (born about 1850) is in the 1900 Census as a file manufacturer in Cleveland, along with his son Albert I. McClellan. As far as I know, he was not also the owner of McClellan File Co., Saginaw MI, sold to Nicholson in 1898. In 1909 their address was 3420 Hamilton Av. NE. McClellan reorganized in 1913 as William McClellan Co., 3400 Hamilton Av. By 1916, McClellan was enlarging its plant, also known as Cleveland File Works. In 1918 they began another plant expansion, completed in 1920. The last mention of William McClellan Co. is 1922 at 3400 Hamilton Ave.

Blue Star by Cleveland File Co.*

After 1922, the 3400 Hamilton Ave. plant was taken over by a new business, Cleveland File Co. Alfred Armstrong Murfey (1888-1978) was president of Cleveland File Co. Mr. Murfey was from a wealthy Cleveland family, attended Yale, and was also an executive or director of Commercial Steel and Supply Co., Ohio Metal Briquetting Co., and Fertel-Dangler-Wilson Co. (scrap steel dealer). Mr. Murfey's father was a bank executive, and their home is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Cleveland Super Duty file box 

Cleveland File Co. sold machine tools including files through mill supply houses (industrial distributors). Its files were branded Super Duty, Blue Star, and Cleveland. Cleveland File's trade name and patents were purchased in 1942 by Heller Brothers Co.

*Pictures contributed by Gary S.

Cleveland Super Duty*

Cleveland, and Super Duty files*