J. Barton Smith Co.

J. Barton Smith Co., 4th and Somerset Streets, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was bought by Nicholson in 1891. Nicholson continued to sell files with Smith name, some reading J.B. SMITH or JBS. 

J. Barton Smith  Co. box

J. Barton Smith Co. bo

Hardware Wholesale and Store Brand Files

Hardware wholesale houses were a dominant force in American retail business in the early 20th century. The larger ones sold their own brands of merchandise, especially tools. While the tool manufacturers were usually unknown, some brands like Keen Kutter and Bluegrass had as much respect as those of the makers themselves. Pictured below are some hardware wholesalers that sold files with their own brand. Other store brand files included Sears Roebuck, Wards, and Westcraft (Western Auto Supply Co.).        

Supplee-Biddle Hardware Co. Franklin Files

George Worthington Clearcut Files

Hickory brand files, Duluth, MN, photo from Vance 

W. Bingham, Cleveland, OH, XLCR round file 

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*

G&H Barnett Black Diamond File Works

G&H Barnett of Philadelphia used the brand name Black Diamond File Works. Nicholson bought Barnett in late 1911 or early 1912 and kept Black Diamond as a file brand name.

W.H. Hobson's Royal Files

W.H. Hobson called their product Royal Files. Hobson may have been based in Sheffield, England, but the boxes clearly say "MADE IN U.S.A."

E.C. Atkins & Co. Files

Picture by Gary S.

E.C. Atkins & Co. was a major saw and tool manufacturer in Indianapolis, Indiana. In 1952 it was purchased by Borg-Warner Corporation. The Indianapolis factory was closed in 1960-61 and its operations relocated to Greenville, Mississippi. Nicholson File Co. bought the Atkins Division of Borg Warner in 1966. Atkins had 14 major product lines which Nicholson quickly consolidated or eliminated.

Atkins works in  their 1910 catalog 

Arion File & Steel Co.

Arion Steel Co., 141 Milk St., Boston, Massachusetts was incorporated in 1922 by Harry F. Arion of Medford, MA. The last known address for Arion File & Steel Co. was at 240 State St., Boston, MA. The postal code "9" dates it to 1943 to 1963.