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The lower two wrenches are Coes wrenches, made in Worcester. This style was patented by Loring Coes in 1841. It was an improvement over existing wrenches in that it allowed the user to make adjustments with only one hand - the hand using the tool. According to New England Families Genealogical and Memorial: a Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of Commonwealths and the Founding of a Nation by William Richard Cutter, in 1914 the Coes Wrench Co. produced 3,600 wrenches - four and a half tons - daily, was the largest wrench shop in the world and employed 190 people, mostly skilled machinists and mechanics.
The top wrench was made by Whitman & Barnes a well-known manufacturer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was located in New York state.
The advertisement above appeared in Railway Shop Up To Date by Maham H. Haig, published in 1907 by the Crandall Publishing Company.
We've made a vow to become better about posting. Each week, something "new" arrives at Aunt Lizzie's, and we will try to give you a pictorial sampling of the treasures that we've found. So check back often to see if what we've found is one of the treasures that you have been looking for!
