Background on Northampton Cutlery Company
The Northampton Cutlery Company was incorporated in 1871 with Judge Samuel L. Hinckley, its largest stockholder, as its first President. The property was purchased from J. H. Lyman and located along the Mill River in Northampton, Massachusetts on a site in which previous manufacturing plants had operated, beginning with Northampton Papermills (1836-1848), and subsequently Hampshire Flax & Hemp Company (1848-1850), Bay State Tool Manufacturing Company (1854-1858), Bay State Hardware Company (1858-1870), and Riverside Cutlery Company (1870-1871). Cutlery production began as a sideline venture for Bay State Tool during the Civil War, a time when 81% of cutlery produced in the United States was made in plants in Massachusetts and Connecticut. In 1885, a Knights of Labor Assembly of knife grinders was established in Northampton, considered by the Northampton Tercentenary Commission to be the first union of"real significance" in the town. The company closed in 1987.
Scope of collection
Records document company operations and technology used in the cutlery manufacturing process, as well as details about employment of immigrant and working class families in the region. Records include: company histories; by-laws; deeds; board of directors meeting minutes; stockholders' certificates and meeting minutes; correspondence; ledgers, cashbooks, price lists, and product catalogs; auditor's reports, annual operating statements and tax reports and returns; job surveys, reports, plans, and a wage study; payroll ledgers, lists of employees, employees' census sheets and factory notices; production schedules; records that document labor relations including negotiations, unemployment cases, and union communications and greivances; and machinery specifications, plot and sewer plans, a scrapbook, photographs, and samples.
Arrangement
This collection is organized into seventeen series:
Inventory
Series 1. Stockholders and Board of Directors
Company History
1951, 1975
Box 1: 1
Stockholders' Ledger (volumes)
1874-1960
Box 1: 3-5
Stock Ledger Balance
1909
Box 1: 6
Stockholders' Certificates (volume)
1871-1942
Box 2: 7
Stockholders' Meeting Minutes (volumes)
1871-1970
Box 3: 8-10
Stockholders' Meeting Minutes (volumes)
1964-1966, 1971-1983
Box 3: 11-12
Stockholders' Meetings, Proxies and Votes
1942-1966
Box 4: 13-32
Profit-Sharing Trust
1952-1961
Box 4: 33
Board of Directors Minutes (volumes)
1887-1969
Box 5: 34-37
Board of Directors Minutes (volumes)
1964-1983
Box 6: 38-41
Series 2. Legal and Property
Clement Co. Purchase
1947-1963
Box 7: 42
Clinton Foods Inc.
1954-1955
Box 7: 43
Deed (copy, 1871)
1951
Box 7: 44
Dahlke, A.J.
1946-1956
Box 7: 45
Eyre, Albert
1955-1963
Box 7: 46
Feiker, Elizabeth
1967
Box 7: 47
Increase of Capital
1949-1950
Box 7: 48
Merger Proposal with John Russell
1925-1927
Box 7: 50
Voting Trust
1960-1963
Box 7: 52
Watrous, Jerome
1955-1963
Box 7: 53
Appraisal, U.S. Appraisal Co.
1906
Box 8: 54-55
Appraisal, T.L. Alborell & Assoc.
1926-1935
Box 8: 56-58
Appraisal, Standard Appraisal Co.
1949
Box 9: 59-60
Appraisals, Internal
1968, 1973
Box 9: 61
Balance Sheet
1919-1926
Box 10: 62
Annual Operating Statements
1945-1950
Box 10: 63
Operating Statements & Ratios
1957-1966
Box 10: 64-66
Auditor's Reports
1922-1944
Box 11: 67
I.R.S. Reports
1915-1930
Box 11: 68
Request for Funds
1930
Box 11: 69
Tax Returns
1910-1933
Box 11: 70-80
Subseries B. Surveys and Reports
Preliminary Survey, George S. May Co.
1934
Box 12: 81
Industrial Survey, T.L. Alborell & Assoc.
1935
Box 12: 82
Survey Report, Douglas T. Sterling
1946
Box 12: 83
Incentive Plan, Ekholm Assoc.
1946
Box 12: 84
Incentive Rate Study
1947
Box 12: 85
Job Evaluation Plan, L.J. Brooks
1949
Box 12: 86-87
Revised Bonus Plan, L.J. Brooks
1951
Box 12: 88
Analytical Report, Dun & Bradstreet
1965
Box 12: 89
Job Rating Survey, NMTA
1966
Box 12: 90
Wage Study
1975
Box 12: 91
Subseries C. Correspondence
Letter Copy Books (volumes)
1899-1902
Box 13: 92-94
Correspondence
1940
Box 14: 95-100
Correspondence
1940
Box 15: 101-105
Correspondence
1940
Box 16: 106-108
Correspondence R-S
1941
Box 17: 109-113
Correspondence T-Z
1941
Box 18: 114-119
Correspondence A-H
1942
Box 19: 120-127
Correspondence I-O
1942
Box 20: 128-133
Correspondence P-S
1942
Box 21: 134-138
Correspondence T-Z
1942
Box 22: 139-143
Correspondence A-H
1944
Box 23: 144-150
Correspondence I-P
1944
Box 24: 151-156
Correspondence Q-V
1944
Box 25: 157-161
Correspondence W-Z
1944
Box 26: 162-165
Correspondence A-K
1945
Box 27: 166-173
Correspondence L-S
1945
Box 28: 174-179
Correspondence S-Z
1945
Box 29: 180-185
Correspondence A-G
1946
Box 30: 186-194
Correspondence H-Q
1946
Box 31: 195-201
Correspondence R-Z
1946
Box 32: 202-207
Correspondence A-G
1947
Box 33: 208-213
Correspondence H-S
1947
Box 34: 214-220
Correspondence A-F
1959-1960
Box 35: 221-229
Correspondence G-M
1959-1960
Box 36: 230-238
Correspondence M-S
1959-1960
Box 37: 239-248
Correspondence T-Z
1959-1960
Box 38: 249-257
Jerome Watrous Correspondence
1948-1955
Box 38: 258
Harvey Finison Correspondence, A-I
1968-1986
Box 39: 259-275
Harvey Finison Correspondence, I-M
1968-1986
Box 40: 276-284
Harvey Finison Correspondence, M-P
1968-1986
Box 41: 285-293
Harvey Finison Correspondence, P-Z
1968-1986
Box 42: 294-304
Trial Balances
1887-1964
Box 43: 305-309
General Ledger
1958-1965
Box 44: 310-317
General Ledger
1966-1974
Box 45: 318-321
General Ledger
1970-1979
Box 46: 322-325
Journals (volumes)
1915-1926
Box 47: 326-328
Journals (volumes)
1926-1933
Box 48: 329-330
Journals
1934-1957
Box Volumes 1-7
Journals (volumes)
1959-1974
Box 49: 331-336
Journals (volumes)
1975-1977
Box 50: 337-339
Journals (volumes)
1978-1980
Box 51: 340-342
Cash Books (volumes)
1888-1894, 1901-1904
Box 52: 343-345
Cash Books (volumes)
1917-1925
Box 53: 346-348
Cash Books
1926-1958
Box Volumes 8-15
Cash Books (volume)
1962-1966
Box 54: 349
Cash Books (volume)
1970-1979
Box 55: 350
Petty Cash Books (volumes)
1906-1912
Box 56: 351-352
Accounts Receivable (volumes)
1919-1923, 1928-1931
Box 57: 353-354
Accounts Receivable
1960-1979
Box 58: 355-358
Bills Receivable (volumes)
1907-1922
Box 59: 359-360
Accounts Payable (volumes)
1894-1922
Box 60: 361-363
Accounts Payable (volumes)
1922-1955
Box 61-62: 364-365
Accounts Payable (volumes)
1959-1967
Box 63: 366
Accounts Payable (volumes)
1970-1977
Box 64: 367-368
Order Books (volumes)
1903-1924
Box 65: 369-374
General Inventory (volumes)
1910-1919, 1935-1948
Box 66: 375-381
Inventory, Carpenter Shop
1903-1943
Box 67: 382
Inventory, Forge Room
1898-1940
Box 67: 383
Inventory, Grinding Dept.
1907-1927
Box 67: 384
Inventory, Machine Room
1897-1928
Box 67: 385-386
Inventory, Machine Room
1929-1941
Box 68: 387
Inventory, Round Tang Dept.
1897-1914
Box 68: 388
Inventory, Solid Steel Knife Dept.
1911-1939
Box 68: 389
Inventory, Stainless Steel
1935-1941
Box 68: 390
Inventory, Stamping & Etching
1905-1910
Box 68: 391
Inventory, Motor Book
n.d.
Box 69: 392
Inventory, Miscellaneous Inventory Sheets
n.d.
Box 69: 393
Sales Books
1889-1897
Box Vols. 16-24
Sales Books
1902-1931
Box Vols. 25-31
Sales Books
1934-1958
Box Vols. 32-40
Sales Books
1960-1967
Box 70: 394-400
Sales Books
1970-1978
Box Vol. 41
Sales Journal
1980-1982
Box 71: 401
Sales Correspondence, A-C
1962-1985
Box 72: 402-412
Sales Correspondence, D-G
1962-1985
Box 73: 413-419
Sales Correspondence, H-K
1962-1985
Box 74: 420-430
Sales Correspondence, L-O
1962-1985
Box 75: 431-439
Sales Correspondence, P-S
1962-1985
Box 76: 440-447
Sales Correspondence, S-W
1962-1985
Box 77: 448-455
Sales Correspondence, W-Z
1962-1985
Box 78: 456-458
Price Lists
1899-1984
Box 79: 459-466
Product Catalogs
1899-1960s
Box 79: 467-468
Employees, A-Ber.
1940-1985
Box 80: 469-477
Employees, Bes-Bz
1940-1985
Box 81: 478-485
Employees, C-Dez
1940-1985
Box 82: 486-493
Employees, Di-Gy
1940-1985
Box 83: 494-503
Employees, H-Ly
1940-1985
Box 84: 504-512
Employees, M-Pi
1940-1985
Box 85: 513-523
Employees, Po-Tz
1940-1985
Box 86: 524-532
Employees, U-Z
1940-1985
Box 87: 533-536
Employees Census Sheet
1920
Box 87: 537
Factory Notices
1947-1951
Box 87: 538
Subseries B. Labor Accounts
Grinding
1869-1872
Box 88: 539
Hafting & Wheel Dept.
1902
Box 88: 540
Piecework
1887
Box 88: 541
Piecework
1897-1898
Box 88: 542
Piecework
1909-1910
Box 88: 543
Workmen's Cash Book
1887-1893
Box 89: 545
Seniority List
1970-1985
Box 89: 546
Wages
1972-1979
Box 89: 547
Payroll Ledgers (volumes)
1886-1898
Box 90: 548-549
Payroll Ledgers (volumes)
1910-1913
Box 91: 550
Payroll Ledgers (volumes)
1935-1936
Box 92: 551-552
Payroll Ledgers (volumes)
1937-1939
Box 93: 553-555
Payroll Ledgers (volumes)
1940-1941
Box 94: 556-557
Payroll Ledgers (volumes)
1954-1955
Box 95: 558-559
Payroll Ledgers (volumes)
1956-1958
Box 96: 560-562
Payroll Ledgers (volumes)
1960-1962
Box 97: 563-565
Payroll Ledgers (volumes)
1963-1966
Box 98: 566-569
Payroll Ledgers (volumes)
1974-1980
Box 99: 570
Subseries C. Accident Reports
Reports
1942-1950
Box 100: 571-577
Reports
1950-1961
Box 101: 578-589
Reports
1962-1986
Box 102: 590-600
Series 7. Labor Relations
Negotiations
1965
Box 103: 601-612
Negotiations
1967-1976
Box 104: 613-624
Negotiations
1977-1984
Box 105: 625-631
Tuperkizsis v. Cutlery
1970-1973
Box 105: 632
Unemployment Cases
1947-1950, 1966-1968
Box 105: 633-634
Union Communications
1972-1985
Box 105: 635
Union Grievances
1969-1985
Box 105: 636
Customer Job Specifications
1949-1976
Box 106: 637-641
Grinding Specifications
n.d.
Box 106: 642
Job Specifications, R1F-R199F
n.d.
Box 106: 643-649
Job Specifications, R202F-R341F
n.d.
Box 107: 650-657
Steel Weights and Sizes
n.d.
Box 107: 658
Weekly Production Schedules
1949-1950
Box 107: 659
Piece Rates
1966-1976
Box 108: 660-665
Process Sheets
n.d.
Box 108: 666-667
Machinery Specifications
n.d.
Box 109: 668-670
Plot Plan
n.d.
Box 109: 671
Sewer Plan
n.d.
Box 109: 672
Scrapbook
1960-1983
Box 109: 673
Photos and Samples
circa 1900-1985
Box 110: 674-676
Series 1. Stockholders and Board of Directors
Annual Meeting--Agenda, Correspondence, Reports, etc.
1977-1986
Box 111: 1
Articles of Amendment
1966
Box 111: 2
Board of Directors, List of
1985, n.d.
Box 111: 3
Board of Directors--Meetings, Minutes, etc.
1965-1968
Box 111: 4
Board of Directors--Meetings, Minutes, etc.
1970-1979
Box 111: 5
Board of Directors--Meetings, Minutes, etc.
1980-1986
Box 111: 6
By-Laws and Amendments
1960
Box 111: 7
Company History
1974, n.d.
Box 111: 8
Company History--Newsclips
1978-1986, n.d.
Box 111: 9
Correspondence on Stock Certificates
1958, 1969-1970
Box 111: 10
Director's Correspondence, etc.
1969
Box 111: 11
Director's Meeting Agenda
1969
Box 111: 12
Director's Meeting Proxies
1949
Box 111: 13
Stockholders, List of
n.d.
Box 111: 14
Stockholder's Meetings
1966
Box 111: 15
Stockholder's Meetings
1968
Box 111: 16
Stockholder's Meeting Agenda
1969
Box 111: 17
Stockholder's Meetings, Proxies and Votes
1969-1970
Box 111: 18
Stockholder's Meetings, Proxies and Votes
1971-1974
Box 111: 19
Stockholder's Meetings, Proxies and Votes
1975-1978
Box 111: 20
Stockholder's Meetings, Proxies and Votes
1979-1982
Box 111: 21
Stockholder's Meetings, Proxies and Votes
1982-1986
Box 111: 22
Series 2. Legal and Property
Appraisal--American Industries Appraisers
1981
Box 111: 23
Appraisal Report--Robert A. Borawski
1974
Box 111: 24
Appraised Valuation, Notice of
1978
Box 111: 25
Articles of Amendment for Adjusting Capitalization
1965
Box 111: 26
Attorney--Settlements, etc.
1986-1987
Box 111: 27
Automobile--Insurance, Invoice, etc.
1960
Box 111: 28
Contract Correspondence
1955
Box 111: 29
Contract, Machinery
1947
Box 111: 30
Foreclosure Deed
1951
Box 111: 31
Goodwin, Proctor & Hoar--Counselors at Law
1978
Box 111: 32
Insurance Policy, Hartford Steam Boiler
1985
Box 111: 33
Land Purchase from D.E. White
1969
Box 111: 34
Letterhead, Blank
---
Box 111: 35
Mortgage to Northampton Bank
1963
Box 111: 36
Notes (Loan Balances)
1975
Box 111: 37
Quitclaim Deed--Jona H. Lyman (1951 copy)
1871
Box 111: 38
Retired Loans
1958, 1963-1968
Box 111: 39
Safe Deposit Box
1986
Box 111: 40
Surrender of Lease
1951
Box 111: 41
Warranty Deed - Doris L. White
1969
Box 111: 42
Warranty Deed - Ellery C. Clapp
1950
Box 111: 43
Watrous, Jerome - Promissory Note and Corr.
1974-1984
Box 111: 44
Annual Operating Statements
1969-1971
Box 111: 45
Annual Statistics of Manufacturers
1971-1979
Box 111: 46
Audit
1985-1986
Box 111: 47
Auditor's Report
1971
Box 111: 48
Balance Sheet
1974
Box 111: 49
Balance Sheet
1978
Box 111: 50
Bank Reconciliation
1985
Box 111: 51
Depreciation Schedule
1965-1976
Box 111: 52
Don and Bradstreet, Inc.
1986
Box 111: 53
Employer's Quarterly Report of Wages Paid
1986
Box 111: 54
Estimated Tax Rate
1968
Box 111: 55
Financial Statements
1982-1984
Box 111: 56
Income Statements, Estimated & Forecast
1967-1968
Box 111: 57
Job Insurance
1981-1985
Box 111: 58
Operating Results, Ten Years
1961-1971
Box 111: 59
Real Estate Taxes
1979-1982
Box 111: 60
Tax Declaration
1985
Box 111: 61
Tax Return--Employer's Annual Federal Unemployment
1981-1985
Box 111: 62
Tax Return - Employers Quarterly Federal
1983-1986
Box 111: 63
Tax Return - Massachusetts
1970-1981
Box 111: 64
Tax Return - Massachusetts
1982-1986
Box 111: 65
Tax Return - U.S.
1965
Box 111: 66
Tax Return - U.S.
1969-1981
Box 111: 67
Tax Return - U.S.
1982-1986
Box 111: 68
Tax Return - U.S. and Mass.
1986
Box 111: 69
Ten Year Record
1961-1971
Box 111: 70
Year End Audit
1975
Box 112: 71
Year End Audit
1976-1977
Box 112: 72
Year End Audit
1977
Box 112: 73
Year End Audit
1978
Box 112: 74
Subseries B. Surveys and Reports
Financial History and Current Projections
1977
Box 112: 75
Cash Book (oversize)
1985-1986
Box 113: 76
Chart of Accounts
1986
Box 112: 77
Check Book
1958
Box 112: 78
Deposit Book
1958-1962
Box 112: 79
Expense Journal (oversize)
1985-1986
Box 113: 80
General Ledger (oversize)
1984
Box 113: 81
General Ledger (oversize)
1985-1986
Box 113: 82
Income Statement
1979
Box 112: 83
Income Statement
1975
Box 112: 84
Income Statement
1983
Box 112: 85
Income Statement
1985
Box 112: 86
Income Statement
1986
Box 112: 87
Inventory
1974
Box 112: 88
Inventory Valuation
1974
Box 112: 89
Monthly Journal Entries, Listing of
1986
Box 112: 90
Purchase Journal (oversize)
1985-1986
Box 113: 91
Purchases - Accounts Payable
1970-1986
Box 113: 92
Summary Inventory
1975-1976
Box 112: 93
Transactions
1985
Box 112: 94
Trial Balance
1967-1968
Box 112: 95
Trial Balance
1970
Box 112: 96
Trial Balance
1971
Box 112: 97/98
Trial Balance
1972
Box 112: 99
Trial Balance
1973
Box 112: 100
Trial Balance
1974
Box 112: 101
Trial Balance
1975
Box 112: 102
Trial Balance
1976
Box 112: 103
Trial Balance
1977
Box 112: 104
Trial Balance
1978
Box 112: 105
Trial Balance
1984
Box 112: 106
Trial Balance
1985
Box 112: 107
Trial Balance
1986
Box 112: 108
Advertisement for Bottle Screw
n.d.
Box 112: 109
Product Catalog
n.d.
Box 112: 110
Product Catalog
#404, #5-53n.d.
Box 112: 111
Product Catalog
1955, n.d.
Box 112: 112
Sales History
1961-1972
Box 112: 113
Sales Journal (oversize)
1970-1986
Box 113: 114
Sales Journal - Retail (oversize)
1986
Box 113: 115
(number not used)
Box 112: 116
Subseries A. Personnel - Employees
Position Offers--Chief Engineer
1964
Box 112: 117
Subseries B. Labor Accounts
Payroll Accounts
1963-1966
Box 112: 118
Payroll, Factory
1986
Box 112: 119
Payroll Register (oversize)
1983
Box 113: 120
Payroll Register (oversize)
1984
Box 113: 121
Payroll Register (oversize)
1985
Box 113: 122
Payroll Withholdings (oversize)
1985-1986
Box 113: 123
Series 7. Labor Relations
Agreement Between - N.C.C. & U.E. Local 259
1967
Box 112: 124
Agreement Between - N.C.C. & U.E.
1977, 1979
Box 112: 125
Invention Disclosure
1976
Box 112: 126
Product Cost
1974-1977
Box 112: 127
Administrative information
Search terms
Subjects
- Cutlery trade--Massachusetts.
- Northampton (Mass.)--Economic conditions.
Contributors
- Northampton Cutlery Company [main entry]
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