Though they are not as well known as the big American or Swedish companies, or even Walters (also out of Canada), some people on the forum are familiar with Welland Vale axes (those who own one know that they are high quality axes). The first head I worked on was made by Welland Vale, and it's an axe I find to be great for limbing, and chopping smaller sized trees.
Recently I was in the area of the 'Welland Vale' which is along the Welland Canal ("Welland Vale can be considered the birthplace of the Welland Canal") in St. Catharines Ontario, and decided to visit the location of the old tool factory.
(Looking south along the canal; the Welland Vale factory was located to the right).
"In 1869, the firm of Tuttle, Date and Rodden built an agricultural and edge tool factory on the artificial island just south of Lock 2, more or less where the current buildings are located on the site. The firm's specialty was the manufacture of wagon wheels and a wide variety of edge tools, including axes, hoes, forks, rakes and saws. By 1871, they had about 120 employees and their annual output had established their company amongst the top one per cent of manufacturing concerns in the nation. Three years later, in 1874, the plant was purchased by William J. Chaplin, who soon renamed the facility the Welland Vale Manufacturing Company" (http://www.niagaragreenbelt.com/lis...90-welland-vale-manufacturing-industries.html).
There were a few fires since the original buildings were built, so the only remaining building dates from after 1936. "In February 1966, the buildings on the site were purchased by the Lincoln County Board of Education as a supplies warehouse, maintenance centre and annex, and in 1967 they were transformed into the St. Catharines campus of the newly-established Niagara College. Niagara College moved the St. Catharines campus to Glendale Avenue in Niagara-on-the-Lake in 1998." In 1998 a pharmaceutical company called Biolyse took over the site, and they remain there until today.
The building is located on Welland Vale Rd:
Surprisingly the gates were open and I was able to walk right in, past the new building to the old one:
Even more surprisingly this door was unlocked. I knocked, called out and entered. The building is clearly not used by Biolyse, and it looked as though nothing had been moved at least since 1998 when Niagara College moved out (including this sign by the door saying 'welding shop').
Inside:
Leaning against one of the windows:
It's an old hewing hatchet head (beside some old horseshoes). It had been neglected and there was not much steel left:
Dilemma:
It is wrong to take what is not given to you; however, this is not a valued possession of anyone, and it is so rust covered that it will cease to exist in any recognizable form if no one does anything with it... It has no monetary value in its current state, nor could it be used... it has been sitting unattended to at least since 1998 and probably since 1967...
Well it was an interesting trip; I never thought I would be allowed to walk right into the building and even find relics of the old forge, and to hear the river still running, even if the only axe around was rusted, leaning on a dust encased window.
Thanks for reading.
wdmn
Recently I was in the area of the 'Welland Vale' which is along the Welland Canal ("Welland Vale can be considered the birthplace of the Welland Canal") in St. Catharines Ontario, and decided to visit the location of the old tool factory.
(Looking south along the canal; the Welland Vale factory was located to the right).
"In 1869, the firm of Tuttle, Date and Rodden built an agricultural and edge tool factory on the artificial island just south of Lock 2, more or less where the current buildings are located on the site. The firm's specialty was the manufacture of wagon wheels and a wide variety of edge tools, including axes, hoes, forks, rakes and saws. By 1871, they had about 120 employees and their annual output had established their company amongst the top one per cent of manufacturing concerns in the nation. Three years later, in 1874, the plant was purchased by William J. Chaplin, who soon renamed the facility the Welland Vale Manufacturing Company" (http://www.niagaragreenbelt.com/lis...90-welland-vale-manufacturing-industries.html).
There were a few fires since the original buildings were built, so the only remaining building dates from after 1936. "In February 1966, the buildings on the site were purchased by the Lincoln County Board of Education as a supplies warehouse, maintenance centre and annex, and in 1967 they were transformed into the St. Catharines campus of the newly-established Niagara College. Niagara College moved the St. Catharines campus to Glendale Avenue in Niagara-on-the-Lake in 1998." In 1998 a pharmaceutical company called Biolyse took over the site, and they remain there until today.
The building is located on Welland Vale Rd:
Surprisingly the gates were open and I was able to walk right in, past the new building to the old one:
Even more surprisingly this door was unlocked. I knocked, called out and entered. The building is clearly not used by Biolyse, and it looked as though nothing had been moved at least since 1998 when Niagara College moved out (including this sign by the door saying 'welding shop').
Inside:
Leaning against one of the windows:
It's an old hewing hatchet head (beside some old horseshoes). It had been neglected and there was not much steel left:
Dilemma:
It is wrong to take what is not given to you; however, this is not a valued possession of anyone, and it is so rust covered that it will cease to exist in any recognizable form if no one does anything with it... It has no monetary value in its current state, nor could it be used... it has been sitting unattended to at least since 1998 and probably since 1967...
Well it was an interesting trip; I never thought I would be allowed to walk right into the building and even find relics of the old forge, and to hear the river still running, even if the only axe around was rusted, leaning on a dust encased window.
Thanks for reading.
wdmn
