operator197501, in researching history the only thing you can count on to be true needs to be backed up with primary source documentation. My catalog IS primary source information. Can you provide primary source documentation that American Fork & Hoe Company and Kelly Axe & Tool Works did not come together until 1930 ? I would be open to your idea if I see primary source to back it up. For the record, primary source does not mean some internet site where you read someone's undocumented information. For you younger ones, there was no internet in the 1920's and 30's. There should be hard paper, period untouched photos, or other hard evidence. It is very hard for me to believe that a axe company of the size and stature of Kelly would publish a beautiful catalog, with some glossy color axe photos with 1925 Revised Standard Axe List page with a incorrect date. Reusing the same page was commonplace, but not correcting the date, for 5 years, I dont think so!
Let me tell you a story about primary source documentation. Thirty six years ago the Colorado National Register of Historic Places Coordinator asked me to accompany her to a historic log stage station on the Colorado/Wyoming border. The earliest primary source documentation she had was a period drawing of the station made by a solider who's outfit had holed up at the station for a couple of days. The drawing showed the main building with a wing off of each side. The wings were no longer on the main building. After many pleasant hours of inspecting this wonderful historic log building I could see that the physical evidence showed that there never had been any wings attached to the main building. The original hewn logs did not show any nail traces, ghosts, soil disturbance, etc. The conclusion we came to was that the owner of the stage station must have told the solider about his plans for the wing additions, and the solider put the wings on the period drawing. As often happens with future plans, the owner never followed through. The point is that even with what you think is hard evidence, you need to check every angle. A year after our inspection trip the National Register lady and I were married and she is still following me as I roam the earth looking for a new adventure.
Some very cool stuff in there.
