Snow & Nealley time line

[rjdankert]

First of all, I am not an historian or researcher. I guess you could say I am only a self taught googler.

This time line is not intended to be a statement of the true history of the Snow & Nealley Company. In fact, it may contain contradictory information. I became interested in this subject when it came up in this thread:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1152684-The-drawback-in-the-Hudson-Bay-pattern

This compilation of information was started from the link above and information that I have found. Corrections and additional information is most welcome . I will attempt to update as further information becomes available.

So, here goes my first attempt at a time line.

My short version

1864 A company is formed. Name, owners, etc. unknown.
Note: This date is necessary for the 150+ year old claim.

1867 Edward Bowdoin Nealley comes to Bangor and establishes himself in the ship chandlery business Smith, Nealley & Company.
Note: Was this an iteration of the 1864 company?

1868 The firm becomes Hincks & Nealley

1869 The firm becomes Neally & Co.

1870 Charles L. Snow starts working for Nealley & Co.

1884 Hincks & Nealley name comes back.

1885 William Pope Nealley goes into business with his half brother Edward Bowdoin Nealley.

1888 The firm Nealley & Company dealers in cordage, etc. the members are Edward Nealley and Charles L. Snow.

1888 - 1894 Between 1888 and 1894 the firm name becomes Snow & Nealley Co, Edward Bowdoin Nealley is treasurer.

1897 William Pope Nealley becomes president and succeedes his father Edward Bowdoin Nealley.
Note: I found two sources for this, one from a 1993 book and the other a 1994 newspaper article. I don't know of any other information of when William became president, but found references which convince me that Edward and William were not father and son.

1905 Death of Edward Bowdoin Nealley.

1910 Charles L. Snow, president of Snow & Nealley Co. Bangor, dies.

1913 Snow & Nealley manufactures axes at least this early.

1933 Edward Bowdoin Nealley II takes over.

1950 William Pope Nealley dies

1956 William "Bill" Bowdoin Nealley named company president.

1984 William "Bill" Bowdoin Nealley dies. Wife Lois Newcomb Nealley becomes sole owner.

199? David S. Nealley, son of Bill and Lois, president of Snow & Nealley.

1998 Christopher Hutchins buys Snow & Nealley.

2003 tool production stops

2007 production re-starts in Brewer

2012 Chris Hilty’s family buys Snow & Nealley moves to Smyrna

2015 All forging now being done in the US

_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Long version

1836 Edward St. John Nealley marries Lucy Colfax (Prince) Nealley.
History of Bath and Environs, Sagadahoc County, Maine: With Illustrations.
London: Forgotten Books. (Original work published 1894) pg 190:
http://www.forgottenbooks.com/readb...nvirons_Sagadahoc_County_Maine_1000564674/203

1837 Edward Bowdoin Nealley born to Edward St. John and Lucy Colfax (Prince) Nealley.
Obituary Record of the Graduates of Bowdoin College and the Medical School of Maine 1911:
https://books.google.com/books?id=N...=Edward Bowdoin Nealley II takes over&f=false
and
Maine: A History, Biographical, 1919, p. 127-129:
https://archive.org/stream/mainehistory04mainuoft/mainehistory04mainuoft_djvu.txt

1853 Lucy Nealley wife of Edward St. John Nealley dies.
History of Bath and Environs, Sagadahoc County, Maine: With Illustrations. London: Forgotten Books. (Original work published 1894) pg 191:
http://www.forgottenbooks.com/readb...nvirons_Sagadahoc_County_Maine_1000564674/203

1855 Charles L. Snow is born
Obituary of Charles L. Snow, Paint, Oil and Drug Review, Volume 52 1911:
https://books.google.com/books?id=Z...ow & nealley"&pg=RA3-PA50#v=onepage&q&f=false

1858 Edward Bowdoin Nealley graduates from Bowdoin College class of '58.
Obituary Record of the Graduates of Bowdoin College and the Medical School of Maine 1911 page vii:
https://books.google.com/books?id=N...Q6AEILzAE#v=onepage&q=william nealley&f=false

Bowdoin College Library Archives Image Gallery:
http://images.bowdoin.edu/items/show/12637

1859 Edward St. John Nealley re-marries "Sarah A. Pope of Spencer, Mass. They had two children, William P. and Henry A."
History of Bath and Environs, Sagadahoc County, Maine: With Illustrations. London: Forgotten Books. (Original work published 1894) pg 191:
https://books.google.com/books?id=Z...ow & nealley"&pg=RA3-PA50#v=onepage&q&f=false

1863 William Pope Nealley born. Born 1863 son of Edward St. John and Sarah Pope Nealley.
Bowdoin Alumnus November 1950 obituary, pg 25 in the original document:
https://archive.org/stream/bowdoinalumnimag25195bowd#page/n0/mode/2up

1864 "The company started started in 1864..."
Bangor Daily News Oct 19, 1977 "Ax business booms at Snow & Nealley":
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SAg0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=lCMIAAAAIBAJ&pg=2045,1107546
note: this is the date necessary for the 150+ year old claim for the Snow & Nealley company.

1864 Edward Bowdoin Nealley "...appointed U. S. District Attorney...Montana."
Obituary Record of the Graduates of Bowdoin College and the Medical School of Maine 1911:
https://books.google.com/books?id=N...=Edward Bowdoin Nealley II takes over&f=false

1866 "...returned to Maine ..."
Obituary Record of the Graduates of Bowdoin College and the Medical School of Maine 1911:
https://books.google.com/books?id=N...=Edward Bowdoin Nealley II takes over&f=false

1867 Edward B. Nealley first came to Bangor and established himself in the ship chandlery business, dealing also in cordage, and continued in this
line up to the time of his death".
Maine: A History, 1919 Vol 4 pg 128:
http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433078767427;view=1up;seq=222
and
Obituary Record of the Graduates of Bowdoin College and the Medical School of Maine 1911:
https://books.google.com/books?id=N...=Edward Bowdoin Nealley II takes over&f=false

1867 "the firm name was first Smith, Nealley & Company."
Maine: A History, 1919 Vol 4 pg 128:
http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433078767427;view=1up;seq=222

1868 Hincks & Nealley "The inception of this enterprise was in 1868, under the firm name of Hincks & Nealley".
Leading Business Men of Bangor, 1888, page 62:
https://archive.org/stream/leadingbusinessm00beck_0/leadingbusinessm00beck_0_djvu.txt

1869 Hincks & Nealley becomes Neally & Co.
Leading Business Men of Bangor, 1888, page 62:
https://archive.org/stream/leadingbusinessm00beck_0/leadingbusinessm00beck_0_djvu.txt

1870 Charles L. Snow starts working for Nealley & Co. on Broad street in Bangor.
Obituary of Charles L. Snow, Paint, Oil and Drug Review, Volume 52 1911:
https://books.google.com/books?id=Z...ow & nealley"&pg=RA3-PA50#v=onepage&q&f=false

1884 Hincks & Nealley listing, under "Ship Stores and Chandlery".
Maine State Year-book and Legislative Manual, for the Year 1883-84, Hoyt & Fogg, 1884 page 490:
https://books.google.com/books?id=t...y&pg=PA490#v=onepage&q=hincks nealley&f=false

1885 William Pope Nealley graduates from Bowdoin College.
General catalogue of Bowdoin College and the Medical School of Maine, 1794-1894:
https://books.google.com/books?id=r...OzAH#v=onepage&q=william pope nealley&f=false

1885 "William P. Nealley, of Bath, has gone into business with his brother, Hon. E. B. Nealley, on Broad Street in that city."
Bowdoin Orient (Volume v.18, no.1-17 (1888-1889)):
http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-e...-orient-volume-v18-no1-17-1888-1889-dwo.shtml

1888 listing found for Nealley & Company Dealers in Cordage, chandlery, Chains, Anchors, Raft Rope, Lath Yarns, Duck, Yellow Sheathing Metal, Wire
Rope, Paints, Oils, Tar, Pitch, Oakum, etc., Nos. 20 and 22 Broad Street. "As now constituted, the members are Messrs. Edward Nealley and Charles L. Snow, the former being a native of Bath, while the latter was born in this city.".
Leading Business Men of Bangor, 1888, page 62:
https://archive.org/stream/leadingbusinessm00beck_0/leadingbusinessm00beck_0_djvu.txt

18?? "Still more recently the business was conducted under the style of the Snow & Nealley Company, in which Mr. Nealley occupied the office of
treasurer.". note: the Mr. Nealley referenced is Edward Bowdoin Nealley.
Maine: A History, 1919 Vol 4 pg 128:
http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433078767427;view=1up;seq=222

1894 William Pope Nealley of Snow & Nealley maries Lillian Ross Seavey (reference of the company "Snow & Nealley").
Catalogue Alpha Delta Phi 1899:
https://books.google.com/books?id=8...AA#v=onepage&q="William Pope Nealley"&f=false

1896 Charles Snow came on as a partner.
Bangor Daily News Oct 19, 1977:
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SAg0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=lCMIAAAAIBAJ&pg=2045,1107546

1897 William Pope Nealley becomes president.
Down East vol 40 1993:
https://books.google.com/books?id=uowhAQAAMAAJ&q="William+Pope+Nealley"&dq="William+Pope+Nealley%
22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwioq5a7j_XJAhUM7WMKHf4yCeoQ6AEIUDAJ
and
Bangor Daily News Feb 4 1994:
https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=u1kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2376,1158411&hl=en

. . . continued in post #3

 

[Operator1975]

Impressive. Thank you!

 

[rjdankert]

continued from post #1


1905 Death of Edward Nealley. "He is survived by an only daughter, Mary Drummond Nealley, two brothers, William P. Nealley, ..."
Maine: A History, Biographical, 1919, p. 127-129:
https://archive.org/stream/mainehistory04mainuoft#page/n219/mode/2up
and
Edward Bowdoin Nealley dies. "...daughter, Mary Drummond Nealley, survives her father"
Obituary Record of the Graduates of Bowdoin College and the Medical School of Maine 1911:
https://books.google.com/books?id=NevOAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA349&lpg=PA349&dq=Edward+Bowdoin+Nealley+II+takes+over&source=bl&ots=3_DehT-ZER&sig=sSLXjK-IwAEPXUwDH9o6Pwz5WKY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiK65CN4vTJAhUCSSYKHVp1ApoQ6AEIIjAB#v=onepage&q=Edward Bowdoin Nealley II takes over&f=false

???? William Pope Nealley Buys out Charles Snow.
Bangor Daily News Feb 4 1994:
https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=u1kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2376,1158411&hl=en

1910 Charles L. Snow, president of Snow & Nealley Co. Bangor, dies.
Obituary of Charles L. Snow, Paint, Oil and Drug Review, Volume 52:
https://books.google.com/books?id=Z_ZYAAAAYAAJ&lpg=RA3-PA50&ots=2dTM242Mea&dq=charles "snow & nealley"&pg=RA3-PA50#v=onepage&q&f=false

1913 advertisement of Snow & Nealley as mfr of axes.
Maine Register, State Year-book and Legislative Manual Tower Publishing Company 1913:
https://books.google.com/books?id=xfdWAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA713&lpg=PA713&dq=snow+nealley+axe+pick+pole&source=bl&ots=-0xFkvkwz&sig=OoqLYjhsAXNNUsKZEoNfxlwSzUs&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjW1biX1vXJAhULqx4KHa7KBDQ4ChDoAQgbMAA#v=onepage&q=snow nealley axe pick pole&f=false

1920 "...William discussed with a southern Mainer named Leon L. Bean the possibility of marketing Snow & Nealley logging tools through Bean's catalog. The relationship proved good ..."
Bangor Daily News Feb 4 1994:
https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=u1kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2376,1158411&hl=en

1925 William Pope Nealley

Bowdoin College Library Archives Image Gallery:
http://images.bowdoin.edu/items/show/7195

Pre 1930 Packing crate:

Whitcomb, Haynes & Whitney (Ellsworth, Me.)
"In 1929 sold and thereafter operated as Ellsworth Forest Products Corporation.":
http://socialarchive.iath.virginia.edu/ark:/99166/w63z6fnk

Dam at Union River, Ellsworth Falls, ca. 1920

https://www.mainememory.net/artifact/23096​

1932 credit

1933 William Pope Nealley dies, Edward Bowdoin Nealley II takes over.
Bangor Daily News Feb 4 1994:
https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=u1kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2376,1158411&hl=en
note: Edward Bowdoin Nealley II may have taken over at this date, but not because of the death of William Pope Nealley.

1934 credit

1935 William Pope Nealley

Bowdoin College Library Archives Image Gallery:
http://images.bowdoin.edu/items/show/7255

1937 Catalog

1946 letter head

1950 William Pope Nealley dies. Borm 1863 son of Edward St. John and Sarah Pope Nealley.
Bowdoin Alumnus November 1950 obituary, pg 25:
https://archive.org/stream/bowdoinalumnimag25195bowd#page/n0/mode/2up

findagrave.com:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=80600971

1951 Envelope

1953 letter head

. . . continued in post #93
http://www.bladeforums.com/threads/snow-nealley-time-line.1355076/page-5#post-17112240

 

[halfaxe]

Impressive work indeed. I would like to know when S&N changed their Hudson Bay axe from the simple wedge shape into the Collins copy that exists today. I believe it was prior to WWII but that's just a guess.

Old S&N is on the upper left.

[/URL][/IMG]

 

[Steve Tall]

Thanks for compiling all of this. One suggested correction to what I think is a misreading of the confusing phrasing in the book from 1888: To me, the phrase "as now consituted" refers to the present-day (at the time of the writing) 1888, when Charles Snow was indeed on board. So the part in the timeline about "includes Charles L. Snow" in 1869 would not be correct.

From the compiled timeline (with what I think is an error):
1869 Hincks & Nealley becomes Neally & Co. and includes Charles L. Snow "As now constituted, the members are Messrs Edward Neally and Charles L.
Snow, ...".
Leading Business Men of Bangor, 1888, page 62:
https://archive.org/stream/leadingbu...eck_0_djvu.txt

From the 1888 source:
Nealley & Co., Dealers in Cordage, Chan-
dlery, Chains, Anchors... The
inception of this enterprise was in 1868, under
the firm name of Hincks & Nealley, but this
was changed a year later to the present style.
As now constituted, the members are Messrs.
Edward Nealley and Charles L. Snow...

 

[Steve Tall]

...
1984 William "Bill" Bowdoin Nealley dies. Wife Lois Newcomb Nealley becomes sole owner.

19?? David S. Nealley, son of Bill and Lois, president of Snow & Nealley.

1998 Christopher Hutchins buys Snow & Nealley.

2012 Chris Hilty’s family buys Snow & Nealley

Here are some more details from an earlier thread (2012), about the period when the company was moved to an former car dealership in 1999, and then the production facilities were shut down by 2003, and then the Made-in-China heads made their appearance:

Looks like Snow & Nealley doesn't even have a functioning website anymore, although there currently are sellers with some of their axes still in stock. After doing some digging to understand what happened, here's a summary of what was written in some newspaper articles, plus some more recent developments:

More than 40 people were employed at the Snow and Nealley facility on Main Street in Bangor, Maine. The former owners announced in 1998 that they were considering moving the company to New Hampshire, or potentially selling the company.

In October 1998, a private venture capital firm purchased Snow and Nealley. In April 1999, a car dealership showroom and shop was purchased for the new location of S&N, which brought it right next to the corporate headquarters of the owners in Bangor.

Five years later, in 2003, "...most of the operations at Snow and Nealley were shut down in what is likely to be a permanent move because the company was unprofitable. Seven people lost their jobs and were not given severence packages... Now a salesperson is all that's left to sell and ship off the remaining inventory, and Hutchins is interviewing people to hire a sole blacksmith to continue to make axes at a different location... Hutchins said "The axes these days aren't made to be axes. They're made more to be gifts. They're presents. So I think I can reposition the ax business."

Source: Bangor Daily News, Apr. 2, 1999, and Oct. 24, 2003
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2457&dat=20031024&id=nSE0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZeEIAAAAIBAJ&pg=1758,2602482
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2457&dat=19990402&id=0aRJAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eQ0NAAAAIBAJ&pg=6000,288413

Fast forward to 2007, when the president of the Lehman's catalog store, Galen Lehman, was surprised to discover that the "Made in USA" S&N axes he was selling had heads that were forged in China.

"I was surprised to hear that part of the Snow and Neally “USA-made” axe was made in China. So, I called the manufacturer myself, who reported that the “raw forgings” are made in China to their specific quality specifications. All of the subsequent manufacturing steps (tempering, assembly, sharpening, etc) are done in the USA. They told me that they cannot find a USA foundry to make the type of casting (or “forging”) that they need. It seems that all the ones they know about have been put out of business by Chinese competition. (They appealed to me to help them find a USA foundry that can do this. If you know of one, let me know!) In addition, because of high import duties (apparently imposed too late to help US foundries), the Chinese castings cost about the same as they used to cost when USA-made. What a tragic state of affairs!..."
-- Galen Lehman, from http://countrylife.lehmans.com/2007/10/01/should-lehmans-be-buying-from-china/#comment-38

Feel free to add any missing pieces of the story.

 

[Steve Tall]

... I would like to know when S&N changed their Hudson Bay axe from the simple wedge shape into the Collins copy that exists today. I believe it was prior to WWII but that's just a guess.

Old S&N is on the upper left.

[/URL][/IMG]

I have an article [mentioned below] which describes how that S&N pattern (at the upper left) was used throughout WWII as a "Camp Axe", and more than 1,000 of them were obtained from L.L. Bean for this purpose. The article was written in 1986, and it said that the same axe was still available from L.L. Bean at that time.

The article also mentioned that a test was done to determine the best axe for issuing to the Tenth Mountain division during WWII. Comparisons were done between the military hatchet, the Collins Hudson Bay axe, and the axe from L.L. Bean (which was chosen).

The army issue "camp axe" from L.L. Bean was later switched over to the Collins Hudson Bay axe in 1950 for the Korean War.

[As mentioned in the article U.S. MIlitary Axes, Part II, by Carter Rila, The Chronicle, June 1986, page 23]

 

[Steve Tall]

Re:
1884 Hincks & Nealley listing, under "Ship Stores and Chandlery".
Maine State Year-book and Legislative Manual, for the Year 1883-84, Hoyt & Fogg, 1884 page 490:



In that same source from 1883-84, there is a listing for Charles L. Snow, at the 20 Broad address, under the heading "Wood and Charcoal".
(Page 493)

There is also a listing for "Hincks & Co.", at 20 and 22 Broad, under the heading "Coal".
(Page 480)

 

[markv]

great work
thanks for all the info.
no reason in my mind why Snow & Nealley should not rise again after all, they do know something about making axes.
buzz

 

[Steve Tall]

Some additional information for the timeline (from the Sun Journal newspaper, April 13, 1998]:

1990 - David Nealley, a former stockbroker, and his brothers took over Snow & Nealley from an outside manager, when it had a "negative net worth".

1995 - Company finances are back in the black, after streamlining operations and focusing on the garden-tool division.

1997 - S&N's logging tool division is sold to Dixie Industries (of Tennessee); S&N continues with gardening and woodworking equipment, and axes.

[The S&N factory location at the time of the article (1998) was near the Bangor-Hampton town line.]

 

[Steve Tall]

Article from 1994 listing all of Snow & Nealley's products at the time (including a 5-pound broadaxe).

Another article from 1994, about Snow & Nealley's exports to Asia and Europe.

(Bangor Daily News, February 4, 1994)

 

[Steve Tall]

Late 1950s - Fire destroys S&N factory on lower Main Street in Bangor; new factory built a quarter-mile over the town line in Hampden, on Main Road North.

1989 - Snow & Nealley sold its industrial division to the Leen Co.


Article from 1994 about the forging and heat treatment processes at Snow & Nealley.

[All from a special section of the Bangor Daily News, Feb 4, 1994, devoted to Snow & Nealley.]

 

[halfaxe]

I have an article [mentioned below] which describes how that S&N pattern (at the upper left) was used throughout WWII as a "Camp Axe", and more than 1,000 of them were obtained from L.L. Bean for this purpose. The article was written in 1986, and it said that the same axe was still available from L.L. Bean at that time.

The article also mentioned that a test was done to determine the best axe for issuing to the Tenth Mountain division during WWII. Comparisons were done between the military hatchet, the Collins Hudson Bay axe, and the axe from L.L. Bean (which was chosen).

The army issue "camp axe" from L.L. Bean was later switched over to the Collins Hudson Bay axe in 1950 for the Korean War.

[As mentioned in the article U.S. MIlitary Axes, Part II, by Carter Rila, The Chronicle, June 1986, page 23]

Thanks Steve. Very interesting that the 10th Mountain division thought the L.L. Bean S&N was the superior axe. I would agree.

 

[gben]

Great thread. And a story with a sad ending....

 

[rjdankert]

Thanks for compiling all of this. One suggested correction to what I think is a misreading of the confusing phrasing in the book from 1888: To me, the phrase "as now consituted" refers to the present-day (at the time of the writing) 1888, . . .

I agree and will take the Snow reference out of the 1869 entry and update the 1888 entry.

Thanks,

Bob

 

[rjdankert]

Here are some more details from an earlier thread (2012), about the period when the company was moved to an former car dealership in 1999, and then the production facilities were shut down by 2003, and then the Made-in-China heads made their appearance:

Looks like Snow & Nealley. .
Source: Bangor Daily News, Apr. 2, 1999, and Oct. 24, 2003
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2457&dat=20031024&id=nSE0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZeEIAAAAIBAJ&pg=1758,2602482
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2457&dat=19990402&id=0aRJAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eQ0NAAAAIBAJ&pg=6000,288413

I found that the Summer St. properties were purchased in 1999 and at least one was in use by 2003. However, I couldn't find anything about the made in China heads.

Fast forward to 2007, when the president of the Lehman's catalog store, Galen Lehman, was surprised to discover that the "Made in USA" S&N axes he was selling had heads that were forged in China.
-- Galen Lehman, from http://countrylife.lehmans.com/2007/10/01/should-lehmans-be-buying-from-china/#comment-38

Unfortunately, this link takes me to Lehman's Country Life main page.

Thanks again,

Bob

 

[Operator1975]

One axe company with all that info out there on them. Amazing stuff. One reason why I love vintage axes, the history behind even one company can leave you mesmerized. Great info and thread. Thanks!

 

[Steve Tall]

...Unfortunately, this link takes me to Lehman's Country Life main page.

Here's the new link (to comments from the CEO of Lehman's in 2007, about the Snow & Nealley axe heads being forged in China):
http://countrylife.lehmans.com/should-lehmans-be-buying-from-china/

[To find updated links, I do a google search for a phrase from the text (with quotation marks), in this case the phrase I chose was: "surprised to hear that part of the Snow and Neally".]

 

[rjdankert]

Here's the new link (to comments from the CEO of Lehman's in 2007, about the Snow & Nealley axe heads being forged in China):
http://countrylife.lehmans.com/should-lehmans-be-buying-from-china/

[To find updated links, I do a google search for a phrase from the text (with quotation marks), in this case the phrase I chose was: "surprised to hear that part of the Snow and Neally".]

Thanks for the info and for the other posts in this thread. I have done some updating of the time line in the past few days. Hit the limit in OP so continued in thread #3.

Bob

 

[300Six]

Thank you rjdankert. Were these guys serious manufacturers/competitors at any given time or were these niche market makers right from square one? I love the research you've done on names and timelines and I'd love to hear more about production and quantities.