Antique Wooden Telephone

This is big. It a deep wooden rectangle. It has the company metal plate on it that you can read if you zoom on the photo saying:

The Garford Mfg. Co.
telephone apparatus
Elyria, Ohio U.S.A

In 1892, Elyria, Ohio, businessman Arthur Garford purchased the Fay Manufacturing Company. Founded by Winslow L. Fay in 1885, the Fay Manufacturing Company produced bicycles and equipment to improve roads for bicycle use. In 1892, Garford renamed the business the Garford Manufacturing Company. This company produced the first padded bicycle seat in the entire world. Bicycles had become very popular by the late nineteenth century, but roads were very rocky and bumpy, making riding a bicycle somewhat uncomfortable. Garford's bicycle seat, known as the Garford Saddle, made bicycles more enjoyable to ride. Within a few years of establishing the Garford Manufacturing Company, Garford's firm was manufacturing more than one million seats per year.

By the early 1900s, Garford had amassed a sizable fortune from the Garford Manufacturing Company. Garford then became involved in the manufacture of automobile parts. After selling that operation to Willy-Overland, Garford purchased the Dean Electric Company in 1914. Dean Electric had been engaged in the manufacture of telephones and telephone equipment. Under the Garford name it became one of the largest industrial establishments in Elyria, Ohio. Shortly after in 1916 it was purchased by Stromberg-Carlson.

Easily hangs on a wall. Beautiful item.
$150 USD
Member katherinej
Area Minneapolis, Minnesota
Category Primitives
Ad Placed 2 years ago
Ad Updated 3 days ago
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