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ANTIQUE TOOL TALK # 30
(by Bud Bolt - May 27, 2009)
Well folks, I must confess had a bit of a problem this morning. As usual, was out in the Gazebo bright and early enjoying the peace & quiet & cool morning, wondering what exciting event we would have at the museum today. Then decided to write a story. Before I finished my 2nd cup of coffee, I forgot what I was going to write about. It just so happened there was a full moon about to drop out of sight over the hill to our west. So as I admired the beauty of the occasion, decided this would be a good time to write about the moon wrench we have been looking for over the last quarter century.
Now so we are all familiar with what I’m talking about, let’s review what the moon wrench was made for. The moon brothers Co. was formed in Grove City, PA in 1908. In 1909 they were listed in the City directory as Machinist, Dealers in Machinery & Supplies, Steam & Gas Engines, Pumps, Boilers, etc. Also Auto and Bicycle repair.
Then there was the Joe Moon Buggy Co. in St. Louis, Missouri and the Moon Car 1905 to 1929.
Now we are not sure how many wrenches were made with Moon name on them. We do know of 3 different sizes and types.
This has proven to be one of the most difficult wrenches to find in fact have only seen two of them and they are in Pete Rathbone’s Museum in Marsing, Idaho.
Pete has the world’s largest collections of Farm Implement Wrenches and has them displayed in a converted agriculture building on his ranch. We have visited his museum and he, ours. Might mention he authored and published a book we have in our library titled “The History of Old Time Farm Implements Companies and the Wrenches they issued
On one of our visits to Pete’s museum, we had quite an interesting experience with my nephew Danny. (If you were at the museum dedication, he was the singer, songwriter & cowboy poet)
Well Danny and Cheryl (his wife) were working their way to Marsing from Las Vegas area and we were coming from Nebraska. We were to meet and visit Pete on a given day. Either we were early or they were late, anyway, by the time they arrived we had already visited Pete’s Museum and among many other items we would love to have, we spotted those two moon wrenches.
So the next day as Danny was leaving the camp ground for their visit I said to him. “Now, Danny, you do know you’re in a bit of trouble don’t you? And with a look of surprise on his face he says, “Well, Uncle bud, why is that” So I explained to him where the moon wrenches were at in Pete’s Museum and then went on to explain to him if he returned to camp without one of them, I would be forced to do great bodily harm to him. On the other had, if he took one of them, Pete would surely do likewise, so either way he was in trouble. Now, I’m sure you have already figured out what happened. He returned without one and out of the kindness of my heart and because I love him and didn’t follow through with my threat.
Now I don’t mean to burden you with my troubles, but there is another episode in this Moon story. Our local Model A Club (The Feather A’s) became aware of our desire to have a Moon wrench, so as a Club project they set out to get us one.
After some searching (how much has not been determined) and they hadn’t found one, they printed out a neat little Moon Label and put it on and old wrench and in it’s own Moon Labeled box and gave it to us. While writing this story, we checked out the box only to find it empty. Come to think about it, I haven’t seen that wrench since Pete’s last visit. Looks like we need to take another trip to Idaho.
So, no Moon wrench on display. But come on down to Bolt’s Antique Tool Museum, 1650 Broderick St. in Historic downtown Oroville, Ca. Open Tuesday thru Sunday 11:45 A.m. to 3:45 P.m. – Summer hrs. 9:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Friday & Saturday. And we will talk Tool – Antique Tools, that is.
By Bud Bolt
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