The Doebler Mfg. Co.

Doebler & Pratt,

Doebler & Leonard Mfg. Co,

Tools Made: Drill chucks, saw vises, belt punches. Also, window pulleys, padlocks and brackets.

Working Dates 1896-1902. 

      The factory was located on Walnut Street in the South Farms section of Middletown, at the old Stiles & Parker Press factory. Doebler expanded the factory adding a second story. See picture below. Map O.  Historic information and picture Here.

N.B. This article was made possible by help from Joanna Ziarnik City of Meriden Community Services Librarian and Christine Hendricks Part-time Volunteer at the Meridan Historical Society. They found the information I needed on Eugene Leonard.

Timeline for The Doebler Mfg. Co.

1896 Name changed from Whipple Screwless Knob Co. to the Doebler & Leonard Mfg. Co, Meriden, CT.

They were listed as manufacturing Steel Jewelry.

Eugene F. Leonard listed as Treasurer. However, he was listed as a Buffer Foreman at W. S. P. Co., Wilcox Silver Plate Co. in the 1896 and 97 Meriden City Directories and the 1900 Federal census.

 He probably did not leave this company in Meriden to join Doebler in Middletown.

1896 Doebler & Pratt Mfg. Co. Meriden, CT. I could not find any information on Pratt.

Moved from Meriden to Middletown. Leonard is no longer with this company.

1897 Reorganized as the Doebler Mfg. Co. and incorporated under the laws of the State of New Jersey, with a capital stock of $50,000. The Doebler Co. has their office at No. 116 Nassau Street, New York.

1898 Bought the Pratt & Weir Chuck Co. of Plainville, CT.

     The keyless drill chuck was patented by David Weir, number 549,837, 12 Nov. 1895. Pratt & Weir were incorporated in 1895 in Hartford. In 1898 the company moved to Plainville and went out of business.

The Doebler Mfg. Co. company was listed in the 1900-01 Middletown City Directories as manufacturing hardware. No mention of making a Keyless chuck.

1901 The Company declared bankruptcy.

1902 The assets were bought by A. H. Pride of New York City to manufacture hardware. However, I could not find any evidence that production continued in Middletown or any where else.

The company was listed in the 1900 Middletown City Directory but no President was given. However, C. Frank Doebler was listed as president in a newspaper article.

1901-02 C. Frank Doebler is listed as President.

1902

E. G. Derby Treasurer.

J. H. Story Secretary.

Capitalization $50,00.00.

     1902 Frank removed to NYC.

Additional info on Doebler.

These companies were at the Doebler Mfg. Co. site.

1901 He and John A. Strong were to make small electric motors.

1903 Started a division of the Liberty Chuck & Wrench Co. of New Jersey.

C. Frank Doebler President

A. H. Pride Treasurer

1905 Steel Mats Co. from a company in New York.

C. Frank Doebler President

1906 Sale of Machinery.

From what I could find out none of the above enterprises worked out.

     Charles Frank Doebler was born 1n 1857 in Vernon, CT. and died in 1929 in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. He was listed as an inventor.

Census information:

1870 Age 13 working in a mill and living in Vernon. There were a number of mills in operation during 1870s so I could not narrow it down to one.

1880 Hardware clerk and living in Vernon.

1890 No census information.

1900 Manufacturer living in Middlefield, CT.

After 1900 I could not find any other census information on him.

     I wanted to find out if anybody had a Weir Chuck. I looked on eBay, the web site “Tool Index” and had ad ad in the Gristmill. Nothing turned up.

1901 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of South Farms.

AD from the 1900 Connecticut Magazine

From 1897 Geer's Hartford City Directory

References:     79, 95,96,97,98, 99, 100.        Back Home

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