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Oliver Franklin Grover.

Tools Made: Printers' tools.

Working Dates: 1856-87. 

     Born in 1830 in Connecticut and died July 18, 1887 in Middletown. He is buried in the Indian Hills Cemetery. He is listed in the 1860 census as a manufacturer and in the 1870 and 1880 census as a manufacturer of printer tools. He apprenticed as a blacksmith.

From Ref. 14 Page 105. Map H & I.

From Ref. 24.

      "O. F. Grover's Factory.—O. F. Grover's shop is situated in Middletown, on Butternut street, west of Indian

        Hill Cemetery. The business was started in 1856, on Washington street, near the Arrowanna Mills.

        Mr. Grover originally manufactured only printers' sticks. In 1865 he built his factory on the present site and now

        manufactures a variety of printers' tools. He employs four or five men. Mr. Grover is the inventor of the

        " clamp " or " slide " stick, so much in favor among members of the craft who ply the " art preservative," and

        which is so universally used throughout the United States. Mr. Grover is a native of Middletown, and was born in

        1830. He served an apprenticeship at the blacksmith's trade, and the idea of embarking in his present business

        was suggested to him by a printer who had experienced the difficulties of setting, and resetting the old "screw"

        stick. "

     He invented an early printers composing stick,  number 15, 358,  July 15, 1856.  Below is an 8 inch composing stick with Grover's patent date, however, it has no manufacturer's mark. Marked "PAT([illegible]) JULY 15 56". Part is unreadable.

Marked "PAT [illegible] JULY 15, 1856".

Below is Robert Young's patent 108549.

Marked "Patd. Oct. 18. 1870". 

Patents issued or assigned to this company or one of its owners. See ref. 24 for additional 

Connecticut patents. The second item has the wrong number listed in ref. 24. I changed it to "0".

Name				Pat.No		Item			Issue Date

Grover,Oliver F.		15358		Composing stick	7/15/1856
Grover, O. F.			28472		Printers rule mitering tool

									5/29/1860
Young,Robert Clark		108549		Composing stick	10/18/1870
Assigned to Grover
Grover,O. F.			204432		Composing stick	6/4/1878
Assigned to W. Quail & Grover

References:  14, 24, 26, 27, 28.      Back Home

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