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Alfred Hale and Company : Original Billheads - Alfred Hale and Company, Boston, Massachusetts

Three original billheads on beige paper with printed text and handwriting in black ink. Datelined October 10, 1862, January 17, 1863, and July 22, 1863 in Boston, Massachusetts. 7 3/4" x 7." Billheads are very clean and intact. Paper has a few horizontal and vertical fold lines. Three Fine copies. The handwritten portions include the name of the buyer, the item(s) purchased, the price of the item(s), and acknowledgment of the buyer's payment. Rubber boots were purchased as well as services for boot and shoe repair. The printed text reads, "[Customer] Bought of Alfred Hale & Co., Manufacturer, Wholesale and Retail Dealers in India Rubber Goods, Water-Proof Clothing, Hospital and Nursery Sheeting, Life Preservers, Air Cushions, Combs, Toys, Balls, &c. Also, Manufacturers of Submarine Armor and Hose, No. 23 School Street." Alfred Hale & Company was founded in 1837 and was one of many manufacturers and dealers who made and sold rubber products following the invention of vulcanized (stablized) rubber in the 1830s and the establishment of the first U.S. rubber company, The Roxbury India Rubber Company, in 1833. Notably, Alfred Hale & Co. was well-known as one of the earliest manufacturers of diving helmets. Alfred Hale was one of four sons of Aaron and Mary Ann (Dean) Hale. Aaron Hale had already established his own rubber manufacturing company, and three of his sons, Alfred, George, and David (1833-1900), went into the family business. After Alfred's passing, the company retained the name, "Alfred Hale & Co." Alfred Hale & Co. was a well-respected company in its time, known for its rubber products and diving gear. The buyer, P. Whitin & Sons, was a cotton manufacturing company in Northbridge, Massachusetts. Paul Whitin (1767-1831) was a pioneering businessman and blacksmith who helped establish the Northbridge Cotton Manufacturing Company in 1809. The Whitinsville village of Northbridge is named after him. Paul and his relatives founded another cotton manufacturing company in 1815 called Whitin & Fletchers. Paul gained sole ownership of Whitin & Fletchers in 1826, and together with his sons Paul, Jr. and John, renamed the company P. Whitin & Sons. After the passing of their father in 1831, Paul, Jr. and John bought the Northbridge Manufacturing Company. Paul's two other younger sons, Charles and James, would later join P. Whitin & Sons. In 1864, the four brothers dissolved P. Whitin & Sons and sold the company store to their cousin, Paul Whitin Dudley, which was renamed P. W. Dudley & Company. Paul, Jr., John, Charles, and James went on to form their own companies. P. Whitin & Sons had also manufactured cotton machinery. James had invented a cotton picker machine that outperformed previous models. This invention helped propel his business, Whitin Machine Works (WMW), into prominence as one of the world's largest textile machinery companies. WMW, or "The Shop" as known to locals, was a mainstay in Whitinsville until 1966 when it was sold to White Consolidated Industries (WCI; formerly White Sewing Machine Company). In 1986, WCI was acquired by Electrolux, which operates to this day as a leading appliance manufacturer.. Ephemera. Book Condition: Collectible-Fine. Binding: No Binding

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