The Old Hoe Washington serial number list
Back when Hoe was in receivership, I think it was, someone from Hoe sent around to a few people a list of serial number of Hoe Washingtons and the years blocks of number were made. Does anyone here have a copy of that list that they could share with me? (I thought I had saved one but I can’t find it.) I considered the list “spurious” because the list showed that Hoe made exactly 150 presses each year between 1835 and whenever the list stopped. Hoe built Washingtons until into the 1920s as far as I know and the highest number I have found is 6684 (if aged memory serves). I tried to compose a list that took account of economic conditions between 1835 (when Hoe acquired the Washington) and the 1920s). But I failed to save a copy of that earlier list. It appears that Hoe did keep a serial number list (referenced in a letter) but it apparently included Smith presses also. I want to compare the extant Hoe list.
Bob Oldham, Ad Lib Press
Steve Saxe and I had a conversation about that list and came to the conclusion that list was bogus. I think it was 75 presses a year and not 150 but whatever, it didn’t make good sense. My old Hoe double medallion was number 1550 and the list said it was made in 1827. Hoe wasn’t making double medallion presses that early.
I may have that list. I’ll have to do a deep dive into my files to see if I can locate it.
Excerpt from a copy of a letter from “Wood-Hoe Division/Wood Industries” to Mr Al Meier, Muncie (IN) Newspapers:
(“Your press 2066 mfg 1843” scrawled at top of letter copy)
“I am sorry we cannot give you very much information about this particular press, as the early records of The Hoe Company are no longer in existence.
The record of serial numbers, which we do have in our possession, shows that more than 5,400 Washington Hand Presses were built by Hoe between 1828 and 1870, The serial number of your machine, No. 3277, indicates that it was manufactured in the year 1853.
“There are several versions of how this press came to be known as the “Washington” press, but the one that seems to be given most often by some of the “old timers” from Hoe is that quite a few of these presses were purchased and used by The Government Printing Office, therefore the connotation “Washington”.”
5400 presses in 42 years = 128/year.
This is “the best evidence we have”?????
I think the best we can do at this point is find R. Hoe presses with known histories and chart their purchase dates and serials. From this we may be able to build a more useful framework to date the rest of our presses. Are there any presses with solid documentation?
DGM