H.C. Marsh Tool Co. was formed in 1888 by Horace Clarence Marsh. The manufacturing plant was located at 220 Race power Water Street. This area was in the original Rockford Industrial Center adjacent to the Rock River.
The primary product in the early years was the famous Marsh Picture Frame Mitre Vise. This was patent No. 408,248 granted August 6, 1889. A line of high-quality cast iron mitre boxes was also manufactured by this firm.
More Marsh Picture frame images are here
Excerpt from PATENTED TRANSITIONAL & METALLIC PLANES IN AMERICA, VOLUME II.. Roger K. Smith, 1992.
In 1908, the company incorporated with a capital stock of $25,000 and they employed fifteen workers. Some other products were pneumatic tools including dental equipment and a machine for rubbing furniture.: Sometime prior to 1920, they decided to venture into the plane manufacturing business apparently because most of the Bailey and other patents on the Stanley block and bench planes had expired. Marsh manufactured a line of block planes, bench planes, scrapers, etc. similar to Stanley’s design. Bench planes of the No. 2 size through the No. 8 are known. They were produced with both smooth and corrugated bottoms. The planes are of high quality and similar to Stanley’s equivalent planes, except they have a side bearing between the bottom and the frog rather than a central rib bearing.
A Marsh #5 C —>
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