Edwards & Chamberlin Hardware Co. Collection
Scope and Contents
According to the Ross Coller file, the firm became known as Edwards and Chamberlin in June, 1889 when Charles Chamberlin purchased the interest of L.J. Steward in the A.K. Edwards and Company. At that time the company was located at 130 W. Main which was on the north side of West Main just east of Rose Street. They later moved across the street to the south side a little farther east. Four years later the company purchased the hardware firm of Chase H. Dickinson and moved to the Dickinson location at the Waterbury Block at the southeast corner of North Burdick and East Water Street. In 1908, the Edwards and Chamberlin moved to a newly constructed building on the north side of East Michigan at the intersection of Portage Street and remained in business until 1931.
Dates
- Creation: 1911-1931
Creator
- Edwards & Chamberlin Hardware Co. (Kalamazoo, Mich.) (Creator, Organization)
Extent
0.25 Cubic Feet
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The collection is composed of materials from the Edwards and Chamberlin Hardware Company, a Kalamazoo firm in business from 1889 until 1931. The materials date from 1911 until 1931.
Physical Description
The collection amounts to .25 cubic feet and is composed of a variety of materials including stockholders' and board of directors' minutes, stockholders' proxies, various lease agreements, a product catalog and other miscellaneous items from the Edwards and Chamberlin Hardware Company, which existed from 1889 until 1931. The items themselves date from 1911 to 1931. For the most part, the collection is in good shape. A few of the papers are yellowed and brittle at the ends. Almost all of the pages are typed and in some cases signed. The stockholder proxies have stamps affixed to them. The Board of Directors minutes were typed and glued into the book which is 10”x8”. The book is worn, the spine cover is gone and the cover is curved. The catalog's leather cover is separated and has some pieces broken away. The name "A.K. Edwards" is stamped in the lower right hand corner. The spine is worn but it is in a protective box.
Subject
- Chamberlin Hardware Co. (Kalamazoo, Mich.) (Organization)
- Edwards & Chamberlin Hardware Co. (Kalamazoo, Mich.) (Organization)
- A.K. Edwards and Co. (Kalamazoo, Mich.) (Organization)
- Chase H. Dickinson (Person)
- Steward, L.J. (Person)
- Chamberlin, Charles (Person)
- Title
- Edwards & Chamberlin Hardware Co. Collection Finding Aid
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Lynn Houghton
- Date
- 2012-01-03
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Western Michigan University Archives & Regional History Collections Repository
Charles C. and Lynn L. Zhang Legacy Collections Center
1650 Oakland Drive
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5307 US
(269) 387-8490
arch-collect@wmich.edu