Illinois Bunn Special Serial Numbers

JeffPo's Pocket Watch Page Last update:  10/03/ 16 Today, with electronic communications and devices, companies can easily direct and keep up with their railroad traffic. But in the 1800s and the first half of the 1900s, railroads were more dependent on time tables and schedules. Train engineers and conductors knew that they had a certain allotted time for their train to be on a certain section of track. After that, it could be occupied by another train. Nothing worse than two trains trying to be on the same piece of track at the same time. Train workers relied heavily on their timepieces.  While the common man, and lady, depended on their pocket watch to be relatively close to the correct time, those used by railroad conductors were some of the most accurate timepieces of their era.

The Illinois Pocket Watch Company is well described in this story written in 1913. This was from a paper handed to me by a colleague who discovered it by chance several years ago. No author I'm afraid, but it is a fascinating read.

In 1869 the attention of a number of public spirited citizens and capitalists of Springfield was called to the great advantage which would result to the city from the establishment and conduct of manufacturing industries. Even in those days men who were what we now term promoters were keenly active in various lines, and one of the pioneers in this profession was Mr. He came to Springfield in 1869 and pointed out the benefits to the city, and the very possible and probable profits to be secured for the stockholders, of a company organised for the manufacture of watch movements.

Attention was directed to the benefits which would come to the city in the establishment of an industry in which the chief expense of production was the high wages paid to skilled labor and in the bringing to the city of a large number of skilled mechanics and their families. Serial eeprom programmer arduino. As a result of these representations the SPRINGFIELD WATCH COMPANY was organized in 1869 with a capital stock of $100,000.00, with John T.

This is a size 16, Illinois Bunn Special 23 jewel Sixty Hour, stem wind and lever set, Type III, model 14. The movement was just serviced and the watch is keeping time. Housed in a nice Bunn Special case with excellent covers. The Burlington Special was actually made by the Illinois Watch Company. The Bunn Special was a railroad grade and railroad approved movement. Watch Serial Number Dates (Waltham, Hamilton) Determine year of manufacture.

Stuart as President, W.B. Miller, Secretary and a Board of Directors consisting of John W. Bunn, George Passfield, John Williams, George N. Black, and the President and Secretary. After accomplishing these preliminary steps Mr. Adams visited, and engaged Otis Hoyt to take charge of the train room, W.T. Dean as die maker, C.E.

Mason for the escapement department, D.G. Currier for model maker and finishing room, and George White as pattern maker.

They came to Springfield in April 1870 and began work on the machine shop tools in a temporary shop, as it was found necessary to build the machine shop tools, that being the quickest way to get them at that time. Bigelow came from the Company to act as Superintendent and held the position until July 1873. The plant of the company was located upon fourteen acres of ground just outside the (then) city limits of Springfield, on North Grand Avenue, between Ninth and Eleventh Streets, the property being purchased from Henry Converse for cash.