Information Regarding R. Wallace & Sons Mfg. Co.

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F. A. Wallace, president of the R. Wallace & Sons Mfg. Co., Wallingford, was seen by a reporter in reference to the rumor that the company were to build an addition to their already large plant. Mr. Wallace , said that the matter was contemplated, but nothing definite had been decided as yet. The present plant was rather inadequate to the company’s needs. Many of the departments are verv crowded, and another building is made necessary by the steady growth of this gigantic plant. Architects have the matter now in hand.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 1st December 1897

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Mrs. Fred C. Wahl, North Farms, Wallingford, Conn., has announced the engagement of her daughter, Miss Ida J. Wahl, to Robert Fairchild, Newton, Conn., with the R. Wallace & Sons Mfg. Co., Wallingford, Conn.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 7th January 1920

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Stanley D. Hunt, died recently at his home in Columbia, Conn., following a short illness from pneumonia. He worked at the plant of the R. Wallace & Sons Mfg. Co., Wallingford, Conn., this Fall until he was called to join the navy, leaving for the training school in Newport, R. L, early in the Winter. He developed a case of tonsilitis and was sent to the hospital in Newport, but later was allowed to go home, where pneumonia developed, resulting in his death.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 30th January 1918

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R. Wallace & Sons Mfg. Company - Wallingford, Conn. - 1919

'DORCHESTER PATTERN'

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Wallace, Simpson & Co., 1869 - R. Wallace & Sons Mfg. Co., 1919

Among the well known silver plate manufacturing companies that trace their history back over a period of 50 years or more is that of R. Wallace & Sons Mfg. Co., Wallingford, Conn. This house was founded by Robert Wallace in 1835, the business at that time being conducted solely by himself. Later as the business increased a partner was taken and the firm became known as Robert Wallace & Co. The business was conducted under this name until 1865, when it, having become greatly enlarged, the capital stock which had heretofore been very small, was increased to $100,000 and the name Wallace, Simpson & Co. taken.

In 1871 Mr. Wallace purchased the interest of his individual partner, Mr. Simpson and with his two sons formed the new company, R. Wallace & Sons Mfg. Co. On the formation of this new concern other lines were added, the principal being that of sterling flatware and hollow ware. The business of Mr. Wallace and his associates had been theretofore entirely that of making German silver flatware, of which from 1835 until Jan. 1, 1897, over 5,000,000 dozen were manufactured. Of this enormous amount of spoons, forks, etc., not a single piece bore the Wallace name or trade mark, these goods having been made for other firms.

Under the careful management of Mr. Wallace and his successors the factory gradually grew until it now stands in the front ranks of spoon and flatware manufactories of to-day, employing many hundreds of hands and with a daily capacity of over 3,000 dozens of spoons, forks, etc., of this grade, and sterling silver spoons, forks, etc. Such was the growth of the small workshop with a capacity of but a few dozen spoons a day and these wrought with much labor and expense.

Robert Wallace, the founder of the German silver flatware industry of the United States, was born in Prospect, Conn., Nov. 13, 1815. The earlier part of his life was spent on his father's farm, until about 1831, when he became an apprentice to the art of making Britannia and pewter spoons. In 1833, when he was but 18 years of age, he hired an old grist mill in Cheshire, Conn., and began the manufacture of spoons on his own account. In 1835, when he had been in his small factory about a year he was shown by one of his patrons in New Haven, a spoon that was made of a metal new to both of them. It was called German silver. Dr. Feuchtwanger, an analytical chemist, was known to have brought a small bar of this metal from Germany. Mr. Wallace succeeded in purchasing this bar and carrying it to Waterbury, had it rolled and from the sheet made four dozen spoons. While in Waterbury he met a gentleman who had recently come from England and who had brought with him the receipt for making German silver. Mr. Wallace purchased the receipt and at once procured the necessary ingredients.

At about this time he moved his primitive factory from Cheshire to Wallingford, and there prepared to manufacture spoons and other flatware on a more extensive scale. Having then acquired all the ingredients required for making the German silver and having become settled in his new quarters he at once proceeded with the compounding of the metal.

Thus at Wallingford, under the personal supervision of Mr. Wallace, was made the first German silver or nickel silver manufactured in this country. Mr. Wallace was connected with the active management of the factory until the time of his death, which occurred Jan. 1, 1892.

The New York office of the concern was first opened at 23 Park place. This office was later moved to 226 Fifth St., then to 11 W. 32nd St., and is at present at 411 Fifth Ave. The Chicago office is at 10 S. Wabash Ave.

The officers and directors of the concern are president, F. A. Wallace; secretary, H. L. Wallace, treasurer; C. W. Leavenworth.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 5th February 1919

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An image of Frank A. Wallace, President of R. Wallace & Sons Mfg. Co.:



This image was published in 1920.

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R. Wallace & Sons Mfg. Company - Wallingford, Conn. - 1916

'ANDOVER PATTERN'

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Geo. M. Wallace, of R. Wallace & Sons Mfg. Co., returned Friday from a business trip to Hartford, Meriden and New York. “ Our people at the factory are well pleased with the outcome of the past year,” said he. “Our Chicago office had doubled its sales.” Arrangements have been practically completed to place Mr. Wallace in charge of the western interests of the Hartford Silver Plate Co., and the transfer will shortly be made.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular and Horological Review - 18th January 1893

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Wallace Company - Wallingford, Conn. - 1896

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At the meeting of the stockholders of the new Wallingford Metal Company, held recently, the stockholders elected the following directors: F. A. Wallace, Geo. M. Hallenbeck, J. W. Leavenworth, C. H. Tibbits, of Wallingford, and F. P. Welton, A. Kenworthy, A. H. Wells, R. D. Somers and I. N. Welton, of Waterbury. The plans of the new company were discusssed, but no final actions were taken other than the election of the directors. A special meeting of the directors will be called later to elect officers, and it is expected that the construction work on the new rolling mill will begin within a short time.

Source: The Metal Industry - November 1905

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World’s Columbian Exposition -1893

Wallingford, Conn , is well represented in the city. C. H. Tibbetts, from the office of Simpson, Hall, Miller & Co., accompanies Miss Bessie Hull. Herbert Atkinson, designer of hollow]ware, and wife, and John Clulee, flat ware designer, both with Simpson, Hall, Miller & Co., and Frank Talbot, with R. Wallace & Sons Mfg. Co., are interested in silver lines at the Fair.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular and Horological Review - 29th September 1893

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R. Wallace & Sons Mfg. Co. - Wallingford, Conn. - 1901

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R. Wallace & Sons Mfg. Co. - Wallingford, Conn. - 1922

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R. Wallace & Sons Mfg. Co. - Chicago - 1909

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Henry A. Norton, of the R. Wallace & Sons’ Mfg. Co., Wallingford, Conn., visited the Chicago office last week. Wm. P. Spencer, traveler for the Chicago office of this company; has returned from his trip in the south, where he has been for some time accompanied by Mrs. Spencer.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 10th April 1907

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Wallace Silversmiths - Wallingford, Conn. - 1948

'ROSE POINT'

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Thomas Scheffer of Meriden, Conn., who for the past eight years, has had charge of the plating department of R. Wallace & Sons of Wallingford, Conn., manufacturers of sterling silver and plated flat-ware and hollow-ware, has resigned his position with that company.

Source: The Brass World and Platers' Guide - February 1912

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The Wallace Company - New York - 1896

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Wallace Brothers - Wallingford, Conn. - 1952

'TRELLIS'

'FLEETLINE'

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In the borough court in Wallingford recently Samuel Isenberg, charged with receiving copper wire stolen from R. Wallace & Sons Mfg. Co., was found guilty on three counts.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 13th March 1907

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