The Ashton Valve Company 1871

Trade journal covers pt 3

Test gauges were available in a couple of different styles.
The Dead Weight tester, which are still used to this day, was one of the most popular for accuracy.

A little more information about the Dead weight tester

Part 3 of the Dead weight tester information.

They also offered a few gage testers in different styles.

Some test gage pieces from my collection.

This gage is for testing the accuracy of vacuum gages.

And a few other types of testers.

Ashton Valve and WWII.
Many factories were purchased by the War Department during WWII and used to manufactures materials for the war effort. The Ashton Valve company was one of those. The continued to make gauges and safety valves, but now exclusively for Naval ships.

The Defense Plant Corporation was the branch of the government assigned to this task. Here's a link to more information about them and a couple of letters that show the Ashton Valve's involvement

http://what-when-how.com/the-american-economy/defense-plant-corporation-dpc/

World War II brought major changes to Ashton Valve and the company ceased to be a family run business. In 1942
the Defense Plant Corporation bought the company and merged it with the Crosby Valve company. The US
government had set up the Defense Plant Corporation to help with the War effort by purchasing factories to supply
the military. Ashton and Crosby produced safety valves and gauges for the duration of the war. The business was run
out of the Ashton building in Cambridge. When the war ended in 1945, Ashton Valve was sold to Dewey Stone, who
owned a number of companies including Converse rubber. Stone also purchased Crosby Valve in 1946 and in 1948
the to companies were moved to the old Winter Brothers tap and die facility in Wrentham Ma. The last gauges with
the Ashton Valve name were produced in 1978. The Wrentham building was torn down in 2012 and Crosby still
produces safety valves under the Emerson brand.

The company had many patents over the years. Here are a few of them

And a few more patents.

The last few.

An interesting sales letter from 1897. It looks like a form letter with the address of the company being approached typed in at a later date

It's time to meet some of the company's employees.

Henry Ashton, founder of the company(first 2 pictures, with full beard)

Albert C Ashton Henry's oldest son who took over running the business after Henry's passing in 1895.

Albert C Ashton

Harry Ashton Another son of Henry, he started out in sales but after Albert died moved into administration also.

Columbus Dill He was in the sales department and according to many journal reports he was a real character.

Fred Casey A vice president and long serving employee.

J.R. Motherwell Another VP of the company.

Frank Corbert Another sales associate who, according to journal reports was an excellent singer!

W.H. Foster In sales also.

The Trade journals of the day often featured various sales people at conventions and meetings and the attachment below is a great caricature.

The last picture shows two Ashton employees participating in a baseball game at one of the conventions. Taken in 1909.

In 1900 The US was negotiating trade treaties with other countries, including France, to reduce the tariffs and sell more US goods overseas. Many US firms contacted the President, McKinley, to express their support for a new treaty. Ashton Valve was one of them.