5000 Pieces of History

Discussion in 'Buy Sell Trade' started by FishbonzWV, Jul 24, 2019.

  1. FishbonzWV

    FishbonzWV Silver Banner Member

    I saw an ad on FB Marketplace. I'm not much of a FB user but this caught my eye.

    https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/688797768212609/

    I sent the guy my phone # and he called me. What I got from him is they found a bunch of patterns in a barn, stored in gunny sacks. He's trying to sell them as folk art pieces. He said they came from a steamboat factory so I researched for it. Turns out it was Marietta Manufacturing Co.

    https://www.theclio.com/web/entry?id=8504

    Here's the list of hulls and such.

    http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/large/marietta.htm

    I asked if they were matched up and figured most would have core boxes. The answer was no, we've got them laid out in a warehouse.
    Well, how many do you have? Oh, about 5,000 or so. Do you want to buy them all?
    What's the size of them? From 2 inches to 7 feet.

    Located in Point Pleasant, W. Va. on the Ohio River.
     
  2. Jason

    Jason Gold

    Any cleats in there???

    5-Inch-Bronze-Cleat-Ship-Boat-Dock-Chock.jpg
     
  3. FishbonzWV

    FishbonzWV Silver Banner Member

    I don't know, I haven't made it there to see what's available.
    I was hoping there would be a steam whistle pattern in the lot but who knows.
    Out of all the patterns, he did say there was the thing you tie a boat up with. I said "a cleat?" and he replied, "I don't know what you call it". The factory originally made boiler plate and bollards so it could have been the bollard pattern.
    Do you need cleats?

    Through the research I've done on the company, I found an article that stated they built a brass foundry on the site when they relocated to the West Virginia side of the river.
    I've seen two of the tugs in the hull registry many times, the Miss Sterling and the Herbert E Jones. They were regulars, moving freight up and down the Kanawha River.
     
  4. Jason

    Jason Gold

    Not really any more.... I was stupid and sold a big old bronze cleat on fleabay. It was before I started casting. I dumped mine because I only had one.

    If I was a certain navy dude in JAX, I'd be cranking out bronze cleats by the truckload. Old designs bring big bucks!!!! hint* hint*
     

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