RG 015/03 Washburn Shops WPI History Collection - Washburn Shops Scope and Content RG 015/03 These materials document much of the history of the Washburn Shops, from its beginnings until the Shops closed in 1955. There are records of the Shop Committee from 1894-1914. There are financial reports from 1873-1937. Also included are Shop Catalogs, reports from shop superintendents and teachers, an early grade book, a scrapbook of ads, and photographs of products and work in the shops, as well as drawings of shop products. There are catalogs and brochures and two notebooks, at least one of which belonged to L. W. Rawson, long-time shop superintendent. There are agreements between Washburn Shops and clients. This collection also includes two drawing stands and some medals and metal labels which were attached to items made in the Shops. None Series I: Records of the Shop Committee, 1894-1910 RG 015/03_01 Committee Records Box 01 Folder 01 1894 Letters to Charles H. Morgan, Chair of Shop Committee (most are from President Mendenhall re. building of President's house) Box 01 Folder 02 1895 Letters to Charles H. Morgan, 1895 Box 01 Folder 03 1896 Letters to Charles H. Morgan, 1896 Box 01 Folder 04 1897 Letters to Charles H. Morgan, 1897 Box 01 Book 01 6/1/1906-6/1/1907 Records of the Purchasing Committee, 6/1/1906-6/1/1907 Box 01 Book 02 1907-1908 Report of the Shop Committee, 1907-1908 Box 01 Book 03 1908-1909 Records of the Meetings of the Shop Committee, 1908-1909 Box 01 Book 04 1909-1910 Records of the Meetings of the Shop Committee, 1909-1910 Page 1
Series II: Records of the Shop Committee, 1910-1914 RG 015/03_02 Committee Records Box 02 Book 05 7/1/1910-7/1/1911 Records of the Meetings of the Shop Committee, 7/1/1910-7/1/1911 Box 02 Book 06 7/1/1911-7/1/1912 Records of the Meetings of the Shop Committee, 7/1/1911-7/1/1912 Box 02 Book 07 7/1/1912-7/1/1913 Records of the Meetings of the Shop Committee, 7/1/1912-7/1/1913 Box 02 Book 08 7/1/1913-7/12/1914 Records of the Meetings of the Shop Committee, 7/1/1913-7/12/1914 Series III: Financial Reports 1873-1937 RG 015/03_03 Box 03 Folder 01 1873-1901 Bound book of yearly financial reports, 1873-1901 Business Records Box 03 Folder 02 Box 03 Folder 03 Box 03 Folder 04 1873-1899 Yearly financial reports, 1873-1899 includes "27 years compared 1869-1896" and "24 years compared 1869-1893" 1900-1924 Financial reports - 1900-1924 (missing some years) 1927-1937 Financial reports - 1927-1937 (missing 1933) Series IV: Reports, letters, policies, grade book, 1887-1920s RG 015/03_04 Box 04 Folder 01 1/1887-1/1903 Student marks - grade book, 1/1887-1/1903 Box 04 Folder 02 1891 Booklet - Letters from graduates on value of shop experience Box 04 Folder 03 4/14/1892 Letter to Trustees from M. P. Higgins re. reimbursement and shop profits Box 04 Folder 04 c. 1895 Shop Practice/Collections and Drafts Box 04 Folder 05 c. 1895 Report on Washburn Shops by W. F. Cole Box 04 Folder 06 1897-1920s Financial policies/orders, 1897-1920s Box 04 Folder 07 10/1904 Statement to Trustees by Milton P. Higgins Regarding shops' purpose and operations and note of Professor Roys Page 2
Box 04 Folder 08 1902-1912 Correspondence and time slip, 1902, 1907, 1912 Box 04 Folder 09 1921 Paper - "The Washburn Shops and Its Relation to Engineering Education" by William Bird; conversation between Prof. Bird and Prof. Roys, 1921 and Series V: Articles, 1874-1968 RG 015/03_05 Box 04 Folder 10 1874 and c. 1968 Articles on Washburn Shops elevators Publications Box 04 Folder 11 Jan.-June 1904 Notice of Washburn Shops catalog file, in American Machinist, Vol. 27 Box 04 Folder 12 7/1910 Article on Rawson's machine for mechanical frosting work from "Carborundum Doings", page 4, 7/1910 Box 04 Folder 13 June 1910 from "Factory", June 1910 Article on machine for spotting planed surfaces Box 04 Folder 14 7/2/1930 Report on Shop Courses at WPI, by Harold W. Dows Box 04 Folder 15 1931-1933 Correspondence and contract with Ralph E. Nesmith, and correspondence with H.S. Watson Co. Box 04 Folder 16 1931-1933 Report/internal correspondence (from Professor Roys) Box 04 Folder 17 1931 &1944 Shop Report 1931 & Extended 1944 Box 04 Folder 18 c. 1945-1955 Materials from John M. Bartlett, Jr., Superintendent of Shops, c. 1945-1950s Written history, news articles, brochures & catalogs Box 04 Folder 19 1938-1942 Personal Injury Claim against Washburn Shops by Joseph Conety Series VI: Catalogs, brochures, price lists, drawings, blueprints RG 015/03_06 Box 05 Folder 01 c. 1870s General catalogs Many styles, many incomplete, Box 05 Folder 02 (1 folded card) Products brochure Box 05 Folder 03 1917-1919 General catalog, effective 1917-1919 Box 05 Folder 04 c. 1932-1946 Price Lists & Brochures (these were in notebook labeled "Washburn Shops products active & inactive) Page 3
Box 05 Folder 05 c. 1890s, 1913-1937 Brochures, lists - Drill Grinders Box 05 Folder 06 1913-1926 & Brochures/directions/blueprint design - Drills Box 05 Folder 07, c. 1940s Wood trimmer, Tenon & Miter Cutter - No. 9 Box 05 Folder 08 Catalog, advertisements - Lathes Box 05 Folder 09, 1925, 1928 Brochures - Clutches & Couplings, drawing - disc slip clutch Box 05 Folder 10, c. 1940s Brochures - Rawson Coupling - Bulletins 120 & 130 Box 05 Folder 11 1931 Drawings, contracts, blueprints - Rawson Starters & Clutches Box 05 Folder 12 1930-1931 Blueprints, drawings photographs - Rawson Automatic Starter & Accelerating Clutch Box 05 Folder 13 1872 Brochure - Patent Adjustable Stand, patented 1872 Box 05 Folder 14 1911 Catalog - Drawing Stands - Catalog F Box 05 Folder 15 1950, 1953 Brochures/price lists - Drawing Stands & Drafting Tables Series VII: Notebooks, 1900-1925 RG 015/03_07 Box 06 Folder 01 1900-1914 Notebook Includes drawings, blueprints, photographs, catalogs, notes Notebook Box 06 Folder 02 c. 1915-1925 Notebook - L.W. Rawson Includes notes, drawings, prices Series VIII: Miscellaneous items RG 015/03_08 Box 06 Folder 03 1911 Writing re. Thesis: "Cost Study in Grinding & Turning" by Howard P. Chace & P.R. Crooker (study done at Norton Company) Box 06 Folder 04 1928, 1928-1931 Patents re. power transmitting mechanism & device [3--Allis Chalmers], Drawing - multi-disk oil clutch - Washburn Shops Box 06 Folder 05 1921 & 1923 Publications re. Grinding Wheels - "Grits & Grinds" and Norton Company Box 06 Folder 06 Index Table - Whiton Patent Automatic Gear Cutting & Hobbing Machine Page 4
Series IX: Photographs RG 015/03_09 Box 06 Folder 07 1931 Photographs - Rawson Starters & Clutches Photographic Print Box 06 Folder 08 c. 1910-1930 Album of L.W. Rawson - Photographs and brochures Series X: Scrapbook 1903-1904 RG 015/03_10 Box 07 - Drop-front Folder 01 1903-1904 Oversize scrapbook - Scrapbook of Shop Ads Box Scrapbook Series XI: Medals, 1870-1904 Box 08 - Drop-front 01 RG 015/03_11 1870 American Institute New York Medal, Commemorative Awarded to Washburn Machine Shop for an Engine Lathe and a Speed Lathe (in case in custom-made ) Box 08 - Drop-front 02 1876 International Exhibition, Philadelphia Awarded by United States Centennial Commission (in case in envelope) Box 08 - Drop-front 03 1876 International Exhibition, Philadelphia Awarded by United States Centennial Commission (in case in envelope) Box 08 - Drop-front 04 Box 08 - Drop-front 05 1887 Worcester Electrical Industrial Exhibition Awarded by E.H. Bigelow to Lombard Bigelow. Bigelow Rink opened from March 14 to April 25, 1887 (in small in envelope) 1901 Pan-American Exposition, Buffalo to Worcester Polytechnic Institute, (in inside microfilm ) Box 08 - Drop-front 06 1904 Box cover - Universal Exposition, Saint Louis (no medal found) Page 5
Series XII: Medals, 1938, 1940; Metal plates and Emblem RG 015/03_12 Medal, Commemorative Box 09 - Drop-front 07 1938 Medal honoring Charles L. Allen One of Norton Co. founders. Includes booklet about Charles L. Allen, Norton Co. [in in envelope] Box 09 - Drop-front 08 1940 Medal - Arnold Hoffman & Co., Inc. "Chemical Research for Plenty Health and Peace" [in in envelope] Box 09 - Drop-front 09 Dec. 5, 1911 Round plates to put on items made in the Shops "Made by Washburn Shops of the Worcestr Polytechnic Institute, Dec. 5, 1911" [in microfilm ] Box 09 - Drop-front 10 Small long plates to put on items made in Shops "Made by Worcester Polytechnic Institute Washburn Shops" [in microfilm ] Box 09 - Drop-front 11 [in envelope] Plates to attach items: "Income Account Milton P. Higgins Fund" Box 09 - Drop-front 12 Emblem - "Washburn Shops of the Polytechnic Institute" [mounted on wood with other emblems, with note from donor Al Papianou, in envelope] Page 6