Watsontown Foundry Puppy Paperweights
Yesterday my husband bought me a couple of the Bucki Puppy paperweights "from the Watsontown Foundry".
I put that in quotes, because there are two popular misconceptions about these pups - 1. That Bucki refers to the Buck family (Norman Buck owned the Watsontown Hotel) and 2. That they were all made in Watsontown.
I do believe mine were made at the Watsontown Foundry. Most of the ones found locally probably were. But most antique collectors believe they were also made by Hubely in Lancaster, and Griswold, in Erie.
"Bucki" is for a popular brand of carbon paper and typewriter ribbons, made in 1900, made by the Buckeye Company. These pups were an advertising item for them.
The same pup design was used for many other companies as well. most popular are the Hines, and Griswold, versions. But there is also one for the Lehigh Valley Railroad!
The Watsontown Historical Society has an entire shelf of the pups, and uses them as game pieces for their Casino night fundraisers.
These collectible paperweights are primarily cast iron, for a variety of Companies. By far, the most prolific is the Bucki Carbon Ribbons, and Hines. There was also one made for the L.V.R.R. - Lehigh Valley Railroad! Other names I have seen include: St Louis Pups, Hines & Griswold. There are some marked with WTSN FNDRY.
Some are plain, others are painted.
Not all of the pups were made at the Watsontown Foundry.
The Griswold Manufacturing Company of Erie, Pennsylvania had two production runs of advertising Pups: the first in 1937 and the second in 1951. The 1937 version is rare, and very collectible. In 1951, three thousand of the pups were produces, and roughly 2,000 of those were handed out at the Centennial Parade in Erie on August 11 1951. There are many reproductions of the Griswold pups.
Many of the advertising pups are attributed as being made by the Hubley Manufacturing Company, which was incorporated in 1894 in Lancaster. Hubley began making cast iron toys, including dogs in 1909.
There are at least two versions of the Bucki Carbons Ribbons Pups. In one version the B in Bucki is above the A in Carbons. In another version were the B in Bucki is above and between the AR in Carbons. This makes me wonder if the two versions may have been produced at different locations.
We recently purchased a few from a local man, who in addition to the cast iron version, also had them in aluminum and bronze.
The Watsontown Foundry made a number of decorative items - including door stops, dogs, and a large fisherman. Some, but not all, of them are stamped with Watsontown Foundry.
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Watsontown Foundry Crew - Date unknown
The Watsontown foundry was founded in 1873.
A few years prior, in 1867 according to Watsontown Historically by Fred Knight, " Fegly and Dixon built a planing mill between Fourth and Fifth Streets and operated it for a short time. This was of short duration and for a number of years remained idle until it was taken over ty the Watsontown Car Mfg Company and then used by them for a foundry plant."
Read more about the Car Works here -
https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-watsontown-car-works.html
In 1903, William Leiser opened a foundry in the building to make small castings. C.A. Gibbs took over the operation in 1910, manufacturing stoves and furnaces.
In 1917, Iron Age Magazine reported that "The Berks Foundry & Machine Co, reading Pa, has acquired the plant of the Watsontown Foundry Co, Watsontown, which has been operating under lease." They cast "industrial and consumer products."
In 1947 the foundry buildings were completely rebuilt, with modern pouring equipment installed.
The lamp posts for Lewisburg's "famous three globe street lamps" were cast by the Watsontown Foundry each spring. The lamps, made of iron, were cast in the original molds designed by Westinghouse, and owned by Lewisburg. Several would be replaced each Spring, depending on need and condition. As of 1992, the only known to be from the original casting was the one located near 17 Market Street. Four Hundred and Twenty of the lamps lined the streets of Lewisburg in 1992.
The Watsontown Foundry was torn down in 2013.
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Other Foundries in Watsontown
An article in Foundry Magazine, 1924, mentions a fire at the "Jones foundry Co in Watsontown Pa. "
The fire at the Jones Foundry was one of a series of fires by an arsonist in 1924. Jones rebuilt in Riverside Pa.
I also have also found an envelope with the return address for the Susquehanna Foundry in Watsontown Pa.
READ MORE
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Car Builder’s Dictionary 1884 Revised and enlarged edition
Page 25 Pardee Car & Machine Works, Watsontown, Pa
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