 |
| Popular Mechanics, May 1932 |
And pipe wrenches.
 |
| ebay 2021-04-08 |
Sunday, August 16, 2015
On the Level: Mayes Brothers Tool Manufacturing Company, Port Austin, Michigan
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
|
| Popular Mechanics, May 1932 |
|
| ebay 2021-04-08 |
23 comments:
According to the 1900 Census, August would have been 14 in 1874. Kinda young for somebody making their own levels. Adverts from the 1930s say they were established in 1896, which makes more sense as August would have been 36 and the three brothers would have been infants.
I don't know how old my great grandfather was in 1874, but I do know my grandfather John Mayes was born in 1889 and passed in 1942
Hardware Reporter V 59, 1913 says they were operating in Detroit
Thanks!
My Grandfather Raymond Mayes had a level company (R Mayes and Son) in Detroit Michigan in the 1950's. Does anyone know ifif Raymond Mayes was originally part of the Mayes Brothers company in Port Austin Michigan?
Thanks for your question, hope someone knows!
I am not sure but I have been trying to see if there was a connection between R. MAYES Levels in Farmington, MI and Mayes Brothers in Port Austin, MI myself.
My R Mayes level shows the company in Lake Orign, MI written in Red right on the Level
Lake Orion
Sorry about my late response, but I just found this. I grew up in Port Austin. My father, Raymond J. Mayes, and my uncle Edwin Mayes owned and operated Winder's Products Co., which produced the glass vials that were incorporated into the levels (and some other equipment). They sold vials to Mayes Bros. Levels, and to Port Austin Level and Tool, as well as many other tool makers.
They sold the company, Winder's Products, to Bill Moyer (sp?) in the late 1980s or early 90s, I believe. I think it closed for good in the early 2000s.
I know our family was related to the family that owned Mayes Level, but for the life of me I can't remember the familial ties. My grandpa, who died before I was born, also owned the grocery store in Port Austin (an IGA for many years), and my grandma started the Tastee Freez in Port Austin, I believe after her husband passed.
Thanks to all who have contributed to this post. I have really enjoyed reading about the history of this business and its ties to Port Austin.
Great addition! Thanks for all the information. We'll get to the bottom of this!
very interesting I love family owned businesses the historical data is great thanks everyone
I love this stuff! But, all I wanna know is when were the no.10 black handled coping saws manufactured?
Im going through not just my own (age 53) but fads and grandfather's tools I keep in hand made wooden tool boxes made by them up to about 100 years ago.
I have fully operational modern shop but at least once a year I pick a restoration, or full build, of something wooden using only vintage to antique tools. Grandfather was a wood worker on 4 mast sailing ships and many of his wood working tools he made and the quality is amazing. Im pulling the last of the light hammers and saws from the shop and semi-retiring them to the "special boxes".
Im forced into retirement early and looking for a balance that fits safety and ability due to a 3x broken neck and while doing that im "rehabilitating" not restoring, the tools as needed. Ive become , according to those around my neck of the woods, a master at taking hand cut pieces of wood and creating handles for anything from a file to a pick and after years of making canes im blessed with the ability to "age" wood to appear original to pieces as far back to the 1850s so far. I was gifted two curved 1850s draw knives and they were a pleasure to use on a handle for an adz I made recently. I live in a historical, rural area and my light anvil hammer was a ball of rust a month ago and now is better than anything I would spend $ on in a store.
So im new here. Ive got a few years left say the doctors. Im juat looking for others who are into rehabbing tools and may have tips and tricks. Aside of what ive inherited i was an avid digger of ghost towns and have brought back to life many iron and wood tools, oil lamps, axes (love my axes) etc. So. If you've something to share in any way regarding mayes tools or any of the above hit me up. Thank you
Paul Mayes- It looks like your father and my grandfather, both named Raymond Mayes, are not the person. My theory is that my grandfather was the son of one of the Mayes Brothers. He split off and started R Mayes and Son Levels in Detroit (maybe Farmington), with his son, also named Raymond. The company went out of business late 50s.
My father is Clarence Mayes n my grandfather John took over n my uncle Dan n my dad moved the business to Johnson City! Still have 1 of the levels
August Mayes, my great grandfather was born in 1845 n started making levels when he was 18!
Raymond Mayes was my grandfather, John Mayes’s brother! If u google August Mayes u can actually find his obituary! My dad was Clarence August Mayes n his dad was John Mayes
I’m sorry! My grandfather was John Mayes not Raymond! Sorry
The level I have was manufactured by Raymond Mayes Sr. in Minden City, Mi in 1906. Mayes Bros Level Co. His son was my dad Raymond Mayes Jr. I visited a home they lived in Port Austin , Mi a few times.
Mike Mayes that sounds right from my recollection. Is your dad Richard or Greg Mayes ? (i think that was my Dads sons names )
Wow. I just jumped down this rabbit hole and it's nice to see there are others as confused as I am.
My Great Uncle by marriage was Leo C. Hasley of the Detroit MI area. He died in 1987 when I was a kid, but I remember his funeral. I also remember playing with the ridiculous number of mahogany wood blocks that he gave my parents. They always told me that they were cutoffs from the manufacture of levels. I found his obituary and it notes that he was the owner at some point of the "R. Mayes Level Company".
I also see a record of a corporation by that name having been incorporated from 1979 to 1982 in Lake Orion, MI. His son and my dad are cousins and grew up together. I'll ask my dad what he knows about it.
Ljs that is my grandfather! My dad, Clarence n Uncle Dan, were born in 1920! They were twins! My dad passed away in 1984! Just wondering how u r related
Post a Comment