John Francis Hemenway

John Francis Hemenway

John Francis Hemenway was the founder of the Smith & Hemenway tool company.

Biography

He was the son of Lucy Francis and Seneca C. Hemenway and was born in Onondaga County, New York.

He and Landon P. Smith organized the Smith & Hemenway Company. They bought the Maltby-Henley Company, the Bindley Automatic Wrench Company, Smith & Patterson, and the Windsor Hardware Corporation.^[1][2]

In 1925 ownership of the company was in dispute.^[3] He retired in 1926 and Landon P. Smith bought his shares in the company.^[4]

References

1. "John Francis Hemenway". Prominent and progressive Americans. 1905. John Francis Hemenway, now a conspicuous figure in the New York business world, comes of fine old English ancestry, and is the son of Seneca C. and Lucy (Francis) Hemenway. He was born at Amber, in Onondaga County, New York, and received the best education the local public schools afforded, which was supplemented with a course of study under private tutors. Thus prepared for business life, he first turned his attention to telegraphy, and for some time was an operator in the employ of the Western Union and other companies. He also had some experience in practical railroad work. ...
2. "Trade notes". Telephone magazine. 1898. Retrieved 2010-11-24. The Smith & Hemenway Company, New York, last month acquired the hardware branch of the Maltby, Henley Company's business, together with all good will, trade-mark, and unfilled orders. The Maltby, Henley Company and its predecessors have been in business a long time, and while the Smith & Hemenway Company is comparatively young, it will undoubtedly continue to receive the large patronage the old firm enjoyed.
3. "Smith & Hemenway Head Charges Associate With Neglect". New York Times. September 29, 1925. Retrieved 2010-11-24. Differences between the two owners of the stock of Smith Hemenway Company, Inc., manufacturers of tools, led to the appointment yesterday by Supreme Court Justice Wasservogel of Charles L. Hoffman as referee on Nov. 25 to hear all persons interested to determine whether or not the corporation should be dissolved.
4. "Change in Smith & Hemenway Co., Manufacturer of "Red Devil" Tools". Engineering world. 1926. Retrieved 2010-11-24. The retirement of JF Hemenway is announced by Smith & Hemenway. His entire interests have been purchased by Landon P. Smith, president. Mr. Smith will continue in the ...