AJ Tower Co Boston- Button

[SearchNSoCal]

19Feb12- Pacific Beach 3:00pm found an AJ Tower Co Boston, button. I'm stoked.

 

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[SearchNSoCal]

Here's a pic...I enhanced it to bring out details.

 

[jibb]

Congrats! What is aj tower?

 

[SearchNSoCal]

Congrats! What is aj tower?

I found this on another forum during my search it had a pic that matched my find. If anyone has anything to add, I'd be way appreciative.

"I did a Google-search for "A.J. Tower Co." ...and found several sites which date that company to doing business in Boston between 1904 and the 1930s (and perhaps later). The A.J. Tower Co. was a maker of coats, particularly of heavy raincoats/rainslickers, such as the US Navy used ...but it did not manufacture the metal buttons for those coats.

Backmarks that are written in "incised" (not raised) marking showing "plain" block letters (the shape of the letters on a Lincoln penny's front) are almost always from the early 20th-century or later, though a few are from the 1880s/90s."

And...

"I have 2 A.J. Tower Co. slickers: one is a 51 Pommel slicker and the other is a Y121 Reflex slicker (they both have the exact button you have pictured). My research has the company in business from the 1870's to at least 1946, when the company was involoved in a Supreme Court case. It is the maker of the old "Fish Brand " slicker the Texas cow boys had with them on the cattle drives. There are several reenactors supply websites that carry a fairly accurate reproduction of these slickers. If I can figure out how to attach photos, I can send some pictures of the slickers. Hope this helps.
"

And...

That is an A.J. Tower button

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

slicker with these buttons

 

[SearchNSoCal]

slicker with these buttons

That's the slicker! Nice. I wish I could accurately date this button it would make a great story for my silly friends at work.

 

[SearchNSoCal]

Congrats! What is aj tower?

I also found this ad from 1899: http://content.lib.washington.edu/u?/advert,336

 

[lost hunter]

cool

 

[JOE-DIRTDIGGER]

NICE HISTORY OF THE MANUFACTURE
GOOD FIND

 

[SearchNSoCal]

NICE HISTORY OF THE MANUFACTURE
GOOD FIND

Thanks Lost Hunter and Outlaw, I contacted a button society and they said they'll see what they can dig up...pun intended. I'll keep everyone posted so if anyone else finds one they will have an abundance of info.

 

[kuger]

NICE HISTORY OF THE MANUFACTURE
GOOD FIND

Thanks Lost Hunter and Outlaw, I contacted a button society and they said they'll see what they can dig up...pun intended. I'll keep everyone posted so if anyone else finds one they will have an abundance of info.

Have found bunches of em.I beleive they date a little earlier than your dates though

 

[SearchNSoCal]

NICE HISTORY OF THE MANUFACTURE
GOOD FIND

Thanks Lost Hunter and Outlaw, I contacted a button society and they said they'll see what they can dig up...pun intended. I'll keep everyone posted so if anyone else finds one they will have an abundance of info.

Have found bunches of em.I beleive they date a little earlier than your dates though

Really? That would be awesome, I hate to sound like a noob but I'm really excited about my find. ha! I was reading today that Wyatt Earp lived in San Diego during that period...I started day dreaming about how it could've easily come from someone who knew him or worked with him or even him! Haha, I know that's a stretch but the time period is right. To date this is my best find so forgive me if I get all nerdy.

 

[kuger]

NICE HISTORY OF THE MANUFACTURE
GOOD FIND

Thanks Lost Hunter and Outlaw, I contacted a button society and they said they'll see what they can dig up...pun intended. I'll keep everyone posted so if anyone else finds one they will have an abundance of info.

Have found bunches of em.I beleive they date a little earlier than your dates though

Really? That would be awesome, I hate to sound like a noob but I'm really excited about my find. ha! I was reading today that Wyatt Earp lived in San Diego during that period...I started day dreaming about how it could've easily come from someone who knew him or worked with him or even him! Haha, I know that's a stretch but the time period is right. To date this is my best find so forgive me if I get all nerdy.

Nothing nerdy about it,its a passion for history,and a find to be proud of.I want to say,your numbers are right..I had it in my mind they were a bit older

 

[SearchNSoCal]

This 1929 article should put the date right between 1839-1945ish:

http://books.google.com/books?id=gh...#v=onepage&q=aj tower slicker buttons&f=false

Hope this has helped or will help anyone else in the future who finds or owns one of these buttons. As for me I think I'll frame mine and add a clipping of this article and hang it on my wall.

I can't wait for my next relic! Happy hunting everyone!

 

[CC Hunter]

The A.J. Tower / Wire Fastened buttons, will likely date from the 1880's period and later.

These are from water-proof overcoats made by the Abner J. Tower Company of Boston Massachusetts.

 

[CC Hunter]

Additional information on site context recovery from the Red River War:

http://books.google.com/books?id=eA...bVgsAb0R-gkXOAbZxV1Eumq2ak&hl=en&sa=X&ei=o_RF

The A.J. TOWER CO.BOSTON marked buttons, versus TOWER'S WIRE FASTENED marked buttons, may be of a different time period, in the company's long history.

CC Hunter

 

[SearchNSoCal]

Thanks CC Hunter that is what I've been looking for...

 

[kenstein]

Thanks for the photo and the info. I too found one of these today (northeast Texas). I will post any info I can find.

 

[creskol]

See this previous thread: http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/147873-what.html

 

[cs70]

Hello everyone... just found one of these in Northwest Florida and this thread was the reason I was able to ID it. Should I post a new thread with pics?