Issue #114 – October 2021

$6.00

• Two Styles of Great Wheels From Virginia
• A Comparison of Accelerating Wheel Heads on Canadian Wheels
• More About Azel Wilder

Description

Highlights From This Issue

As more spinning wheels are found and collected, we can expand our knowledge of the different styles by comparisons. In this issue we study the characteristics of two types of great wheels from Virginia and expand our knowledge of accelerating wheel heads found on Canadian great wheels. The discovery of an old document adds to our knowledge of an early wheel-head maker.

Two Styles of Great Wheels From Virginia

Patricia Bingham has been fortunate to acquire six great wheels in Virginia. They represent two very distinct styles. One wheel is marked W. FITZ for William Fitz or Fitch [d. 1814] who has been researched. The Fitz-style wheels are relatively plain. But there is another group with much more ornate turnings. She discusses the characteristics of each group and wonders if there is a connection between them.

A Comparison of Accelerating Wheel Heads on Canadian Wheels

Building on the work done by Alvin Ramer and others in earlier issues of SWS, Todd Farrell reports on accelerating wheel heads he has found on great wheels in Canada. He presents a half dozen wheel heads that he has studied.

More About Azel Wilder

When Carlton Stickney saw an old document on eBay that mentioned both Amos Miner and Azel Wilder, he hit the “buy now” button. He shared a photocopy of it with me. I transcribed it with help from him and Craig Evans. It is an indenture between Azel Wilder of Cheshire County, NH, and James Porter of Onondaga, NY, dated 23 August 1820. It raises several questions about early wheel-head production rights but also explains another document that we know about.