The firm of C.W. and J.A. Conant of Brandon, Vt., manufactured iron stoves for domestic use in cooking and heating. In the summer of 1837, the firm was superseded by Brandon Iron Company, and C.W. Conant may have severed his connection.

Scope and contents:

The Brandon Iron Company Records contain 23 letters written by John A. Conant on behalf of the firm C.W. and J.A. Conant (later Brandon Iron Company) to their retailer, Henry W. Miller, of Worcester, Mass. The letters are an excellent window onto the relations of wholesaler and retailer in the Early Republic, and contain good material on stove design and function. A series of three letters (3-5) provide a detailed discussion of a suit for infringement of patent rights, Stanley v. Town, concerning a stove manufactured by the Conants. Roger M. Sherman was hired as attorney for the defendants; whether he bears any relationship to Roger Sherman of Revolutionary War fame is not mentioned.

Provenance:

Acquired, 1987.

M-2102
Cat. 8/87; recat. 6/98

Subject index to the Brandon Iron Company Records

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