Barbed Wire Collection Display, Patented 1868 - 1894

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Artifact Overview

Inventors received hundreds of patents for barbed wire during the late 1800s. Some innovators created strands of fencing with sharp metal points cut into the wire; others incorporated small wire spurs twisted and attached to the wire to create a painful barrier. Each inventor believed their variation made the best fencing to keep livestock out of crop fields or confine them to pastures.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Showcase

Date Made

1876-1881

Creator Notes

Display made by Ed Mulcrone of Hometown, Illinois. Barbed wires found in display made by numerous makers and patent date ranges from 1868 - 1894.

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

89.4.9

Material

Wood (Plant material)
Metal
Paint (Coating)

Color

Yellow (Color)
Orange (Color)
White (Color)
Black (Color)
Red

Dimensions

Height: 42 in (Closed)
Width: 22 in (Closed)
Length: 5 in (Closed)

Inscriptions

on left display board: WARNING PLATE / KNICKERBOCKER PAT. 1876 NEW LENOX, ILL. / STOVER CLIP PAT. 1875 FREEPORT, ILL. / H. SCUTT'S V-PLATE PAT 1878 JOLIET ILL. / KELLY'S DIAMOND - POINT PAT. 1868 N.Y. N.Y. / KELLY'S DIAMOND - CRIMPED PAT. 1868 N.Y. N.Y. / FRENTRESS DIAMOND - SPLIT PAT. 1875 DUNLEITH, ILL. / CRANDAL'S "CHAMPION" TWO WIRE PAT. 1879 CHICAGO, ILL. / RITER'S DOUBLE - EDGE PAT. 1886 BROWNVILLE, IND. / HODGE'S SPUR - WHEEL 10 PT. PAT. 1887 BELOIT, WIS. / HODGES SPUR TWISTED 10 - POINT VARIATION / BROTHERTON STAPLED ON WOODEN BLOCK / HUFFMAN'S FLATTENED PAT. 1889 FRIEND, NEBR. / HAISH'S PPARALLEL PAT. 1885 DE KALB, ILL. / FRYE'S PARALLEL PAT. 1878 MARSHALLTOWN, IOWA / BURNELL'S PARALLEL PAT. 1877 MARSHALLTOWN, IOWA on right side display board: STRAND LINK + SAWTOOTH / USED ROCK SAW WIRE - HIGH TINSEL / ELECTRIC FENCE "SIX-IRON STRAND WIRE'S" [sic] / CLEAVELAND'S "4 STRAND BRAID" 1892 INDY, IND. / ROCK SAW WIRE USED AS FENCING / GLIDDEN'S FOUR STRAND WITH TWO POINTS / GLIDDEN'S 7 STRAND 1 - LINE WIRE PAT. 1874 DE KALB, ILL. / POOLER - JONES THREE POINT PAT.1876 SERENA, ILL. / CURTIS TWISTED RIBBON PAT. 1894 WORCESTER, MASS. / CLOTHE'S [sic] LINE LINKS MADE IN COLORADO / CRANDAL'S TELEGRAPH SPLICE PAT. 1881 CHICAGO, ILL. / BUCKTHORN MEDIUM WIDTH N.Y. N.Y. / T. V. ALLIS "BUCKTHORN" PAT. 1881 NEW YORK, N.Y. / ALLIS SAW TOOTH WIRE PAT. 1881 N.Y. N.Y. / SAW TOOTH RIBBON WIRE ROUND POINT / LARGE SAW TOOTH RIBBON TWISTED WIRE handwritten on side: WARNING PLATE / STRAND LINK + SAWTOOTH