Press Release: October 25, 2005

Internationally Important Museum Opens

In Western New York

          Americas CutleryMuseum has found a home in the historic Village of Cattaraugus.

          The Historic Southwestern New York Foundation is proud to announce the opening of the AmericanMuseum of Cutlery in the Village of Cattaraugus, in the foothills of the Allegany Mountain Region of Western New York State.  The AmericanMuseum of Cutlery intends to celebrate the histories of past, present, and future manufacturers and bring to life these histories by way of accumulating written, oral and photographic archives as well as examples of the cutlers works.  The AmericanMuseum of Cutlery intends to establish itself as an important research and educational facility and serve as the premier guardian of all of Americas edged tool and weapon manufacturing history for future generations.  The expansion of the museum research library consisting of past and present scholars works, book and periodical references, blacksmith ledgers, factory documents and records, personal interviews and photographs will be invaluable to this facility.

          The Historic Southwestern New York Foundation was chartered by the New York State Board of Regents and is incorporated under the laws and regulations of the New York State Education Department in order to conserve all facets of history in this historic part of SouthwesternNew YorkState, and neighboring regions including nearby Pennsylvania counties.   The Village of Cattaraugus was chosen as the site of the Foundations first project, which is to celebrate Americas rich cutlery history.

          The location of this unique museum in the small village of Cattaraugus, New York, rather than in many other worthy locations throughout America is no coincidence.   Within a 50-mile radius of Cattaraugus, approximately 150 different cutlery companies existed during nearly a 200 year period in our nations history.   These

individual and factory production numbers total into the hundreds of millions, and may rival or exceed all other cutlery regions of the world

including Sheffield, England and Solingen, Germany.   At one point Sheffield and Solingen workers transatlantic passage was paid by local manufacturers to the Western New York area to supply skilled workers for this burgeoning industry.

The Museum exhibits will display pre Columbian Native American edged tools and   weapons, proceed through hundreds of years of individual blacksmith efforts, and include small and large factories products.  These factories manufactured tens of millions of knives and swords and tools from locations throughout America.   Many important factories survive today.  Also, some of the most skilled and knowledgeable individual cutlers who ever lived are alive today, custom making jewelry quality knives one at a time for enthusiastic collectors.

Some local cutlery companies remain healthy and vibrant today with impressive    product offerings and sales figuresbrands such as W.R.Case & Sons, Camillus, Schatt and Morgan, Queen, Ontario,  KaBar, Cutco, Burrell, Oneida and others.

It is also no coincidence that Patrick J. Cullen, President of Bank of Cattaraugus in CattaraugusVillage, has been the driving force behind both the Foundation and Americas Cutlery museum.  This Bank itself is one of the oldest banks in America.  It was founded in 1882 and is directly related to two predecessor private banks that trace their origins to a local 1838 Banking partnership.   Bank of Cattaraugus financed Cattaraugus Cutlery Company, J.B.F. Champlin and Son, Case Brothers Cutlery Company, W.R. Case and Sons Cutlery Company, The Ten Eyke Edge Tool Company and numerous others.  One of Cattaraugus Bank Presidents owned the United States Edged Tool Company.  The Bank today still has some historic knife makers and descendents as customers.    

          An initial quality demonstration museum has recently opened at 9 Main Street in a historic brick building where knives were once offered for sale when the building was constructed in 1888.   Plans are underway for fundraising and construction of a 4-story museum building adjacent to a similar sized hotel that was constructed in 1890 and is being incorporated into the museum complex.  The complex will house an extensive museum collection with interactive displays, historic reconstructed manufacturing shops and include teaching facilities.  Also being restored is a nearby 1909 multi-use theatre that will help to round out the educational component of the project.

          While several years worth of efforts by the all-volunteer trustees and committees have resulted in this success, so much more now needs to be done which is time critical.    Proper documentation of the importance of cutlery items and history needs to be acquired soon before the owners pass on.   Photographing Grandma with her quilting scissors, or Dad with the knife that he carried in the war or the bayonet that saved his life, or his grandfathers Civil War sword, or " I worked at XYZ factory and ..." or "Here is the axe that cleared the land for our family farm", or "Heres the ledger from our familys blacksmith shop" etc.   Photographs, along with written paragraphs or articles, then transform the inanimate piece of metal into an important artifact that enriches the fabric of our American History.                                                                                                                                                     

          Each cutler throughout history has a story.  Oral history is very important.  We need to hear stories like the one we heard recently, when the granddaughter of an axe factory worker told us how in the 1890s her seven uncles had their own baseball team and they used axe handles because they couldnt afford bats.   Teams from all over came to challenge them but they couldnt be beat.                                                      

          Family and factory records need a home.  Please provide the museum with copies of your documentation efforts or entrust us with the originals.  The AmericanMuseum of Cutlery intends to be the facility to accommodate those stories, conserve production efforts and be both a research facility, and a teaching facility for present and future generations.  With museum and bank vaults available, your history has found a home.    

          Edged implements fed our earliest peoples, cleared our forests, made our clothes, were at the side of our nations explorers and sportsmen; and edged weapons continue to maintain our freedoms.

          The AmericanMuseum of Cutlery seeks financial donations from individuals and foundations as well as volunteers to assist in carrying out our mission.   Please visit your Museum or contact us at any time.  The museum is open at 9 Main Street in CattaraugusVillage on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m.    Admission is Free. Groups are welcome by appointment.

American Museum of Cutlery

9 Main Street

Cattaraugus, New York14719

Patrick J. Cullen, Museum Curator

716-257-9813; 716-257-3431

AMCUT.ORG

HSWNYF.ORG