Baggage Check Makers n Daters

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Edmund Hoole

Edmund Hoole started making baggage checks in the late 1860s. He continued to manufacture baggage checks until his company was absorbed by The American Railway Supply Co. in 1893.

It is quite common to see Hoole's patent "OCT 5-58" on checks not necessarily made by Hoole. This patent was for the "Reversible" baggage check. There is an example elsewhere on this sight that shows a matched pair of checks with a Robbins hallmark on one and Hoole's patent on the other. This is also further evidence that the two were in cahoots.

During these years of operation there are several know hallmarks for Hoole checks. There is a direct correlation between the hallmarks and the evolution of the company name. In 1873 the Company name was: The Hoole Baggage Check Company. By the 1880s the Company name was changed to: The Hoole Manufacturing Company. This is a great company to learn from in terms of the evolution of the hallmark they used and the chronology of the company itself. There are documents that exist from 1873 suggesting that Hoole cooperated with the John Robbins Co. of Boston in setting prices. These two companies sent notices to their customers with identical rate increase information.

Click here to see some interesting Hoole/Robbins documentation.

The following table was compiled from information obtained in the New York City Public Library (5th Ave @ 42nd Street).

Time Frame Address

1848/1849 no listing

1850/1851 Edmund Hoole Residence 179 William St., Business 122 William St.

1854 Edmund Hoole Engraver 175 William St Mt Vernon NY

1859/1860 Edmund Hoole 176 Williams St.

1863-1864 no listing Civil War service?

1865/1866 Edmund Hoole 171 Williams St.

1867 Edmund Hoole 171 Williams St.

1869 Edmund Hoole 75 Mercer St.

1870/1871 Edmund Hoole 75 Mercer St.

1875 Hoole Baggage Check Co. 75 Mercer St.

1883 Hoole Manufacturing Co. 46 Bond St.

1885 Hoole Mfg Co. 46 Bond St.

1891 Absorbed by American Railway Supply

1893 American Ry Supply successor to Hoole Mfg Co. 24 Park Place, NYC

1894 American Ry Supply successor to Hoole Mfg Co.

Hallmark Scarcity rating Image

E. HOOLE MT VERNON N.Y. 4

E. HOOLE 100 WM ST. N.Y. 4 see below

E. HOOLE WM ST. N.Y. 4

HOOLE N.Y. 4 see below

HOOLE MF'G CO. NEW YORK 1

HOOLE BAGG CHECK CO. 1

E. HOOLE N.Y. 2

Hoole Examples

E. HOOLE MT VERNON NY example
Philadelphia & Erie RR Local check. Mt Vernon must have been an early Hoole location. The P&E was a very old road. It's odd to see a Local with a Station designation. This check is an odd-ball.

E. HOOLE WM ST N.Y. example
An early Toledo Wabash & Western Railway check. The back has been incised (folk artitized) with the name F.J. SMITH. The stretch mark on this tag is because it was recycled after its original use into a device used by trappers to (1) hold the trap spring in place and (2) identify the owner of the trap. This has been verified by a collector who purchased a string of 5 traps, each of which had a baggage check attached to it. All of the checks that I have with names added to them have stretched out strap slots.

HOOLE BAGG CHECK CO. example
Pittsburgh Fort Wayne & Chicago Railway (Pennsy predecessor) Way check. So much for my theory that Way checks are a later form of the Local check! This is a fabulous shape, in excellent condition.

HOOLE MFG CO. NEW YORK example
A nice reversible passenger check from the New York West Shore & Buffalo to the Wabash St. Louis and Pacific via the Grand Trunk.

E. HOOLE N.Y. example
A Fonda Johnstown & Gloversville RR check. You would think that these would be very rare due to the size of the road, however, a number of these have surfaced over the years.

Hoole "shell" Check

Eastern RR shell example
The Eastern RR was absorbed by the Boston & Maine RR in 1885. That would make this a very early shell check. The hallmark is enlarged below.

Detail of hallmark from top of check.

"HOOLE NY" Hallmark

A new Hoole hallmark from a Civil War digger. Note that there is no "E" first initial. This baby
is definitely "dug", but a nice example. This check was found on the right of way of
the Alabama & Chattanooga Railroad. It existed from 1868 - 1877.

"E. HOOLE 100 WILLIAMS ST." Hallmark & "PAT APPLD FOR"

The reversible pair to the left are from the Southern Railroad of Mississippi. This road existed from 1852 - 1867. Note that the large bag check has a
metal strap retainer. These are found on very early (pre 1870 checks). The routing information is a single name on each side: New Orleans or Vicksburg
(on the reverse). This is another indication of age. This is the only hallmark I have for Hoole with 100 Williams St..
The check to the right says PAT. APPLD FOR. I believe that this is a pre 1860 interline tag. The WASHINGTON mark was double-struck. The reverse side has MEMPHIS. Although it was "dug", this is a rare example of a pre patent Hoole reversible check. Another indication of age is the lack of railroad routing information. If this check was
misplaced, how would a finder return it? I combined the image to demonstrate the identical "blank" size of the two revisable checks. If you ignore the
crescent cut-outs on the one on the right, it matches the exact size of the one on the left.

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Time Frame	Address
1848/1849	no listing
1850/1851	Edmund Hoole Residence 179 William St., Business 122 William St.
1854	Edmund Hoole Engraver 175 William St Mt Vernon NY
1859/1860	Edmund Hoole 176 Williams St.
1863-1864	no listing Civil War service?
1865/1866	Edmund Hoole 171 Williams St.
1867	Edmund Hoole 171 Williams St.
1869	Edmund Hoole 75 Mercer St.
1870/1871	Edmund Hoole 75 Mercer St.
1875	Hoole Baggage Check Co. 75 Mercer St.
1883	Hoole Manufacturing Co. 46 Bond St.
1885	Hoole Mfg Co. 46 Bond St.
1891	Absorbed by American Railway Supply
1893	American Ry Supply successor to Hoole Mfg Co. 24 Park Place, NYC
1894	American Ry Supply successor to Hoole Mfg Co.

Hallmark	Scarcity rating	Image
E. HOOLE MT VERNON N.Y.	4
E. HOOLE 100 WM ST. N.Y.	4	see below
E. HOOLE WM ST. N.Y.	4
HOOLE N.Y.	4	see below
HOOLE MF'G CO. NEW YORK	1
HOOLE BAGG CHECK CO.	1
E. HOOLE N.Y.	2

Hoole Examples
	E. HOOLE MT VERNON NY example Philadelphia & Erie RR Local check. Mt Vernon must have been an early Hoole location. The P&E was a very old road. It's odd to see a Local with a Station designation. This check is an odd-ball.
	E. HOOLE WM ST N.Y. example An early Toledo Wabash & Western Railway check. The back has been incised (folk artitized) with the name F.J. SMITH. The stretch mark on this tag is because it was recycled after its original use into a device used by trappers to (1) hold the trap spring in place and (2) identify the owner of the trap. This has been verified by a collector who purchased a string of 5 traps, each of which had a baggage check attached to it. All of the checks that I have with names added to them have stretched out strap slots.
	HOOLE BAGG CHECK CO. example Pittsburgh Fort Wayne & Chicago Railway (Pennsy predecessor) Way check. So much for my theory that Way checks are a later form of the Local check! This is a fabulous shape, in excellent condition.
	HOOLE MFG CO. NEW YORK example A nice reversible passenger check from the New York West Shore & Buffalo to the Wabash St. Louis and Pacific via the Grand Trunk.
	E. HOOLE N.Y. example A Fonda Johnstown & Gloversville RR check. You would think that these would be very rare due to the size of the road, however, a number of these have surfaced over the years.

Hoole "shell" Check
	Eastern RR shell example The Eastern RR was absorbed by the Boston & Maine RR in 1885. That would make this a very early shell check. The hallmark is enlarged below.
	Detail of hallmark from top of check.

"HOOLE NY" Hallmark

A new Hoole hallmark from a Civil War digger. Note that there is no "E" first initial. This baby is definitely "dug", but a nice example. This check was found on the right of way of the Alabama & Chattanooga Railroad. It existed from 1868 - 1877.

"E. HOOLE 100 WILLIAMS ST." Hallmark & "PAT APPLD FOR"

The reversible pair to the left are from the Southern Railroad of Mississippi. This road existed from 1852 - 1867. Note that the large bag check has a metal strap retainer. These are found on very early (pre 1870 checks). The routing information is a single name on each side: New Orleans or Vicksburg (on the reverse). This is another indication of age. This is the only hallmark I have for Hoole with 100 Williams St.. The check to the right says PAT. APPLD FOR. I believe that this is a pre 1860 interline tag. The WASHINGTON mark was double-struck. The reverse side has MEMPHIS. Although it was "dug", this is a rare example of a pre patent Hoole reversible check. Another indication of age is the lack of railroad routing information. If this check was misplaced, how would a finder return it? I combined the image to demonstrate the identical "blank" size of the two revisable checks. If you ignore the crescent cut-outs on the one on the right, it matches the exact size of the one on the left.