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A Brief history of the Vulcan Saw Works- 10th and Ainslie Streets, Brooklyn, E.D., NY

Note: in the 1800's Williamsburgh, Brooklyn, had its own street numbering system. Tenth Street was renamed Keap Street at some point, and the two are synonymous.

1850Jos. A. RHODES, saw factory was established about 1850. Rhodes was one of the skilled workmen brought here by the elder R. Hoe, he died in 1860, suceeded by BOYD & RENTON.

1863Harvey Peace moves his company to the Tenth and Ainslie location.

A Brief Biography of Harvey Peace as published in The Civil, Political, Professional and Ecclesiastical History and Commercial Industrial Record of the County of Kings and the City of Brooklyn, N.Y. From 1683 to 1884.

HARVEY W. Peace-- Were we called upon to name one
among the manufacturers of Brooklyn, who had, in early
middle life, won for himself a high and honorable position
as a manufacturer, solely by the exercise of industry, 
enterprise, and the mental abilities which fitted him for being a
leader and employer of men, our first thought would be of
the name of Mr. Peace, as the most striking exemplar of
the success which comes from the exercise of those 
qualities.


HARVEY W. PEACE was born in Sheffield, England, Aug.
10, 1831. His father and grandfather had both been brought
up in the saw business all their lives. When he was yet
very young, his parents moved to Dore, in Derbyshire,
about six miles from Sheffield, but still retained their 
connection with the saw-works in Sheffield. Mr. Peace 
obtained his early education in Dore, but at the age of thirteen
began to work, a part of the time, in the same manufactory
with his father and grandfather. At the age of eighteen, he
was a very skillful saw-grinder. At that time (1849), he came
to America with his father and family, the father having 
received an invitation from Messes. R. Hoe & Co. of New
York, to take charge of the saw-grinding in their extensive
works. In this establishment, young Peace remained for
twelve years (except a trip to Europe, in 1857, for health and
recreation). In these twelve Years, he had become a 
complete master of his business, and with his industry, temper-
ate habits, and economy, had been able to save a little 
capital, to start the business of saw manufacturing for himself.
Accordingly. in 1861, he commenced, in a small way, in Center
street, New York, taking a younger brother as a partner. 
Finding their location not a good one, at that time (it was just a t
the beginning of the Civil War), they removed, the next
year, to Johnstown, Fulton county, New York, where they
remained about a year. By this time, business -in some
directions, and the manufacture of saws was one of them-
had greatly revived, and was much better in the seaports
than in the interior. Once more, therefore, they removed,
and this time, to what proved a permanent location, to
Ainslie street, Brooklyn. At first their quarters here were
small and narrow, and proved so inconvenient that they
moved to a better location on the same street, in 1867; the
times were favorable for the development of an extensive
business, and though averse to anything like speculative
action, they went forward, "hasting not and resting not,"
increasing with each year the quality and the quantity of
their saws, till one building was added to another, and one
kind of saws to another; and now (with the exception of
the file-works of Mr. C. B. Paul, a friend of theirs, and one
whose manufacture is an almost indispensable adjunct to
their own), they occupy several lots in the block bounded on
two sides by Tenth and Ainslie streets. They make every
description of saw known to the trades, and for such as 
require handles or frames, they manufacture these necessary
attachments. We have described elsewhere the processes of
saw manufacture, the four classes of workmen, the saw-
maker, saw-grinders, saw-handlers, and saw-finishers, and it
only remains to be said here, that in all this great enterprise,
employing a force of more than 200 men, and producing
annually nearly a quarter of a million dollars' worth of
goods, Mr. Harvey W. Peace has been the informing and
controlling spirit; his judicious and enterprising
managements has brought order out of confusion, success out of
threatened disaster, and his house has now but two rivals in
the United States in the extent of its production, and none
in the quality and excellence of its wares. It is well under-
stood everywhere, and among all classes of purchasers, that
the stamp of " Harvey W. Peace" on any saw, or case of
saws, insures the purchasers that the goods are of the very
best possible quality.


In his relations to his fellow manufacturers, Mr. Peace has
always been kindly and helpful; often taking large risks, to
keep them from disaster, and where they have succumbed to
the hardness of the times, furnishing them with employment
in his own establishment till they could recover themselves.


In all the relations of civil and social life, Mr. Peace has
shown himself a good citizen, a tender and kind husband
and father, and a pleasant neighbor, Though not a member
of any church, he is a regular attendant on the Methodist
church - the church of his parents. In politics he is a 
decided republican, though never an office-seeker or office-
holder. He wields a powerful influence in his ward, but has
invariably refused to be a candidate for any public position.
In regard to the tariff, he favors a moderate protection of
our struggling manufactures, but insists that the duties
should be taken off from raw material which cannot be
produced here, and reduced on such raw material' as is
equally a product of our own and foreign countries; thus
placing us on an equality with foreign manufacturers.


Mr. Peace, though heartily American in feeling and 
interest, does not forget that he first drew breath in England.
He is an officer of the St. George's Society, and a hearty and
cordial friend and helper of his countrymen. In other
directions also, his liberal spirit exhibits itself, and he is a
generous giver to all good causes.


Mr. Peace, and some of his skillful workmen, have
designed and patented many of the machines for the
purpose of grinding the various kinds of saws, as well as
for polishing, toothing, handling and graining saws.
While this company make every description of saws
known or demanded in the trade, their special attention
is directed to the higher grades of carpenters' saws,
band saws (some of these are fifty-five feet in length,
and they vary in width from one-eighth inch to six
inches), veneer and re-saw segments, and cross-cut saws.
They from 150 to 160 hands, and their 
production ranges from $200,000 to $225,000 per annum.