Spiller Axes

   In late summer of 1924, Mark Dole Spiller distanced himself from his previous employers, the John King Axe Company and the Emerson and Stevens Manufacturing Company, with the intention of starting his own axe business. By November of that year, local media noted that Mark and his son Norman had begun work on a manufacturing facility across Messalonskee Stream from Emerson and Stevens with hopes to have it operational in early 1925. By the time the Oakland Directory had been published for 1925, “M.D. Spiller and Son” was listed as a functioning maker of axes. The company manufactured axes until May 29th of 1928, at which time they had acquired significant debt and filed for bankruptcy.    In May of 1928, the business known as “M.D. Spiller and Son”, comprised of Mark Dole Spiller and Norman W. Spiller, was found to be in debt beyond their ability to be profitable. Late in that month, the father and son duo filed for bankruptcy and finalized their books as they closed up shop. Despite the loss, the Spiller family refused to give up, seeking out exterior investors and reorganizing in an effort to continue to produce the product the family had been producing for 5 generations. In December of the same year, the Spiller Axe and Tool Company was incorporated with the financial backing of Ralph M. Stowell and his nephew, Harold E. York. At the time, both men were associated with the Emerson and Stevens Manufacturing Company, with Stowell being its primary stock holder and York being a Superintendent/Manager for that company. Upon the formation of the new Spiller company, Norman W. Spiller was noted as President, Harold York, Treasurer, and  Stowell was noted as an additional Director. The company grew quickly and during the following decade, they were noted as employing 10 men and manufacturing 60 dozen axes weekly. Norman Spiller was noted as the company’s President until his death in 1957, and Harold York was noted as the Treasurer and General Manager through the 40s and 50s (while he was also listed as the same for Emerson and Stevens). Mark D. Spiller was noted as working for the company through 1937, and Norman’s son Harold was also noted as working with the company through his enlistment in the U.S. Army in 1942. Production at the Spiller Axe and Tool Company continued through December 3rd of 1956, when the factory burned down. The business itself seems to have continued after the fire, as the selling of the property the factory was on to a local church was noted as done by the business in late July of 1971. However, this was shortly after the death of Ralph M. Stowell, so the business may have simply been a non-functioning entity under Stowell’s numerous investments, and was likely not manufacturing axes at that time.