I thought I should share this piece of correspondence from 1904. I was interested to find it, not least because it bears the signature of the great man, himself.

Anyway to reduce the size of this scan? It's HUGE!!!

Regards! Mark

Thank you, Lindell!

From this note, it looks like Mr. Webb enjoyed his wines, doesn't it?

Regards! Mark

Hear is my contribution to this thread it is a copy of Webb C. Ball's letter head from 1906.

Another view of letterhead note changes to directors S Ball is new.

Larry

You make an interesting point. By 1906, Sydney Y Ball (son of Webb C Ball) had taken over the duties of Secretary from F I Ball (who remained as Treasurer) and he had replaced Frank Brewster as a member of the Board of Directors. I do not know the relationship of F I Ball to the other Balls, presumably of the same Ball family.

The inclusion of Frank Rockefeller, Capitalist, amongst the directors solves a mystery for me. Cleveland was a Rockefeller town, of course, so it is not too surprising that there was Rockefeller involvement.

The mysterious aspect, for me, has been as to how a single jeweller, even one as talented as Webb C Ball, could manage to finance the large lots of specially designed and marked watches that he commissioned from America's best watch manufacturers. There had to be good gaurantees because of the quantities and because the plate markings made the watches useles to any other vendor.

Ball had close links with Hamilton from early times but how did he manage to persuade the great American Waltham Watch Company to tool up and produce thousands of very special private label watches? Rockefeller guaurantees must have done the trick. That leaves the question how did Ball persuaded Rockefeller? The first decade of the twentieth century must have been heady times for Webb C Ball.

By the way, I understand that Mr L N Cobb was the superintendant of the mechanical department. He had overall responsibility for the finishing and adjustment of the watches.

John Scott

Here's another.

I would guess that F.I. Ball was Webb Ball's wife Florence I. Ball. After his death the city directories of Cleveland list Florence I. as the President & Treasurer of Webb C. Ball Co.

Later their daughter Florence V. Ball is listed as the Treasurer of the company.

Those are useful observations, Tom.

I gather that, until 1879, Webb C Ball would have been employed as the Business Manager at the Dueber Watch Case Company located in Cincinnati, OH, more than 100 miles south of Kenton, OH. In March 1879, at the age of 33 years, Ball established himself in Cleveland, OH. I wonder what the connection might have been with Kenton, OH in 1880.