Tha 18s Hampden "Menlo Park" grade doesn't seem to be all that common.Would anyone know where they got that name from?I know there are towns of Menlo Park in both New Jersey and California, but I wonder what that would have to do with Hampden, in Canton, Ohio.Thank you!...Ted.

Ted, I just saw your Menlo Park post and I understand it was named after Thomas Edison's Menlo Park work shop. I gave a beautiful example to my son who is an Electrician because it carried the Menlo Park name.

Thanks Deacon, I assumed it was N.J. but wasn't sure.I didn't think anyone would ever answer.Being a Hampden nut I hope to pick one up someday.They seem kind of scarce, but there doesn't seem to be any interest in them either.I know of a nice hunting movement for sale, but needs work and hunter cases are awful hard to find not to mention expensive, so I'm holding off on it.Times are hard!Take care, Ted.

Ted and Deacon,

I have no idea why the watch was named Menlo Park but my wife used to live there for a while after we met and before we got married. When I first read Ted’s post I didn’t realize how old Menlo Park, California is or how it was named. Looking up the city on Wikipedia provided the following history.

In the nineteenth century two Irish immigrants, Dennis J. Oliver and his brother-in-law D. C. McGlynn, purchased a 1,700-acre (6.9 km2) tract of land on the former Rancho de las Pulgas. In the 1850s they erected a gate with a wooden arch bearing the inscription "Menlo Park" at the entrance to their property (now the intersection of Middle Ave and El Camino Real). The word "Menlo" derived from the owners' former home of Menlo in County Galway, Ireland. In 1863, the San Francisco and San Jose Rail Road named a nearby station "Menlo Park" after the sign. The 1867 station building still stands on the platform of the current Caltrain station, used by the local Chamber of Commerce. The town of Menlo Park grew up around this station, becoming a popular home for San Francisco businessmen. A post office arrived in 1870, and the city was incorporated in 1874. The original arch which gave its name to the stations and ultimately the city survived until 1922, when it was destroyed in an automobile accident. The origin of the name of Menlo Park, California (ca 1850) pre-dates any work done by Thomas Edison (ca 1876) in Menlo Park, New Jersey.

RR

Menlo Park train station constructed in 1867.

Richard, I just now saw your post.Thank you...Ted.

Richard you are correct about Menlo Park Ca. However Edisons New Jersey workshop was in Menlo Park N. J. and Edison was from Ohio. John Dueber admired Mr. Edison and of course was good at promoting Ohio and its citizens. Presidents McKinley and Garfield were from Ohio and you have the Ohioan model watches. I feel fairly certain the Menlo Park watches were an attempt to use Edisons fame as an inventor and promoter of new things to sell a new and better watch!