Hathorn Manufacturing Co. - 1900-1920's dated Maine Stock Certificate

General Stock. Great vignette of Columbus discovering America. Rare!!! Also available unissued at a lesser price. Please inquire if interested.

The Hathorn Fancy Forging Company of Maine appears to have been a short-lived but significant entity in the state's industrial history. Records from the Maine State Legislature in 1897 indicate a bill "to confirm the organization of the Hathorn Fancy Forging Company and to change its name to the Hathorn Manufacturing Company." This suggests that the company initially aimed to specialize in "fancy forging," likely referring to decorative or intricate ironwork, before broadening its scope to general manufacturing. While the precise nature of their early "fancy forging" products isn't extensively detailed in readily available records, the name change implies a strategic shift to a wider array of manufactured goods, potentially moving beyond specialized ironwork to encompass other industrial ventures. This rebranding points to the dynamic nature of manufacturing businesses in late 19th-century Maine, adapting to market demands and expanding their capabilities.

While there isn't a single, universally recognized "Columbus vignette," the phrase likely refers to a common artistic or literary depiction of Christopher Columbus's landing in the "New World." This scene typically portrays Columbus, often adorned in grand attire, stepping ashore onto a beach, frequently with the Spanish flag planted firmly beside him. Indigenous peoples, usually depicted in a way that emphasizes their "otherness" and often their surprise or fear, are shown observing the newcomers. The ships, usually the Niña, Pinta, and Santa María, are often visible in the background. This "vignette" serves as a powerful, albeit often romanticized and historically problematic, visual shorthand for the moment of European "discovery" and the beginning of colonization in the Americas.