lindaschipper

Husband went with me to pick up this antique cabinet. Inside we found a 1915 Franklin Treadle Sewing machine with all the attachments (made by Griest ), plus needle threaders, original screw drivers and wrench, light attachment and long sewing needles....even the bobbin is still in the machine. Oh and did I mention the original instruction book?? Inside is the Certificate of Guarantee with the serial number written (114163) and the "got machine" date of January 20, 1915. It had been owned by Mother Bucks from Le`Claire, Iowa. I paid a whole whopping $65 for this treasure!![ATTACH=CONFIG]619396[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]619397[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]619398[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]619399[/ATTACH]

I'll clean the machine up this weekend and get a better photo of it.

Dressmaker

Le`Claire, Iowa. Isn't that where the American Pickers are from? You stole that machine right from Mike and Frank's own back yard. They don't buy sewing machines though. They say there is one in every barn and leave them behind.

luvstoquilt

Wonderful find.OMG am I hooked!

lindaschipper

Dressmaker….yes Le`Claire is the home of American Pickers. But I bought the machine/cabinet from a woman in the Quad Cities that buys and resells. The original owner of the Franklin, a Caroline Bucks lived in Le`Claire. I know her name because I have the original instruction booklet in which she kept notes written in pencil about buying needles and a replacement bobbin shuttle. I feel so lucky to have all this information.

leonf

findagrave may lead you to her final resting place. Old Sears catalogs or reprints have pics of Franklins.

leonf

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Now you need a '27 Franklin to carry it in.

lindaschipper

leonf….don't tell my husband, but your Franklin is prettier than our red 32 Ford 5 window coupe!! Does your car have a name??

leonf

Alas, it is just a pic of one. Franklins were air cooled. I think they are neat. I had a Triumph Spitfire for a couple of decades. So fun. Nothing fun now. ( whine)

leonf

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We got invited to take out machines to a car show. This pinup girl was dressed in the colors of the Wizard/
Brother converted to hand crank. I have a couple of bicycles made before the 30s but they aren't yet rideable

lindaschipper

leonf….any advise you can give me on cleaning up my Franklin? This is my first antique machine (not counting my 99k which was clean when I got it) anyway, I don't want to screw it up. Really thought I was just buying the cabinet, but now that I have the machine I want it to be "pretty" again.