By John & Kathleen Sabala-August 21,2002                                                                       | HOME |

 Upon a recent search of the U.S. Patent office by John Sabala, the original five patents for the Riverside Glasswork’s clinch-on collar oil lamp surfaced.  Catherine Thuro¹ describes the flared Riverside Clinch collar in her 1976 book entitled “Oil Lamps -The Kerosene Era in North America.”  She also goes on to state that a patent search at that time was unsuccessful.  Fortunately, for today’s collectors, that information is now available, and is as follows:   

*These two dates are sometimes found stamped on the clinched on collar.

     Listed on all of the above patents as the inventor is Artemas L. Dawson, which naturally raises the question of who is Artemas L. Dawson? 

A genealogical search for Mr. Dawson indicates that he was born in 1850 in New Brunswick, Canada.  The 1880 census of South Dakota, Union County – Elk Point Twp., Page 379 Line 37 shows him as a white, male, who was single, and listed his profession as a watchmaker.  In the 1910 census, he again appears, however, he now lists his occupation as Inventor in the field of machinery.  This is obviously, due to his success with the clinch-on collar lamp and the equipment for attaching the collar. [NOTE: Many thanks to Chandra Dawson Martin² for her help in locating the genealogical records of Artemas Dawson.]  A similar search for Howard Freeman turned up nothing of interest, although, more detailed searches on both of these gentleman are underway.

A later patent lists three names and reads:  “Artemas L. Dawson, of Elk Point, Dakota Territory, Assignor of Two-thirds to Charles H. Freeman, of same place and George Bohner of Chicago, Illinois.”

This is significant because Mr. Bohner is the inventor of the crushed fruit dish (Patent # 599,651-dated February 22, 1898), which Riverside Glass Works manufactured in the X-Ray pattern.  The Crushed Fruit Dish patent is shown in C. W. Gorham’s³ book “Riverside Glass Works of Wellsburg, West Virginia” on page 143.  This fact seems to demonstrate that there was a connection between the two inventors and the Riverside Glass Works, as both of them had patents used by Riverside.  Since Riverside history is scant, there is nothing to tell us how Riverside met these gentlemen and acquired the patents.  However, it appears that they purchased the exclusive rights to the lamp and its famous collar.

There is no question that Riverside glass oil lamps were among the premiere lamps of their era, and those produced during and after 1886 are easily recognizable by the flared collar.  [NOTE: Those prior to that date, as shown in the recently found 1883 catalog, had the standard cemented on collar of the day. ] Riverside’s flared clinch-on collar is unique, and has a notch both in the collar and in the glass itself.  In an 1895 trade journal there is an announcement that over 600,000 lamps were sold that year alone.  Not only were they made of high quality glass; they used the revolutionary collar invented by Mr. Dawson and his method of attachment.  The glass had to have both good quality and exceptional strength, as the machine to attach the collar exerted 150 pounds of pressure on lamp during the attachment process. 

Below are some excerpts from the trade journals of that time period, that clearly show what a success these lamps were in the market place, as reported by Mr. C. W. Gorham² in his book entitled “The Riverside Glass Works of Wellsburg, WV”.

July 8, 1891 - China, Glass and Lamps  
“It is hardly necessary to explain about these collars, as they have been in the market for five years [Editorial Note by K. Sabala: this means production commenced in or around 1886] and are universally popular.  It may be said, however, that no plaster of paris is used in making them adhere to the glass.  They are attached by machinery at a pressure of 150 lbs., which fact alone is sufficient evidence of the strength of the glass, which can withstand such pressure and of the absolute tightness of the fitting.  The clinching on of the collar submits each lamp to which it is affixed to the severest pressure strain, and the fact that the lamp has a clinched on collar is likewise a certificate showing it has successfully withstood such a test, as no other glass lamp is subjected to, and very few others would stand.” 

 July 23, 1891 American Pottery and Glassware Reporter  
“The clinching on of the collar submits each lamp to which it is affixed to the severest pressure strain, and the fact that the lamp has a clinched on collar is likewise a certificate showing it has successfully withstood such a test, as no other glass lamp is subjected to, and very few others would stand. That is also the prime reason why the Riverside lamp has no imitations, and the company has never been troubled with infringement suits.  No second-class lamp will stand the required lathe pressure test.  Can’t put it on any other lamp, don’t you know!”

June 29, 1898 China Glass and Lamps  
“The clinched-on collar lamp made constantly during the past twenty years by the Riverside Glass Works, Wellsburg, WV, has a history second to no other glass lamp now on the market.  The patent clinched-on collar lamp is the original of the class, and for twenty years stood at the head alone with out a single rival.  [Editorial Note By K. Sabala:  This statement is somewhat misleading, as Riverside did not produce glass until 1880, and the collar was not invented until 1883; therefore, it might have been at most 15 years old when this article was written.  In the article above from China Glass and Lamps it shows the beginning date to be 1886.  Hence at the time this article was written, only 12 years had passed.]  Before the Riverside put this lamp on the market, the collars on all glass lamps were fastened to the bowls or founts with plaster of paris, or cement, which in time becomes saturated with oil and by daily wrenches in taking off and screwing on the burner, works loose either disables the lamp or requires repairing in the same uncertain manner. The Riverside clinched-on collar is spun outward upon the inside of the oil fount, while closely fitted over a projecting neck upon the outside, and is not only thus made oil and air tight, but is immovable.  The fact that no collar has ever come off a Riverside lamp is established by an experience of twenty years [12 years?], during which time the company has made a standing offer to replace any of their lamps from which the collar has been wrenched without breaking the lamp.  No lamp has ever been returned from this cause or any cause.  Every year the patterns are changed to keep the line freshened up.  The patterns are plain or figured.  They are not so called art lamps, smeared over with paint.  They are not sold as high art products nor world blazers, but honest, everyday, substantial hand lamps, stand, or sewing lamps, and are claimed to be the most durable, safe, handy and reasonable priced lamp made anywhere on earth.”

     Catherine Thuro¹ states in her book that because, of the lamps great desirability, other companies used the collar after the Riverside factory closed its doors in 1907.  She also goes on to say that “the first patent would have expired in 1899, and it appears that they stopped dating them (collars) after that.”  However, as the patent records shown at the beginning of this article state there was another patent issued in 1885 for another collar, which would not have expired until 1902.  Did Riverside own this patent, too? By that time, Riverside Glass Works no longer existed, as it had become a part of National Glass in December of 1899.  Therefore, the undated collars may have happened later than originally supposed by Ms. Thuro, but only if Riverside purchased the rights to both patents.  

    In addition, there are slight variations between the two collars in the ribbing around the edge of the collar.  See photos below. One may surmise from the information in Ms. Thuro’s book that an undated collar means that the lamp may or may not have been manufactured by the Riverside Glass Works.  As once the patents expired, others were free to copy the style. 

    She further goes on to say that when Riverside closed, the molds were sold to Cambridge, and the collar later also shows up at the Indiana Glass Company in Dunkirk, Indiana.  The 1927 Sears Catalog also offered lamps with a clinch-on collar.  Some lamps also have the words "Riverside Clinch-On Collar" embossed in the glass itself.

     Therefore, while the patents themselves have surfaced, many questions still remain.  Such as: 

• How did Riverside acquire the patent rights from Mr. Dawson?
  
• Did all of the molds go to Cambridge?   What year did this take place?
  
• Did Cambridge continue to make lamps using the original molds? If so, for how long?

• It also appears today, that some of the molds may have gone to John Fenton at Millersburg Glass.  NOTE: The author's are currently attempting to verify this report.  As more information becomes available, this site will be updated. 
•  
• Did all of the Millersburg lamps have the words "Riverside Clinch-On Collar" embossed in the glass? Did others also use the embossing?

• Who else produced lamps using the clinched-on collar?

• If the lamp has an undated collar and is of an unknown pattern, is it possible to tell the difference between the true Riverside lamps and the later products?

     Regardless of the gaps in the known information, which one can only hope will be filled in with more time and research, one thing emerges as being startlingly clear:  Mr. Artemas L. Dawson is the inventor of one of the most revolutionary oil lamps of its era, and should be recognized as such.

    If you have information or would like to respond to any of the above questions, please email ksabala@mindspring.com  

1.         Thuro, C.M.V., Oil Lamps The Kerosene Era in North America. Seventh Printing, 1987 ed. 1976, Greensboro, NC: Wallace Homestead Book Company.

2.         Martin, C.D., Arkansas DAWSON Family Genealogy.  http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~dawsonsofarkansas/., 2002. (Plus, personal communication).

3.         Gorham, C.W., Riverside Glass Works of Wellsburg, West Virginia. 1995, Springfield, MO: Heartlights.

| HOME |