Third Great Grandfather
John George Bolen created a legacy that lives on over 130 years after his
death!
Don't believe it? Try this Google search for "j g bolen"!
Bolen family history simply states:
John George Bolen owned a gun shop at 104 Broadway and had received a patent for some mechanism on a revolver which he sold.
Quite an understatement for a man who was clearly a gifted artist, inventor, entrepreneur and marketeer.
Don't believe it? Try this Google search for "j g bolen"!
Bolen family history simply states:
John George Bolen owned a gun shop at 104 Broadway and had received a patent for some mechanism on a revolver which he sold.
Quite an understatement for a man who was clearly a gifted artist, inventor, entrepreneur and marketeer.
Born in 1809 to English immigrant
John Bolen
and Lydia Worde, we know little about his early years, but it can be assumed
that he learned the art of engraving and printing, perhaps through an
apprenticeship.
In the 1838 edition of
Longwirth's American Almanac
we find John George, listed as an "engraver" at 85 Crosby Street. An
acknowledgment of his engraving skill appears in
American Engravers Upon Copper and Steel, Volume 1.
Soon after, it seems that John George
cultivated a relationship with Massachusetts gunmaker
Ethan Allen
and soon became a major distributor of the Allen Patent Revolver.
According to
Early Allen Firearms
J. G. Bolen, a New York engraver and printer, moved from 66 Green Street to 104 Broadway during 1840 according to city directories of the period. His listing continues at this address until 1858.
In 1841, we find John George at 104 Broadway through this advertisement:
According to
Journal of Antiques and Collectibles
Production of Allen pepperboxes began in Grafton, Massachusetts about 1838.
The operation moved in 1842 to Norwich, Connecticut, and back to
Massachusetts in Worcester five years later. Ethan early was in partnership
with brother-in-law Charles Thurber and later another brother-in-law Thomas
Wheelock. An Allen could be had in .28, .31, or .36 caliber, the latter in
the largest “dragoon” size pistol. The number of barrels could be four,
five, or six with the last two most common. Barrel lengths also varied, from
just under three inches to six. It has been estimated that there were about
50 basic types of Allens made from the late 1830s until the 1860s.
In the early 1840s, a major distributor of Allen pepperboxes, J. G. Bolen of New York City, called them: “Life And Property Preservers. For Housekeepers, Travelers, Captains. And Others. Patent Self-Cocking & Self-Revolving Pocket Pistols.”
In the early 1840s, a major distributor of Allen pepperboxes, J. G. Bolen of New York City, called them: “Life And Property Preservers. For Housekeepers, Travelers, Captains. And Others. Patent Self-Cocking & Self-Revolving Pocket Pistols.”
J.G.Bolen Branded Allen Revolvers
appear frequently in antique arms auctions and were recognized by the State
of New York.
J. G. Bolen, 104 Broadway, for the best self-cocking and revolving pistols. (Silver Medal having been before awarded.) Diploma.