Alligator Wrench
Alligator Wrench, Made by Copp Bros Co Ltd. Hamilton.
The Copp brothers opened a small tin shop on John Street in 1849. Eight years later, they branched out into stove manufacturing, opening a small foundry in Woodstock. They moved the foundry operations to Hamilton in 1864, after the Woodstock shop failed. The Empire Foundry was an immediate success. By 1871, close to 60 men worked at the Foundry, moulding and assembling stoves and agricultural equipment. The Empire Foundry remained one of the city�s largest stove shops until the Copp brothers faced financial ruin in 1899. The McClary Manufacturing Company purchased the buildings, patterns and equipment from the bankrupt company and moved factory operations to London, Ontario, around 1912.