Record Group 18
Markham Air Rifle Company
King Manufacturing Company Finding Aid

Entry 1: Company Articles

The American BB Gun, Markham King air rifles
“BB Guns of Plymouth , Michigan,” by Jim Perkins
“Captain Markham’s Dream,” by Jim Perkins
“The Demise of Markham,” It’s a Daisy
Markham family history “The McCarthy’s and the Markham’s,” by Dorr N. Wiltse, Sr.

Entry 2: Product Information

Cardboard cut-out of the King air rifle
Price list of repairs for Markham air rifles (2 copies)
Price list of King air rifles and repair parts, 1940
Markham air rifles gun catalog (2 copies)
King Price catalog 1914
King Price catalog 1929
King Price catalog 1930
Markham catalog “A Brief History of the Air Rifle”
“How Air Rifles are made of Plymouth ”
“The Story of the Air Rifle”
Patent information on Air Gun, January 29, 1907  

Entry 3: Newspaper Articles

“Plymouth the Home of the Air Gun Industry,” November 18, 1911

Markham name change “An Old Concern with a New Name,” January 1928

“Markham fails in Los Angeles,” November 13, 1936

“Society Snub Sent him to Hollywood,” December 9, 1974

“Markham House:  Intriguing tale of Social Life in Old Plymouth,” Plymouth Observer October 13, 1975

“Dream Shapes Up for Old Main Street Air Rifle Factory,” The Community Crier, December 22, 1976

“The Landing to Open Soon,” March 15, 1979

“Plymouth 100 Years Ago: The First BB gun,” August 11, 1986

Entry 4: Advertisements

Markham Christmas ad. December 1887
King Air Rifles, “Every Boys Choice” October 1912 (2003.027.05)
“Your Boy’s Aim” King ad. 1908
The King Rifle, October 1894
The King and Chicago air rifles (2 copies)
King pump gun announcement
King air rifle ad
Photocopy of a King air rifle sign (2 copies)
King pump-gun announcement
King air rifle ad
Photocopy of a King air rifle sign (2 copies)
King air rifle postcards, photocopied (2 copies)
Ad for the King air rifle (postcard)
King air rifle postcards, photocopied
Ad for the King air rifle at Simmons Hardware Co.
The Youth Companion, ad. For the new King repeating air rifle
King ad in “Everybody’s Magazine”
King Christmas ad, Evening Post, 1915
King air rifle ads in American Boy, November 1922
“You can win a King prize” ad, November 1915
“The Reward of today’s Play is Tomorrow’s Success” King ad
King ad for Scholefield, Goodman and Sons

Entry 5: Markham Letters

Receipt 1889
Resignation letter, May 6, 1893
Resignation letter, February 21, 1899
Letter to Village Council, July 31, 1903
Letter to The Soo Hardware Co., October 22, 1913

Entry 6: Envelopes

Markham Manufacturing Co.
Envelope from Albert Rakovsky (Acc #94.121.4a)
Envelope from Fredrick Neuburger and Co.
King envelope (Acc #1031 B)
King envelope (Acc #94.121.4c)
Envelope from Drogueria Charpentier (Acc #94.121.4d)
Envelope from Casa Limon (Acc #94.121.4b)  

Entry 7: Photos

Photocopy of 1933 #102 Gun
Box photo of King Building
Photocopy of the Markham Air Rifle Co. building
Markham employees (2 photocopies)
Markham employee pictures (Acc #2002.157.02)
Markham employees (2 originals) (Acc #1107, 1108)
Markham employees, 1900 (3 originals, 2 copies) (Acc #L779a, L779b, 1156)
King/Markham employees (Acc #L784)
Markham employees, 1900 (2 copies) (Acc #1106)
Second floor woodworking shop, yr. 1900 (Acc #1157)
Markham family photo
View of the King plant, July 1938 (Acc #2002.116.002)

Compiled by Christine Race, 12 January 2005