Eagle Key Codes?
Hello, I'm a long-time subscriber and I wonder if I can buy eagle and other old steel key lock manufacturer codes from the early 1900's anywhere you know of? Here are a few sample codes: 70A3 3YQ7 4R11
Bill Weingard
First, the collection of key codes really started in the mid 1920's when cars began using groups of key codes instead of having keyed-alike ignition locks. Except for a few flat key series for locker locks, mail boxes and packing trunks, there never has been much code information available for flat key cabinet locks.
Second, the Eagle lock company went out of business in about 1970. It is my understanding that all factory key code records were destroyed at that time. Locksmith Ledger has sold the Reed key code system for almost fifty years. We know codes. If Locksmith Ledger had any leads for you we would gladly share them with you but unfortunately fitting keys to any brand of old flat key locks will always be a cut-and-fit process.
- Editor-In-Chief Gale Johnson
Eagle Lock History
The Eagle Lock Company (established 1833), was at one time the largest trunk and cabinet lock maker in the world. It was based in Terryville, Connecticut. Eagle Lock was at the forefront of padlock security in its time. The main company was in Terryville, but they had opened another factory in Ohio.
The factory had a manufacturing line of over 2000 different kinds of locks. A sales room was once operated on Chambers Street in New York City. The factory consisted of one main office building, and later in 1889 and 1905, extra work space was added including two five-story buildings on either side of the office. The factory had a boarding house on Prospect Street for male employees, but that was torn down in the early 1900s.
The lock company housed four ponds including upper pond (now Terryville Fish and Game), middle pond (now privately owned), lower pond (no longer in existence but once held water to power the Eli Terry Waterwheel), and Reservoir One (once filling up all of the land behind the congregational church and along Eagle Street, it was drained and removed after a fire in 1975). The factory had had buildings where the Terryville Rite Aid is and where the new park next to the waterwheel is. Today, only four of the buildings out of some 50 remain, only one of the buildings was not altered, while the other three were disconnected and had floors removed.
The lock company went out of business in 1975. Also in Terryville, the Lock Museum of America (www.lockmuseumofamerica.org) may have additional information.
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