Hotel at Old Town -

he Keen Kutter brand of tools was originated in 1870 by the E.C. Simmons Company. In 1874 the organization was incorporated under new federal corporation laws as the Simmons Hardware Company. It was the first company to take such a step.
    The company motto was "The Recollection of QUALITY Remains Long after the PRICE is Forgotten."
    A 1902 portrait of E.C. Simmons' top 257 salesmen is included in Jack DeBoer's Keen Kutter collection. It was made to honor them for selling over two million dollars worth of merchandise in just one month. The Keen Kutter gold axe badge, one of which is included in the collection, was awarded only to elite salesmen. The badge was worn on the lapel and considered a symbol of great esteem.
    E.C. Simmons was a pioneer in the development of the catalog as a sales tool. His catalog was the first to use color pictures and was recognized around the world as the "hardware encyclopedia." The 1908 "G" issue, which contained over 79,000 items, was the largest hardware catalog of its kind in the world.
    E.C. Simmons loved sales gimmicks. The firm promoted its products with moving figures for display windows, such as a large, electric-powered pocket knife which slowly opened and closed. The Keen Kutter puzzle was perhaps the most famous company promotional gimmick. One boy and one girl would be allowed to sit in a store display window while competing to complete the puzzle in the least possible amount of time. Victorious boys received a pocket knife; girls received a pair of scissors.