• Biography of Frank Black Wildman from a business perspective

• apprenticeship with his uncle

Married (Feb 20 1884) Mattie Brown daughter of Edward L. and Sarah (Saxton) Brown.

• patents http://www.patentfish.com/frank-b-wildman example: FRANK B. WILDMAN. No. 668,569. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. FRANK B. WILDMAN, OP NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA

Wildman Geneology

http://www.textilehistory.org/TextileMachineryTrademarks.html Wildman MFg.

The parents of Frank Black Wildman (Barclay Wildman & Margaret Black) are blood relatives. They share a set of 3rd great grandparents : Martin Wildman and Ann Ward. Martin and Ann were a Quaker immigrant couple. Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of Montgomery County, ... Samuel T. Wiley - 1895 - Montgomery County (Pa.) - 652 pages

after growing up in Bucks County, Frank moved to Norristown and engaged in mercantile pursuits, ... of the firm of McMichael & Wildman, manufacturers of circular rib knitting machinery, ... books.google.com/books?id=kno_AAAAYAAJ...

Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of Montgomery County ..., Volume 18958 edited by Samuel T. Wiley another Biographical piece

Frank Black Wildman born Feb 5, 1856 died Aug. 14, 1947 At Langhorne, Bucks County PA Son of Barclay and Maggie (Black) Wildman Grandson of Jonathan Wildman (all of Bucks County)

Farmed, became an apprentice blacksmith with his uncle, then in 1887 “removed” to Norristown to Keystone Hosiery (3 yrs) Joined with Abner McMichael's business. (then) employed 60 men located a corner of Oak and Astor Streets in Norristown (see document for biography)

Married Mattie Brown in 1884 Daughter of Edward L and Sarah A. (Saxton) Brown. ~• Immediate ancestors came from very modest means It is not clear if Frank's father ever owned much of anything (census data). Maggie's parents were also modest Bucks County, hard working people.

After relatively early retirement, Frank travelled w/wife and children and even kept trotters (horses) for the race circuit in Pennsylvania.

PATENTS

patent link

601,297 Mar 29 “tension take-up device for Knitting Machines 604,100 613,346 two knitting machines

Industrial research laboratories of the United States By John H. Gribbin Synthane Corp. ~ where Frank Black Wildman's son devoted some of his energies

The Pres. of Synthane, BOB TITUS, was Frank Brown Wildman's partner A, Oaks PA

Photo from The Ohio State Engineer

for further study on the WIldman family

Note: "There is a Wildman book by Charles F. Jenkins filmed by the Mormons. It maybe available in Bucks co. I've never looked at it and it may repeat but there may be information that's different. The Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA has the book."

Wildman Mfg Co. was acquired by the Draper Co., of Hopkington MA, well after Frank Black Wildman retired.
His only son Frank was involved with the company briefly after his father had retired. This son was born when Frank Black Wildman was 50 years old and so was too young to have been involved with the company during the hands-on stewardship of his father.

there is 16mm film footage of Frank Black Wildman showing off his new auto, perhaps a model sold at his dealership... here is a clip c/o {MMvB}