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Foot-pedal stapler from the Moritani Farm on Bainbridge Island, ca. 1930s
This foot-pedal stapler, made by St. Joseph Iron Works in Michigan, was used by the Moritani family on their farm located at 542 Winslow Way W. on Bainbridge Island, ca. 1930s-1950s. It’s called a “foot-pedal stapler” because it creates and punches the staples that put the berry trays together. These shallow trays were made specifically for raspberries and Olympic Loganberries (a larger form of blackberry) because these soft berries cannot be piled on top of each other or they get mushy. During WWII, when the Moritani family was incarcerated, a Filipino family by the name of Tolentino managed the farm.
ID Number: 2016.58.1
Date: Circa 1930
Physical Description: 1 Staple, Wood; iron; 51.5 in.H x 27 in.W x 15 in.D
Credit: MOHAI, 2016.58.1