04/24/2026
From the Betts archive, here is another early customer communication that offers a glimpse into the quality of Betts products from nearly a century ago.
We do not believe this document has been shared publicly before, which makes finds like this even more fun to share.
Dated December 15, 1931, it arrived via Western Union 63 years after Betts was founded in 1868. It was sent from California Barrel Company, Inc., with operations in Arcata, Humboldt County, to Betts Spring Company (later to become Betts Company) in San Francisco. In it, the customer reported that two test springs were still in service and delivered approximately 25% better service than what had previously been experienced. They added that if pricing remained competitive and quality matched the submitted samples, future spring orders would follow.
This is only a slightly enlarged scan of the original document, so some of the typewritten text may appear a bit hard to read.
Long before modern marketing claims, messages like this showed how customers measured Betts workmanship in the field, through performance, durability, and repeat business.
Fun Fact: California Barrel Company produced wooden barrels and containers, connecting this document to the timber, lumber, manufacturing, and shipping industries of California’s North Coast and the broader Pacific Northwest.
