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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Medford police seek suspects in Union Park community garden assault ... Crews monitor Buckskin fire, which is 60 percent contained ... Oregon House bill would raise taxes in 13 cash-strapped counties ... Medford police seek suspects in Union Park community garden assault ... Crews monitor Buckskin fire, which is 60 percent contained ... Oregon House bill would raise taxes in 13 cash-strapped counties ... Square nails were used in construction until the late 19th century When did they stop making square nails for building houses? I've found a few of them and am curious about their history. I know they are antiques, but my knowledge of them is a little fuzzy. Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 23, 2013 at 12:01 AM Updated Aug 23, 2013 at 2:40 AM Posted Aug. 23, 2013 at 12:01 AM Updated Aug 23, 2013 at 2:40 AM » Social News When did they stop making square nails for building houses? I've found a few of them and am curious about their history. I know they are antiques, but my knowledge of them is a little fuzzy. — Jim S., Grants Pass We shall endeavor to make your fuzzy knowledge crystal clear, Jim. Our research indicates that nails were all wrought by hand stretching back thousands of years to the beginning of the Iron Age. Yes, that was a tad bit before the advent of SYA. Nail making basically required pounding a small piece of metal into a nail shape so it could be driven into wood. They weren't exactly square but close enough. But that wrought-iron approach changed in the Industrial Age when it became possible to cut nails from a sheet of metal. Let's let historian Jeff LaLande, retired archaeologist for the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, take it from here. He always hits the nail on the head, so to speak. "Machine-cut square nails came in with industrialization by the 1880s," he said. "After that, they were predominantly mass produced from sheets of metal." However, like their predecessor, they were not square, he said, noting they were more of a rectangle. By the 1890s and early into the 1900s, round nails — also known as wire nails — became predominant in the tool box, he said. "But square nails are still being made today for certain things," he said. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. We're sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 23, 2013 at 12:01 AM Updated Aug 23, 2013 at 2:40 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501