Q: I would like to know something about the maker of my wood-burning stove. It’s marked “Monarch Wood Stove, Made in West Bend, Wis., Malleable Iron Range Co.”
A: Malleable Iron Range Co. was founded in St. Louis in 1896 by Silas McClure and A.C. Terrell. “Monarch” is a trademark. The company moved to Beaver Dam, Wis., in 1902. It made coal- and wood-burning stoves. Gas burners were added to some models in 1905. Later the company made electric stoves, refrigerators and water heaters. The Malleable Iron Range Co. went bankrupt in 1985.