OROVILLE — Orovillian, family man and founder of Bolt’s Antique Tool Museum, Carl “Bud” Bolt died June 12 at 97. He was known for his deep passion for tools; their uses and history. And his legacy survives as a staple of Oroville’s beloved museums.
Bolt was born May 20, 1927 in Kearney, Nebraska and nicknamed “Buddy” as the youngest of eight children. His family survived the dust bowl and the Great Depression, and he learned to grow in difficult times.
In his early life, Bolt traveled with the Marine Corps, working as a diesel mechanic in 1947. One year later, he’d married his wife Laila and started his life as a family man.
“I had three brothers and a dad that knew every tool in the world,” said Patty Wright, his daughter. “If we’d go in any antique shop, he could identify any tool. It was just amazing.”
Following his mechanic days, Bolt’s connection with tools flourished when he began selling tools for the tool manufacturer Snap-On in 1952. He went on to achieve No. 1 dealer in San Francisco and No. 10 in the nation, and he later took a district sales manager role with Cornwell Quality Tools in 1961 before resigning in 1965.
He and his wife took a break for a while, running a trophy and award business. But he returned to tools, taking a sales manager position with Mac Tools for the area of California and Nevada while living in Cupertino.
Bolt and his wife moved to Oroville around 1973, and found a home at Mountain View Drive raising farm animals and pets. He taught beginning woodworking, held leadership with the local 4-H and helped kids prepare for jobs with Toastmasters.
By 1979, he and his wife took off for Death Valley, beginning what he says was their “paid exercise program” working at the park and traveling through 10 states in a truck, trailer and motorcycle — all while playing golf, biking and collecting tools.
“People all over the country would mail them tools,” Wright said. “If they didn’t have them they’d hang them on the wall.”
The two continued collecting tools in their garage until opening Bolt’s Antique Tool Museum in 2006 at 1650 Broderick St. with the city of Oroville.
“He loved tools,” Oroville Docent Linda Carpenter said. “That was his whole life. They set up their museum basically at their house when it started, then it ran out of room.”
Docent Mary Gunderson said she helped him establish “Third Saturday Talks,” where Bolt would speak about tools, cars and various machines. Gunderson said Bolt worked with other tool contributors like Rod Kiskins on tractors, Jerry Mambretty on military vehicles, Dick Watson on stationary pumps, Dan Dirks on Edsels, Wes Allen on motorcycles and more.
Related Articles
Death notices received June 17
Death notices received June 14
Death notices received June 13
Death notices received June 12
Death notices received June 10
Bolt is described by his loved ones as a family man; he would throw Thanksgiving dinners where anyone and everyone was invited, sometimes gathering more than 50 people, Wright said. “You could invite anybody you wanted. All of us kids; didn’t matter who came.”
“He was very much a family man … everybody that I talk to and I’ve been around, even the hospital workers, he’d always try to be positive and make people laugh and not be a downer,” Wright said. “He’d always try to look on the bright side of things.”
Bolt’s wife Laila died in 2016, and Bolt’s Antique Tool Museum has since been donated to the city of Oroville. The museum is said by the Smithsonian Institution to be the “world’s largest collection of tools.”
One of Bolt’s notable tools was a John P. Manny wrench, circa 1854 — the object of patent infringement lawsuit involving Abraham Lincoln as defendant of the manufacturer Manny & Company. While Lincoln did not present in the case, the company won, and the retainer he was paid is said to have helped advance his political aspirations.
“Now that’s an interesting piece of tool history,” Bolt said in 2023 after receiving Oroville’s Samuel J. Norris Award for Excellence. “It’s just pretty neat.”
Bolt is survived by his four children Mike Bolt, Steve Bolt, Dave Bolt and Patty Wright; eight grandchildren and one great grandchild.
+ There are no comments
Add yours