Greetings, fellow enthusiasts. This Akron Lamp Co. advertising (obviously expensive) was run two consecutive months November and December 1914 in a US export New York USA publication from an unfamiliar Canton Ohio address (possible export office ?) 23 miles from the Akron Ohio address. The price of a single copy for this publication was .25 US (today $25.90). This lamp is not known to be mentioned or illustrated in any Akron catalogs found to date. It appears to me falling between the manufacture of models no. 81 and no. 83 , could there have been a no. 82 ? I am searching for anyone with an actual example, more information, and welcome any discussion about this subject.
Welcome from Queensland Australia @coleman54 I’m looking forward to seeing your future posts. Cheers Pete
Cool adverts. Definitely looks like the fount from an 81. The burner though appears to be a real departure, unlike the hollow wire in the ad that has a very similar look to the 81 with its smoke bell. Mike.
The Akron Gas Lamp Co. is not listed in the Canton directory and the occupant at 111 Market South is Will Green a men’s furnishings and outfitters. The mention of paraffin and an ad for a kero lamp suggests an office address for export sales and that is supported by the company at that address being listed in the American Exporter. The name Kero-Gas or Kerogas was used as a brand at various times by Lindeman & Hoverson, Thomas, Incandescent Light & Stove and AGM but I was not aware that Akron had also used it for a kerosene lamp more or less at the same time as IL&S and Thomas. The lamp illustrated has a valve and burner support casting I have not seen before so we certainly want to know more and any other info or an example of the lamp would be most welcome. ::Neil::
It is a shame that KeroGas is not well understood by modern day researchers. I think the main reason it is difficult for modern day researchers to understand KeroGas is the misrepresentation of lamp companies history. Two of the companies you mention, The Akron Gas Lamp Company - later to be the Akron Lamp Co or Akron Lamp & MFG Co - and Thomas, the histories are not well documented. In fact, the PLC has a poor representation of the Thomas history with two separate companies being thought of as the Thomas MFG Co, the lamp company. The Thomas manufacturing Co of Springfield, Ohio, has zero to do with the Thomas Manufacturing Co of Dayton, Ohio. Nothing.
That may well be correct and I don't always get it right. I would normally say prove me wrong and show me the evidence but in this case proving a negative will, as ever, be difficult. However it is curious that both Thomas in Springfield and Dayton are Ohio corporations and since incorporation is granted by the state it is highly unlikely the state of Ohio granted incorporation charters to two different companies with the same name. It is true that I cannot find any Thomas as a director of the Dayton company but that is another curiosity in itself because if there was no Mr Thomas when the Dayton company was formed in 1905 as a mail order business and then incorporated in 1906 why was it named Thomas Mfg? The implication here is the Dayton operation was established as a mail order/retail base for the Springfield company. Speculation it may be but there could only be one Thomas MFG Co in Ohio at the time surely? ::Neil::
Which Thomas Mfg Co. in Ohio (Springfield or Dayton?) manufactured lamps, and what did the other Thomas manufacture? Perhaps a bit of PT Barnum showmanship? Branches located throughout the world...so long as it's Ohio. Mike.
The lamps are Dayton or at least that is the company address in the catalogues. The Springfield company was in the agricultural implement and supplies game. So pretty much a hardware as well as larger machinery business aimed at a rural market. Not unreasonable for a rural hardware supplier to also sell lamps and open a mail order/reail base in another town. ::Neil::
Firstly, I quite understand just how easy it is to get company information confused. There is certainly no shame involved, it is just one of those situations, where two (or more) companies with similar names were active at the same time in the same area. If you don't pick up the fact that you have confused two differing companies it is easy to merge them into one and other. I know, I've done it. Secondly, because I don't have a negative, it is reasonably easy to prove. For instance, in the PLC you state that William S Thomas had retired. You had to make that assumption because you knew Mathews was president of the Thomas MFG Co in 1909, of course he was but not of the Springfield company William S Thomas was still president of. William S Thomas remained president of the Springfield company until at least 1913. (I didn't bother to investigate beyond then.) It was reasonably easy to track the Springfield company because from 1909 until 1913 at least, there were a number of law suites brought against it with creditors seeking to dissolve the company. Every time, the judge/s saw just enough equity in the Springfield company to rule against dissolution. May, 1913 Things must have become desperate for the Springfield company because it was forced to close for 3 months in late 1913 and re-opened in the middle of January, 1914. Here As Neil replied, the Thomas MFG Co of Dayton, Ohio, is the lamp company. The Springfield company was a manufacturer of farm implements. I don't know when the Springfield company started but I am sure Neil will be right when he says 1860's, when they started is of no interest to me. The Dayton company started in 1904 but was only formally known after incorporation in 1906. No, that is not what happened. As I stated, the Springfield company had nothing to do with the Dayton, lamp company. There never was a Thomas. Milton Mathews that started the Thomas Mfg Co, stated he needed a name for his company and, for no particular reason, he chose Thomas. Mathews started his mail order business from the bedroom of his home in 1904. It just kept growing until he needed a business premise and as you have said, he incorporated the Thomas Manufacturing Co in 1906. The business continued to grow and Mathews had to seek larger premises a few times and the massive floods of 1913, was enough reason for Mathews to find the address that the company finally settled at.
Milton may have started the business in 1904 but it is curious that he is not listed as living in Dayton in 1905 or 1907 and he certainly didn't incorporate Thomas MFG in 1906. The incorporating directors according to the Dayton Herald 14th May 1906 were Messrs Bard, Burkhart, Fluhart, McGee and Moorman. Milton Mathews is not mentioned. I am suspicious about that incorporation though because the Dayton Directories list the Incorporated companies and from 1906 to 1915 Thomas is not listed. Thomas Mfg is listed as an incorporated Company in the Springfield directories of the period which does suggest that the Dayton Company was never granted a charter from Ohio. The company may therefore have operated as a privately owned company or as an agency of the Springfield Company. Milton H.Mathews is first associated with Thomas MFG in 1908 as manager and then as President in 1909. Neil.
We have had words in regards to your preferred directories method of ascertaining whom was where and what companies were in operation at any given time. Over and over, the directories are flawed. It may be human mistake or in the case of companies it may be because, the companies forgot to or didn't wish to, pay listing fee's. If no fee's were required, human error in compiling the directories is the most likely culprit. Correct. However W C Coleman didn't incorporate The Hydro Carbon Light Co, in 1906. I'd be surprised if you thought Coleman wasn't associated with the company. There are reasons why companies are structured as such and whilst Mathews case differed from W C Coleman's, there is a reason nonetheless. This completes the circle. We won't be changing each others minds so it is best if we leave it there.
