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Antique Matchbook / box
Ohio Red Label- Ohio Match Co
Large Box - picture is a scan of A4 page the matchbook is mounted on.
Ohio Match Company was one of the four Ohio companies that helped move Wadsworth from a coal mining town to an industrial community. Established in 1893 by E. J. Young, the first building was built in 1895, and the first matches produced in 1896. The first matches produced were the single-dip parlor match, but after 1900 the double-dip match was developed. The company also made safety-strike and book matches. Until the 1960s, the company was the largest employer in Wadsworth, employing 1,600 people, more than 600 of them women. The annual Blue Tip Festival in Wadsworth still starts with the lighting of a 17-ft tall match during the Blue Tip Parade. Demand for matches declined significantly at then end of the 20th century when disposable pocket lighters became common; the company closed in the 1980s.
Until its demise, the Ohio Match Co. was the second oldest operating match manufacturer in the United States. It began in 1895, only a few years after the inception of Diamond.
Originally, as with all of the early match manufacturers, Ohio made only wooden matches. Later, with the advent of book matches, Ohio began its journey to become one of the true giants of the industry. Located in Wadsworth, OH, its plant was the largest in the world, producing more than 300 million wooden and paper matches each day. The facility covered 18 acres. A second plant was located at Mancos, CO. Earlier production sites included NY, NY; Los Angeles, CA; Spokane, WA; St. Louis, MO; and San Francisco, CA.
Over the years, Ohio was not one of the more innovative manufacturers, but, instead, chose amore conservative “slow, but steady” approach toits future. Some of its more famous trademarksinclude: “Junior” (Ohio’s version of the Midget, issued in the 1930s), “Ohio Blue Tip” (for both its box and book matches), and “Rosebud” (betterknown in its box version). Other box trademarkswere: “Armadillo,” “Chief,” “Fife and Drum,”“Ohio Noiseless,” “Ohio Safety Matches,” Pilot,” and “Royal Star.”
phillumenist
