The Ohio Brass Company was originally located on the west side of North Main Street between Fifth & Sixth Streets. Notable in this 1895 office shot are Frank Black (farthest left), and his father, Moses Black who came to America from Ireland (on the right wearing a black derby.)
Here on Main Street, and in their other factories in Barberton and Niagara Falls, the OB works were turning out millions of components and parts, but the true product of Ohio Brass was a massive power grid across thousands of miles of America, powering millions of homes and jobs.
Founded in 1888 as a small foundry with 20 workers on 2 floors downtown, the Brass prospered tremendously during the streetcar era by making trolley parts and eventually bought out the Aultman-Taylor factory complex and covered 73 acres in Mansfield and other cities.
In 1978 the Ohio Brass Company merged with Hubbell Inc., and within six years the Barberton and Niagara Falls plants were closed. Hubbell sold the Mansfield operation in 1987 to a Texas firm, who sold it to an English firm. An employee-driven company was formed to keep it going, but in 1990 the plant on Main Street shut down.
At the height of their rise to eminence Ohio Brass employed a force of 900, but during the industrial malaise of the 1970s-80s they lost power, sold out to larger interests, and closed up shop in 1990.
The Administration Building at the Ohio Brass Company was brand new when this photo was taken in 1928 for one of their catalogs. Founded in 1888 as a small foundry with 20 workers on 2 floors downtown, the Brass prospered tremendously during the streetcar era by making trolley parts and eventually bought out the Aultman-Taylor factory complex ...
The Bedford Historical Society archives contains the histories of many of Bedford’s businesses and industries. Products made in Bedford are found all over the world. Some of the histories contained include: Several Chair manufacturers including B.L. Marble and Taylor Chair, Holmes Bronze Foundry, The Bailey-Walker / Walker China Company, ...
The name was used in Bedford, Ohio from 1885 to 1894. About 1901 the Marble & Shattuck Company moved to a new facility in Cleveland. Established in 1938. Ben Venue received the coveted Army-Navy “E” Award for its efforts during WWII. Established in 1905 was a worldwide producer of gray metal castings.
In 1894 Mr. Marble formed the B. L. Marble Chair Company. This was the beginning of many years of turning out fine wooden chairs made for comfort elegance and made to last. The Marble & Shattuck Chair Company. The name was used in Bedford, Ohio from 1885 to 1894. About 1901 the Marble & Shattuck Company moved to a new facility in Cleveland.
Was well known for castings stoves. The Finney Company. Started in 1930 by Lewis H. Finneburgh. Also known as FinnCo, the Finney Antenna Company produced antennas and accessories, MATV equipment.
Specialized in the design and manufacture of large crane and material handling equipment. Including the world’s largest crane built in 1919.
The 9-hole Par-3 at Shawnee Hills Golf Course in Bedford, OH is a public golf course that opened in 1989. Par-3 at Shawnee Hills Golf Course measures 1293 yards from the longest tees. The greens are bent grass and the fairways are bluegrass.
Shawnee Hills is home to two different golf courses, an 18-hole regulation course and a nine-hole, par-3 layout.
On February 20, 1951, the northeast corner of Bedford Township broke off from the City of Bedford and incorporated to become the village of Bedford Heights, Ohio. Bedford Heights achieved city status in 1961.
Bedford became an incorporated village on March 15, 1837. In 1837, the population of Bedford Township had grown to be 475 people and at that time, the residents petitioned to become the Village of Bedford, which sits at the geographic center of Bedford Township.
There are two main commercial districts in Bedford, the Automile and the Bedford Historic District. The Automile, which lies along Rockside Road and Broadway, was formally established in 1956 to promote the interests of the auto dealerships and to help these companies work together to give back to the community.
He is also known for inventing the strap lathe, a tool that would become standard in furniture making. Bedford Township was officially founded in 1823 and Township 6 was renamed Bedford Township by Daniel Benedict, originally a native of Bedford, New York.
The village of Maple Heights left Bedford Township in 1915 and in 1932 Maple Heights achieved city status. In 1932, the Village of Bedford adopted a city manager government and charger and became the City of Bedford. As the village grew, many industries developed in Bedford and new businesses opened.
It is a first ring suburb to the southeast of Cleveland. The city is bounded by Maple Heights to the north and west, Valley View to the west, Walton Hills and Northfield to the south, Oakwood to the south and east, and Bedford Heights to the east.
The company was organized on March 24, 1881. On February 23, 1882 28 volunteer firefighters were sworn in as members of Bedford Fire Company #1. The first firehouse was located in a barn on Woodrow St. Early apparatus consisted of a hand-pumper and hose cart which was pulled to the scene of a fire. The first fire for Company #1 occurred on April 9, ...
Bedford Fire Engine 2 was purchased in June 1949. The vehicle was a 750 gpm Seagrave Quad which carried over 200 total feet of ladders. The largest being the department’s first 50’ Bangor ladder. Firefighters first used 50 ft Bangor in a rescue on June 7, 1961.
The course was sponsored by the State of Ohio. The course consisted of 20 lessons, two hours each. It was the first formal training on firefighting that members of the department had received. It vastly changed the tactics utilized by the firefighters of the Bedford Fire Department.
The pump could throw water over any building in town. The vehicle remained in service, as a front line pumper, for over 35 years. Bedford Engine 1 (circa 1958) In 1940, the City of Bedford signed a contract with Bedford Township to provide fire protection for the township.
Ten buildings, in the downtown, were destroyed by the fire and two others were torn down to prevent the fire from spreading. The Cleveland Fire Department responded with an engine and hook-and-ladder to assist.
In 1913 the first fire hydrants (plugs) were installed along Broadway Ave. In the summer of 1914 the fire department did not use a pumper at an incident during a fire in a church steeple. Firefighters were able to successfully extinguish the flames using a 2 ½” hose and a hydrant which had 90 pounds of pressure.