How Fremont became a cutlery capital

With a little fewer than 16,000 residents, according to the 2020 Census, Fremont might be considered something of a small town.

But there are plenty of examples that it has been very big in some important ways.

E.B. Christy, who owned the Christy Knife Co. that was located on Dickenson Street, told The News-Messenger that “At one time, in the ‘20s, there was more cutlery shipped out of Fremont than any other city in the world.”

The city was known as the cutlery capital of the world with Clauss cutlery and then Henkel-Clauss with a reported 1,000 employees. Today, Crescent, which has been in business since late in the 19th century, is called the world’s leading specialty blade producer.

Quikut Inc. produced the Ginsu knife, which gained fame with its television commercials, and the A. Eickert Co. which reportedly became Arius-Eickert, the largest manufacturer of professional barber and beauty scissors in the country.

Then there was the Jackson Underwear factory, which was located on the east side of Front Street between Garrison Street and Birchard Avenue.

A.H. Jackson was a traveling salesman with an excellent reputation who became a community leader in Fremont in the late 19th century. One of his companies was the A. H Jackson Manufacturing Co., which included what was said to be the largest plant manufacturing ladies’ and children’s fine muslin and flannelet undergarments in the country. The company’s headquarters were in Fremont, but had branch factories in Sandusky, Tiffin, Clyde and Bellevue.

A.H. Jackson had multiple business interests

He also was head of other manufacturing concerns such as the Fremont Suspender Co., the Jackson Knife and Shear Co. and the Hotel Jackson.

Jackson also served in the U.S. Congress and was mayor of Fremont at the turn of the century.More recently, the Howard Zink Corp. was the world’s largest manufacturer of auto seat covers. Based on Fremont’s Napoleon Street, the company had plants in New Jersey and California. The company manufactured cushions, seat pads, utility bags and “baby pals” plus highway signs in addition to seat covers, and its advertising display sign business became Consolite in the late 1940s.

As time passed, the need for auto seat covers declined and the company was sold to Indian Head Mills and then Starlight Industries and Saddleman’s to produce various auto accessories.

Herbrand made a name for itself during carriage days

Then there was the Herbrand Co. The company was organized in 1881 with its start being based on the patent for and the manufacture of the Herbrand Fifth Wheel and Gear Iron. (At that time, the fifth wheel was a device that allowed the axle on a horse-drawn carriage to pivot.)

By the middle of the 20th century, the firm employed nearly 1,000 workers and had been named the official tool supplier of and had a tool crib with its complete line of hand tools at the Indianapolis 500 on Memorial Day in 1951.

Just a small town?

Roy Wilhelm started a 40-year career at The News-Messenger in 1965 as a reporter. Now retired, he writes a column for both The News-Messenger and News Herald.

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Fremont OH history: City became known for cutlery, and underwear