Description: These photographs, taken between July 31 and August 2, 1939, were compiled in a scrapbook as a report to the Ohio adjutant general by two National Guard officers, Brigadier General L. S. Conelly and Captain L. J. Abele. The officers were sent to the Fisher Body Plant in Cleveland as observers for the Ohio National Guard during the 1939 strike at the plant. The back of each photograph is labeled with a number and a brief caption. Images 2 and 57 include Eliot Ness, who was Cleveland's director of public safety at the time of the strike. Before coming to Cleveland, Ness successfully battled mobster Al Capone in Chicago. His book, The Untouchables, was published in 1957. Other images in this collection include confrontations between police and strikers, non-striking workers inside the plant and police and fire officials at the scene. The photographs measure 6" x 8" (15.24 x 20.32 cm). Fisher Body Plant opened in 1921 to build car bodies for the Cleveland Automobile Company and the Chandler Motor Car Company. It became a division of General Motors (GM) in 1926. Several major strikes occurred in the automobile industry in the 1930s, as workers were asked to work for less and less due to the effects of the Great Depression. In 1937, workers at the Fisher Body Plant began a sit-down strike that spread to the GM factory in Michigan. The strike ended when GM agreed to recognize the United Auto Workers. During World War II the Fisher Body plant made parts for tanks, guns and airplanes. The plant closed in 1982. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om1526_4400787_003
Subjects: Ohio Government; Military Ohio; Business and labor; Strikes; Factories; Automobile industry; International Union, United Automobile Workers of America (CIO); Ohio. National Guard
Places: Cleveland (Ohio); Cuyahoga County (Ohio)
 

Description: Two photographs of Charles Kettering's self-starter were taken in the 1960s. Kettering invented the self-starter in 1911, revolutionizing the automobile industry. Prior to Kettering's invention, cars had to be started by hand by turning a large crank in the front of the car. The photographs of the car and self-starter measure 8" x 10" (20.32 x 25.4 cm). Inventor Charles Kettering (1876-1958) was born in Loudonville, Ohio. He registered 140 patents, including the self-starting ignition for automobiles, leaded gasoline, and Freon (with Thomas Midgley Jr.). Kettering founded Delco (Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company) in 1909, where he invented many of his products. Kettering was a 1904 graduate of the Ohio State University. He was also known for his philanthropic work, including the establishment of Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research near Dayton. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om3064_3670093_001
Subjects: Transportation; Science and Technology; Automobile industry; Automobiles; Inventions; Kettering, Charles, 1876-1958
Places: Dayton (Ohio); Montgomery County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph showing an automobile driven by an unidentified man and transporting explosives. The automobile itself carries several labels that read: "GOLD MEDAL DYNAMITE.," "AUSTIN POWDER CO. ILLINOIS POWDER M'F'G. CO. 1548 PIERCE B'L'D'G. ST. LOUIS." and "EXPLOSIVES, DANGEROUS." The handwriting located at the bottom-left corner of the photograph reads: "White & Tan." The Austin Powder company was founded during the westward migration. The industry produced black power, which was utilized to break rocks for mining purposes, and to construct canals. The company remains today the second-oldest manufacturing industry in Ohio. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SC1261_007
Subjects: Automobiles; Trucks; Transportation; Automobile industry; Manufacturing industries--Ohio
Places: Toledo (Ohio); Lucas County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph, taken in the 1960s, documents four models of Jeeps manufactured by Willys-Overland Company (later Kaiser Jeep Corporation) of Toledo between 1940 and 1963. On the left is the MA model, which was built in small quantities in 1940 and 1941. The Jeep second from the left is the MB model. It was mass-produced for U.S. and Allied forces during World War II (1941-1945). 368, 714 of the Jeeps were built. Second from the right is the M38, which was produced between 1950 and 1952 for troops serving in the Korean War (1950-1952). On the right is the M38A1, manufactured between 1952 and 1963. The photograph is 8" x 10" (20.32 x 25.4 cm). Willys-Overland was the second-largest automobile manufacturer in the United States in the 1950s, employing one-third of Toledo's work force. Barely surviving the Great Depression of the 1930s, the company produced Jeeps for military use in World War II. The Willys-Overland Company became a part of DaimlerChrysler in 1998 and continued to produce SUVs (sport utility vehicles) for the general public. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om3262_4549698_001
Subjects: Transportation; Business and labor; Automobiles; Automobile industry; Jeep Corporation; Willys-Overland Motors, Inc.
Places: Toledo (Ohio); Lucas County (Ohio)
 

Description: Reproduction of a photograph depicting Charles F. Kettering with a Buick automobile, Dayton, Ohio, 1913. Kettering is credited with inventing the electric ignition and self-starter for the automobile. He was one of the founders of the Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company, which became the Delco Products Division of General Motors. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL01161
Subjects: Inventors--Ohio; Automobiles; Automobile industry; Ohio Economy--Science and Technology; Photography--Ohio; Science and technology
Places: Dayton (Ohio)
 

Description: This image shows a replica of the First Cash Register as made by Charles F. Kettering in Dayton, Ohio. Kettering graduated from The Ohio State University in 1904 with a degree in engineering. After obtaining his diploma, Kettering moved to Dayton, where he obtained a job at the National Cash Register Company. There, he helped to develop the first electric cash register. Kettering was hired as the head of General Motors's new research division and became a vice president in the company in 1920. Kettering continued to develop new technology for automobiles throughout his life, including spark plugs, leaded gasoline, the automatic transmission, and four-wheel brakes. Under his leadership, General Motors also developed diesel engines, safety glass, and the refrigerant Freon. In 1945, he and General Motors president Alfred Sloan established the Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, which was located in New York City. Kettering received numerous honors for his contributions to technological research. He was awarded dozens of honorary doctorates and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Kettering died in November 1958. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06523
Subjects: Kettering, Charles, 1876-1958; Automobile industry; National Cash Register Company
Places: Dayton (Ohio); Montgomery County (Ohio)
 

Description: Alexander Winton (1860-1932) was a Scottish-born American and pioneer automobile manufacturer, seen here driving his Winton automobile. He settled in Cleveland, Ohio, and started the Winton Motor Carriage Company in 1897, with his automobile credited as the first commercial sale of automobile in the United States. He patented over one hundred designs and even gave Henry Ford access to his steering designs before a race. Ford and his assembly line out-produced Winton's custom-made cars and put him out of business in 1924. Winton eventually focused purely on engine design, and his Winton Engine Company was bought by General Motors in 1930. He died in Cleveland, Ohio. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL04079
Subjects: Ohio Economy--Science and Technology; Automobile industry; Ford, Henry, 1863-1947; Businesses
Places: Cleveland (Ohio); Cuyahoga County (Ohio)
 

Description: This illustration shows a range of passenger cars manufactured by Willys Motors Inc., a division of the Willys-Overland Company of Toledo, Ohio, between 1903 and 1955. The changes in the automobile built by this auto-maker are indicative of the changes in automobile technology during the first half of the 20th century. Willys-Overland was the second-largest automobile manufacturer in the United States in the 1950s, employing one-third of Toledo's work force. After struggling during the Great Depression of the 1930s, the company began producing Jeeps for military use in World War II. The Willys-Overland Company later became a part of DaimlerChrysler in 1998 and continued to produce SUVs (sport utility vehicles) for the general public. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SC172_02
Subjects: Automobiles; Automobile industry; Willys-Overland Motors, Inc.; Manufacturing industries--Ohio; Transportation--Ohio--History;
Places: Toledo (Ohio); Lucas County (Ohio)
 

Description: Aerial view of the Columbus Auto Parts Company factory in Columbus, Ohio, ca. 1960-1969. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL07947
Subjects: Columbus (Ohio); Manufacturing industries--Ohio; Ohio Economy; Automobile industry
Places: Columbus (Ohio)
 

Description: This 8" x 10" (20.32 x 25.4 cm) photograph shows Governor James Rhodes driving the 150,000th Jeep Renegade built in 1978. Governor Rhodes drove the Jeep off the line, with AMC President Gerry Meyers in the passenger seat, at the Willys-Overland factory in Toledo, Ohio. Willys-Overland was the second-largest automobile manufacturer in the United States in the 1950s, and one-third of Toledo's work force was employed there. Barely surviving the Great Depression of the 1930s, the company produced Jeeps for military use in World War II. The Willys-Overland Company became a part of DaimlerChrysler in 1998 and continued to produce SUVs (sport utility vehicles) for the general public. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om2973_3619591_001
Subjects: Ohio Government; Transportation; Business and labor; Automobiles; Automobile industry; Governors; Jeep Corporation; Willys-Overland Motors, Inc.; Rhodes, James A. (James Allen), 1909-2001
Places: Toledo (Ohio); Lucas County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph showing a Ford truck parked in front of a dealership. According to the hand-written caption, the car was sold for $125.00 on September 22, 1925, at D.Q. Jennings Used Cars. The name of the dealership is advertised on a hanging sign in the background. The caption below the photograph reads: "1923 Ford Truck Sold 9/22/25 NO 3141 125.00." In 1909, automobile manufacturer Henry Ford introduced the Model T. This automobile became the most popular and affordable car available to the American people during the 1910s and the 1920s. In 1912, the Model T sold for six hundred dollars. Twelve years later, thanks to Ford's use of the assembly line, interchangeable parts, and unskilled labor, the Model T's price had dropped to just 290 dollars, making it easily affordable for the typical American. Helping to keep the price low was Ford's unwillingness to provide consumers with any frills on the Model T. Every Model T left the factory painted black, reducing the cost of paint and helping Ford to reduce the car's cost. Between 1909 and 1927, Ford only made two major changes to the Model T's design: adding roofs to the cars and equipping the autos with self-starters. The Model T and automobiles in general dramatically altered life in the United States and in Ohio. Cities quickly grew in geographic size, as workers, who formerly resided near their places of employment, moved to the suburbs. Schools became larger, as children could be bused long distances to receive their education. Social activities, such as dating, changed as people could travel greater distances to movie theaters, art galleries, and other entertainment venues. Promiscuity increased, as teenagers escaped the watchful eyes of their parents. Americans also increasingly went into debt as they purchased automobiles on credit. The first automobile dealer to sell cars on a deferred payment plan operated his business in Toledo, Ohio. Ford quickly employed a similar tactic to convince more consumers to purchase his Model T. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SC1261_001
Subjects: Trucks; Automobiles; Transportation; Industrialists--Ohio; Automobile industry
Places: Steubenville (Ohio); Jefferson County (Ohio);
 

Description: Photograph showing a Dodge Stake parked in front of a dealership. According to the hand-written caption, the car was sold for $550.00 in 1925 at D.Q. Jennings Used Cars. The name of the dealership is advertised on a hanging sign in the background. The caption below the photograph reads: "1925 Dodge 3/4 Stake NO 3171 550.00." From the first Dodge Brothers automobile in 1914, the company was renowned for its durability and quality earning a strong reputation and good sales. Following the deaths of the Dodge brothers in 1921, Graham Brothers started selling 1.5-ton pickups through Dodge dealers. The Graham-bodied automobiles contained Dodge parts. A one-ton model showed up later in the 1920s, still powered by that same four cylinder engine, and Dodge Brothers bought a controlling interest in Graham Brothers in 1925, picking up the rest in 1926. In 1928, Chrysler acquired the Dodge Brothers company, just after launched its DeSoto and Fargo truck brands, both of which competed directly with Dodge Brothers. Fargo trucks sold in the US from 1928 through 1930, and continued for decades as an export brand. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SC1261_002
Subjects: Automobiles; Trucks; Transportation; Automobile industry; Industrialists--Ohio;
Places: Steubenville (Ohio); Jefferson County (Ohio);