Buckeye and Empire Days By Karl Kendig A Centennial History of
Akron 1825-1925 Summit County Historical Society, Akron, Ohio
1925, p 246-255 AN INDUSTRIAL picture of Akron, transposed to a
graphic chart, would show that from 1864 to 1905 the
agricultural machinery and allied lines dominated. This field of
manufacturing created the same nation-wide reputation for Akron
during that period as does the rubber industry of today.
Wherever soil was tilled and harvests reaped, mowers, binders,
rakes, cultivators and cutting parts "made in Akron" circulated
the trade names of "Buckeye," "Empire," "Excelsior," and "W &
B," in this and foreign Capitalization of these industries in
hundreds of thousands of dollars, created as much amazement or
wonder financially, as do organizations of today with their
millions of capital. From two to eight hundred was the average
number employed, and they were known as "Buckeye men," "Empire
men," "Whitman & Barnes men," and so on. In 1886 the
agricultural implement business was at its