1940's Advertising-Winchester Flashlights Traditional Cache

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general j patten: thanks for the fun, now its time to go.

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Hidden : 6/20/2010
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: small (small)

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Geocache Description:

Elevation 210.1 m.

A series dedicated to 1940's advertising. Each cache is a look back at how the media portraid common products, some good, some bad. All of the locations will have something in common.



Winchester Flashlights

In 1892, Franklin W. Olin, a Vermont-born engineer who was educated at Cornell University, founded the Equitable Powder Company in East Alton, Illinois. A predecessor of Olin Industries, Equitable Powder supplied blasting powder to midwestern coal fields. The powder company soon expanded into small arms ammunition, and the Western Cartridge Company was formed in 1898.

During the First World War, Western built a brass mill to supply the great demand for brass for military cartridges. When the war ended, Western turned to "tailor-made" brass and other copper alloys to absorb excess production capacity. Olin Brass continues to produce a wide range of copper and copper-based alloy sheet, strip, tube and fabricated products.

In 1931, Western completed its integration into small arms and ammunition with its purchase of the legendary Winchester Repeating Arms Co., which had been founded in New Haven, CT, in 1866. Winchester also greatly expanded production during World War I, but to absorb the excess capacity and pay down debt it made a disastrous foray into manufacturing and selling hardware goods, from roller skates and refrigerators to batteries. This failed experiment eventually drove Winchester into receivership and led to its sale to the Olins and Western Cartridge in 1931. The Olins quickly ended Winchester's foray into the hardware field, paring it down to its core competencies in arms and ammunition.

Winchester-Western made major contributions to Allied Forces in World War II by manufacturing 15 billion rounds of ammunition and also developing the U.S. carbine and M-1 rifle. By the end of the war, Winchester-Western employed 62,000 people, including those at plants operated for the government.

The Winchester company has changed in many ways since the 1940's. They no longer manufacture flashlights or batteries. These products are unavailable to consumers.

Additional Hints (No hints available.)



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