This company dates back to about 1865, when it operated under the name of its founder, George H. Ober. By 1891 it was operating as Ober Lathe Co., and by 1919 it was operating as Ober Manufacturing Co. The company survived to at least 1950.
Advertisement from January 1901 "The Wood Worker"
Information Sources
- Batory's price list of catalogs shows two circa-1880 catalogs.
- Stock certificate for Ober Lathe Co., dated July 1891. The date was pre-formatted as "____________ 189___".
- Ad for Ober Lathe Co. in the October 1893 issue of The Wood-Worker.
- Ad for Ober Lathe Co. in the May 1898 issue of The Wood-Worker.
- Ad for Ober Manufacturing Co. in the May 1919 issue of The Wood-Worker.
- 1916 catalog scan. From the same site is a collection of Ober photos and ads.
- Used machines in 1917 catalog.
- An ad in a 1920 issue of The Wood-Worker shows Ober's lathe and double-belt automatic sander, for making broom, hoe, fork, rake, mop and boat-hook handles. Another ad in the same issue lists a used dowel machine from this company.
- A 1920s catalog is titled, "Illustrated catalog of the Ober Lathes, Sanders, Shapers, Etc."
- 1950 Ohio Division of Labor Statistics—Manufacturers' Directory lists Ober Mfg. Co., 218 Bell St., Chagrin Falls, with 6 employees.
- Carriage and Wagon Makers Machinery and Tools by Kenneth L. Cope, 2004 page 143