Sandusky, OH: 1860s-2002 American Crayon Co., "Color Capital of the World"

(Satellite)

The Sandusky operation started with William D. Curtis formulating in his kitchen an improved chalk for use in schools in the 1860s. The company grew to manufacture chalks for tailors, carpenters and railroaders. Their first major plant was built at Hayes Ave. and Polk Street in 1881. When a fire destroyed that plant on Oct 4, 1901, a new plant was opened in Sep 1902 in the southeast quadrant of Hayes Ave. and the NYC tracks. Starting in 1957, the company was purchased by other companies. "Although predictions and negotiations continued and were meant to reassure the ongoing operation of the Sandusky plant following its acquisition, gradually labor and plant operations along with a host of selected employees were outsourced to Canada and Mexico. Eventually, all the operations were progressively moved out of the original Sandusky plant, and it closed its doors in 2002 after 167 years of service in Sandusky, Ohio as a loyal and long-term employer in the community." [SanduskyHistory]

"At its peak, the Sandusky factory topped every other crayon company in its yearly production rate....The company saw its final days following the 1990 NAFTA act, when labor was outsourced to Mexico, where it was cheaper." [midstory]

I wonder how many crayons were made during its peak year of production.

Street View, Oct 2013

The date of the above view is important, because here is the current view.

Street View, Sep 2025

It was torn down in 2016.

Street View, Sep 2016

Rick Gerber posted six photos with the comment: "The American Crayon Company being demolished— in Sandusky, OH."

Jason Peters: what does it say on that stack at the top?

Joseph Duston: Jason Peters am crayon co

Bella Precious: It's been gone for awhile. The city just got approval to build a rec center where it was. It won't be done until 2027.

Steven Myers: What was a damned shame was that, after deciding to shift production to Mexico, they brought the Mexican workers up to Sandusky and had them trained by the American workers, before closing and laying them all off. You can still buy "American Crayons," made in Mexico.

1

2

3

4

5

6

Vincent Karl commented on Rich's post, cropped

Vincent Karl commented on Rich's post, cropped

I have seen a lot of Crayola crayon boxes. I've never seen American Crayons.

Image via midstory, cropped