>> Once a year, members of the Oshkosh Memorabilia Club put their collections on display. While providing a trip down memory lane, the items also showcase a long tradition of turning the city's memorable name into a brand. The Oshkosh brewing Company took the image of the city's namesake, Chief Oshkosh, as an emblem for its beer. A mythical image of the Chief helped the Oshkosh Trunk Company market their top-of-the-line travel trunks, built for those embarking on an extended voyage. But with a skilled work force, innovative entrepreneurs, and local investors to back them, there also developed an Oshkosh brand of innovation. >> Oshkosh is a city that embraced creativity and inventiveness. People had ideas, and people were willing to embrace those ideas. They were willing to say, "Give it a shot. Let's see what happens!" In 1878, boiler makers, machinists, and lumbermen teamed up to build a steam-powered car, named "the Oshkosh," and entered a race from Green Bay to Madison. Averaging six miles an hour, the Oshkosh outlasted the competition, and took the prize. 20 years later, Oshkosh metalworkers crafted one of America's first submarines. Designed by Richard Raddatz, a graduate of the Oshkosh Teacher's College, the 31-ton sub successfully dove, and drove, up and down the Fox River. >> One of the founders of Rockwell International, the giant Company that built the test model of the space shuttle, first began building his business in Oshkosh. Engineer Willard Rockwell took over a factory that made woodworking machines, and re-tooled it to make axles for cars and trucks. He patented an improved heavy-duty truck axle, with gearing that delivered more power to the wheels, making possible bigger wheels and bigger trucks. Willard Rockwell went on to buy many more companies, building one of the world's largest corporations. And Wisconsin Axle, or "the Axle," as it was known locally, became an industry leader, and one of Oshkosh's biggest employers. Many of the axles went into heavy-duty trucks built right across town, at Oshkosh Truck. Oshkosh Truck--which would become Oshkosh Corporation-- began in a modest factory, building grocery stores on wheels that could reach farm families on rough country roads. Then, making use of the power-boosting Rockwell Axles, the Company would go on to build ever bigger and more capable trucks. Road crews found the four-wheel-drive trucks not only had the power to build Wisconsin's early roads, but could also clear them of snow. Even with a heavy plow attached, there was plenty of horsepower to bust through the deepest snowdrifts.
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>> During the Cold War, strategic Air Command Bases remained on high alert for a Soviet sneak attack. Airmen trained with B-52 Aircraft that could launch a nuclear strike at a moment's notice. But on Northern Air Bases, snowplows were unable to clear the long runways fast enough. Oshkosh Truck won a bid if they could handle the job. >> So what Oshkosh Truck did, we developed the largest truck, I believe, ever developed in the United States for snowplow trucks. We could clear those runways so the B-52 bombers could take off to meet the Russian threat, if it ever occurred. When we showed the military that those five trucks could do the job, we eventually got an order. I believe it was for 900 trucks. This place, Oshkosh Truck, exploded with joy, because that's the biggest contract the Company ever got. That truck was built in the '50s, and today, as a consultant engineer, I still get calls from people that own those trucks that are still running after 50, 60 years. >> In 1895, James Clark partnered with James Howard Jenkins, a Civil War veteran who helped write the popular marching song "John Brown's Body," which provided the inspiration for "the Battle Hymn of the Republic." They decided to form a company to manufacture overalls. They marketed their J&C brand to railroad and construction workers, factory workers and farmers. The Company was soon taken over by William Pollock, shown here giving a prize to the first person to swim across Lake Winnebago. Pollock dreamed up the novel idea, inspired either by seeing a vaudeville show or an ad for razor blades on the wall of a lunch counter, of calling his overalls, "Oshkosh B'gosh." >> Nobody knows for sure how it started. >> The catchy name stuck. Business doubled, and then doubled again, providing steady work for hundreds of women, even through the years of the Great Depression. And like its heavy duty, and high quality overalls, Oshkosh B'gosh became one of the most durable brands in American history. >> Let your Oshkosh B'gosh dealer get out that tape measure and fit you up right. Then you won't forever be pulling and hitching up your clothes. No, Sirree! You'll be enjoying comfort with a capital 'O'. 'O' for Oshkosh, that is. So,
take my advice
let your dealer measure you up for the comfort ablest, best-looking overalls that ever was. Oshkosh B'gosh. >> After World War II, sales of overalls declined, as America's jobs got cleaner. >> Railroad man wasn't shoveling coal anymore. The farm machinery has been cleaned up. In automotive garages, people were wearing shirts and pants, and things like that to work. We knew we had to change. Oddly enough, at that same time, we were told by several marketing consultants, "Get rid of that name. The name Oshkosh is corn." So, we came up with this new line. We called it The Guys. That was gaining, but it was disappointing. Well, the small overall had always been in the line. Little kids size 2. We hated the thing. It was a pain in the neck in the Production Department. It was a problem in Inventory. We had to buy different size hardware. That was hard to get. It was just a nuisance, that little bib overall. We were halfway tempted to drop it. >> The little overall caught the attention of Alberta Kimball, president of the Miles Kimball Company, a highly successful Oshkosh mail order firm, featuring distinctive specialty items. When she placed them in the catalog, they sold by the thousands. >> And because of that, we published our own catalog, and sent it out to potential customers. >> The highest of the high end stores-- Niemen Marcus, Sak's Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale's, and Marshall Field's-- all placed orders, which led to sales all over the country. >> All of a sudden the children's bib overalls, is 90% of our business. >> As sales continued to grow by leaps and bounds, the company developed a full line of children's clothing, and Oshkosh B'gosh became a global brand. >> Oshkosh B'gosh was just a natural for the kids. Thank God we didn't change the name.
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