File:OHS Om3164 3780160 001.jpg

This photograph of women workers making sparkplugs at the Firestone Tire & Rubber Company in Akron, Ohio was taken around 1930. It measures 8" x 10" (20.32 x 25.4 cm). Harvey S. Firestone (1868-1938) was born in rural Columbiana County, Ohio and incorporated Firestone Tire & Rubber Company in Akron, Ohio in 1900. Five years earlier, Firestone met automobile maker Henry Ford while Firestone was working as an agent for the Columbus Buggy Company. Firestone convinced Ford that the bicycle tires he was using would not be sufficient for automobiles and began working on a new tire. The company started with twelve employees and quickly grew. In 1916, Firestone introduced the eight-hour day to the Akron factory and received a reputation for fair treatment of employees through stock offerings, free life insurance, and access to the Firestone Club House recreation center. In 1936, striking workers at Firestone were among the first to practice the sit-down strike, refusing to leave their positions. The tactic, which prevented scabs (replacement workers) and violence, led Firestone to back down on proposed wage cuts. Between 1923 and 1948, every winner of the Indianapolis 500 used Firestone tires on their cars. In 1988 Bridgestone purchased the Firestone Tire & Rubber Company and became Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. The company moved its headquarters from Akron to Nashville in 1992.

The Ohio History Connection, Ohio Guide Photographs Collection, Audiovisual material; State Archives Series 1039 AV

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Works Progress Administration, ca. 1930s-1940s

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