Finding aid for the Woodhill Chemical Sales Corporation Records

History of the Woodhill Chemical Sales Corporation

The Woodhill Chemical Sales Corporation was founded in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1921 by Norman Jackson Freeman (1898-1987). Woodhill Chemical was one of the largest manufacturers and packagers of chemical-based do-it-yourself repair products. The company grew large enough to move out of the family basement and into a garage on Woodhill Road. The company was next located on East 33rd Street, before building its own custom plant in Warrensville Heights, Ohio, in 1963. Freeman's sons Phillip and James and his son-in-law Vic Gelb held significant leadership roles in the company.

Woodhill offered many different products, including glues, paints, and rust removers. The Duro brand became a well-known consumer brand and was sought out by many retail businesses who earned licensing rights to package, brand, and distribute Woodhill products. Woodhill offered over eighty products which included Navel Jelly Rust Remover, Satin-X carpet cleaner, and, in the mid-1970s, Super Glue. In 1974, Loctite Corp., a commercial chemical giant, acquired Woodhill. Freeman became Honorary Director of Loctite Corp. in 1976. The company was later purchased by Henkel Corp. of Dusseldorf, Germany.

Scope and Content

The Woodhill Chemical Sales Corporation Records, 1958-2013 and undated, consist of advertisements, an annual report, an award, a biographical statement, an invitation, newsletters, newspaper clippings, notes, packaging, a product catalog, and a "profit finder".

This collection is of value to those studying entrepreneurship, business, and industry in Cleveland, Ohio, in the early twentieth century. Those interested in the history of the household chemical industry, the history of the automotive industry, and the history of advertising will the collection especially valuable. Of particular note are advertisements which feature Joy Harmon in the Body is Beautiful Month advertisement, as well as a newsletter which features Hall of Famer Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Feller. Those studying the Jewish community of Cleveland and its involvement in local industrial concerns will also find this collection useful.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Access

None.

The Western Reserve Historical Society History Museum has a stained glass portrait of Norman Freeman entitled "Pope of Glue" made by Rudolph Richard Sandon in ca. 1970, a Duro brand sign that hung outside of the Woodhill Chemical Sales Corporation made by Rudolph Richard Stanton using the facet glass technique, and several product packages from Woodhill Chemical Sales.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Organizations/Corporations:

Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 5309 Woodhill Chemical Sales Corporation Records, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

Gift of Todd Freeman in 2013.

Processing Information

Processed by Bryan Pyper and Sean Martin in 2015.

Detailed Description of The Collection