Ravenna Colonial

The Colonial Electric Company was founded by Elmer Gillmer in 1899, when he purchased the lampmaking equopment of the former Orient Electric Company, and moved it to Ravenna in Ohio. The business was taken over by the National Electric Lamp Company in 1902, and for many years afterwards 'Colonial' was one of the stronger lamp brands distributed by that organisation. Gillmer did not exit the business but took a key role in the direction of National, serving as its President at the time of his death in 1910. The precise date of closure of the Ravenna lampmaking operations is not certain, but it is believed to have continued until at least 1910.