The Ohio Companies of E.J. Young

E.J. Young was born in Loyal Oak, Ohio in 1857. Growing up he had several jobs including school teacher, clerk in an Akron clothing store, laborer at a Wadsworth flour mill and a laborer at a local lumber yard. His big break came when he was hired by the Garfield Injector Company as an engineer.

E.J. Young with his wife and family dog

While working at Garfield, he turned the struggling company around by perfecting the injector valves the company sold. These valves were used by the steam locomotives of the time. In short time Young and other investors bought controlling interest in the company.

The Ohio Injector Company

A new company was formed in 1883 that focused on a larger selection of industrial valves. He named this company The Ohio Injector Company, located in Wadsworth.

Not satisfied with one company, Young invented a machine to mass produce wooden safety matches and incorporated The Ohio Match Company in 1895. This company was also located in Wadsworth.

The Ohio Match Company

You may be wondering at this point what all of this has to do with Wayne County. Well as it turns out E.J. Young wasn't finished forming companies. He had two more to start, and both of those involved Wayne County.

In 1897 Young incorporated the Wayne Salt Company. He wanted to locate the company in Sterling, Ohio. However, the idea was rebuffed by the town citizenry. Eventually, he bought mineral rights to a location in Rittman, Ohio that had close access to both the Erie Railroad and Chippewa Creek. In short time his first well was drilled and struck the huge halite deposit that underlies most of northeastern Ohio. He decided to rename his business the Ohio Salt Company.

The salt extraction process involves injecting clean water into the well and extracting the saline solution out. Then they heat the solution until all of the water is evaporated, leaving salt.

Sliding box for matches

Until that time, Young had been packaging his matches and salt in bulk, and leaving it to the purchaser to parcel them out. He thought it would beneficial to package both of these products in consumer sized containers. So he formed his fourth and final "Ohio" company, Ohio Boxboard Company, in 1903.  Ohio Boxboard Company produced the packaging for both his match company and his salt company. Young is credited with development of the familiar sliding safety match box, as well as the equally familiar cylinder salt box.

All four of Young's companies flourished for many years, but time took it's toll on all but one. Ohio Injector Company was bought out and the Wadsworth plant closed in 1982. Soon after

Ohio Match Company folded in 1987. Ohio Boxboard Company became Packaging Corporation of America, then Caraustar, which closed in 2006. Ohio Salt Company was purchased by Morton Salt in 1948, and remains one of Rittman's major employers.

The buildings that Young built all still stand except one. The old Ohio Boxboard plant began to be demolished in October of 2013, opening the way for some new visionary to step forward with a futuristic and bright idea.