Williams, A.C.

A.C. Williams Co. Ravenna, Ohio
1886 to date
Founder: John W. Williams
Specialty: Produced cast-iron, horse-drawn rigs, autos, airplane, and tractor toys from 1893 to 1923; line included mostly miniatures distributed through Woolworth, Kresge`s, and other five-and-dime stores.

Due to two different fires, one in 1889 and another in 1892, the company was relocated to Ravenna, Ohio. The company shut down for a time in 1893 due to the economy and, when it reopened a few months later, it produced some small models of sad irons for its salesman, and that became the beginning of their cast iron toy manufacturing phase.

During the next 30 years or so, the AC Williams Company (incorporated under that name in 1905) produced a wide variety of cast iron toys and banks and became the largest manufacturer of cast iron toys in the world, making horse-drawn toys, wheel toys, automobiles, tractors and airplanes.

During WWI, the production of toys decreased. With demands for other products from the company and the increasing popularity of toys made of other materials, such as plastic and rubber, toy manufacturing finally came to a halt, and the last of the AC Williams Company cast iron toys were manufactured in 1937-1938.