By Gail Marsh
When you hear “Coleman” what comes to your mind? A tent or lantern? That green cooler? It’s no wonder that Coleman has become practically synonymous with camping and the great outdoors. This company has been around for more than 123 years! And here’s how it happened…
Dark times overcome
William Coleman was born in 1870. Within a year the family, including baby William, relocated from New England to a small town in Kansas. In 1881, his father died, and 11-year-old William began selling small goods to help support his family.
When grown, William became a schoolteacher and later enrolled in the University of Kansas Law School. A lack of funds prevented William from graduating, so he began selling typewriters as he traveled the U.S.
The bright beginning
Folklore has it that one night William Coleman was walking down the street when he saw a bright, clear light coming from a drugstore window. Investigating further, Coleman learned that the lamp in the window was gasoline-powered. So impressed with the bright light, Coleman decided to try selling the Irby-Gilliland Company lamps himself. His success was limited, however. The design of the lamps caused them to become clogged with carbon deposits and the lamps would fail.
A brighter idea
Determined to make his efforts successful, William proposed a lamp leasing idea. Customers would lease a lamp for $1. If (or when) the lamp failed, William himself would service them and customers would owe nothing. The lamp leasing idea was a huge hit! William reinvested the money he earned along with money from relatives. He eventually started his own business, the Hydro-Carbon Light Company.
In 1902, William decided to move his successful lighting service to Wichita, Kansas. A year later, he bought the rights to the lamp and improved its design. He dubbed his lamp the Coleman Arc Lamp. The lights were used to illuminate the field at a nighttime football game in 1905, and William’s reputation grew.
More bright ideas
- 1909 – William developed his own uniquely designed gasoline-powered lamps. He added bug screens to the mantle so that the lamps could be used outside at night.
- 1910-1920 – William Coleman’s business grew. He brought light to rural areas not yet served by electricity.
- 1920s – The business branched out to include lanterns, camp and cook stoves, and more. Some of William’s inventions faced stiff competition from Westinghouse Electric Corporation and General Electric Company. He was forced to withdraw his coffee maker, for example, but he continued to push forward with his other ideas.
- 1929 – The stock market crash hurt almost every company in the U.S. William managed to survive because he enjoyed a good working relationship with his bankers. They helped Coleman and his company make it through the depression years.
- 1932 – With Franklin Roosevelt’s effort to bring electricity to rural areas, William’s company had to pivot once again. He began making space heaters and floor furnaces. All the while Coleman’s lantern and portable cook stove products gained popularity.
- World War II – During the war, the company was called upon to provide shells and spare parts for various branches of the military. In 1942, the Army Quartermaster sent the Coleman company a nearly impossible request. They needed a compact field stove no larger than a quart of milk, able to operate at temperatures ranging from 60 degrees below zero to 125 degrees above zero, and powered by any type of fuel. They needed 5,000 of these never-before-produced stove units delivered within two months! William was up to the challenge. In fact, he surpassed the Army’s specifications and delivered on time!
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- 1950s – Post wartime saw William’s company surge in prominence and profitability. The company continued to supply Boeing Co. with airplane parts, produced oil space heaters and gas floor furnaces, and resumed manufacturing camp lanterns and stoves. Sheldon Coleman was named president in 1951 and in 1957, Sheldon became board chairman when his father died.
- The ’60s-’70s – The Coleman company expanded its production of camping equipment, adding sleeping bags, tents, and heating equipment. Coleman also began serving the mobile home industry with specialized furnaces and air conditioners.
- In 1964, Sheldon Coleman hired longtime employee Lawrence Jones as the company’s president. The two men collaborated on product development and successfully produced adjustable backpack frames, coolers and camp stoves, canoes, and even travel trailers.
- 1980s-1990s – After the death of his father in 1988, Sheldon Coleman, Jr. took over as Chairman of the Board. He privatized the company and New York financial mogul Ronald Perelman bought it. Along with President Lawrence Jones, Perelman restructured the company. The two men focused on the growing recreational markets and eventually took the Coleman company public once again, with Perelman retaining over 80 percent stake in the operations.
- 1990–today – The company has since expanded its product lines to include everything from generators to dog toys. If you love the outdoors, sooner or later you’ll discover a Coleman product that you just must have!
What’s your favorite Coleman product? Please share with us in the comments below.
More How it Happened:
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I have a Coleman camp stove that has been used for over 45 years. We started tent camping moved to a pickup camper and now have a class A. The stove is still with us. I cannot imagine how many dozens of eggs and pounds of bacon must have been cooked on the stove. We still use it on occasion.
Awesome ! I have my father’s Coleman stove and camp oven from 1960 that I still use to cook with. He is gone now but I have so many great memories of camping with the family when I was a young boy.
We still have a Coleman camp stove and ice chest purchased in 1974. We even have the original folding metal stands to keep them off the ground. The stove stays with our RV; the ice chest serves up cold beverages at home on the patio. Indestructible. Never felt old using them until I walked into a REI earlier this year and saw my ice chest on the wall as part of a vintage camping display!
Lantern and stove.
I remember my father’s gas powered single burner camp stove that required white gas so it burn clean. If I remember right it had to be pumped up to burn. Now myself and grand kids ride the Coleman Mini bike that I purchased at Tractor Supply.
I’ve owned their stoves, lanterns, and ice chests. Also two Coleman tent trailers in the 1990’s, those were a lot of fun.
My family has used Coleman products for the last 100 years when they were all made in the USA. Now most of their stuff is made in China and is mostly garbage quality.
I wish they had a club for all of us with Coleman Popup campers and their other folding trailers.
My favorite was when they owned Hobie Cat sailboats. We have had Coleman lanterns and stoves for over 60 years. I remember my grandfather searching for “white gas “ to power the appliances.
The red Coleman 200A lantern.
Some 5 or 6 years ago, while in the Colemen store in Branson, MO, we spotted 2 really nice looking chairs with side tables. After sitting in them for a bit, we bought them and were very happy until we had a big rain storm. A few days later, we noticed the tables were just about bend enough that they would come out of their metal holders. As they were only 2 months or less old, we took them back and were told by the manager that they couldn’t warranty them because we left them OUTSIDE. Aren’t these camping chairs? No more Coleman for us!!!
In the late 70’s I was became involved as a Scout Manager in the Boy Scouts. I purchased Coleman lanterns and camp Stoves. Later I got a couple camp heaters. When their tents came on the market we obtained a dozen light weight tents. I encouraged Coleman back packs and frames to my troop. Even today, I still have 2 original lanterns, two different of the original stoves and a heater. I still use them often.
Glad it’s still an American company. What fuel did the small stoves burn in WW2?
I had one of those. It used liquid white gas.
My wife worked for them at a plant in Minnesota for several years. She sewed life jackets for Stearns until being bought out by larger corporations three times, the last being put under control of Coleman, who is owned by a large holding corporation. Working conditions deteriorated rapidly. Instead of helping people to become better sewers, they punished them for mistakes by suspension without pay. When my wife spoke up against this, she all of a sudden had “mistakes” after sewing for 30+ years. Just before her 3rd “mistake” could have happened and caused her being fired, she retired and saved her benefits. They are a horrible company to work for and have since closed that plant, putting 300 out of work. Their jobs have reportedly gone to China, which was previously tried but failed and were brought back. We no longer buy any “Coleman” products.
My son-in-law, a Metropolitan Area Fire Chief and retired Air Force Reserve Fire Rescue Senior Chief Master Sergeant has a hobby, among others, of restoring old tired Coleman Lanterns. He makes them look and operate just like brand new! He’s a craftsman when it comes to cooking, too.
I have a modest collection of Coleman lanterns. It’s addictive but we are never in the dark when there’s a power outage.
Does Coleman actually produce anything or simply sell licensing rights to use the name? I believe the selling of name rights is their primary product.
I grew up with The Coleman’s, they were my grandparents best friends ..mostly Bud and Betty. They partied alot 🤣
Probably by the light of a lantern!
I have had a Coleman backpack camp stove for many years and it still works flawlessly. On outing others would brag who’s stove could boil water fastest and would look down upon my “heavy” old timers cook stove vs the new and sexy products.
My deciding comment, that always ended the bashing, was, “but can any of yours make toast” ?
Once the old Coleman got burning good, you could dial it down low and make a nice slice of toast with breakfast. No other backpack stove I have ever seen can say the same. They can sure vaporize a piece of bread faster than Superman and a Speedy Bullet though.
My favorite Coleman product is my 1973 Coleman Valley Forge pop-up camper.
They even made snowmobiles in the early seventies!
Great article. My father picked up 2 WWII Coleman stoves in 1946 (they still work) and used them until 1955 when they bought a 2 burner Coleman stove ( I still have it and it works fine). Dad bought a Coleman lantern in 1960. It still works great. I was a District Executive for the BSA in the 90’s and taught adults how to camp and equip their troops. I started collecting backpacking gear including personal stoves. There are pros and cons to most of the brands of stoves but for altitudes below 8,000 feet a Coleman stove is hard to beat. Coleman still has a presence here in Wichita Kansas. The museum has most of their products and I think the RV AC units are still built here.
In the 1950s, our Boy Scout troop had 1/2 dozen Coleman lanterns. No stoves as we only cooked over a campfire. However, we only used the lanterns when “car camping”. The white gas, glass globes, and fragile mantles were not conducive to backpacking. But they were certainly brighter than the old kerosene lanterns!
We used a 2burner Coleman stove to render our own lard. Nothing better for pie crusts, and baking. Still use the old girl camping with the grandchildren. Want them to appreciate REAL camping
Thank you, Gail! Fascinating story! I especialy appreciated you supplying the timeline and the salient event(s) associated with each year or period. I guess we have done little to nothing to ensure the continued life of Coleman. 🙁 All we own is an ice chest and a sleeping bag. My parents bought the sleeping bag for me to take to summer camp around 1970. I still use it, but rarely. It is in good shape, especially considering it is >50 years old. 🙂 The ice chest is newer, and was a gift from my parents early in my marriage to DW. I guess it is only 30 years old. 🙂
Coleman products! I fondly remember the box that Dad built for our two lanterns. Putting the mantles on used to drive him nuts! That was in the 50’s and 60’s and I learned all sorts of swear words.
My dual mantel green lantern. Bought new by my Dad and stamped 63. I was 5 and it still works like new! The leather plunger and generator were replaced in the 80s!
I worked for the Coleman Co. in the late 70’s early 80’s in Wichita. I was in quality control and went from supervising inspection of stove parts, to cooler parts and eventually to canoe parts! It was a fascinating company. To this day, I look under every Coleman cooler I find/see for the date it was manufactured and of course, I inspect it for any defects and voids! (round dial like numbers shows month and year of production). It was fun reading the article as I remember most of these stories!
My first Coleman product was a 54 quart steel clad cooler. Almost 50 years later I still have it and use it! I recently replaced the lid latch, everything else is original. I own 4 Coleman Lanterns and three Stoves, an old two burner, and three burner “Guide” series and a grill stove, which has a grilling area and a side burner. I am sure i have owned dozens of other accessory items over the years.
Back in the day, when you looked around the campground at night almost everyone had Coleman lanterns burning. The light of those twin mantle lanterns was unmistakable. It seems that most people I see camping are now using rechargeable LED lanterns, and I admit I have a couple myself. But I always bring along one of my Coleman stoves and at least one two mantle propane lantern. It just doesn’t seem like camping without a Coleman lantern lighting up the campsite.
I carry two Coleman propane two mantle lanterns too, just in case. And when leaving on a camping trip, take 5-one-pound propane bottles for my propane grill. I often use the grill daily, but have not found a need to use the lanterns. The light and hiss from the lanterns do feel more like camping.
I will always sing praises for Coleman. I have a Coleman sleeping bag. The zipper broke at the bottom of the bag which made it impossible to close. I contacted Coleman, after sending verifying pictures via email they fully honored the warranty. Within 10 days, I had a brand new bag shipped to me, no questions and at no cost whatsoever (and I didn’t need to return the old bag)!