The History

The Akro Agate Company of Akron, Ohio began its existence in 1910 as a retailer of toy marbles purchased wholesale from manufacturer, M.F. Christensen & Son Company also of Akron, Ohio.  Initially a partnership between two men, one a co~owner of a successful shoe store in Akron, the other an (ex) employee of M.F. Christensen, with a somewhat sordid past, the pair set a plan in motion to dominate the American toy marble market creating the entity, ‘Akro Agates’.  The first step in laying the foundation for the company was to register and officially trademark ‘The Akro Agate Company’ with the United States Patent and Trademark Office as a supplier of games, toys and in particular, playing marbles.

The Akro Agate Company was officially born one hundred and thirteen years ago this month, August, 1911.  The newly formed company continued retail operations, packaging and reselling glass marbles from an Akron, Ohio location until beginning manufacture of their own product four years later in a new home; Clarksburg, West Virginia.  The company remained headquartered in Akron, Ohio throughout its existence until manufacturing operations ceased in Clarksburg around 1950 and the doors closed for good on Tuesday, April 24, 1951 with a final on~site auction and sale.  

On the cover of this website, the photo displayed here in its totality, shows the construction of the concrete silo which held enormous amounts of sand Akro used in the manufacture of marbles and other glass product lines. The picture is circa 1928/1930.  The silo later had an expansion wing of the factory, visible in the background, built around it.  This structure is the only piece of the Akro Agate facility that still stands to this day as the rest of the factory complex crumbled around it or was torn down through the passing decades.  It’s roof gone and The Akro Agate Co. lettering long since faded away, the silo stands testament to a time when the company stood alone, atop toy marble producers worldwide and will continue to be a well known visual symbol for generations to come.

The success of The Akro Agate Company can be attributed to their ability to adapt to local and global markets, capitalizing on automation.  In more ways than one, Akro was the leader in the manufacture and distribution of glass marbles clearing a path for many other toy marble producers that popped up in the United States later in the 1930’s and 40’s.  During its heyday, the company controlled more than 75% of the U.S. toy marble market reaching astronomical production numbers.  There is no doubt Akro Agates are the most popular vintage machine made marbles in existence to this day.