The History of John J. Tokheim (cont'd)
J.J. Tokheim continued to
operate Vac Liquid Co. from 1911 to 1915. In 1915, J.J. Tokheim changed
the name of his company to The Tokheim Co. J.J. Tokheim produced several
different visible gasoline pumps from 1915-1925 (see illustrations in this
article) as well as numerous other inventions for use in the petroleum
handling industry between 1915 and 1940. J.J. Tokheim continued to operate
The Tokheim Co. until his death on March 15, 1941. His daughter and only
child, Agnes, who never married, took over the operation of the company
and managed it until it was sold in 1991 to Tom Barnes of The Barnes
Manufacturing Service, Marion, IA, for approximately $60,000.00.
The Tokheim Pump Co. of Ft. Wayne, IN eventually became The Tokheim Oil
Tank and Pump Co. and is known today simply as The Tokheim Corporation. It
is interesting to note that J.J. Tokheim, his family and his employees
were very bitter about the "hostile" take over of the original
Tokheim Mfg. Co., and that his descendants remain resentful to this day
for the success achieved by the Ft. Wayne operation.
We will take a closer look at The Tokheim Pump Co. of Ft. Wayne, IN and
its operations from 1918 to the present day in a future PCM article. I
hope you enjoyed this article on John J. Tokheim, a true genius and
pioneer in the American Petroleum Industry.
Return to Retro Pedal Cars
View all retro gas pumps
Printed with permission from pcmpublishing.com 2005