Seesaw

Q: I have a seesaw that has this mark and “Patented June 14, 1921” on the bottom. It is 72 inches long, 14 inches high, and 7 inches wide. Can you tell me who made it?

A: Your seesaw was made by the Mengel Co. of Louisville, Kentucky, founded in the late 1800s by C.C. Mengel. The company made wooden furniture, washing machines, and boxes. Around 1900, Mengel’s sons took over the business and the company name was changed to C.C. Mengel & Brothers Co. It became the largest manufacturer of wooden boxes in the United States. Mengel made a line of wooden toys called “Mengel Playthings” in the 1920s and ’30s. Joseph P. Bodenmiller of St. Louis patented an “original design for a seesaw” on June 14, 1921, and assigned the patent to the Mengel Co. Mengel was bought by Kroehler Manufacturing Co. in 1956.