Coleman gas camp stove

Coleman Company, Inc., is an American company that specializes in outdoor recreation products. Historically, Coleman is known for camping gear.

It was founded by William Coffin Coleman, who began selling kerosene lanterns in 1900 in Kingfisher, Oklahoma. He moved to Wichita, Kansas, in 1902.

The Coleman Company's headquarters are in Wichita, and it also has facilities in Texas. There are approximately 3,600 employees.^[1]

Throughout its history, Coleman has produced a wide variety of equipment primarily aimed at the camping and recreational markets. Perhaps their most famous product is the Coleman Lantern, a series of lamps that were originally made to burn kerosene or gasoline. Current models use Coleman fuel (white gas) or propane and use one or two mantles to produce an intense white light.

Company historians claim that in 1905, the company provided a demonstration for the 1905 Cooper vs. Fairmount football game (now called Sterling College and Wichita State University). Coleman gas lamps were provided to play the first night football game west of the Mississippi River.^[2]

In the past, the company also produced a range of cooking stoves and domestic irons. Today, Coleman also manufactures camp stoves (including the original "G.I. Pocket Stove"), sleeping bags, coolers, hot tubs, generators, watches, tents, and backpacks among other things. They also make a line of small boats, including canoes, pontoon boats, johnboats and the unique scanoe. In the past they also sold pop-up travel trailers, Skiroule snowmobiles and the Hobie Cat brand of sailboats. The company has recently started producing a backyard barbecue grill, which is sold at Canadian Tire.

A separate company, Coleman Heating and Air Conditioning, sells home heating and air conditioning units. Coleman Heating and Air Conditioning is owned by Johnson Controls, and uses the Coleman name and logo under license.^[3]

References [edit]

External links [edit]

• Official website
• Coleman Company History
• W. C. Coleman Biography from Kansas Historical Society