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Ozarka Inc.; Chicago

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Name: Ozarka Inc.; Chicago    (USA)  
Brand:
Lincoln-Super || Viking
Abbreviation: ozarka
Products: Model types Brand
Summary:

Ozarka Incorporated
63 North Peoria Street
804 Washington Boulevard
Chicago, Illinois

Founded May 1, 1922 by J. Matheson Bell (1928 Ozarka history) 

Trade name Lincoln Super, Ozarka, Viking - see also Radolek.
Ozarka is mentioned as Trade name for the manufacturer Radolek in "The Radio Collector's Directory and Price Guide 1921 - 1965" 2nd Edition. Currently no more evidence available for or against this connection.

In 1923 Ozarka sold the Ozarka S-J 1 Gold Glass Radio Tube, an 01A equivalent. It is assumed this tube was manufctured for the company by a third party. 

Founded: 1922
Closed: 1932
Documents about this manufacturer/brand
  Instructions for Ozarka Radio Instruments, mainly Model 78 of 1928. 3345 KB
History:
Some models received a cabinet made by Hamilton Mfg. Co., Two Rivers. Info by Don Patterson: "The company went bankrupt in 1932 and J. Matheson Bell started a new company by the name of Matheson Bell Radio Company. There I think he had Radolek make chassis for him. Up to 1932 he used his own factory to make the sets."


Some models:
Country Year Name 1st Tube Notes
USA  25 160$    
USA  25 Junior No. 299 UV199  Three dials (primary tuning control knobs)   
USA  26 4 tubes [newer]   Three dials (primary tuning control knobs) 
USA  24 4 tubes 39$ [old]   4 dials (primary tuning control knobs) 
USA  25 4 tubes 55$ [new]   Two dials (primary tuning control knobs) 
USA  25 4 tubes 58$ [new]    
USA  25 4-Tube Portable 75$ [new] UV199  Three dials (primary tuning control knobs)  
USA  26 5A   Three dials (primary tuning control knobs) 
USA  28 Armada 78 [AC mains] 26  There is also a battery model 78. Rider's Vol. 2-2 shows the correct 78-AC chassic layout... 
USA  28 Stratford Model 89 AC 26  The model 89 from Ozarka Inc, Radolek Co. has one dial (primary tuning control knob) and u... 
USA  29 Wilmette 90 AC UY224  The Ozarka model 90 has one dial (primary tuning control knob) plus two knobs. It uses ... 
USA  30 upright 91 AC 224  Push-pull af output stage. 

[rmxhdet-en]

Further details for this manufacturer by the members (rmfiorg):

Werbungtbn_usa_ozarka_adresse.jpg
Werbungtbn_usa_ozarka_logo.jpg
By courtesy of guest Donald Patterson, Georgia, USA. He is "the" Ozarka collector.tbn_fa_ozarka_describtion.jpg
By courtesy of guest Donald Patterson, Georgia, USA. He is "the" Ozarka collector.tbn_fa_ozarka_letter.jpg
By courtesy of guest Donald Patterson, Georgia, USA. He is "the" Ozarka collector.tbn_ozarka_93b_letter.jpg
Radio Broadcast, Nov. 1925, p. 65tbn_usa_ozarka.jpg
Radio Broadcast, Oct. 1925tbn_usa_ozarka~~1.jpg
Radio Broadcast, Sep. 1925, p. 665tbn_usa_ozarka_2.jpg
Radio Broadcast, Dec. 1925, Page 205tbn_usa_ozarka~~2.jpg
May 1925 Radio News magazine advertisement on page 2042.tbn_usa_ozarka_juniorad_may_1925_radio_news_page_2042.jpg
October 30, 1927 The Richmond Item newspaper (Indiana)tbn_usa_ozarkathe_richmond_item_sun_oct_30_1927.jpg
Popular Radio December 1925tbn_ozarka_radio_pr1225_prom.jpg

Forum contributions about this manufacturer/brand
Ozarka Inc.; Chicago
Threads: 2 | Posts: 2
Hits: 452     Replies: 0
The start of the Ozarka Radio Co.
Alan Larsen
31.Oct.21
  1

Starting on September 18, 1922 Matheson started to seek a sales force for his new radio venture. Dozens of ads such as this one popped up in newspapers all across the country.

This ad was one of the first and appeared in the September 18, 1922 The Tribune (Coshocton, Ohio) newspaper.

 
Hits: 2683     Replies: 0
Ozarka, J. Matheson Bell etc. - some history
Ernst Erb
30.Jan.11
  1

I have a nice eMail contact with Don Patterson, a very well informed collector who has specialized in Ozarka. For later being able to write an article I copy his texts to me - until it gives a complete picture. Maybe we get even his articles he published in his "Radio Age" - but somebody would have to do the copying work ...
 

I am going to scan the ad Matheson Bell said about his bankruptcy.  Up until the creditors moved in he made all of the chassis in his factory.  I am not sure if Radiolek made any for him or not as none of the schematics for Radiolek match anything he sold under his name.  With the V-6 there was no mention of Ozarka but there is an slanted "O" on the left of the nameplate and a slanted "A" on the right side.but the Escutcheons on the V Series do say Ozarka but the chassis don't.  The Viking chassis were made by him at the Chicago factory as the literature says so.  When the creditors took over in late 1932  Radiolek bought the building and equipment.  Matheson bell moved out and started his own company marketed his own radios under his name and I have some of that literature and am going to compile it soon.

MORE ON OZARKA

By Don Patterson

 

     For those that haven’t read the back issues of “Radio Age”, let me give you a five minute refresher course.  J.Matheson Bell was a Vice President of Montgomery Wards in 1922 but he left the company to form his own radio firm which he called Ozarka.  The early sets were made by Tri-City Radio Company and he sold these through door to door salesman offering them a chance at their own business.  He published a weekly newsletter to let them know what was coming and how to sell these radios and literally pump them up for success.  Sometime in 1924 he managed to sell stock and raise money to establish his own manufacturing facility.  At its peak in 1930 he boasted nearly 7000 salesmen.  They were told that they were the exclusive dealer and they did not sell to department stores who would compete against them or so I thought.  Recently I got an original 1924 Montgomery Wards Radio Catalog and there right smack dab towards the front was an Ozarka portable ( Figure 1) .  Compare this with the photo in Fig 2 from the Ozarka literature.  When he ran into financial problems in 1931 he reneged , for sure, on his promise as I have letters from salesmen complaining about this competition..  He tried to reassure them that it would not hurt their business.

     Trouble began to brew.  In 1931 he sold Ozarka Model 91 and 92 chassis to Krohler and other brands as well as complete sets to department stores in Detroit and other major cities.  In 1932 he managed to get the V6, V8, V10 and V16 sets out but before the year was out but  creditors foreclosed on his debt and he was forced out of business.  This explains why you see so few of the “V” series.  I have owned or seen only the V6 and V16 sets.

    

Within three months he reopened under the name of J. Matheson Bell Radio Company at 1257 Fullerton Avenue in Chicago not far from his previous factory.

 

I won’t get into this phase of his radio ventures but will do so in a later edition.

 
Ozarka Inc.; Chicago
End of forum contributions about this manufacturer/brand

  

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