O'Brien & O'Brien cast iron

A friend who knows I collect and restore cast iron picked this pan for me at a yard sale. Never heard of the company but researched it and am not coming up with a lot on the history of the company. Anyone have info on how long this company was in business? The pan is impressively made with a real smooth surface.
 

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Hi, Rick. I asked earlier this Summer about a DO I was restoring which is also O'Brien. It shows up in the list of manufacturers on this website, but I sure missed it the first time I looked on the list. <Oops> The DO cleaned up nicely, and I am hoping someone will buy it--if not, I guess I'll have 3 of the lovely pots--and here I thought 2 were enough! The iron seems very well made to me, so I hope your skillet will be a nice one when restored.
 
I've spent some more time on the Internet trying to look-up O'Brien & O'Brien, and somewhere found a suggestion to contact the Chicago Historical Society or the Chicago Public Library reference department to obtain information about the firm. Sounds like a research project to me! Actually I really should go bother my former employer and see what the Purdue Library Archives and Special Collections librarians could turn up. So far, with my not too great skills online, it seems that the most lasting remains of the company are its very nice cast iron utensils!
 
Thanks for the research Sharon. As you, I have found little about this company. But as you said O'Brien made very nice of cast iron. This piece has a smoother surface than any skillet I have ever restored. Will post pic when the seasoning is done.
 
The pan turned out amazingly well!! Still trying to find out about it's history!!
 

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Rick, the restored pan is gorgeous! I'm still trying to track down info. on O'Brien & O'Brien. I'd love to know what the first use of your renewed skillet will be. Thanks for sharing, S.
 
Very Pretty, thanks for sharing.
Sharon, I did a little a little research on this pan and it led to a study on the Chicago labor unions during the 20s and 30s, very interesting stuff.
 
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Rick, the restored pan is gorgeous! I'm still trying to track down info. on O'Brien & O'Brien. I'd love to know what the first use of your renewed skillet will be. Thanks for sharing, S.

Thanks Sharon. Don't plan on cooking on it. This is one of the few "rare" ones that I will probably sell. Seasoned it with organic grape seed oil. Seems to work best for giving iron a nice sheen!!
 
I have a Griswold Iron mountain DO with a marked Griswold enameled interior lid that I would trade for that beauty if your interested. I like the "Al Capone" pan.
 
I know this threads been inactive. Is there a connection between this company and Ozark Crescent Foundry

There's a lot of similarity between the lettering and designs


I've started acquiring the Ozark. Growing up in St. Louis area makes them a neat history
 
Hello,

I purchased an O'Brien & O'Brien tall sided chicken frier with lid and was curious about the company. As others have said there was little on the web about O'Brien & O'Brien so I reached out to the Chicago History Museum and the Chicago Public Library. I posted the same info on the CastIron Reddit sub last week.

Here is what I've been able to piece toether:

O'Brien & O'Brien was in operation on Halsted Street in Chicago form 1925 until 1933. This date range coresponds with information from The Chicago History Museum Research Center who stated there was no record of the company in the 1935 list.

Below are the responses from both the Museum and the Library:

The Chicago History Museum Research Center was able to tell me that they found an ad in the Chicago Tribute "from November 1, 1931 that lists "O'Brien and O'Brien" as an exhibitor at a food/cooking demonstration at The Fair Store (a department store in downtown Chicago). There were no other hits in the newspaper."

In addition... "A search in the Illinois Secretary of State's List of Foreign and Domestic Companies in 1935 (the first year for which we have this publication) did not list O'Brien & O'Brien."



The Chicago Public Library was able to uncover a bit more...

The Certified List of Domestic and Foreign Corporations that was published by the Illinois Secretary of State stopped being published in 1999. Current records are kept online through the Illinois Secretary of State's website, but these older records are only available in print and microfilm. I checked in the volumes of this title that we have at the Chicago Public Library. I found O'Brien & O'Brien listed in the 1925-1933 volumes. The directories gave the following information:

O'Brien & O'Brien, Inc. in the 1925 vol. the address is listed as 5152 S. Halsted Street, Chicago IL.

From 1926 on, the volumes list the company's address as 5112-16 S. Halsted Street, Chicago IL

The president of the corporation was listed as James J. O'Brien.

The secretary of the corporation was listed John P. O'Brien.

The authorized capitol stock for the corporation was 50,000.00.
 
Couldn't you check who owned the buildings in Halsted during that time to see when they purchased the building, assuming that they didn't lease it.
 
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