Nationality German Years active 1859-1894 Era Gilded Age | Occupation Industrialist Known for Founding Diebold. Organization founded Diebold | |
Born October 24, 1824 Rosenberg, Bavaria, Germany Parent(s) Bernhardt Diebold & Mary Diebold Died 5 March 1894, North Canton, Ohio, United States | ||
Charles Diebold (October 24, 1824 – March 5, 1894) was an German-American industrialist who was the founder of Diebold. Charles Diebold was also a safe maker and a locksmith.
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Life
Charlies Diebold was born in Rosenberg, Bavaria, Germany on October 24, 1824 to Bernhardt Diebold and Mary Diebold. Nothing is known about his early life or his education.
Diebold
Diebold founded Diebold Bahmann in 1859 as a manufacturer of safes and vaults in Cincinnati, Ohio. Charles gave his company a good reputation after The Great Chicago Fire in 1871 which leveled most of the city. Rumors went about that the 878 safes in the area had the items in them intact. In 1872, needing more room for his expanding company, moved to Canton, Ohio where most of the post-fire orders were from. Two years later, in 1874, Wells Fargo asked Diebold to make the world's largest vault at the time: a 32-foot-long, 27-foot-wide, 12-foot high vault that was moved to San Francisco on a 47 car long train. In 1876 Diebold was incorporated by The State of Ohio as Diebold Safe & Lock Co. Its first international shipment in Diebold's lifetime was to the President of Mexico, Manuel González Flores in 1881. The final major event for the company in his lifetime was the introduction of magnesium steel doors which were billed as TNT-proof which was becoming a new way for thief's to break into banks.
Death
Charles Diebold died on March 5, 1894 in North Canton, Ohio after having a stroke and being paralyzed.