WACO History

This location, 209 East Water Street, was at one time one of the manufacturing locations for The Hayner Distillery Company of Troy, Ohio, noted for shipping their mail order alcohol products to their customers nation wide and for the development of a combination lock stopper to secure the contents in a bottle. This building later housed The Jackson Implement Company and Roth's Appliance Store. To learn more about The Hayner Distillery Company visit The Hayner Distillery Collection display housed at The Troy-Hayner Cultural Center, 301 West Main Street, Troy, Ohio.

The attic of this building was once used as a storage location for 300 OX-5 engines, similar to the engine pictured here on the right. Most of the engines were purchased from Gar Wood, a famous speedboat builder and racer from Detroit, Michigan. Legend states that Wood used the OX-5 engines to power his boats, some of which were used during prohibition to run illegal alcohol from Canada to the lower forty-eight. WACO also purchased engines from the Dodge brothers in Detroit.

Photograph captions include:
The WACO Model 4 was the first WACO built that incorporated the Curtiss OX-5 engine.

Photo taken around 1923 shows Clayton Brukner, man on the left, one of the founders of The WACO Aircraft Company barnstorming with a Curtiss JN-4D. "Jenny" airplanes were manufactured by the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company of Buffalo, New York. Used as trainers during WWI, the "Jenny" airplanes and parts flooded the surplus market after the war and parts could be purchased very inexpensively. Two of the three WACO Aircraft Company founders, Clayton Brukner and Elwood "Sam" Junkin, worked for Curtiss during WWI and took advantage of the available parts when they started designing and building their own airplanes in 1921. The WACO Aircraft Company produced airplanes in Troy from 1923-1946.

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Show me all markers in:  Troy, OH  |  Miami County  |  45373  |  Ohio  |  United States of America

Overfield Tavern
Troy Presbyterian Church
Troy's Public Square & Third Courthouse
WACO
Courthouses and Jail
Sheriff's House and Jail
Clayton Brukner
Robert N. Hartzell
Nancy Currie- Gregg
LFWB&G Building

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