La-Flo Cut Glass Cambridge, Ohio
Issue No. 409 - August 2007
Editor's NOTE: With the passing of Floetta Ruby Griffith, your Editor thought members would be interested in the history of La-Flo Cut Glass. The information below is taken from "Reflections - Guernsey County Glass - 1883-1987, published by the Degenhart Paperweight & Glass Museum".
When The Cambridge Glass Company closed in 1954, several of its former glass workers started their own factories. One such worker was Herschel Hancock, who had been Cambridge's head cutter. The business, opening in 1955, was called La-Flo Cut Glass, taking its name from the first names of the owners' wives – Loretta Hancock and Floretta Griffith (wife of son-in-law Edwin, who was a partner of Hancock).
The two husband and wife teams built a small two story factory on State Route 21, north of Cambridge. Here, Hancock and Griffith cut glassware made by the Ohio Valley companies (such as West Virginia Specialty, Louie Glass, Anchor-Hocking, Bryce Brothers and later Lenox Glass of Mt. Pleasant, Pa.) with over sixty cutting patterns. La-Flo also specialized in monogrammed designs. The Cambridge Glass Company cut design like "Laurel Wreath" continued to be made at La-Flo; but new, original designs such as "Princess Grace" (a floral pattern), "Bittersweet" and "Wild Rose" were created too. (The latter three designs were among La-Flo's most popular.) La-Flo wholesale and retail ware was shipped all over the United States.
At the factory's height of production, twelve men and women were employed. Among them were cutters Sidney Garrett, Paul Long, Joe McConnell and Bill Mason; acid polisher William Johnson; and selector Lottie Trischler; in addition to cutters/owners Hancock and Griffith.
Like most of his employees, Herschel Hancock had been associated with The Cambridge Glass Company prior to working at La-Flo. Hancock began at The Cambridge Glass Company in 1919 and had designed many of Cambridge's cut patterns. Among his creations were the cutting patterns "Candlelight", "Rondo" and "King Edward". It is believed that Hancock originated over 10,000 glassware designs during his career at The Cambridge Glass Company. Examples of his work are in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
As of early 1983, La-Flo was primarily engaged in monogramming and glass repair work only.
