Robert Edwin Dietz was born in New York on January 5, 1818 in a house on the corner of Spring and Crosby Streets built by his grandfather who came to America during the War of Independence.

Robert Edwin Dietz started as a hardware clerk for the firm of Woolf, Spies & Clark in Maiden Lane.

Robert Edwin Dietz became a volunteer fireman, joining the No. 9 Hose Company,
and later the "Lady Washington" No. 40 Engine Company on Elizabeth Street.

Robert E. Dietz' brother, William Henry Dietz (b. May 29, 1816,) became partners to form Dietz, Brother & Company with their associate
John A.Weed at No. 13 John Street, New York, N.Y.

Dietz, Brother & Company introduce sperm oil lanterns

Amasmus French admitted to Dietz, Brother & Company

Robert E. Dietz weds Anna Hadwick

Mary Augusta Dietz was born to Robert and Anna Dietz

Frederick Dietz was born to Robert and Anna Dietz

Dietz, Brother & Company renamed Dietz & Company
and build large factory at 132-134 William Street New York City, N.Y.
Begin manufacturing of lamps, burners, and gas fixtures

Dietz & Company submit the first flat-wick burner for "modern" coal oil for patenting

John Edwin Dietz was born to Robert and Anna Dietz
at the Dietz estate in Hempstead, Long Island

Also opens sales office in San Francisco, California

Robert E. Dietz buys out A.G. Smith and forms the
R.E. Dietz Company and continues business at
No. 4 College Place & Robinson Street in New York, N.Y.

*Lewis F. Betts held more than 25 lantern patents, including:
~Principle of air supply for the Dietz Union Driving Lamp
~Square Tube Lantern Frame
~Cross Wire Globe Guard for Tubular Lanterns

Globes marked "DIETZ" are introduced

Issued Illustrated Catalogue No. 17 with 49 pages and soft cover

Charles L. Betts, (Lewis F. Betts brother,) joins R.E. Dietz, and is eventually granted over 35 patents for lantern improvements issued between June 7, 1887 and July 22, 1913, including several methods of manufacturing.

Illustrated Catalogue No. 19 is issued with 52 pages and soft cover

*Frederick Dietz originated the familiar Dietz trademark and most of the companies' trade names which appear on lanterns and printed material

A retail oil stove department is opened at 76 Fulton Street, New York.

This board was re-elected annually for 9 consecutive years (1895-1904)

*William Henry White was the son-in-law of Robert E. Dietz, and had no active part in the company.

*Warren McArthur Sr. has the distinction of selling more lanterns than any other salesman in the history of tubular lanterns

*John L Sardy was engaged by the R.E. Dietz Company to circumnavigate the globe in 1894 to increase the export part of the business.  Some of the places he visited include:  Honolulu, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin in New Zealand, Tasmania, Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane, Batavia, Java, Singapore, Madras, Calcutta, Bombay, Chain, Japan, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Nagasaki, Kobe, Yokohama, Vancouver, Montreal.  On his second trip around the world, he re-visited the places on his first trip and also visited:  Manilla, Saigon, Penang, Rangoon, Perth (in Western Australia,) and Suva (in the Fiji Islands.)   The combined mileage was nearly 82,000 miles, and without any mishap.  After eighteen years of faithful service, John L. Sardy passed away on May, 12, 1912 in London

The Dietz New York Factory at 60 Laight Street was completely gutted by fire, along  with all the  stock, tools, & machinery, a loss of over $50,000 to the building, and $75,000 to the inventory. 

Fred Dietz sells his late father's property at 21, 23, 25, 27, and 29
East 76th Street at the northwest corner of Madison Ave.  (4-story and basement, high stoop Brownstone Dwellings with two story brick extensions

The Dietz "Victor" Hot Blast Lantern sell for $.37 each, and the
"Buckeye" Dash Lantern sell for $.55 each

R.E. Dietz Company introduces the first tinned steel lantern burners

The Dietz "Blizzard" cold blast lantern is introduced

R.E. Dietz' eldest daughter Mary Augusta Dietz-White passes away, leaving her husband, William Henry White.

R.E. Dietz Company is awarded the contract to supply lanterns
for the construction of the Panama Canal

Illustrated Catalogue No. 34 is issued with 110 pages and soft cover

William Henry White, Robert Dietz' son-in-law and Vice President of the R.E. Dietz Co. passes away.

A new board of directors are elected:
Frederick Dietz, President and Treasurer
John Edwin Dietz, Vice President and General Manager
*Frank H. Clement, Secretary

This board was re-elected annualy for 10 consectutive years (1904-1915)

*Frank H. Clement was a son-in-law of Robert E. Dietz

The Dietz "Oval" logo is first used.

R.E. Dietz Company introduces acetylene gas automotive headlights, taillights, mirror lens search lights, square and round "Handy" acetylene generators

Illustrated Catalogue No. 35 is issued with 111 pages and soft cover

Marie Louise Dietz, wife of Fred Dietz, and youngest daughter of the late Jonathan P. Hick of Mount Vernon, N.Y., passed away. 
Services were held at her late residence at 312 West 76th Street at 11 o'clock on November 18th. 

"A Maximum of Light with a Minimum of Care" was the Dietz Motto

Mrs. John E. Dietz of West 75th Street gave a theatre party for her débutante daughter, Miss Ethel Dietz, who made here debut last week. 
After seeing "Salvation Nell," the guests, who numbered 24, went to Sherry's for supper.

The modern Dietz "Vesta" cold blast tubular railroad lantern is introduced

Dietz delivery driver Charles Frederick Eberhardt dies at his home in Rutherford, N.J..  He was survived by his partner of 21 years, "Charlie." 
 The two won the prize for "Old Work Horse" class in both the 1907 and 1908 New York City Work Horse Parades. 
 

The Dietz New York Factory #1 remains closed as a mark of respect for the late Charles Frederick Eberhardt, who for 41 years delivered Dietz lanterns by horse drawn wagon.
He was one of the original employees when Dietz and Smith first started manufacturing tubular lanterns in 1868.  

Fred Dietz sells his late father's estate at auction which consisted of the subway corner of Broadway and 50th St.  known as 1627-1629 Broadway & 210-212 West 50th Street, (approximately 9000 Sq. Ft.,) and
116 West 50th Street, 124 West 48th Street, and the Dietz estate in Hempstead, Long Island, described as: 
"An elegant three-story frame mansion with attic and basement, containing about 20 rooms, 1 bath and 3 toilets.  Electric lights, steam heat and running water.   The outhouses consist of a two-and-one-half-story and basement cottage, with running water, containing 11 rooms and a toilet:  Also a two story and cellar barn with harness room, carriage house, coachman's quarters, twelve stalls for horses, cow barn containing eight stalls and space for hay loft;  Also a chicken house with a capacity for 500 chickens, a shed for machinery and storage and two corn cribs."

The estate was located on Mill Road, straight down from Franklin Street. 

The Dietz "Hy-Lo" hot blast lantern is first introduced, it's name derived from it's high performance and low price, the lowest of all hot blast lanterns when introduced.

The Dietz "Crescent" cold blast lantern is introduced as a lower priced version of the Blizzard

Under the direction of Fred Dietz, the Dietz Factory #2 in Syracuse is enlarged to over 50,000 square feet, presumably using proceeds from the sale of R.E. Dietz' estate the previous year.  
Illustrated Catalogue No. 43 is issued with 200 pages and soft cover

The Dietz "U.S." dead-flame lantern is introduced to take the place
of the "Racket" and "Boy" lanterns.

The Dietz "FITALL" combination hot/cold blast globe is introduced.

The Dietz "Little Wizard" cold blast lantern is introduced.

The book "A Leaf From The Past" is compiled from the diaries of R.E. Dietz by his eldest son, Frederick, and published, 198 pages and hard cover

Illustrated Catalogue No. 43 is issued with 200 pages and soft cover

John Johnston commits suicide by throwing himself in front of a subway express train at the 72 St. Station in New York City at noon.  He had failed to show up to work for a week at the home of Fred Dietz,  The coat he was wearing had been made by a Fifth Avenue tailor in 1906 for Fred Dietz.  Inside the coat was a pawn ticket for $1.12 issued to Johnston for an overcoat. 

The Dietz "FITALL" globe is renamed "FITZALL"
(LOC-NOB ears aren't added until 1918)

Dietz purchases the C.T. Ham Mfg.Co. and moves tooling for the "Gem" and a few other select Ham lantern models to Factory #2 in Syracuse, then sells the balance of tooling and equipment to the Star Headlight and Lantern Co. of Rochester.  Dietz continues production of a few Ham lantern models through the end of World War I

James Barnes, formerly of the C.T. Ham Co. is placed in charge of Motor Lamp Sales, and runs the Dietz Rochester Office in the Carter Building. 

Frederick Dietz, age 68, dies suddenly at his home at 312 West 76th street.  Services were held at 1 o'clock the West End Collegiate Church at
West End Ave. and 77th Street on Saturday, April 3, 1915

Frederick Dietz' Last Will and Testament was filed for probate.  The estate was estimated to be worth $5 Million.  There were bequests of $100,000 to both his younger brother John E. Dietz, and his sister Mrs. Anna Louise Clement, both of whom were to divide the residuary estate.  His niece Ethel Dietz Nichols of Greenwich, Conn. was to receive $100,000.  His cousin Frederick W. Van Duyn of Ridgewood, N.J. was to receive $50,000 and 300 shares of the preferred stock of R.E. Dietz Co., valued at $100 per share.  A similar bequest was made in favor of his nephew Robert E. Dietz II  of Albuquerque, N.M.  He also left $1000 to a little orphan boy, Allan Schiller.  Each of the more than 600 employees of the R.E. Dietz Co. who have been connected with the company more than 1 year or more will receive a bequest of $25 to $2500.  Pomeroy Salmon, Manager of Dietz Factory #2 in Syracuse was to receive a bequest of $5000

John E. Dietz sells his late brother Fred's three story home at
312 west 76th Street in New York to settle the Estate.

A new board of directors are elected:
John Edwin Dietz, President
R.E. Dietz 2d, Vice President (Only grandson of R.E. Dietz)
Edgar Price, Treasurer
Frederick W. Van Duyn, Secretary (Nephew of R.E. Dietz)
Fred H. Twombly, Ass't Sectretary and Export Manager

This board was re-elected annually for 4 consecutive years (1916-1920)

Arthur W. Carr becomes the Lantern Production Manager as noted in July 1st Price List 

The only short globe, cold blast, fire department lantern made by Dietz is introduced, the No. 2 Wizard New Fire Department Lantern.

Illustrated Catalogue No. 49 is issued with 139 pages and soft cover

James Barnes, formerly of the C.T. Ham Co. is placed in charge of Motor Lamp Sales, and runs the Dietz Rochester Office in the Carter Building. 

The Dietz "Scout" dead flame lantern is first introduced. 
(The first version features a brass tag soldered to the tank, and does not have the patent dates stamped into the crown.)

LOC-NOB ears are added to the Dietz "FITZALL" globe

A new board of directors are elected:
John Edwin Dietz, President and General Manager
R.E. Dietz 2d, Vice President
Frederick W. Van Duyn, Secretary
Fred H. Twombly, Ass't Secretary and Export Manager

Illustrated Catalogue No. 50 is issued with 79 pages and soft cover

Production of the Dietz "Scout" dead flame lantern is streamlined, eliminating some of the soldered joints.
The revised model is re-named "Sport."

Factory No.1 is closed, leaving just the business office in New York City
Manufacturing is consolidated with the Syracuse plant

Dietz lantern sales hit bottom after a steady decline since 1924;
($50,000, down from $150,000 in 1924.) 

Industrial designers Joseph Sinel and Ruth Gerth are hired to create the the streamline pattern Little Wizard and Monarch lanterns. (The streamline Blizzard and D-Lite lanterns were released the following year.)

John Edwin Dietz of 330 Park Avenue, New York, dies at age 79 at his summer home in Greenwich, Connecticut after a year and a half illness.  He was survived by his wife, Olga, his son Robert E. Dietz II, his daughter Mrs. Ethel Dietz Nichols, and his sister Mrs. Anna Louise Clement of Hempstead, Long Island.

Following the death of his father, R.E. Dietz II becomes the fourth President of the R.E. Dietz Company

John E. Dietz' widow Olga Sanderson Dietz died suddenly at Greenwich, Connecticut.  She was survived by her son Robert E. Dietz II, and daughter Mrs.Ethel Dietz Nichols, four grand-children, and three sisters.  Mrs. Dietz was born in Chicago, and was the daugher of Mr. and Mrs. William Sanderson.

Production of the Dietz "King" Fire Department Lantern is ceased
Regular production of all Brass and Copper tank lanterns ceases

Robert E. Dietz II son, Gerry (pronounced Gary,) Johnson Dietz, graduated from Governor Drummer Academy and with the class of '40
at Yale and is engaged to Miss Cynthia Ann Goodhart of Syracuse.

World War II causes shortage of tin & tin plate.  The War Production Board orders the use of the less rust resistant Terne Plate as a substitute.   
To help prevent lanterns from rusting, they are coated with gray enamel through the war years, until the more familiar metallic blue is adopted in 1949.

The "Night Watch" dead flame highway streamlined Lantern is introduced to replace the obsolete "8-Day" square tank highway lantern

Robert E. Dietz II son, 2nd Lieut. John (nickname Sandy) Sanderson Dietz is wed to Miss Julia Grant, (a great grand-daughter of the late President Ulysses S. Grant,) at St. John's Episcopal Church in Clinton, N.Y.

Dietz purchased the lantern division of the Wheeling Stamping Company

The "Comet" cold blast Lantern, first sold to the foreign market in 1934, is introduced in the U.S.A.,
and later becomes the official lantern of the Boy Scouts of America 

R.E. Dietz II resigns, and his thirty three year old son, Gerry J. Dietz becomes President
and Chairman of the Board of the R.E. Dietz Company

The office and factory building at 60 Laight Street, New York City, is sold and consolidated with the factory on Wilkinson Street in Syracuse

Dietz purchases the assets of the Embury Manufacturing Company
of Warsaw, New York

The Federal Government bans the use of kerosene lanterns on the nations highways, local agencies, however, continue use as late as 1972

Dietz Electric Pioneer Street Lamps are installed in Anaheim, California at new amusement park, Disneyland

Gerry J. Dietz establishes R.E. Dietz Co., LTD in Hong Kong
to redevelop a large world lantern market
Original tools and dies are relocated from Syracuse, including tooling for the Junior and Cresent, and the Pre-Streamlined versions of the Blizzard, D-Lite, Monarch, and Little Wizard models.

Dietz ceases production of the Streamline D-Lite and Streamline Blizzard lanterns, and begins production of the No.8 Air Pilot by reworking the tooling of the Streamline D-Lite.

Dietz introduces the "Visi-Flasher" battery powered strobe light road marker and the "Dietz Hazard Division" is established

Dietz ceases production of all railroad lanterns, including the Vesta and Acme Inspector

Dietz "Visi-Flasher" rental offices open in Chicago(1962,) Detroit (1963,) and Boston (1965)

The R.E. Dietz Company celebrates 125 years in business

Gerry J. Dietz resigns as President, and remains
Chairman of the Board of the R.E. Dietz Company

John S. Dietz, (Gerry's brother) becomes President

Dietz acquires the former trolley barn on Wolf Street and uses it for plastic injection molding

Lantern manufacturing completely ceases in Syracuse factory in 1971, the last lanterns produced were Streamline Little Wizard Patio/Post Lamps

The tooling for the Comet and the No. 8 Air Pilot are shipped to Hong Kong to continue production.

Annual Dietz Lantern production in Hong Kong in tens of millions

Dietz becomes the first manufacturer in Syracuse to computerize
Material Requirements Planning

A bi-centennial commemorative "Comet" lantern is issued
in place of the new "The Original" lantern

Annual lantern production in Hong Kong at 1.5 million and are shipped to 75 countries

John S. Dietz retires as President

Edward F. Reynolds (Formerly of Smith-Corona Typewriter Co.) is elected
as the first non-family President of the R.E. Dietz Co.
Hugh H. Dietz, (son of Gerry J. Dietz) and
John E. Dietz, (son of John S. Dietz) are elected as officers of the corporation.

Dietz develops "floating traffic lights" for use on N.Y. Barge Canal

Tooling for the bicentenial "The Original" #76 Lantern
is completed two years late

Dietz Lantern sales drop to under 8000 dozen per annum

The R.E. Dietz Co., LTD  factory in Hong Kong
is relocated to mainland China
Serial numbered Junior Lanterns made of solid brass are made to bolster sales
(made sans post-1956 model "No. 20" marking)

Dietz Lantern sales rebound to 12,000 to 15,000 dozen per annum

Dietz Lantern sales drop to 8,000 to 10,000 dozen per annum

The R.E. Dietz II Farmhouse in Albuquerque, NM is placed on the National Register of Historic Places

Dietz Lantern sales in the United States drop to an all time low,
(less than $50,000) in the year of the 150th anniversary.

The Federal Mogul Co. makes an offer of 14 Million Dollars to buy the assets and approximately 6 Million Dollars to cover the debts of the R.E. Dietz Co. 

The R.E. Dietz Co. Board of Directors approves the offer from the Federal Mogul Co. 

The sale of the Automotive Lighting Division of the R.E. Dietz Co. is completed

Dietz continues production of items #7-21-021, #7-22-001, #7-2000, #7-27001, 7-72001 for the Federal Mogul Co for 2 years.

Dietz sells the tooling for the "Visi-Flasher" to the
Reva Plastic Co. of Weedsport, N.Y

Dietz permanently closed the Syracuse plant and eventually sells the property to the Superior Office Furniture Company.

R.E. Dietz' great grandson, and former Chairman of the Board, Gerry Johnson Dietz, passes away at age 76. 

The 110+ year old Dietz Building in Syracuse was severely damaged
by a "Micro-Burst" windstorm, destroying major portions of the roof and exterior brick facade.

The Reva Plastic Co. files bankruptcy and dissolves, then reforms. 
The Visi-Flasher tooling was relocated from New York to China.

The Federal Mogul Company sells all of its automotive lighting division, including what remained of the Dietz buyout, to the Truck-Lite Company.

The Dietz Building at 60 Laight Street in New York City (Factory #1) has been renovated and now sports a restaurant on the ground floor, and condos on the upper floors. 
The Dietz plant (Factory #2) on Wilkinson Street in Syracuse, New York, has had major repairs, and is owned and occupied by the Superior Office Furniture Company.
R.E. Dietz Co., LTD. established in 1956 continues to manufacture lanterns and operates
in Hong Kong and China.