Louis & Alfonso Zerbee

Zerbee Texteel furniture was designed and made in Bellefontaine

Louis J. Zerbee invented the Celestial Fix Finder navigation instrument

Alfonso F. Zerbee invented the Shoelastic elastic shoelace in 1953

Dr. Merrill Insley demonstrating the Zerbee Rotating Toothbrush

Machine at the Zerbee Texteel factory weaving fine strands of alloy steel

Outdoor furniture manufactured at the Zerbee Texteel Co. on Lawrence St. in Bellefontaine

Louis Zerbee invented Texteel Furniture and a Celestial Fix Finder

Texteel information sheet used in their brochure

The Zerbee-Hilliker manufacturing plant located on Lawrence St. in Bellefontaine

In 1951, the U.S. Navy purchased Zerbee Celestial Fix devices for use on its fleet

Alfonso F. Zerbee designed and patented the “Zerbee Rotating Toothbrush” and “Shoelastics” shoelaces

Al Zerbee's Shoe store was located on Main St. in Bellefontaine from 1946 to 1955

"Shoelastics" elastic shoelaces invented by Alfonso F. Zerbee of Bellefontaine

A Zerbee Rotating Toothbrush in the Historical Society Collection

Brothers, Louis J. and Alfonso F. Zerbee of Bellefontaine, are both credited with several patented inventions. Louis’ invention of “Zerbee Texteel” furniture is the most widely known. He also invented the “Celestial Fix Finder” that was purchased and used by the U.S. Navy. Alfonso designed and patented the “Zerbee Rotating Toothbrush” and “Shoelastics” shoelaces.

Louis and Alfonso were both born in Kentucky to Francis and Mary Zerbee in the early 1890s. The Zerbee family moved to Bellefontaine around 1910, and Francis worked as a master mechanic for the Big Four Railroad. Francis Zerbee was an inventive man as well. He made a device that could track the amount of fuel wasted when steam locomotives were over-fired.

In 1920, Louis married Elizabeth Haviland of Bellefontaine. In 1929, they started their own decorative wrought iron business, The L.J. Zerbee Co., on Lawrence St. in Bellefontaine. By 1933, their business had become successful, and they were also receiving orders from other areas of the state. They advertised “Ornamental iron of any kind is our specialty.”

In the early 1930s, Zerbee designed a spring-base chair and took it to a trade show in Chicago where it was well received. Zerbee continued to develop the chair and other outdoor furniture using a process he patented of weaving fine strands of alloy steel. He called his furniture and the process of weaving the metal strands Texteel.

Zerbee’s Texteel Furniture became quite popular and was sold all over the country. The furniture line included tables and chairs. It was known for its quality and durability. In 1939, they received an order from a furniture dealer in Johannesburg, South Africa for a “wholesale lot of new Texteel furniture.”

In 1942, during World War II, the L.J. Zerbee Co. received a war contract from the U.S. Navy to manufacturing woven wire seats for scores of battleships and destroyer escorts. During that time, Zerbee went into partnership with Donald M. Hilliker and renamed the company the Zerbee-Hilliker Corp. They also opened a branch factory in Rushsylvania where approximately twenty-five women were employed in “the finishing process in the manufacture of airplane parts." Through the war years, Zerbee-Hilliker was the largest employer of women in Logan County.

After the war ended, Zerbee went back to making his Texteel furniture. The Zerbee-Hilliker partnership ended in 1952 when Hilliker sold his interest in the company back to Zerbee, so he could pursue other business ventures. The company was then renamed the Zerbee Texteel Co. Louis Zerbee passed away in 1969 and his daughter, Cornelia “Dee” and son-in-law, Robert Tynan, owned and operated the company until they retired in 1981.

Louis J. Zerbee also invented the Zerbee Celestial Fix Finder. The navigation instrument started as a hobby while Zerbee, a member of the Indian Lake Yacht Club, was boating. The Celestial Fix Finder made the use of astronomy for navigation much faster and extremely accurate. In 1951, the U.S. Navy purchased Zerbee Celestial Fix devices for use on its fleet.

The Zerbee Celestial Fix Finder was described as “A simple, non-electronic, mechanical, manually operated instrument. It has the usual sextant and Air or Nautical Almanac data. In the matter of seconds, it will give the navigator his position any place on the earth’s surface within the accuracy of a mile or so. The Zerbee Celestial Fix Finder is universal in its scope, working as well at the poles as at the equator. Its speed is adequate for even the fastest planes. No act of enemy, short of a direct hit, can effect it usefulness."

Alfonso F. Zerbee graduated from Bellefontaine High School and then served as a Lieutenant and Captain in the U.S. Army during WWI. After his military service, he worked in newspaper advertising in New York and Washington for several years.

Zerbee received a patent for a hand-wound rotary toothbrush in 1934. He spent approximately seven years perfecting his design based on the mechanical brushes used in dental offices. His toothbrush was pear-shaped with a plastic cover housing over a spring motor. At the end of the rotating shaft was a detachable, round brush.

The Zerbee Rotating Toothbrush Co. was incorporated on April 27, 1937, with Zerbee as president. Zerbee’s toothbrush was tested in a Washington DC dental laboratory along with a regular toothbrush. Tests revealed Zerbee’s brush removed approximately three and one-half times more bacteria than the other type of brush.

Zerbee’s rotating toothbrush was sold in Bellefontaine at Insley’s Pharmacy, other areas of the state, and in New York City at Macy’s, Lord & Taylor, and many other stores. They were assembled on the second floor of the Holley Building on W. Columbus Ave. in Bellefontaine. His business was successful until WWII broke out and he could no longer get the wind-up motors for his toothbrushes.

Alfonso Zerbee owned the Myers Shoe Store in Bellefontaine from 1946 to 1955. During those years, the store was named the Al Zerbee Shoe Store. In 1953, he invented “Shoelastic” elastic shoelaces. Zerbee used four especially strong rubber threads for a core and a nylon cover. He dipped each end in hard lacquer to get the tips. About two hundred fifty women in Bellefontaine were hired to make the elastic shoelaces at their homes for piece-work rates. His Shoelastic shoelaces were sold locally, in Ohio and other states.  Zerbee sold his shoe store to Wilson G. “Tex” Houston in 1955, and the name was returned to the Myers Shoe Store.