This summer’s exhibit at the Warren County Historical Society Museum from July 5 September 8 features an exhibit highlighting the history of the Binkley Manufacturing Company. The Binkley Company has a very interesting history it was on April 4, 1933 that the company began operations in a small building at the intersection of Highway 47 and Old Highway 40, now Veterans Memorial Parkway. Imo’s Pizza and Legacy Drugstore occupy this lot at the present time. William J. (Bill) Binkley and his wife, Lil, came to Warrenton in 1933. He had a business in Chicago that failed during the depression. Binkley was 32 years old and broke at the time, but he had a dream, ambition, and lots of “know-how”. Mr. Binkley started Binkley on April 4, 1933. He knew sheet metal and layout work, so he rented a building in Warrenton for $7.50 a month and began to make stove pipe and adjustable elbows. This building was owned by McGee Service. Mr. Binkley hired a few local men to help him with production. When they had made up a batch of stovepipe and elbows, they would take the back seat out of his old Chevy, pile all they could get …
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