Frinks

In Clayton during 1920, bus line owner Fred Dailey dared tire shop owner Carl Frink to make a plow that would safely clear snow along his bus route from Clayton to Watertown. Later that year and during that winter, Dailey cleared the highway from Clayton to Watertown for his buses with Frink's new steel plow fastened to the undercarriage of his Duplex truck. Word of the new plow spread and orders came in; first locally, then from across the state, then from across the country and later from around the world. The early plows were hung from the undercarriage of trucks, and even cars. This was a major advance but still was not good enough. Eventually Frink developed equipment capable of tackling the deepest snow accumulations. The original factory burned in 1960.



In the 1930's, Frink snow plows of Clayton became the largest highway snowplow manufacturer in the U.S.

In 2000 Frinks shut their doors for the last time during this year, but not all employees were paid by the owners.



(Picture courtesy of Rene Elliott)

Clayton