THE MAKERS FILES

Rempel Manufacturing, Inc.

Akron, Ohio

Investigating Rempel's character toys through surviving objects, original packaging, period catalogs, manufacturing records, and copyright documentation.

Research reviewed: November 1, 2026

Explore the Rempel Exhibit

Original Mr. Squawker packaging identifies the character and names Rempel Manufacturing, Inc., Akron, Ohio.

MAKER TYPE: Manufacturer

LOCATION: Akron, Ohio

RESEARCH STATUS: Active — New Evidence Welcome

COMPANY PERIOD: Mid-20th century; exact corporate chronology under investigation

EVIDENCE BASE: Objects • Company Records • Period Publications • Archival Research • Photographs • Firsthand Accounts

Why Rempel Matters

Rempel Manufacturing was an Akron, Ohio manufacturer whose mid-century product line included rubber animal and character toys. Contemporary reporting describes its toy-making activities, while surviving catalogs document named products, packaging, dimensions, and sales assortments. [2; 6–10]

For the museum, Rempel’s significance extends beyond identifying individual toys. Period articles, catalogs, original packaging, surviving objects, and later firsthand accounts provide evidence for investigating how the toys were designed, manufactured, finished, packaged, and brought to market—and who performed that work. [1–4; 6–10]

The museum has connected several surviving character toys with names and model numbers in Rempel catalogs, including Mr. Squawker, R-13; Drakey, R-38; and Yippy, R-6. [7, scan pp. 2–3; 8, scan p. 2]

Research now focuses on the production dates of particular examples, design variations, materials, mechanisms, and the people who made them.

WHY THIS FILE REMAINS OPEN

Period catalogs, original packaging, maker's marks, and copyright records now help identify several Rempel characters. [3; 5; 7, scan pp. 2–3; 8, scan pp. 2–4] Together, these sources provide evidence of named products and particular designs, but they do not yet establish a complete production history.

Questions remain about when particular versions entered production, how materials and finishes varied, how mechanisms were constructed, and which surviving examples correspond to particular documented designs. The corporate and commercial relationship between Rempel Manufacturing, Inc. and Rempel Enterprises also requires further investigation.

What We Can Document

THE COMPANY

✓ Rempel Manufacturing, Inc. operated in Akron, Ohio, and marketed rubber animal and character toys. [6, scan pp. 1–2; 7, scan pp. 1–3]

✓ Contemporary reporting documents Rempel's rubber-toy manufacturing activities. [2, pp. 41–43]

✓ Period catalogs document named products, model numbers, packaging, and sales assortments. [7, scan pp. 2–3; 8, scan pp. 2–4]

◇ The museum is continuing to establish the company's complete operating chronology and corporate history.

✓ Documented in sources reviewed by the museum. ◇ Research remains in progress.

ARCHIVAL EVIDENCE

✓ The January 1950 Mennonite Life article preserves contemporary information about Dietrich G. Rempel and his rubber-toy manufacturing activities. [2, pp. 41–43]

✓ Retrospective articles, interviews, and firsthand accounts from approximately 1980–1981 preserve information about the company, its manufacturing practices, and its products. These accounts are evaluated against contemporary documentation where possible. [4]

✓ Period catalog illustrations provide visual evidence of named toys and their advertised packaging and presentation. [7, scan pp. 2–3; 8, scan pp. 2–4]

✓ A recorded interview with Dietrich Rempel survives in the Akron-Summit County Public Library’s Rempel materials. [1]

Character Identification

Mr. Squawker the Duck — R-13

Period catalogs identify Mr. Squawker as model R-13, and the museum's surviving original box confirms the marketed name. [3; 7, scan p. 3; 8, scan p. 3] The museum holds boxed and loose examples with observable differences in clothing colors, surface finish, and sound-fitting locations.

Squawky the Duck — R-4

Catalogs document Squawky, R-4, as a separate named product from Mr. Squawker, R-13. [7, scan pp. 2–3] Earlier pottery and later rubber-work copyright records also use the Squawky name. Their relationship requires comparison by design and version. [5, G3031 and GP7536]

Drakey the Duck — R-38

Catalog comparisons support identifying the museum's two red uniform ducks as Drakey, model R-38. [8, scan p. 2; 10, scan p. 4] The undated catalog describes a hat that pops up when squeezed. This documents the advertised feature, but does not confirm the completeness or operation of either museum example. [10, scan p. 4]

Yippy the Chick — R-6

Catalog comparisons support identifying the museum's yellow chick with an open beak, comb, and wattles as Yippy, model R-6. [6, scan p. 2; 7, scan p. 2] Copyright records describe an earlier ceramic figurine and a later walking rubber work under the Yippy name. Their precise relationship to the museum's example remains under investigation. [5, GP10706 and GP7535]

Identification note: A catalog match supports a marketed identity. It does not, by itself, establish the manufacturing date, material, paint originality, or working condition of a particular surviving example.

Maker’s Marks and Sound Fittings

Photographs: The American Rubber Duck Museum collection.

Molded Rempel mark on the museum’s loose Mr. Squawker example. Compared with packaging and catalog evidence to support identification.

Yippy’s molded mark includes Rempel identification, “PAT. PEND.,” and the Akron, Ohio location.

Perforated metal sound fitting on the side of the loose Mr. Squawker example. Its placement and construction provide evidence for comparison.

Evidence Spotlight

One Name, More Than One Record

Rempel's character names appear across catalogs, packaging, contemporary publications, and copyright records. These sources must be compared carefully to distinguish a character's name from a particular physical design.

An earlier record for Squawky the Duck, G3031, dated November 4, 1946, describes an unclothed, baby-like duck figure in pottery. [5, G3031] The January 1950 issue of Mennonite Life subsequently documents Squawky among Rempel's named rubber-animal characters. [2, pp. 41–43]

A later registration, GP7536, describes a walking rubber work under the Squawky name. The surviving application gives December 22, 1954, as the publication date and was received in January 1955. [5, GP7536]

These records should not automatically be treated as documenting an unchanged sculpture. Comparing their descriptions and any available identifying material with surviving objects remains necessary.

What this establishes: The Squawky name predates the December 1954 rubber-work record. [5, G3031; 2, pp. 41–43]

What remains unresolved: The precise relationship among the pottery figure, the earlier illustrated rubber character, the later registered rubber work, and individual surviving toys.

The Rempel Timeline

November 4, 1946

A copyright record for Squawky the Duck, G3031, describes an unclothed, baby-like duck figure in pottery. [5, G3031]

November 15, 1947

Yippy the Chick, GP10706, is documented as a ceramic figurine standing upright on both feet, measuring 5¾ inches. [5, GP10706]

1948

Assignment index cards identify a transfer from Dietrich G. Rempel to Rempel Enterprises, indexed as “Yippy the Chick; and 9 others.” The assignment was executed October 22, 1948, and received November 15, 1948. It is recorded in Volume 687, pages 148–149. The complete document has not yet been examined. [5, assignment index, vol. 687, pp. 148–149]

January 1950

Mennonite Life documents Squawky among Rempel’s named rubber-animal characters in an illustrated article about Dietrich G. Rempel’s toy-manufacturing activities. [2, pp. 41–43]

March 10, 1952

Mr. Squawker the Duck, GP3259, is documented as a clothed rubber duck in walking position, measuring 12 inches high. [5, GP3259]

December 1954–January 1955

Yippy the Chick, GP7535, and Squawky the Duck, GP7536, are documented as walking rubber works. Their applications give December 22, 1954, as the publication date and were received in January 1955. These dates do not establish when the character names first appeared or when individual museum examples were manufactured. [5, GP7535–GP7536]

October 26, 1956

Drakey the Duck, GP11600, is documented as a rubber work. [5, GP11600]

1961

The reviewed catalog pages document Drakey, R-38; Mr. Squawker, R-13; Yippy, R-6; and Squawky, R-4. These listings establish their appearance in the catalog, rather than the manufacturing dates of the museum's examples. [8, scan pp. 2–4]

1980–1981

Retrospective articles, interviews, and firsthand accounts preserve recollections of Rempel’s history, people, manufacturing practices, and products. These accounts are evaluated alongside contemporary documentation. [4]

Today

The historical record is still being reconstructed. The museum compares surviving objects, contemporary publications, copyright records, archival holdings, and firsthand accounts to investigate product chronology, individual designs, manufacturing, and marketing.

Chronology of selected Rempel character records and products — subject to revision as new evidence emerges.

Drakey's Cap: A Mechanism Under Investigation

An undated Rempel catalog describes Drakey’s hat as popping up when squeezed, documenting an advertised pop-up feature. [10, scan p. 4]

Comparing the caps on the museum’s two surviving examples may help explain the mechanism’s construction. Neither example has yet been established as a complete, functioning reference.

Cap detail on the museum’s first Drakey example. An undated Rempel catalog describes a hat that pops up when squeezed; the surviving construction requires further examination.

The second Drakey example has an opening at the crown. The photograph records its present condition; it does not establish the opening’s cause or which components may be missing.

Questions Still Open

When did each documented design or version first enter commercial production?
Which surviving examples correspond to the earlier ceramic or pottery designs and the later registered rubber works?
What materials, finishes, clothing colors, packaging styles, and sound fittings were used, and during which production periods?
How did Drakey’s advertised pop-up hat mechanism work, and which components survive in the museum’s examples?
Which ten works and what rights were included in the 1948 assignment indexed as “Yippy the Chick; and 9 others”?
What was the corporate and commercial relationship between Rempel Enterprises and Rempel Manufacturing, Inc.?
What additional factory records, molds, masters, photographs, and firsthand accounts survive?

RELATED INVESTIGATIONS — From Rubber to Vinyl • The Character Boom

Evidence We're Seeking

We welcome additional material that could help document Rempel’s products, people, and manufacturing history:

Products and sales: Catalogs, dealer sheets, price lists, advertisements, original packaging, and toys with documented purchase dates.
Design and manufacturing: Drawings, sculptural masters, molds, tooling, prototypes, and factory photographs.
Company and employee history: Business records, employee newsletters, correspondence, workplace photographs, and family collections.
Ownership and firsthand accounts: Copyright records, assignments, licensing agreements, oral histories, and personal recollections.

Have a Rempel Toy, Document, or Story?

A maker's mark, package, dated photograph, letter, or family memory could help identify a product, establish a date, or explain how a toy was made.

Please share what you know about the item, including any dates, names, markings, or connection to Rempel. Photographs of the complete object, its maker’s marks, and any packaging are especially helpful.

SHARE A RESEARCH CLUE

Research Trail

Akron-Summit County Public Library — Special Collections

Research status: Archival research conducted.

Evidence located: Historical newspaper and archival material concerning Rempel Manufacturing and Dietrich G. Rempel. [1] Selected catalog scans dated 1951, 1954, 1961, and 1963, together with an undated catalog, have also been reviewed. These files contain selected pages rather than verified complete editions. [6–10]

Purpose: Investigate the company’s chronology, products, workforce, and manufacturing practices.

U.S. Patent Records

Research status: Individual patent citations are being prepared for this file.

Purpose: Examine patent evidence concerning Rempel’s toy construction and manufacturing technology, distinguishing the named inventors, applicants, and assignees from the manufacturers of particular surviving objects.

U.S. Copyright Records

Research status: Original registration records and historical assignment index cards identified.

Evidence located: Records for Mr. Squawker, Drakey, Yippy, and Squawky Rubber Works, along with earlier ceramic or pottery records for Yippy and Squawky. [5, GP3259; GP11600; GP7535–GP7536; GP10706; G3031]

Significant finding: Assignment index cards identify a 1948 transfer from Dietrich G. Rempel to Rempel Enterprises, indexed as “Yippy the Chick; and 9 others.” The complete document has not yet been examined. [5, assignment index, vol. 687, pp. 148–149]

The searches found no matching renewal. This is a search result, not a determination of public-domain status. Current ownership and the scope of historical transfers remain unresolved. [5]

Period & Retrospective Publications

Research status: Contemporary and retrospective sources reviewed; comparison continues.

Evidence located: The January 1950 Mennonite Life article documents Rempel’s rubber-toy manufacturing and named animal characters. [2, pp. 41–43] Later materials from approximately 1980–1981 preserve retrospective accounts concerning the company, its people, manufacturing practices, and products. [4]

Purpose: Compare contemporary reporting with later recollections, documentary records, photographs, and surviving objects.

Surviving Rempel Objects

Research status: Comparative object research underway.

Evidence reviewed: Museum objects and original packaging, including the boxed and loose Mr. Squawker examples, two Drakey examples, and the chick identified through catalog comparison as Yippy. Catalog references support the marketed names and model numbers. [3; 7, scan pp. 2–3; 8, scan p. 2]

Purpose: Compare maker’s marks, dimensions, construction, sculptural details, colors, finishes, packaging, and sound fittings with period documentation. Materials and production dates remain subject to verification.

Former Employees & Families

Research status: Additional leads sought.

Purpose: Locate photographs, employee records, toys, correspondence, molds, masters, prototypes, and firsthand accounts that may survive outside institutional archives.

Sources & Notes

[1] Akron-Summit County Public Library — Special Collections. Rempel Manufacturing materials.

Archival company and product documentation relating to Rempel Manufacturing and its Akron-area operations. The American Rubber Duck Museum consulted it during ongoing research.

[2] “D. G. Rempel's Adventure in Toy Manufacturing." Mennonite Life, vol. 5, no. 1, January 1950, pp. 41–43. Bethel College, North Newton, Kansas.

A contemporary illustrated article documents Rempel's rubber-toy manufacturing and identifies “Squawky the Duck” as one of its animal characters. Illustrations on these pages are credited to Rempel Manufacturing Co. The article documents the named rubber-toy character by January 1950; an earlier copyright record describes a pottery figure under the Squawky name.

[3] The American Rubber Duck Museum collection — surviving Rempel packaging.

Original box accompanying the museum's boxed Mr. Squawker example, examined and photographed by the museum. Printed panels identify “Mr. Squawker” the Duck, Rempel Manufacturing, Inc., Akron, Ohio, and the “Little Folk from Sunnyslope” and “Tug-a-Long” branding. Catalog editions reviewed are listed separately in entries [6]–[10].

[4] Retrospective Rempel articles, interviews, and firsthand accounts, 1980–1981.

Later accounts concerning the company, its employees, products, and manufacturing practices. These are treated as retrospective testimony and compared with contemporary evidence where possible. Individual article titles, interview dates, participants, and archival identifiers will be added as the source inventory is completed.

[5] U.S. Copyright Office — registration records and assignment index cards.

G3031 — Squawky the Duck: Pottery figure; November 4, 1946.
GP10706 — Yippy the Chick: Ceramic figurine standing upright on both feet, measuring 5¾ inches; November 15, 1947.
GP3259 — Mr. Squawker the Duck: Clothed rubber duck in walking position, measuring 12 inches; March 10, 1952.
GP7535 — Yippy the Chick: Walking rubber work; stated publication date December 22, 1954; application received in January 1955.
GP7536 — Squawky the Duck: Walking rubber work; stated publication date December 22, 1954; application received in January 1955.
GP11600 — Drakey the Duck: Rubber work; October 26, 1956.
Assignment, Volume 687, pages 148–149: Dietrich G. Rempel to Rempel Enterprises; indexed as “Yippy the Chick; and 9 others.” Executed October 22, 1948; received November 15, 1948. Assignment index cards reviewed; complete assignment not yet examined.

Transcription note: The scanned Mr. Squawker card reads March 10, 1952. Searchable OCR incorrectly renders the date as March 20.

Interpretive note: These records concern particular works and versions. They do not independently establish an individual museum object's manufacturing date, current copyright ownership, or public-domain status. No matching renewal was located in the searches performed; that result does not establish that no renewal exists.

Search documentation note: The renewal finding summarizes the museum's searches to date. It is not a certified Copyright Office search report. Registration descriptions and dates must be read in conjunction with the underlying records; they are not necessarily commercial introduction dates.

[6] Rempel Manufacturing, Inc. Product catalog, 1951. Selected scanned pages supplied through Akron-Summit County Public Library.

Scan page 1 identifies the catalog year. Scan page 2 documents Squawky the Duck, R-4, and Yippy the Chick, R-6, with product illustrations, dimensions, and packaging information. The same page describes natural latex rubber construction and a metal whistle in each character.

[7] Rempel Manufacturing, Inc. Product catalog, 1954. Selected scanned pages supplied through Akron-Summit County Public Library.

Scan page 1 identifies the catalog year. Scan page 2 documents Squawky the Duck, R-4, and Yippy the Chick, R-6. Scan page 3 documents Mr. Squawker the Duck, R-13, including display-carton information and a listed retail price of $1.98.

[8] Rempel Manufacturing, Inc. Product catalog, 1961. Selected scanned pages supplied through Akron-Summit County Public Library.

Scan page 1 identifies the catalog year. Scan page 2 documents Drakey the Duck, R-38. Scan page 3 documents Mr. Squawker the Duck, R-13. Scan page 4 documents Squawky the Duck, R-4, and Yippy the Chick, R-6, including individual product and assortment illustrations.

[9] Rempel. Product catalog, 1963. Selected scanned pages supplied through Akron-Summit County Public Library.

Scan page 1 identifies the catalog year and introduces story-and-record products. Scan page 2 documents Squawky the Duck, R-4. Scan page 3 documents Drakey, R-38, and a separately numbered Yippy product, R-406; it also includes licensed Popeye material. Scan page 4 documents Mr. Squawker, R-13.

The separately numbered Yippy product should not automatically be treated as identical to the museum's R-6 attribution. Credits and rights associated with licensed characters and contributed material require separate consideration.

[10] Rempel. Product catalog, undated. Selected scanned pages supplied through Akron-Summit County Public Library.

Scan page 1 bears the heading “A Complete Line of Rubber Squeeze Toys.” Scan page 2 documents Squawky, R-4, and Yippy, R-6, and describes natural latex bodies with a urethane finish. Scan page 3 documents Mr. Squawker, R-13. Scan page 4 documents Drakey, R-38, and states that its hat pops up when squeezed.

The publication date remains unverified.

Catalog citation note: Page references above identify positions within the museum’s saved PDF scans. They do not represent verified original printed pagination. The reviewed files contain selected pages and have not been established as complete catalog editions.

Research Note

Historical claims and product identifications reflect the evidence reviewed by the museum. Contemporary documentation generally carries more weight for chronology than later recollections. Unresolved dates, attributions, manufacturing details, and relationships between versions are identified as such.

Research reviewed: November 1, 2026.

CURRENT ASSESSMENT

Catalogs, original packaging, maker’s marks, and copyright records support identifying several Rempel characters, including Mr. Squawker, Squawky, Drakey, and Yippy. [3; 5; 6, scan p. 2; 7, scan pp. 2–3; 8, scan p. 2]

Copyright records describe earlier ceramic or pottery figures and later rubber works under the Yippy and Squawky names. Their precise relationships to one another and to surviving museum examples require further comparison. Dates recorded in copyright documents, dates of catalog appearances, and individual objects’ manufacturing dates must therefore be distinguished. [5, GP10706; GP7535–GP7536; G3031]

Research continues into production chronology, materials, finishes, mechanisms, corporate relationships, and copyright ownership. The Maker’s File records the evidence supporting current identifications and the questions that remain open.

FILE STATUS: ACTIVE — NEW EVIDENCE WELCOME

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