EUCLID, INC., was one of the world's leading firms in the manufacture of offhighway, earthmoving, and hauling equipment. The company began in 1926 as part of the Euclid Crane & Hoist Co., a firm founded by Geo. Armington in 1909. In 1931 Armington's son, Arthur, took over a small shop adjoining Euclid Crane at 1368 Chardon Rd. in EUCLID and incorporated Euclid Crane & Hoist's offhighway division as a separate firm, the Euclid Rd. Machinery Co. Beginning with 300 employees, the company produced as many as 20 15ton trucks per month for the construction and mining industries. Euclid tripled its production during World War II and continued to prosper in the postwar period. In 1946 it built a new plant at E. 222nd St. and St. Clair; bought another nearby plant 3 years later; and gained an international reputation for quality equipment. When General Motors acquired the firm for $20 million in 1953, Euclid Rd. was a $33 million business with 1,600 employees turning out 170 trucks per month—over half the nation's offhighway dump trucks.