All Western Plastics, Inc. from Lusk, Wyoming built the original plastic saddles from 1946-1949. There were only 65 saddles built before they closed their doors forever.

T. C. "Tommy" Neilson, owner

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The Lusk Herald, January 23, 1947

All Western Plastics, Inc. Incorporating with Lusk Firm to Manufacture Saddles

With the starting of incorporation proceedings this week of All western Plastics, Inc., Lusk was assured of a great expansion of the saddle-making industry, which was started here by T.C. Neilson.

The new corporation, which brings to Lusk the plastics division  started at Alliance, will include Mr. and Mrs. Wm. B. Vandergrift of Alliance and Mr. and Mrs. T.C. Neilson of Lusk as the sole stockholders. 

Mr. and Mrs. Vandegrift are moving to Lusk and are offering to trade their home in  Alliance for a Lusk home, or will buy.

With the showing of the plastic saddle and riding gear at the National Western Livestock Show in Denver the past week, the new business was given an impetus that is yet hard to gauge. The present T.C. Neilson Co. facilities at Lusk will be used at least until found inadequate, and staffs of workmen increased as rapidly as possible to produce the saddles and equipment now on order.

Mr. Vandergrift said the firm is especially interested in veterans who wish training in this new industry.

The new plastic saddle tree patented by the Nielson Company, is being incorporated in the new corporation, and a plastic engineer is to be employed to further develop this phase of the industry.

Mr. Vandegrift pays high compliment to "Tommy" Neilson, who has built the present leather saddle-making industry in Lusk. The fact that he saw the future in plastics as a material for riding equipment, and was willing to make a venture of it, together with the fact that he already has a fine plant, were responsible in getting the industry for Lusk, despite the fact that Casper, Cheyenne and other communities have shown interest in having it here.

Mr. Vandegrift started his plastics work at Alliance and would likely have stayed there had he received the backing, and had there been a manufacturer willing to take on the new work.

He makes it plain that the future of the industry in Lusk will depend much on the extent to which the community wishes to get behind it and see it enlarged.

No saddles have been delivered as yet, though orders have been taken.

Distributors are now being arranged for in various states. 

STRONG BACKING

 That this new industry has a strong interest and backing being given by the B.F. Goodrich Chemical Co., which manufactures "Geon," the plastic raw product, and the Hood Rubber Co. of Watertown, Mass., which moulds the plastic into sheets used by the Lusk firm. 

Mr. Vandegrift began investigating the possibilities of plastic riding equipment early last year and in February took a martingale and bridle to the Goodrich Company. That firm immediately became interested and engaged Mr. Vandegrift to make a saddle and arranged for him to show it at the First National Exposition at Grand Central Palace in New York on April 22 to 27.

Not being able to get the saddle made at Alliance, Mr. Vandegrift went back near his home on the western slope of Colorado, where he knew a saddlemaker in Crawford, Colo., and there the first plastic saddle was made. Taking a horse, Mr. Vandegrift went back to New York and stole the plastics show, and was popular enough that he received several attractive offers to show it elsewhere. He refused these, however, and turned west to further the business.

Meanwhile "Tommy" Neilson became enough interested in the possibilities of plastics that he had written the Goodrich Company and that firm referred him to Vandegrift, and the two men soon got together with an arrangement for the T.C. Neilson Co. to make the saddles.

Goodrich was enough interested that a color print of one of the saddles and full riding regalia was placed in a number of trade journals to advertise "Geon."

STOCK SHOW SHOWING IS BIG SUCCESS

Through the encouragement of the Brown Place Hotel in Denver, five of the plastic saddles were shown at the National Western Livestock Show. The saddles and full riding gear were on display in the lobby of the Brown Place during the entire show and attracted unusual attention.

Demand out of all proportion to what the firm will be able to produce at first was evidenced. Not only were there requests from individual buyers, but possible distributors made known their interest. Mr. Vandegrift is flying to Oklahoma City with a saddle this Thursday to talk with a prospective distributor.

VANDEGRIFT GREW UP ON A RANGE

Wm. B. Vandegrift is a son of the range. His father owned a ranch near Montrose, Colo., on the Western Slope, and there young Vandegrift punched cows and learned the livestock business. He went to Alliance some seven years ago and five years ago started out in the plastic riding gear business. His hobby is Palomino horses. But very frankly he says he would be nowhere in the plastic saddle business if he hadn't run into such a vigorous fellow as "Tommy" Neilson. He has the finest of reputations as a saddlemaker, and the the plastic saddles displayed have been praised for their excellent workmanship. 

The plastic saddle tree, patented by Neilson, has an unlimited future, Vandegrift believes. It is much stronger and smoother and will prove a great labor saver in saddle manufacture.

Research is now being conducted on still another plastic product that will be of great benefit to the cattlemen, but Mr. Vandegrift said that its nature cannot yet be made public. 

A plastic saddle outfit new costs at least $1550, though fancier ones can be made. Not yet intended for general use, almost the entire demand this far is for show purposes. 

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T. C. (Tommy) Neilson is in the leather business. He builds all sorts of leather goods. Did you ever hear of a Kirwan-Neilson saddle? Tommy’s concern builds them to fit your individual measurement. You get measured for your saddle just like you get fitted for a pair of shoes. One of the popular pastimes around Lusk is horseback riding. In the first picture on this page you see a part of the Lusk Riding Club mounted. These horses are groomed with Kirwan-Neilson tack. This establishment also makes cowboy boots, fringed jackets and ladies’ riding skirts.

When in Lusk drop in at the shop, which is located centrally on Lusk’s main business block. They will show you how leather is processed for the manufacture of riding equipment. The products are sold in many parts of the United States. They take pride in their work and turn out quality merchandise. Tom started this business in 1936. At that time he had but two employees. The staff of workers now consists of fifteen. He expects to expand to even greater numbers in the near future.

Tommy says aside from making saddles and riding horseback, he enjoys the wide open spaces. Fishing and hunting are down his alley.

“My wife is fond of the same sport. We always go on these expeditions together.”

He feels that a Fair is always a fine project for a community. Here people can get together, visit, exchange ideas, and everybody goes away happy for having made these contacts. It also serves as a medium of exhibits of our various products. The Neilson company will be represented by a booth at the Fair grounds and folks may see their finished products on display.

Neilson feels that this town of ours is one of the finest towns in Wyoming, and because it is in the very heart of the ranching territory of the State, it is exceptionally favorable to his type of business. In reality we have no real pressing problems socially as they relate to unemployment, race questions and group prejudices. If everyone will get down to the business of putting forth effort, there is no reason why we cannot sit on top of the economic ladder.

In compliance with his beliefs in the future of this community, Neilson and his wife have built a fine home just south of the Catholic Church. It is one of the nice homes of our community.

The particular spot in which the Neilson home is located has been much improved in the last few years. The Catholic folks have landscaped their church grounds, and the Tom Miller property to the south of Neilson’s has also been landscaped. In summertime it is an especially pleasing spot which is restful to the eye.