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How the Long History of Eureka Tent Started

The Eureka tent company started in Binghamton, New York prior to 1895. It manufactured canvas products which included Conestoga wagon covers and horse blankets for frontiersmen, U.S. flags, store awnings and camping tents. Despite being in the business for over 100 years now, the company is still able to maintain its reputation as a maker of top quality canvas products.

Eureka tent products continue to grow in popularity during the 1930s when the company increased its production locally. In the 1940s, the firm manufactured the canvas supplies for the IBM tent cities near Binghamton that housed the computer firm’s sales people during the annual stockholders meeting.

The beginning of World War II brought an increase in the demand for hospital ward tents and Eureka was there to provide the needed supplies. The firm expanded its operation and started offering its products nationwide. After the war, the company focused on residential projects, concentrating on the manufacture of mobile home awnings for returning soldiers and people who had been affected by the shortage of houses due to the war.

The company continued its profitable performance and further strengthened its reputation by launching its Draw-Tite trademark tent in 1960. The tent had a free standing external frame and was popular for being practical. This innovative tent model was used in a Himalayan expedition by Sir Edmund Hillary - the first man documented to have scaled Mount Everest. The brand’s involvement in historical expeditions continued through 1963 when the company was chosen to manufacture the tents used by the first All-American Mount Everest Expedition.

The company remained as the favored brand by adventurers and explorers even with the introduction of other products in the market. On April 2004, geophysicist and adventurer Pasquale Scatturo and his team chose the K-2 XT and Kahuna tents from Eureka as their exclusive shelters for the first ever single, uninterrupted exploration of the Blue Nile. The journey lasted for four months and covered 3,060 miles.

The long history of Eureka tent products and the brand’s participation in historical adventures helped establish the company’s reputation as the best maker of canvas products in the United States. Despite challenges posed by other tent-making companies, the firm remains on top of the industry ladder and continues to provide shelters to outdoor enthusiasts and adventure-seeking individuals.