The Odell typewriter story begins with the No.1a, also known as the Seal Foot Odell. It was produced briefly in Lake Geneva, WI before inventor Levi Judson Odell (1855 – 1919) scrapped the design in favor of a round-based version.
The 1b model was awarded patent no.437,791 in October of 1890.
Eventually the company moved to Chicago, IL where a few more of the 1b model were produced just as its successor, the No.2, was introduced.
The round-based Odells stopped being marketed in mid-1906 at which point the New American No.5 took over. Despite its square base, the New American functioned principally the same as its predecessors.
