The Name on Our Trucks

O. Cromwell Heating & Air is named in honor of Oliver Cromwell Hackett, an Akron plumbing and heating man, a World War I soldier, and our founder's great-great-uncle.

A Tradesman From Akron

Oliver Cromwell Hackett was born in 1889 and grew up in Akron, Ohio. As a young man he learned the plumbing and heating trade and started a business of his own, keeping homes in the area warm and running.

Called to Serve

When the United States entered World War I, Oliver put his business on hold and enlisted. He served as a Private in Company A of the 47th Infantry Regiment. During basic training he mailed home a postcard with his photo in uniform. It's one of the few things of his our family still has.

"Hello folks, How do I look now? Will write later, am pretty busy. With love, Oliver. P.S. Please send me a couple dollars."

Wounded in the Fight

Oliver went overseas with the 47th Infantry and was wounded in action in late 1918, in the final months of the war. Like many soldiers of his time, he was exposed to mustard gas.

Coming Home

After the war, Oliver came back to Akron and tried to pick up where he left off, rebuilding the plumbing and heating business he had started before he left. But the damage from the mustard gas never let him go. He died in 1920 at just 31 years old, and he is buried in Akron.

Picking Up the Work

More than a hundred years later, his great-great-nephew, Taylor Hackett, started O. Cromwell Heating & Air here in Northeast Ohio. The company carries Oliver's name and picks up the work he never got to finish: honest heating and cooling service for the families in our community.

It's also why every veteran gets 10% off all of our work, from service calls to repairs to new installations. It's our way of saying thank you to the people who served, just like Oliver did.