The year was 1968 when Irvin Hoover made his first batch of lanterns. It took two weeks of working day and night to make them with a tin snips, hammer and chisel. When the order was delivered, the dealer was so excited that he bought all the lanterns that Irvin could make for the next several years. The popularity of Irvin’s lanterns grew and soon Irvin had customers throughout the United States. Now 50 years later, Irvin still designs all of his products-just like he did when he made that first batch of lanterns in the summer of 1968.