Dorri Partain
Contributor

No need to rely on cold sandwiches for your picnic with this handy fold-away picnic grill that takes up little space while traveling.

Manufactured by Structo of Freeport, Ill., barbecue grills of all shapes and sizes were just one of many products produced by the company, founded in 1908. The first products were toys, namely erector-type sets, then by 1932 the company switched to producing child-sized realistic steel vehicles. (See Remember This, Dec. 30, 2020)

Charcoal grills were added to the line of stainless steel products in 1960 and gas grills in 1968. Model No. 2501, shown here, has a cooking area measuring 18.5 by 10.5 inches, heavy steel folding legs, folding chrome-plated grill, and firebox of extra-heavy duty gauge steel. Its cardboard box doubles as a “convenient reusable carry-storage carton.”

Constructed in two pieces, each with folding legs, the grill stands 8 inches tall, then conveniently folds down to 2 inches and fits back into the storage box. While hot dogs are the obvious choice for grilling, fresh-caught fish would be another good option for lunch or dinner.

A large label on the box indicates that this grill was a free premium item offered to new customers from Sentinel Federal Savings. This financial institution had two locations in the Kansas City area, downtown at 1001 Walnut and in North Kansas City at 1804 Swift, focused on “home loans made in Kansas City and Clay and Platte Counties to build or buy or refinance.”

Sentinel Federal Savings operated for over 60 years before ceasing operations under that name. The Structo brand of grills, their final product, ceased production by 1986.