Automobiles of the 1920s ran on low-grade gasoline, leading to improper combustion in the engine. John A. Stransky, a mechanically inclined Pukwana resident and inventor, was looking for ways to save wasted gasoline in his own car. However, he ended up with a popular and marketable product. Operating from ca. 1925 to 1928, the company located in Pukwana produced gasoline vaporizers and decarbonizers, which were sold all over the country and around the world. Stransky held several patents for his various inventions.