Some brands become so dominant in their function that their names eclipse generic terms. We ask for a Kleenex instead of a tissue or Google a topic instead of searching the internet. When the word “Pinkertons” is uttered, we conjure the same image: a private detective, or at least hired muscle. That name, Pinkerton, has become more than a man in the American ethos. It’s shorthand for an entire industry that still exists today.

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