Band Instrument Industry

Welcome to the Elkhart Band Instrument Industry Tour, featuring factories and previous locations that began Elkhart's long tradition of instrument companies!

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Band Instrument Industry

Elkhart, Indiana 46514, United States

Created By: Ruthmere

Tour Information

Welcome to the Elkhart Band Instrument Industry Tour, featuring factories and previous locations that began Elkhart's long tradition of instrument companies! The tour will begin at Ruthmere Museum, located at 302 Eeast Beardsley Avenue. Your first stop on the tour is the Conn Band Instrument Company. From Ruthmere Museum, travel east on Beardsley Avenue, crossing the Johnson Street intersection and continuing to 1101 East Beardsley Avenue at the intersection of Conn and Beardsley, where the Conn Company is located on the south side of Beardsley.

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What You'll See on the Tour

Conn Band Instrument Company is located at 1101 East Beardsley Avenue. Charles Gerard Conn, an Elkhart native, is known as the father of the musical industry in Elkhart. Conn enlisted in the army at the age of seventeen and by the age of n... Read more
Armstrong Company is located at 1536 Grant Street. William J.T. Armstrong founded Armstrong Company. He began his career in the music industry working for Buescher as an assembler in 1910. By 1914 he became self-employed as a piano tuner. ... Read more
Martin Band Company is located at 431 Baldwin Street. Martin Band Instrument Company, the third company to be established in Elkhart, was not necessarily a new company but the reappearance of an old company. John Henry Martin apprenticed a... Read more
The Pedler Company is located at 430 Baldwin Street. Harry Pedler, Senior, born in London, England, apprenticed as a clarinet maker until he became a master of the craft. William Gronert, also a native of London, was an employee of Conn in... Read more
The Selmer Company is located at 1119 Main Street. Frederic Selmer, a renowned clarinetist, was a father to two sons, Henri and Alexandre. The sons later established the Selmer Company in France. Following in their father’s footsteps, th... Read more
The Buescher Company is located at 1100 West Beardsley Avenue. The company was one of the many offshoot instrument companies to be started by previous Conn employees. Ferdinand August Buescher, one of Conn’s first employees, had ideas of... Read more
The Blessing Company is located at 1301 Beardsley Avenue. Blessing Company of Elkhart, originally founded by Emil Karg Blessing, Senior, came to Elkhart from Sclechtbach, Württemberg, Germany. He began his work at Buescher Company, helpin... Read more
The Babbitt Company is located at 1505 Beardsley Avenue. The Babbitt Brother’s Jesse, Marvin, and Rolla Babbitt founded the company in 1922. Originally from Allegan, Michigan, Jesse first moved to Elkhart in 1911 working as a toolmaker. ... Read more

 

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