Presto Buyers' Guide
Analyzes and Classifies
All American Pianos
and in Detail Tells of
Their Makers.
PRESTO
M M ^ /«M
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
Presto Trade Lists
Three Uniform Boofc-
lets, the Only Complete
Directories of the Music
Industries.
/• c*nt,, $»j$m • r ~
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1923
COMMEMORATING BIG VOSE EVENT
Completion of New Factory of Famous Industry in Watertown,
Greater Boston, Marked by Publication of Beautiful
"Reminiscences" in Book Form
Interesting Historical Data Concerning the Development of the American
Piano, From Benjamin Crehore to the Present Time
A graceful and peculiarly fitting tribute to the pro-
gressive career of one of Boston's most distinguished
families of piano manufacturers, has been distributed
among the friends and customers of the Vose & Sons
Piano Company, in commemoration of the comple-
tion of the new factory of that industry at Water-
town, Greater Boston.
in the year 1675. What is now considered one of
the greatest chocolate mills in the world started mak-
ing its product in Milton in 1764. The mammoth
mills situated in this little town today stand as a silent
tribute to the enterprise of its founders.
Milton is also credited with having the honor of
building the first railroad to carry freight, in the early
year of 1826. In this connection, it is interesting to
know that the superb granite used in the erection of
Bunker Hill monument was carried over this pioneer
road.
Benjamin Crehore.
Among the outspreading elms, and surrounded by
natural beauty, stood the interesting hillside home
and shop of Benjamin Crehore, in which the first
American piano was made, about 1790. Crehore was
one of the distinguished early settlers, many of whom
where Daniel Crehore made the first piano; an in-
terior view of the shop. There is also a picture of
the first piano and one of the home of Whiting Vose
in 1820. A picture of the first Vose factory in Bos-
ton, in 1851, is shown, as well as one of the new
factory which has just been completed, and the dedi-
cation of which is one purpose of the book's appear-
i
;
WILLARD A. YOSE.
NEW VOSE FACTORY AT WATERTOWX, GREATER BOSTON.
The booklet, beautifully printed and bound, is a
compilation from the "History of Milton, Mass.,"
and was prepared by Denning D. Luxton, who has
been associated with the Vose house for a good many
years. The book is given added interest by a series
of illustrations, among which are the portraits of
James Whiting Vose, founder of the house, Willard
Atherton Vose, its present head, George Atherton
Vose, junior member, and the latter's son—and prob-
ably piano manufacturer of the future—Atherton
Cushing Vose. There are also pictures of the town
of Milton at the time the first American piano was
made there, a sketch of the home and hillside shop
ance. The story in full, as it appears in the beauti-
ful booklet, follows:
BOOK OF VOSE REMINISCENCES.
The quaint old village of Milton, Massachusetts, is
located in a valley famous for its natural beauty, and
is nearly encircled by the picturesque and lofty Blue
Hills. Milton enters early history as a thrifty and
enterprising little hamlet (though a city in achieve-
ments and progress); for here in 1634 the first corn
was ground by water power, thus the waters of the
Neponset River turned the first mill stone in Amer-
ica. The first American paper mill was operated here
were direct descendants of the Pilgrims; his shop
and the story of his achievements are still fresh in
the memory of many of the older residents of Milton
today.
The comparatively few pianos which were owned
in America at that time, are believed to have been
imported or contained parts made in the old country
and shipped here to be assembled. Europeans, there-
fore, should be accorded the honor of handicraft in
the making. This fact tends to clear the history of
the first real American piano, the building of which
is credited to Benjamin Crehore, who was a genius
and famous as a maker of musical instruments.
It is significant that Lewis Vose was interested and
financially assisted the enterprises of Crehore (as re-
lated in the "History of Milton 1640-1887"). Thus
the name Vose was identified with that of Crehore
and the first piano made in this country.
Vose Reminiscences.
To go back to those romantic days replete with
interesting tales of colonial history, it is in harmony
with the subject to fancy Milton being surrounded
by numerous tribes of friendly Indians, the Neponset
tribe being the most neighborly. It can be easily
imagined that even the red men's attention was at-
tracted from the weird tumming of their torn toms
to the magical and fascinating tone of this sturdy
little square piano. It can also be fancied that it was
admired and heard by ancestors of Myles Standish,
the Aldens, Winslows, and other pilgrims from Ply-
mouth's beautiful shores. The quaint colonists came
from the Blue Hills, also from near-by villages, to
pay homage to Crehore, and to admire with patriotic
pride, this, the first piano made in America.
Since the days of colonists and early settlers, the
Vose family has continuously played a famous and
conspicuous part in the upbuilding of Milton. It is a
matter of history that the name Vose became identi-
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