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Martin Band Instrument Company

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Martin Band Instrument Company was a musical instrument manufacturer in Elkhart, Indiana.

History

John Henry Martin and the first Martin company

This company was actually the reappearance of a previous company. John Henry Martin (b. Dresden, Germany 24 Feb 1835; d Elkhart 25 Nov 1910) apprenticed as a horn maker in the old ways and emigrated to New York City in 1855 and then in 1865 removed to Chicago where he set up the original Martin company. It is believed that Martin was the first maker of musical instruments in that community.
Martin lost everything in the Chicago fire of 1871. In 1876 he learned of C.G. Conn's new horn factory in Elkhart. John Henry and his seven sons walked to Elkhart, and the elder Martin became the sixth employee of the company. Once in Elkhart he did not attempt to restart his old operation. In 1902 he suffered the first of eight strokes. Afterward his employment was sporadic, and he spent the remainder of his life as an invalid.

Henry Charles Martin and the Martin Band Instrument Company

The eldest son of John Henry Martin was Henry Charles Martin (b New York City 12 Jan 1866; d Elkhart 8 Nov 1927). From about 1890 he worked for Conn as his father had done. Martin family sources claim that the Martin Band Instrument Company began in 1905. It may have been setting up at this date with very limited production, however it wasn't until 1910 that the company was in full operation with Henry Charles Martin, Robert J. Martin, Charles E. Martin and Frederick Martin as president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer respectively. Family sources indicate that the four brothers fought incessantly over the company, and in 1912 Francis Compton bought a major share and assumed the position as vice-president from 1912 to 1917. Charles Henry Martin remained as president until 1917. In 1922 he was working for Buescher. It is known in a letter dated 1923 that Martin expressed his desire to begin tooling for a third Martin company, but in 1924 he suffered the first of three strokes and was forced to resign from Buescher.

The company from 1912 to 1971

For the next forty years the company had a number of presidents. During this time the Martin Committee trumpet was introduced. Then in 1961 Paul E. Richards combined Martin,E. K. Blessing, and F.A. Reynolds to create the Richards Music Corporation. This arrangement fell apart in 1964. The rights to the Martin trademark were taken over by Wurlitzer, and the Martin factory became a division of Wurlitzer in Elkhart. In 1971 the rights to Martin were bought by Leblanc, and Wurlitzer closed the old Martin factory. Leblanc chose to continue to use the Martin trademark on some lines of instruments.

1971-2007

Leblanc continued its use of the Martin name on both the Committee trumpet and the Urbie Green trombone until 2007.

Sources

McMakin, Dean "Musical Instrument Manufacturing in Elkhart, Indiana" (unpublished typescript, 1987, available at Elkhart Public Library)
Elkhart city directories (available Elkhart Public Library)
The Elkhart Truth, Saturday 26 November 1910, obituary of John Henry Martin
Elkhart Daily Review, Saturday 26 November 1910, obituary of John Henry Martin
The Elkhart Truth, Tuesday 8 November 1927, obituary of Henry Charles Martin