Horn-u-Copia's Display of Makers

Dealer and importer. He became the largest music house west of Chicago.

• 1848 the Dyer family moves from England to Boston

• 1858 William J. Dyer (1841-1925) is a carpenter in Boston
• 1861-63 William is a bookkeeper in Boston
• 1864 William J. Dyer &Co., grocers, #1209 Washington St.
• 1866 Doty &Dyer, #34 Broad St., Samuel H. Dyer (1842-1914)
• 1869 S.H. Dyer &Co., flour, #34 Broad St, S.H. &W.J. Dyer
• 1869 Opens store in Mankato MN
• 1870 Dyer &Howard, musical instruments, Faribault, MN; W.J. Dyer joins with dry goods merchant Wilbur Howard; joined by brothers Samuel, Charles E. (1845-1897) and David M. (1850-1917)
• 1872 Dyer &Howard moves to St. Paul, MN
• 1876 Dyer &Howard, musical inst., #37 E. 3rd St., St. Paul
• 1879 Dyer &Howard (WJD &WHH), #69 E. 3rd St., St. Paul, David Dyer is clerk
• 1880 Charles E. Dyer (3rd photo on right) opens the Minneapolis branch at #507 Hennepin Ave.

• 1882 Minn. Store moves to #408-410 Nicollet Ave.
• 1884 St. Paul store now at #148-150 E. 3rd St.
• 1885 W.J. Dyer buys out Howard; now WJ Dyer &Bro.
• 1887 Minn. Store moves to #509-511 Nicollet Ave.
• 1889 St. Paul store still at #148-150 E. 3rd St.; WJ Dyer &Bro. starts the Duluth Music Co.
• 1892 incorporated as WJ Dyer &Bro. Inc., William pres, Samuel vp, David sec, Charles tres; Edward R Dyer is salesman
• 1895 St. Paul store now at 21-23 W. 5th St.; Minneapolis store still at 509-511 Nicollet Ave.
• 1897 Charles Dyer dies on July 8th, age 52
• 1898 Dyer &Bro. now named the Metropolitan Music Co. in Minneapolis; WJ Dyer is vp
• 1900 MM Co. moves to #37-43 S. 6th St. in Minneapolis
• 1902 Edward R. Dyer, Sr. (1861-1941) becomes vice-president
• 1904 Edward R. Dyer, Sr. becomes president of M.M. Co.
• 1913 WJ Dyer &Bro., established in 1870, #21-27 West 5th St. in St Paul; WJD pres, DMD vp, ERD sec, RH Johnson tres; Samuel is retired
• 1914 Samuel H. Dyer dies on December 14th
• 1917 David Martyn Dyer dies on September 26th
• 1920 Metropolitan Music Co., #37-43 S. 6th St.; E.R. Dyer pres
• 1925 William J. Dyer dies
• 1930 Edward Rowland Dyer, Jr. (1897-1946) is now a clerk
• 1940 Edward Sr. is sales manager for Dyer &Bro.; Ed Jr. is in a US veterans’ hospital in Florida
• 1941 Edward Sr. dies; company possibly ends at this time Brass instruments are made in Austria and use model names "Diamond", "Chieftan", "Improved", "Voca-Tone", "Professional" and "American Leader"

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