Horn-u-Copia's Display of Makers

McFadden was a textile dealer. In the early 1870s, he hired Beaumont, who was an employee at the Isaac Fiske factory. Beaumont brought with him the knowledge of how to make Fiske cornets.

Frederick Beaumont, in partnership with George McFadden produced unlicensed copies of Fiskes patented designs. The ensuing squabble with Fiske forced McFadden & Beaumont out of business within two years.

George McFadden relocated to Syracuse, NY, where his firm produced piston-valve cornets until 1910. He advertised that his instruments could only be purchased at his shop because he did not sell through retail music shops or make stencil horns.

McFadden’s output was estimated to be around five hundred instruments. McFadden’s instrument production probably ceased with his death in 1889, and his store (run by his son and widow) became a music retailer and instrument repair shop, which closed circa 1910.

• 1834 George born in Scotland on May 23rd 1854 son William B. McFadden born
• 1872-1874 George partners with Frederick Beaumont to produce cornets that are copies of Isaac Fiske; the top photo at the right is marked "McFadden & Beaumont" and is a copy of the 1868 patent valves and made c.1872; Beaumont was a former Fiske employee
• 1874 second photo is the only known cornet with the triangular valve arrangement patented by Fiske in 1873 and copied by McFadden 1874 McFadden moves to Syracuse, NY; posts a notice in the paper claiming separation from any of his son’s debts
• 1876 McFadden is a medal winner at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia
• 1886 McFadden’s shop is at 71-73 Clinton St.; son William tries to commit suicide but ends up just shooting his arm, parents say they wish he had succeeded, he is described as being a musical instrument maker
• 1889 McFadden dies on May 19th in Syracuse; he is said to have produced about 500 instruments total; widow Emma continues the music & repair shop
• 1903 Emma dies; William is the administrator of the estate
• 1904 William has a shop on the 4th floor of 401 to 407 South Clinton St. which he had occupied for years as a plant to manufacture band instruments, he was facing eviction
• 1906 William awarded patent #861,305 for a freezer scraper
• 1910 William awarded patent #1,056,109 for a vehicle wheel 1913 William is at 100 Park Ave.
• 1918 the McFadden Band Instrument Shop runs an ad in the paper in February, located at 100 Park Ave.
• 1920 a July 9th article in the paper says that William went to Hamilton, Ontario to organize a plant to produce his patented wheels; he is living at 100 Park Ave. and is referred to as a "former bandsman and manufacturer of band instruments"