Horn-u-Copia's Display of Makers

The American company has not left a clear historical trail, and, ‘American’ is such a heavily used descriptive term. It shows up in many business names, it shows up as the whole or part of many model names. The Langwill Index, report over a dozen using American as part of the model name. And Harry Pedler and William Gronert established American Manufacturing Co in Elkhart Ind. (1916-9), which became the Harry Pedler Co. This company does not appear to be a part of the American Band Instrument Co history, but does serve to show the complexity of sorting out this history.

In looking at the examples found of instruments named American, many are marked as made in Chicago or Elkhart. And, some carry Pan American serial numbers.

And, finally one undocumented source reported that in 1926 the American Band Instrument Co. was founded and then purchased in 1928 by C.G. Conn Co.

It is not clear whether the company name was used by more than one company or how the businesses residing Grand Rapids, MI; Chicago, Ill; and Elkhart, Ind. were related.

The following information has been located in publications, :

• 1913 The American Band Instrument Co. is established in Grand Rapids, MI (state factory inspection, 1914)
• 1914 ABIC has 9 employees in their factory (state inspection)
• 1916 Ad introduces the ‘New Professional Model Cornet’; Harry W. Belknap, manager, #207-1/2 Monroe Ave. (directory)
• 1918 ABIC is on union list for band instruments, Grand Rapids
• 1919 Amer. BIC, #207-1/2 Monroe, Walter W. Wilkins, mgr.1922 same location and manager (directory)
• 1923 Amer. Band Inst. Co., is located at #710 W. Jackson, Chicago (dir)

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