Horn-u-Copia's Display of Makers

• 1877 Louis Edward Rose is born in Bourbon, Indiana
• 1894 Louis is a musician who started working for a large band instrument factory, learning all parts of the trade (1914 article)
• 1898 Louis is living in Kosciusko, Indiana
• 1900 Louis is working as a baker in Kosciusko (census)
• 1910 Louis opens his band instrument factory in Fort Wayne on the third floor of #1008 Calhoun St. on February 1st with one assistant and his wife; their first trombone was done by March 1st ; his wife Mamie made some parts on a footpowered lathe (1914 Ft. Wayne Gazette article); he also does instrument repairs (census)
• 1912 moved to a larger factory at #930 Clinton St. at the corner of Washington St. in Fort Wayne (article & city directories)
• 1914 he now has five factory workers and makes about 15 to 20 instruments per month including the valves; he sells mostly to professionals; Louis Rose makes the trombone slides due to the exact requirements needed (article)
• 1915 Rose Band Instrument Co., supplies & repairs (school contract listing)
• 1917 now listed at #135 Washington Blvd. East (city directory)
• 1918 manuf. of band instruments, #936 Clinton St. (draft)
• 1919 #135 Washington Blvd. East (city directory)
• 1920 The business listing changes to manufacturing and located at #239 Pearl St.; this is the site of the Rose Plating Works so he may have dropped the music business at this time; he is still listed as a band instrument maker in the census in January
• 1921-1922 ads found for Rose Plating Works, #239 Pearl St.
• 1923 first listing under ‘plating’; #239 Pearl St. (directory)
• 1929 Rose Plating Co. is on an industrial list for Fort Wayne; census lists Lewis as president of plating company
• 1940 Census lists Lewis as manager of plating company
• 1956 Lewis dies this year and is buried in Fort Wayne

Contribute new Data (or Corrections):

Information posted here will be added to this page.

This is not the place to ask questions, as users will only occasionally visit a particular Maker's
page. Pease use the forum to ask questions or talk about your instrument.
(Please use the forum for discussions, questions, etc.)