Horn-u-Copia's Display of Makers

• 1888 Peter Benson (1867-?) emigrates from Sweden to Minneapolis (other dates given in the Census are 1877 & 1887)
• 1891 Benson & Ekstrom, guitar manufacturers, #510 Cedar Ave., Peter Benson & Charles Ekstrom
• 1892 Peter Benson, guitar manufacturer, #510 Cedar Ave.; granted patent #487,820 for guitar music rack
• 1893 Peter Benson, guitar maker
• 1894 Peter Benson, music dealer, #1126 S. 17th St.
• 1896 Peter Benson, books & musical instruments, #1204 Washington Ave. S.; Peter was naturalized this year
• 1897 Peter Benson, books, musical inst., bicycles, #1204 Wash.
• 1898 Peter Benson, books, manuf. of musical inst. & cases, musical merchandise, #1225 Washington Ave. S.
• 1899 manuf. of high grade guitars & mandolins, #1225 Wash.
• 1909 manuf. & importers of high grade musical instruments
• 1920 first year listed as Benson Music House, Peter Benson, proprietor, #1225-1229 Washington Ave. S.
• 1936 WPA photo of Benson Music House, #1225 Wash. (top)
• 1940 Peter and wife Helga are living at the Scandinavian Union Relief Home in Minneapolis (he probably lost the store to the depression or sold it sometime after 1936)

1898 ad below shows new store & manufacturing facility

‘Le Fin’ is used as a trade name.

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.)