Antique Pianos

The La Porte County Historical Society Museum has several antique pianos in its collection.  These instruments have been donated by individuals as representative examples of pianos that would have been in the average home in La Porte in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries.  
Two of the pianos are significant in the history of La Porte.
 

The above piano is a “square” grand piano made by Schomacker & Co., of Philadelphia, c. 1875. It is part of the Victorian parlor display.  Grand pianos were made in this rectangular shape until the late 1800’s when the advantages of the curved side grand piano familiar today ended production of this older form. 

This piano is believed to be the first upright piano brought to La Porte, at least part way by the Erie Canal, in 1854.  It was brought here by Mr. Lenk, a music teacher, and purchased by Dr. Teegarden.   It was made by Lemuel Gilbert in Boston.  

Made in La Porte by the Hobart M. Cable Company, this player piano made its way out to California before being donated to the museum.  It has recently had its player mechanism restored by Mr. Wes Truax of South Bend.  The Cable Company made pianos in LaPorte between 1903 and 1930, employed about 125 people, and was located at Factory and Darrow Streets.

Not really a piano, but designed to look like the “square” grand pianos of the day, this melodeon was made by the Model Melodeon Company in Syracuse, N.Y.  A melodeon is similar to a pump organ, with metal reeds producing the tones, the player providing the pumping mechanism for the bellows. 

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Updated June 1, 2003