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43-665: Frank E. Holton was born March 10, 1858, in Allegan , Michigan to farmers Otis (b. 1827) and Hanna A. (b. 1829) Holton. He grew up with three sisters: Emma E. Holton, Alice Holton and Leona Holton. By the time he was 34, Frank Holton was an accomplished trombone player and principal trombone of the Sousa Band, a role that would later be filled by Arthur Pryor . In 1885 he had partnered with James Warren York in York & Holton, before he established his own company in 1898. Frank Holton's wife Florence

86-520: A rainstorm in 1997, and was rebuilt. The original 20x30 foot screen is one of the largest screens in Michigan. Allegan County News is a locally owned newspaper publication since 1858. Allegan maintains a comprehensive 24-hour hospital system (Allegan General Hospital) and is served in community policing by both City of Allegan police and the Sheriff's Department of Allegan County, also headquartered within

129-431: A seat manufacturer, and Rockwell . The city is served by Padgham Field , a small general aviation airport. The Regent Theatre opened in 1919 in what was formerly a late 19th-century horse livery. The theater showed movies and presented vaudeville acts on its stage, and an Art Deco facade was installed in the 1930s. The theater closed in the 1980s, and was purchased it in 1990 and restored. The roof collapsed during

172-841: A store and repair shop in Paris and began producing clarinets , and Alexandre joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra that same year. In 1904, Selmer clarinets were presented at the Saint Louis (USA) World's Fair, winning a gold medal, and Alexandre Selmer was First Clarinetist with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Alexandre established himself in New York in 1909, opening a shop that sold Selmer clarinets and mouthpieces. The H. & A. Selmer (USA) Company grew out of that retail operation. In 1910, Alexandre returned to France and

215-435: A subdivision of 5 and 6 room bungalows in 1919. The 25 homes were priced in the $ 3,000 to $ 4,000 range. After retiring, at age 82 Frank Holton sold the company to employee William Kull. The company was run from that point forward by sales manager Elliot Kehl, though Kull would retain the title CEO until he died in 1944. During World War II, the company performed defense work, as did most all instrument manufacturers. Following

258-545: Is a city and the county seat of Allegan County, Michigan Its population was 5,222 at the 2020 census . It’s located 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Grand Rapids and 30 miles (48 km) northwest of Kalamazoo , both via US 131 . It lies within Allegan Township but is administratively autonomous. The men after whom Allegan's downtown streets were named – Elisha Ely, Samuel Hubbard, Charles Christopher Trowbridge , Pliny Cutler, and Edmund Monroe – patented land in

301-633: Is also the North American distributor of Henri Selmer Paris woodwinds and the U.S. distributor of Yanagisawa saxophones. The origins of the Conn-Selmer company begin with the H. & A. Selmer company. In the late nineteenth century, brothers Alexandre and Henri Selmer graduated from the Paris Conservatory as clarinetists. They were the great-grandchildren of French military drum major Johannes Jacobus Zelmer, grandchildren of Jean-Jacques Selmer,

344-449: Is land and 0.41 square miles (1.06 km ) is water. This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Allegan has a humid continental climate , abbreviated "Dfa" on climate maps. As of the 2020 United States census ,

387-527: Is the largest manufacturer and importer of band and orchestral instruments in the United States. It has manufactured instruments in six domestic facilities since 2002: It has been heavily involved in outsourcing manufacturing of brands formerly associated with American manufacturers, including Ludwig drums, Glaesel, Scherl & Roth, and Wm. Lewis and Sons stringed instruments to China and Selmer (USA) wind instruments to various Asian sources. The employees at

430-427: Is used in the city logo and is considered an important part of the city. In 1914, Allegan entered the automobile race car industry as the manufacturing site of Howard E. Blood and Louis Chevrolet 's chain-drive Cornelian automobile . The venture was short-lived, and less than 100 Cornelians were produced. The city has a total area of 4.26 square miles (11.03 km ), of which 3.85 square miles (9.97 km )

473-744: The Brilhart line of woodwind mouthpieces, with production contracted to the Runyon Company , and the Lesher Woodwind Company, a manufacturer of oboes and bassoons. In 1970, Selmer acquired additional production facilities from C.G. Conn, who were divesting their Elkhart, Indiana operations. In 1977, Selmer acquired the stringed instrument maker Glaesel. In 1981 Selmer acquired the Ludwig Drum Company . The era of H. & A. Selmer as an independent company ended in 1970, with its acquisition by

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516-749: The Collegiate saxophone line in favor of their Vito-branded instruments. The Collegiate brand for brasswinds was terminated in 1980. From 1971 on, Leblanc used the Martin Committee brand on some Holton model brasswinds. Leblanc was acquired by Conn-Selmer in 2004. In 2008, the Elkhorn factory was closed and production was moved to the Eastlake, Ohio plant that produces King and C.G. Conn brasswinds. Conn-Selmer currently produces Holton-branded cornets, trumpets, french horns, trombones, and slide and valve oil. Some of

559-625: The Leblanc Company , gaining their exclusive distribution rights for Yanagisawa saxophones in the US and Canada. Conn-Selmer kept Leblanc in production of clarinets but ended their brasswind production in 2007, discontinuing their Martin brand and moving production of their Holton brand to Elkhart, Indiana. Conn-Selmer retains the North American importation and distribution rights for Selmer (Paris) and Yanagisawa Wind Instruments formerly held by H. & A. Selmer and Leblanc, respectively. Conn-Selmer

602-568: The Vincent Bach facility in Elkhart, Indiana represented by United Auto Workers Local 364, struck on April 1, 2006, and as of July 30, 2009, the union was decertified. Out of 230 workers that went out on strike approximately 70 returned with the remaining workers having been subject to recall until July 30, 2010. In 2006, calls were made for the American Federation of Musicians to boycott

645-459: The Allegan City limits. The County of Allegan comprises 24 incorporated townships, most maintaining their own system of city schools, emergency services and local law enforcement. Conn-Selmer Conn-Selmer, Inc. is an American manufacturer of musical instruments for concert bands , marching bands and orchestras . It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Steinway Musical Instruments and

688-478: The Army Chief of Music, and two of 16 children in this musical family. At the time, musical instruments and accessories were primarily hand made, and professional musicians found it necessary to acquire skills allowing them to make their own accessories and repair and modify their own instruments. Establishing Henri Selmer & Cie. in 1885, Henri began making clarinet reeds and mouthpieces . In 1898, Henri opened

731-474: The H. & A. Selmer store was managed by George Bundy. The store expanded its product line, selling "Selmer" branded wind instruments and mouthpieces from manufacturers in the US in addition to Selmer (Paris) products. In 1923, the H. & A. Selmer Company was incorporated to expand its retail operations. A 49% share was sold to C. G. Conn Ltd while Selmer (Paris) retained a minority interest. In 1927, Bundy gained full ownership, establishing independence of

774-426: The age of 18 living with them, 40.3% were married couples living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.4% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.03. The median age in

817-428: The age of 18 living with them, 45.4% were married couples living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.05. In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 26.7% under

860-460: The age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 39,539, and the median income for a family was $ 45,833. Males had a median income of $ 35,417 versus $ 25,669 for females. The per capita income for

903-468: The area in 1833. They considered the site a prime location for industry, due to its potential for water power (since it straddled the Kalamazoo River ) and water bound transportation. By 1835, a dam and sawmill had been established. Allegan was named in a neologism by Michigan historian Henry Rowe Schoolcraft in 1837 to sound like a Native American word. Land was purchased from government to form

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946-795: The backing of Kirkland Messina, Selmer Industries acquired the Steinway Musical Properties company, the parent company of piano manufacturer Steinway & Sons , in 1995 and changed their own name to Steinway Musical Instruments . The domestically produced Bundy brand was discontinued shortly afterward, replaced with student wind instruments sourced from Asia and sold as Selmer (USA) woodwinds and Bach brasswinds. In 2000, Steinway Musical Instruments acquired United Musical Instruments (owners of Artley, Armstrong, Benge , C.G. Conn , King , Scherl & Roth), then merged it with The Selmer Company's instrument manufacturing operations to form Conn-Selmer in 2003. In 2004, Conn-Selmer acquired

989-418: The city had a population of 5,222 people. The racial makeup of the city was 78.7% Non-Hispanic White , 6.5% Black or African American , 1.6% Asian , 0.1% Native American , and 7.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 6.7% of the population. As of the census of 2010, there were 4,998 people, 1,986 households, and 1,204 families residing in the city. The population density

1032-498: The city was $ 17,075. About 10.8% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line , including 13.7% of those under age 18 and 13.1% of those age 65 or over. The largest employer is the Perrigo , the largest maker of private label over-the-counter pharmaceuticals in the world. Perrigo was founded in Allegan in 1887. Companies previously located in Allegan include Haworth ,

1075-403: The city was 34.6 years. 25.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 10% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.5% were from 25 to 44; 24.5% were from 45 to 64; and 12.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female. As of the census of 2000, there were 4,838 people, 1,831 households, and 1,186 families residing in the city. The population density

1118-508: The company. H. & A. Selmer (USA) remained the sole importer of Selmer (Paris) products, including saxophones and brasswinds once exports of such instruments to the USA commenced. In 1936, Selmer changed its distribution strategy, abandoning most retail and becoming a wholesaler of instruments and supplies. Selmer went on to establish itself as a leading distributor of student-grade instruments under its Artley and Bundy brands. In response to

1161-412: The downtown business district; village organization came in 1838 with city incorporation authorized in 1907. In 1886, a one-lane bridge was built over the Kalamazoo River to connect limited highway M-89 to the downtown area. The bridge fell into disrepair and was going to be removed until a group of activists raised the money to restore the bridge in 1983. Now a highlight of Allegan, the one-lane bridge

1204-482: The efforts of a group of local businessmen, who, acting under city mandate, built the new factory which was turned over to Holton and Co. upon their arrival. That building remained as the core of the Holton factory until the decision in 2008 to merge Holton horn production with King and Conn instruments in Eastlake, Ohio. While the factory had been paid for by the city of Elkhorn, the cost of training skilled labor resulted in

1247-463: The electronics firm Magnavox . Magnavox was sold to Philips Electronics in 1974 and the Selmer properties were sold to the investment firm Integrated Resources in 1989. With the 1993 bankruptcy of Integrated Resources, Selmer was sold to the investment firm Kirkland Messina and reorganized as Selmer Industries, Inc. , with The Selmer Company name used for its instrument manufacturing operations. With

1290-612: The end of the 1970s with input from the namesake of the Leonard Falcone International Tuba and Euphonium Festival was dropped after only a short run when Leonard Falcone refused to endorse or play on the production version. There is no record of the popular 1920s saxophone player Rudy Wiedoeft ever having played on his namesake instrument produced by Holton. [REDACTED] Media related to Frank Holton & Co. at Wikimedia Commons Allegan, Michigan Allegan ( / ˈ æ l ə ɡ ən / AL -ə-gən )

1333-473: The featured products built during the post-acquisition period include: The Holton company relied on endorsement by leading artists as one of its primary marketing tools. Often these artists collaborated on the design of instruments that they would then play and promote. Some would subsequently leave Holton to build instruments themselves. Among these were : Not all ventures with artists were successful. The Holton Falcone Model baritone horn, developed at

Holton (Leblanc) - Misplaced Pages Continue

1376-504: The first profits there not being seen until 1920. Along with machinery and employees, Holton brought the company band to Elkhorn which would quickly merge with the storied Elkhorn Band, which had been founded in 1840 by Charles Seelye only 3 years after the town of Elkhorn itself. The band had served as the 12th Regimental Band from 1861 to 1864 during the Civil War. Already building a full line of high-end brass instruments, Holton recognized

1419-451: The growth of music in the schools and began selling student-line instruments built by other workshops under the trade names Pertin and Beaufort . Holton also began production of saxophones in the late Chicago days, and would remain in production of such instruments into the post World War II era. Holton saxophones never enjoyed the reputation or sales of their competitors C.G. Conn , Buescher , Martin , or King , but generate interest for

1462-480: The idiosyncratic keywork on some early models. In the early 1930s the Holton Collegiate line of student horns was introduced, which would last through the 1970s. After 2004 the defunct Collegiate line was re-introduced by Conn-Selmer under their Holton brand, again targeting a balance of quality and price suitable for school music programs. In addition to building the company in Elkhorn, Frank Holton also built

1505-532: The premium line Bach Stradivarius. The services of Mr. Vincent Bach were retained for design of student-line brasswinds. In 1963, Selmer acquired ownership of its main supplier of student saxophones, the Buescher Band Instrument Company . Selmer continued distributing identical Bundy and Buescher instruments until it discontinued the Buescher name in 1983. In 1966, Selmer acquired the rights to

1548-611: The rent at times, Holton was known to pawn instruments at a shop on Clark Street between 1898 and 1900. By 1907, a skilled horn maker had been hired, and the production of Holton instruments required the construction of a factory on the West Side of Chicago. It would be home to Frank Holton & Company for only a decade. In April 1918, Holton opened a factory in Elkhorn , Wisconsin moving over 200 employees and 85 carloads of machinery from Chicago. The city had lured Holton to Elkhorn through

1591-505: The reputation of Selmer (Paris) instruments among aspiring professionals. In 1958 Selmer acquired the Harry Pedler and Sons brasswind plant in Elkhart, starting in-house production of Bundy student-line brasswinds. In 1961, Selmer acquired the brasswind manufacturer Vincent Bach Corporation . Selmer moved production from Bach's Mount Vernon, New York facility to Elkhart in 1965 while retaining

1634-649: The unavailability of Selmer (Paris) instruments after the German defeat of France in 1940, Selmer sought alternate sources for wind instruments and distributed them under their new student-line Bundy and intermediate Signet brands. In 1950, George Bundy retired and sold his shares to partners Joseph M. Grolimund, Jack Feddersen, Milt Broadhead, and Charles Bickel. Starting in 1952, the Selmer Artist program offered special deals for musicians who agreed to perform and record exclusively with Selmer (Paris) instruments, boosting

1677-545: The war, Elliot Kehl secured a controlling interest in the company and began development of several new products including the Farkas Model French horn and a new line of saxophones . The Stratodyne was Holton's top line saxophone from 1948 to 1958 and the last model sold as a professional saxophone by Holton. Holton became the supplier for Leblanc 's Vito line of student-line brasswinds and (briefly) saxophones in 1951. Leblanc acquired Holton in 1964 and phased out

1720-479: Was 1,270.9 inhabitants per square mile (490.7/km ). There were 1,947 housing units at an average density of 511.5 per square mile (197.5/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 91.44% White , 4.71% African American , 0.25% Native American , 0.64% Asian , 0.04% Pacific Islander , 1.34% from other races , and 1.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.85% of the population. There were 1,831 households, out of which 33.0% had children under

1763-442: Was 1,298.2 inhabitants per square mile (501.2/km ). There were 2,226 housing units at an average density of 578.2 per square mile (223.2/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 91.4% White , 4.3% African American , 0.6% Native American , 0.8% Asian , 0.5% from other races , and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.8% of the population. There were 1,986 households, of which 34.0% had children under

Holton (Leblanc) - Misplaced Pages Continue

1806-614: Was a music teacher. They had no children. Frank Holton, though not an instrument maker himself, expanded his company to manufacture instruments which was his occupation until retiring at age 80. Frank Holton died after a protracted illness on April 16, 1942, at the age of 84. Frank Holton's first business venture on his own was a small rented shop with a desk, two counters and two chairs that he had to paint himself at Clark and Madison streets in Chicago, in 1898, where he sold used instruments and his own formula slide oil for trombone . Unable to make

1849-513: Was formed in 2003 by combining the Steinway properties, The Selmer Company and United Musical Instruments. Conn-Selmer is the largest manufacturer and importer of band and orchestral instruments in the United States. The company produces a large variety of musical instruments itself and through contractors under the brand names Vincent Bach , C.G. Conn , King , Holton , Selmer, Armstrong, Leblanc , Ludwig , Musser, and Scherl & Roth. Conn-Selmer

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