| _______________________________________________________ Company Name: Aaron B. Griffith W.H. Griffith & Bro. Primary Business : Billiard table construction, sales and repair etc. Business Address: 45 Franklin St. (1858-59) 169 State (1866) 211 State (1870) Home Address: 259 Forquer (1869) Notes: Born in 1821, Aaron Griffith was a carpenter by trade and father of two children, John & Eliza. He moved to Illinois from out east some time in the late 1850's and by 1858 had established a billiard table company with his brother in Chicago. But the Griffith's business didn't really last all that long, it disappeared shortly after 1870. Unlike many shops that were simply for repairs and resales of tables, evidence indicates that Aaron Griffith may have actually manufactured and sold his own billiard tables. Company Logo: N/A Below: The Griffiths listed in the 1869 and 1858 Chicago City Directory |
| __________________________________________________________ Company Name: Adam Jochem Primary Business: Billiard table sales & repair etc Business Address: 722 Melrose (1899) Home address: 631 B Roscoe (1900) Notes: The son of German immigrants, Adam Jochem was born in January of 1855 in Illinois. Like many Germans did at the time, he grew up learning a type of carpentry also known as "cabinet making". Adam got married around 1880, had a daughter (Laura) in 1883, but his wife died soon thereafter. He remarried in 1894 to a young lady roughly half his age ( Annie 20 ) and had two more children, Adam Jr. and Eva. Although Mr. Jochem was listed in the 1899 Chicago directory under " Billiard Table Manufacturers " and he was in fact a carpenter, at this time it is not entirely clear to us if he actually manufactured his own tables or simply ran a repair and resale shop. To see his listing in the directory visit 1899. Mr. Jochem's business did not last very long, it appears that he either sold out and/or went to work for another company. Adam Jochem died Jan. 30, 1922. Company Logo: N/A |
| __________________________________________________________ Company Name: Adolph Zeller Primary Business: Billiard table construction, sales and repair etc. Business Address: 52 and 54 Shelby. Detroit, MI (1867) 84 Randolph St. (1869) 148 State St. (1871 relocated after the Great Fire) 24 & 26 W. Washington (1873) 28 to 32 W. Washington (1876) 84 & 86 State St (1882) Home address: St. James Hotel (1869) Central Hotel (1876) Notes: Adolph Zeller was born in New York in about 1827. He later moved to Detroit and went into business with the already established local billiard table maker, Charles Schulenburg. ( @ 1863 ) They did fairly well, selling tables via "authorized agents" as far away as Iowa, perhaps even further. A few years later, Mr. Zeller came to Chicago and opened a branch facility for their joint company. That is, until the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, at which time they lost everything in Chicago. Mr. Schulenburg apparently bailed out, leaving Mr. Zeller to continue on his own... Which he did, up until about 1880, when eventually Mr. Zeller took over management of a local H.W. Collender billiard shop at 84-86 State Street. Collender ended up merging with Brunswick, so by default, Mr. Zeller probably became a Brunswick employee as well. Below is an example of his work; a billiard table made almost entirely of Mahogany that is still as sturdy and beautiful as the day it was made, over 130 years ago. Company Logo: ( Ivory nameplate below ) Rare Example of Zeller Billiard Table |
| Schulenburg & Zeller Ad 1869 Zeller Ad 1871 |
| A plug for Zeller from "The Great Inter-State.. Expo" program (1873) |
| __________________________________________________________ Company Name: C.G. Akam Manufacturing Co. Akam Billiard Manufacturing Co. Primary Business: Billiard table construction, sales and repair - plus various items for the home. (Singer sewing machines, rugs, fireplace implements etc.) Business Address: 22 E. Adams (1879) 10 & 12 Adams (1900) 331 Wabash (1910) Telephone: Harrison-2982 Home address: National Hotel - Van Buren St. (1910) Notes: Charles Guy Akam was born in New York on December 27, 1847. He married 'Fannie' Gifford in 1877 and at some point moved to Chicago. By 1879 he had opened a retail business selling various items for the home, including "Parlor" style and "convertible" billiard tables - and a fine array of Singer sewing machines. Unlike other billiard table shops that simply resold and repaired tables, Mr. Akam did in fact design and manufacture some of his own tables. He even dabbled in sewing technology, filing a patent for a "darning device" in 1880. See his patent records below. Mr. Akam's company disappeared shortly after 1910. He moved back to New York where he retired and died April 8, 1920. Fannie moved to Florida. Company Logo: ( nameplate below ) A full page C.G. Akam ad from 1879 |
| Image from: "Pool & Billiard Collectibles " © Mark & Connie Stellinga Left: Akam Table Design Patent (1879) Right: Akam's Darning Device (1880) |
| __________________________________________________________ Company Name: C.S. Prindle Primary Business: 'Parlor' style billiard table construction and sales. Business Address: 166 and 170 State St. (1873) Home address: N/A Notes: There appears to have been a Prindle family billiard table company in Chicago. We found C.S. Prindle selling billiard tables and L.C. Prindle taking out patents for various billiard table improvements. However, we are not yet sure of their relation to each other. Father & son? Brothers? The little information that is available suggests that the Prindle men did design and build their own tables, but for whatever reason their business did not last very long. L. Corydon Prindle died March 27, 1918. Company Logo: N/A Below: A plug for C.S. Prindle from "The Great Inter-state Expo" program (1873) |
| Below: Passow company blotter sheet and envelope from 1899 |
| Patent # 130, 389 August 13, 1872 L. Corydon Prindle improvement in portable billiard boards Patent # 140,162 June 24, 1873 L. Corydon Prindle improvement in billiard tables |
| __________________________________________________________ Company Name: Charles Passow & Sons, Passow & Sons, Charles & Sons Primary Business: Production of saloon fixtures, billiard tables and bowling supplies. Business Address: Salesroom 196 & 198 E. Washington (1899 -1900) Office & Factory 862 to 870 Allport (1899-1900) Office 832- 840 W. Madison (1905 -1910) Telephone: Canal 276, Main 910 Additional offices: St. Louis, Omaha, Denver, Seattle, St. Paul, Detroit, San Francisco Home address: Charles Passow -181 Wright St. (1880) Louis A. Passow - 3322 Washington (1905) Charles Passow - 929 W. 12th (1900) Notes: Charles Passow was born in Prussia in 1845. He married Augusta Schneidewend and a few years later immigrated to Chicago (1867) with his two kids William and Annie - and then proceeded to have 6 more: Lucy, Charles, Louis, Henry, Edward and Rosie. (With five male children, there's a real good chance that his family line is still around today) While it's likely that all of his sons were involved in the 'family business' in some way or another, we know for sure that Charles' eldest son William co-owned and operated one location and his third son, Louis August Passow, was admitted officially as a partner in his father's company in 1896. Charles died Dec 11, 1900 and in 1904 the business was incorporated simply as "Passow & Sons", Louis took over as president. Passow & Sons disappeared from the records sometime between 1914 and 1920. Louis died Jan. 21, 1926 as a resident of Oak Park, IL (see snip below) Company Logo: ( nameplate below ) Passow 'trade card' |
| Above images from: "Pool & Billiard Collectibles "© Mark & Connie Stellinga Below: Table made by Passow and Sons. The "Old Mission" circa 1904 Private Collection |
| Patent #43,462 Jan 21, 1913 J.G. Lobstein Jr. assignor to Passow & Sons Design for a billiard table. ( Charles Passow's daughter Lucy was married to J.G. Lobstein ) |
| __________________________________________________________ Company Name: Tuckhorn & Co. Charles**, William* & Henry Primary Business: Billiard table sales & repair etc Business Address: Charles Tuckhorn 49 W. Madison (1880) H. Tuckhorn & Co. 35 5th Av (1885) 12 N. Halsted (1890) 3512 N. Halsted (1892) Home address: Henry & family -10 N. Elizabeth St. (1880) Notes: Henry Tuckhorn was born in about 1832 in Hamburg (Germany). By 1860 he had immigrated to Chicago, where he and his wife Caroline raised five kids: Isaac David, Carrie, Abraham and Simon. Henry worked as a cigar maker (1870) but by 1880 he was in the business of selling and repairing billiard tables. However, at this time it is not entirely clear to us if he actually designed and built his own tables or simply ran a repair and resale shop. *We know that William operated various billiard rooms, but other than that, we haven't found much else on him. Henry died July 18th, 1892 but was outlived by his wife by over twenty years. Once widowed, Caroline moved in with her daughter Carrie and her family: husband Emmanuel Greenebaum and daughter Beatrice.(1910) Caroline died June 20, 1918. * *No information has been found on Charles as of yet. We presume that Charles was either Henry's father or brother. Company Logo: N/A |
| __________________________________________________________ Company Name: Tivoli Table Co./ Charles Lufsky Primary Business: "Tivoli " and "Pigeon Hole" table production, sales & repair. Business Address: 141-147 W. Jackson Boul. (1900) 808 W. Jackson (1910) Home address: 141 Jackson (1900) 714 Jackson (1910) 4744 Rockwell (1920) Notes: Charles Lufsky was born in Germany in September 1853. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1873 and ended up in St. Louis where he ventured into the gaming table business. He married Caroline in 1885 and had two sons, Henry and Joseph. Shortly thereafter he moved to Chicago and set up shop, opening his game table business and a billiard hall. (@1900) He appears to have done well, at least for a short period of time, taking out patents on his ideas and designs. But alas, his success was fairly short lived. Charles died October 28, 1918 but his wife and sons continued to run the family billiard hall for several more years without dear old dad. Company Logo: (ad below) |
| __________________________________________________________ Company Name: DeThier & Blaurock Primary Business: Billiard table sales & repair etc Business Address: 231 Randolph (1876) Home address: DeThier - 221 Aberdeen (1876) Blaurock - 1010 Harrison (1876) Notes: Alexander L. DeThier, Charles A. Blaurock. Their business appears to have been short-lived. No further info at this time. Alexander L. DeThier died in Chicago on December 27, 1910. 69 years old. Company Logo: N/A |
| __________________________________________________________ Company Name: Fred Haupt & Sons Primary Business: Billiard table sales & repair, billiard supplies & items for the home. Specialized in billiard cushions. Not clear if they manufactured their own tables. Business Address: 2250-2258 Ogden (about 1903 to about 1926) Located in a commercial-residential building constructed in 1891, now a vacant lot. (see map image below) Also 918 W. Madison (1910) 826 Los Angeles St, Los Angeles, Ca (1915) 639 Ogden (?) Home address: Fred & family - 356 Blue Island Av (1900) 1125 Wisconsin Av (1910) 4100 W. Monroe (1917) 1015 Oak Park Av (1923) Fred Jr. - 2442 Ogden (1917) 1119 S. Elmwood (1923) Ferdinand Av (1930) Notes: Fred Haupt Sr. was born in June of 1869 in Germany. He immigrated to America in 1879 (likely with his parents) and shortly thereafter ended up in Chicago. In 1891 Fred married Katherine "Kittie" or "Katie" Reinhardt. Their first son, Fred Jr. was born in December of 1896 on Christmas day. 1900 - Fred Sr. is listed in the Chicago Business Directory as a ‘barber’. At some point Fred decided to go into the billiard table repair and accessories business... 1903 - Fred Sr. is listed in the Chicago directory for the first time as: Fred Haupt..... ‘billiard accessories’ 1910 - Fred Sr. lives in what is now Oak Park on Wisconsin Ave. with his wife Katie and their 5 kids. Pearl(15), Fred Jr. (12), Roy (8), Katherine (6), and little Ruth(3). 1915 Fred opens a branch office in Los Angeles, CA |
| __________________________________________________________ Company Name: Gerhard H. Lohmann Primary Business: Billiard table sales & repair etc Business Address: 2152 Washburn (1910) Home address: 630 Washburn Ave (1900) 2152 Washburn (1910) Fon Du Lac, Wisconsin (1930) Notes: Gerhard was born in December of 1859 in Wisconsin, his parents having immigrated from Germany. He married his wife Elizabeth in 1886 and in 1889 they gave birth to their first daughter Louise. By 1900 Gerhard lived in Chicago and had opened a billiard shop. His business lasted at least 10 years and presumably he made his own tables, but we have no proof as of yet. His business disappeared some time shortly after 1910. Louise became a fine China painter and married a German immigrant musician named Eric Goede or Golde. Company Logo: N/A |
| Patent #600,086 March 1,1898 Charles Lufsky Design for a game table. (looks like an early pinball machine) |
| Patent #863,732 Aug. 20, 1907 Charles Lufsky Design for a "portable" and reversed bowling alley. Interesting. I want one of these. |
| __________________________________________________________ Company Name: Economy Billiard & Fixture Primary Business: Discount billiard tables, fixtures and room supplies. Business Address: 746-748 Milwaukee Av (1910) Telephone: Monroe - 5582 Notes: Owners not yet known. No further info at this time. Company Logo: N/A |
| Private Collection Brian Holdiman Collection Private Collection |
| The Haupt's business location, as shown on a 1917 Sanborn map of Chicago (the building is now a parking lot) |
| News: Oct 24, 1873 Grand Billiard Tourney in Chicago Tables to be provided by Zeller and others.... |
| __________________________________________________________ Company Name: H.C. Thomas & Co. Primary Business: Billiard table sales & repair etc Business Address: 63 W. VanBuren (1880) Home address: Seward St. (1880) 362? VanBuren (1900) Notes: Harry Thomas was born in April of 1844 in England. Apparently he grew up there, got married in the mid 1860's, had two daughters, Hattie (born 1868) and Anna (born 1872) and a son Harry (1876). Sadly Harry's wife died the same year Harry Jr was born, possibly from childbirth complications. So he immigrated to America as a single father, and came to Chicago. He was a carpenter / cabinet maker by trade and had ventured into the billiard table sales and repair business by 1880. In 1890 when Mr. Thomas was 46, he re-married a 28 year old woman named Mary. It's not clear whether he made his own tables or not, but it appears that his billiard business was fairly short-lived. By 1900 he was just a bartender. Company Logo: N/A |
| __________________________________________________________ Company Name: Hannah & Hogg In association with: West Brothers Primary Business: Liquor bottling/distribution, Hotel Breevort, billiard rooms, cigars, barber shops and all things manly. Business Address: Multiple locations: 190 E. Madison (1873) 83 E. Madison (1882) 146 E. Madison (1887) 88 LaSalle (1887) 188 W. Madison (1887) 151 E. Randolph (1887) 112 E. Monroe (1887) 73 S. Halstead (1887) 222 & 224 S. Clark. Hotel Breevort, Stock Exchange Building, Fisher Building Home address: Alexander D. Hannah - 848 Washington (1880) 409 Oak St (1900) 68 E.Oak St (1905) David Hogg - 865 Washington (1880) 399 Oak St. (1900) 58 E. Oak St (1905) Mackinac Island (1910 +) Notes: In the late 1800s in Chicago, Hannah and Hogg was a household name. Their liquor, their hotel (Breevort), their lavish billiard halls, bars and "man malls" were the talk of the town. You could stop by and pick up a jug of their fine whiskey, select a choice cigar, get a shave and a haircut, have your shoes shined, eat lunch and play a few billiard games, all in one luxurious gentlemen's dream shop. What started off as a small partnership between two Scottish immigrants, had become the largest and finest chain of billiard rooms* in all of Chicago. *Since Hannah and Hogg were technically not the billiards business, their billiard rooms were run independently by an outsourced company known as West Brothers. Alexander Hannah and David Hogg had an interesting personal history together as well. Besides being fellow Scottish immigrants and partners in business, the two men married sisters from the same family, effectively becoming brothers-in-law. They were neighbors in Chicago while in business, and when they retired, built mansions next door to each other on Mackinac Island. The odd part is, Hogg was a Republican and Hannah was a Democrat. Go figure. Read more about Hannah and Hogg in the additional information below: *See pictures of and read more about the Hannah and Hogg mansions in this book: Historic Cottages of Mackinac Island By: Susan Stites, Lea Ann Sterling To read it: Click Here *See pictures of and read more about Hannah and Hogg liquor, see this article: Nasty Words and Nifty Whiskies By: Jack Sullivan To read it: Click here Company Logo: "The Thistle" See token images below and the liquor article above. Below: A short biography of Mr. Hannah and Mr. Hogg written in 1905: |
| Below left: 1887 advertisement from a Haymarket Theater program. Below right: H&H tokens and a postcard from the luxurious Breevort round bar Bottom: An 1882 news article announcing the opening of a new H&H billiard hall |
| Aaron B. Griffith Adam Jochem Adolph Zeller Albert Pick & Co. Brunswick Brothers Burton Spain C.G. Akam C.S. Prindle Charles Passow Charles & Henry Tuckhorn Charles Lufsky DeThier & Blaurock Economy Billiard and Fixture Fred Haupt & Sons Gerhard Lohmann H.C. Thomas & Co. Hannah & Hogg Henry Kadin & Co. Herman J. Rambow Jaburek Family Jacob Bein J.C. McFarland |
| The Billiard Companies of Chicago The following information is an ongoing list or "directory" of every Chicago-based billiard table production company that has ever existed, along with many of the more notable billiard related companies as well. If you have any additions or corrections, feel free to let us know. As a new feature, we will also be adding non-Chicago based table maker information as it becomes available. See the links below: - San Francisco table maker Jacob Strahle - New York table makers Phelan & Collender ( PDF) - Detroit table maker Charles Schulenburg - Toledo table maker B.A. Stevens - Milwaukee table maker Charles Wendt ( Wendt portrait here ) |
| John Butzbach John D. Freese & Sons Joseph L. Fowler Jost Family Keefe & Hamer Kieckhefer Mfg Co. Laner Family Leo Brederlow Louis Portner Marvel Billiard & Bowling Merle & Heaney Mfg Co. National Billiard Supply Nicolas Stoll (Garden City) Rudolph Kleemann Stephani, Monheimer & Hart Schaub & Strehl Sykes Steel Taylor & Hasbrouck Tweeten Fibre Co. U.S. Standard Billiard Table Co. William A. Spinks William Blome |
| __________________________________________________________ Company Name: Henry Kadin & Co. Primary Business: Billiard table sales & repair, fixtures and accessories. Business Address: 1920-22 Milwaukee Ave (1910) 1823-27 Milwaukee Ave (1915-23) Telephone: Humboldt 4886 Home address: 1309 Milwaukee Ave (1900) 2048 Wabansee Ave (1910) 3045 Sunny---? Ave (1917-18) 3156 A ---ie? St. (1920) 808 Eastwood Ave (1930) Notes: See bio and portrait below from Billiards Magazine Dec. 1925 Company Logo: N/A Below: Cover page and bio of Henry Kadin December ,1925. And an advertisement for and photo of Henry Kadin's new shop on Milwaukee Ave, as featured in Billiards Magazine, Aug 1915. Charles Ursitti collection Bottom: Henry Kadin's WW I draft registration card. Image from: World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. NARA |
| Below left: (partial) Charles Passow & Sons 1907 Catalog. (click image to view) Courtesy Joe Newell Collection Below Right: Charles Passow portrait from their 1907 catalog. Bottom: Passow cue rack (left) & ball rack (right) private collection |
| Below left: Akam Catalog (unknown year) Courtesy Joe Newell Collection Below middle: Akam's Passport Application (1872) Below right: Akam advert Nov 30, 1910 from Chicago Tribune |
| Below: from Billiards Magazine Feb. 1926 Courtesy Charles Ursitti Collection Bottom: Passow family plot at Forest Home (Old German Waldheim) Cemetery. |
| ___________________________________________________________________ Company Name: "Brunswick" J.M. Brunswick (1845) J. Brunswick & Holzhalb (@1850) J.M. Brunswick & Brother (@1858) Emanuel Brunswick & Co. - Great Western Billiard Table Manufactory (@1859) J.M. Brunswick & Brothers (@1866) J.M. Brunswick & Brother (@1871) J.M. Brunswick Billiard Mfg. Co. (@1872) Emanuel Brunswick & Co. - Great American Billiard Table Manufactory (@1871) J.M. Brunswick & Balke Co. (@1873) The Brunswick Bros.,Stephani & Hart Co.(@1875) Brunswick & Co. (@1879) Brunswick Balke Collender Co. (@1879) Brunswick Corp. (1960) Primary Business : Billiard table construction, sales and repair. Billiard accessories, balls and cues. Bowling lanes, balls, pinsetters and accessories. Bar backs, iceboxes, furniture, tires, phonographs, records, refrigerators, toilet seats, fishing equipment, boat motors, boats, golf equipment, medical supplies and even aircraft and space shuttle parts... (and more) (Chicago) Business Address: E. Brunswick 74-78 Randolph (1858) 47-49 State St. (1874) 44-46 Dearborn (1875) 122-126 Washington (187?) J.M. Brunswick Corner of Clark & Washington (1863) 47-49 State (1869) 62 Lake St. (1874) And many more locations - see images below... Below: Various Brunswick factory locations, most of which (if not all) no longer exist. Images from Brunswick catalogs 1885,1916,1928, courtesy Joe Newell collection. |
| __________________________________________________________ Company Names: Jaburek & Richard Jaburek Repair Shop, D. Jaburek Billiards Primary Business: Billiard table sales & repair + accessories. Business Address: 1735 & 1737 W. Lake St. (1920s+) 5560 W. Farragut Ave. (present) Telephone: West - 6320 (1923) 708-785-1433 (present) Home address: Richard J. Jaburek: 1332 56th Ave (1920) 1146 S. Lombard Ave (1930) 1324 58th Ave (1942) Notes: Various members of the Jaburek family have operated a billiard shop in Chicago since the 1920s. Richard J. Jaburek, in addition to his saloon/billiard room, opened their first family shop in about 1923 with his two sons Richard Jr. and Elmer. Later a nephew took over the tradition, who is the father of the shop's current owner; Dennis Jaburek - and they have continued in the business to this day. Visit their website by clicking here. Company Logo: nameplate and advertisement below. Ad from Billiards Magazine 1929 Charles Ursitti Collection Nameplate image courtesy D. Jaburek |
| Home Address: J.M. Brunswick - Cincinnati, OH (1840 -187?) 437 Walnut St. Chicago (1880) E. Brunswick - Chicago Second Ward (1860) Joseph Brunswick - 1252 Indiana Ave (1880) Notes: From a one-man carriage trimming shop in Ohio to the world-wide company they are today, the enormous impact that Brunswick has had on billiards (and bowling) in America - and all over the world, simply cannot be overstated. Their various product lines alone could easily fill an entire museum and a complete documented history of the company's various personalities would easily fill many a thick bound book. So, we are providing just the "basic facts" for now and will leave further research up to the individual reader. SEE ALSO: The Brunswick interactive time-line. SEE ALSO: J.M. Brunswick obituary from the Chicago Tribune July 26, 1886 SEE ALSO: Article on Emanuel Brunswick SEE ALSO: The Portrait Gallery Recommended Reading: Gleanings From the History of Billiards BBCC 1896 Brunswick - The Story of An American Company - The First 150 Years. A book written by famed Chicago journalist Rick Kogan, printed for Brunswick in 1995 to be distributed to their employees as a gift. Although not originally for sale to the public, many copies still exist and as of this writing, are available for purchase online. Brunswick Company President/Chairman* 1845-1886 John Moses Brunswick 1886-1890 Hugh W. Collender 1890-1904 Moses Bensinger 1904-1935 Benjamin Bensinger 1935-1955 Robert F. Bensinger 1955-1966 Benjamin E. Bensinger 1966-1976 Jack L. Hanigan 1976-1982 K. Brooks Abernathy 1982-1995 Jack F. Reichert 1995-1999 Peter Larson 2000-2005 George W. Buckley 2005- Dustan E. McCoy *not including Emanuel Brunswick's separate companies. See also Stephani & Hart in this directory. Below: An article written about John Moses Brunswick, his family, and the formation his company. It's a good source of early information on the Brunswicks, published in The Mirror of American Sports on June 7th, 1884, two years before John's death. Article courtesy Joe Newell collection. |
| Below: Brunswick retail stores in 38 American cities circa 1916. Images from Brunswick 1916 Catalog courtesy Joe Newell collection |
| Below: Company Logo - Brunswick nameplates from decades past Images from: "Pool & Billiard Collectibles "© Mark & Connie Stellinga, except for: Bottom left: Private collection Bottom right: Joe Newell collection |
| _________________________________________________________________ Company Name: Burton Spain Primary Business: Hand-crafted billiard and pool cues. Business Address: 3064 N. Clybourne (in 1969) Notes: An excellent biography of Burton Spain can be read here. More information can be found here Courtesy Hercek.com Obituary Deceased: Burton T. Spain, Cue Stick Maker Date: August 13, 1994 Services for Burton T. Spain, 54, a nationally known maker of custom billiard cue sticks, will be at 11 a.m. today in May Chapel, Rosehill Cemetery, 5800 N. Ravenswood. Burial will follow. A West Side resident, he died of cancer last Saturday in the Whitehall Convalescent & Nursing Home. Mr. Spain, who worked from his home, had been making cue sticks since 1965. He founded the business based on his experiences in the late 1950s at Sheridan Recreation, an Uptown bowling alley and pool hall. There, he learned three-cushion billiards from what he called "Runyonesque characters" while admiring their ornate cases and sticks. Helen Kupper, a friend and executor of his will, said he was "a giant" in the field. Before 1965, he was involved in real estate. He bought buildings and rehabbed them for a profit. Mr. Spain belonged to a number of intellectual organizations, including Mensa. There are no immediate survivors. Copyright (c) 1994 Chicago Sun-Times, Inc. Below left: Portrait of Burton shortly before his untimely demise. Below Right: A miniature Burton Spain cue that was made exclusively for Santa's use at the Illinois Billiard Club. A very special Thank You to Jim Parker for the photographs. Bottom: Q & A with Burton from National Billiard News March,1979 Jim Parker Collection. |
| _________________________________________________________________ Company Name: Albert Pick & Company Primary Business : Commercial and institutional furnishings for bars and restaurants. Billiard tables and billiard room accessories. Dinnerware and furnishings for the hotel and restaurant industry. Hotel & motel management. Business Address: 208-224 W Randolph Notes: Company established in 1857 by Austrian immigrant Albert Pick. See images and information below. Shifting their focus from a pre-prohibition economy to a post-prohibition economy, Albert Pick began producing such things as soda fountains and billiard room equipment. In 1922 Albert Pick & Co purchased the assets of Superior Cue Manufacturing Co., which included recruiting renowned cue maker Herman J. Rambow as their employee. The company did not survive but the Albert Pick Jr Foundation still exists today. Company Logo: see images below |
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Fred Haupt and Sons (Fred Jr. and Roy Haupt) Billiard tables. 2250 Ogden 2235 [<--phone # ] Fred Sr. lives at 1015 Oak Park Ave. (Oak Park) 1924 -1930? The Haupt family billiard business appears to have ended. 1930 - Fred Haupt Sr. dies Jan. 31. The Great Depression begins to unfold. The Haupt family must have repaired quite a few tables over the years, their nameplates can still be found on antique tables to this day. Company Logo: nameplates below |
| Below: Akam elephant trunk "Combination English Pool Table" (4 pocket) Private Collection |
| _________________________________________________________ Company Name: Jacob W. Bein Primary Business: Billiard table sales & repair etc Business Address: 260 W. Ogden Ave. (1885) Home address: N/A Notes: The very little information available on Mr. Bein tells us that he had a very short lived business, and most likely did not produce any billiard tables on his own. Company Logo: N/A __________________________________________________________________ |
| Above: Pick advertisement from March 1919 warning of the coming prohibition. from: Billiards Magazine Charles Ursitti Collection Article: How Albert Pick & Co Are Meeting Their Change in Market. (in reference to post-prohibition sales) Below: July 1922 announcement of Superior Cue buy-out, and various Pick advertisements from 1918 to 1924. From Billiards Magazine Charles Ursitti collection |
| 1909 - In June, Herman's daughter Loretta is born. 1910 - Herman is shown in the census as living (with his wife and daughter) at the in-law's house and is a carpenter at a factory. (Brunswick) Herman's father-in-law, Philip Fitzsimons died. He is the first one buried in their family plot at Mt. Carmel cemetery. (Also Herman's final resting place) Herman's younger brother August Rambow died at age 21. 1917-18 Herman signs mandatory WWI draft registration card. (Still working for Brunswick) 1919 - Herman appears to have left Brunswick. 1920 - Herman now owns a home on Ridgeway Ave and is listed in the census as a painter. 1921 - (date approximate) Herman joins forces with two Swedish former co-workers, Axel F. Hjort and Charles Linquist and forms a new company: Superior Cue Manufacturing and Billiard Supply Co. 1922 - Legend has it: "[Herman]...got his start on the road to cue making fame in 1922 when on a "rush order", he turned out a stick for World Champion Alfredo De Oro. " As published in the Chicago Tribune Feb 6, 1968 Approx June - Albert Pick & Co purchases the assets of Superior Cue Mnfg. Herman becomes employee of Albert Pick. |
| __________________________________________________________ Company Name: Herman J. Rambow Superior Cue Manufacturing & Billiard Supply Co Cues by H.J. Rambow Primary Business: Billiard cue production & repair etc Business Address: Keefe & Hamer Shop 17 N. Wabash (1950 - 67) Superior Cue Mfg 214 Institute Place (1922) Brunswick / Bensinger's Shop 623 S. Wabash (1896 -@1919, 1925-1950) Home address: Parents: 135 Sheffield Av (1900) In-laws: 2141 Rice St. (1910) 1331 Ridgeway Ave (1917,1920) 5453 Wayne Ave (1930) 523 Brompton (1942) 1310 N. Menard (1967) Notes: Herman James Rambow was born in Germany on October 2nd* or 3rd*,1882. He immigrated with his parents, Charles and Christina, to the U.S. as an infant in 1883 - and they made their way directly to the city of Chicago. (Charles Rambow had married Christina Sternberg (or Steinberg) in Germany in 1874) Herman was the second oldest of 5 surviving sons: Charles (Jr.), Herman, William, August & George. (Christina had given birth to at least 10 children, only 5 of which survived past 1 year, including at least one daughter) Father Charles was a teamster in Chicago, but apparently he suffered some sort of serious injury, so the sons all had to find work. Herman, instead of following his father's career path, decided to work with his hands. And we're glad he did. But it wasn't always about the wood. Herman started off in the Brunswick mail room, and at other times he turned ivory balls and painted for a living. It wasn't until many years later that his skill and reputation as a master cue maker would fully blossom. 1896 - Herman hired by Brunswick as a mail-boy for 50 cents a day. 1900 - Herman still lives with his parents on Sheffield. He is a woodworker in a factory. (presumably Brunswick) 1907- Still single, Herman enjoyed a little extra-curricular bowling in his leisure time. In the 1907 season his league average was 176, with some games as high as 224. 1908 - July 19 Herman married Maude Fitzsimons and moved in with her family : Father Philip Fitzsimons (who had been a teamster with Herman's father), his wife Sarah and their other daughter Ella. Herman's middle name was mistakenly recorded on his marriage license as Frank instead of James. Get a good chuckle and see for yourself below: |
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| 1968 Feb. 5th Rambow is the first cue maker inducted into the BCA Hall of Fame. 1993 Inducted into the American Cuemakers Association Hall of Fame. 2004 Recognized by International Cuemakers Association. SEE ALSO: Living Links *Conflicting official records: WWII draft card and Social Security death index both say Oct 3rd - but WWI draft card and his death certificate say Oct 2nd. Looking for birth record to verify? Below: Herman's signature from WWII draft card. Below Left: Keefe & Hamer business card. From: "Pool & Billiard Collectibles "© Mark & Connie Stellinga Below Right: A portion of Herman's personal hand tool arsenal. Image courtesy R. Montgomery |
| When Herman Rambow died, he was put to rest next to his wife, in the family plot of his in-laws: The Fitzsimons. A large 'family-style' stone had been placed at the head of the plot, but for unknown reasons, the only name that was ever engraved on the giant stone was that of Herman's father in law, Philip Fitzsimons. In other words, Herman Rambow had an un-marked grave. So, in honor of his achievements and contributions to the world of cue making and billiards in general, funds were raised by the Chicago Billiard Museum and a new memorial stone was commissioned in remembrance of Mr. Rambow. The new marker was placed at his grave site in October of 2011. A very special Thank You goes out to the following gentlemen for their contributions to the memorial project. In no particular order: Peter Burrows, Mark Griffin, Jeff Mohl, Deno Andrews, Arnie Kupec, Rich Klein, Charlie Duncan, Ted Antle, Tracy Porter, Bob Christenson, Geoff Conway, Dennis Walsh, The International Cuemakers Association See the original Fitzsimons' family stone, and the new memorial marker below. |
| Aug. 19 Herman files a patent application for a cue with an adjustable weight/balance mechanism inside the butt end. 1923 - March 13th. Herman's brother Charles Jr. died. He was the only immediate family member to initially have a headstone placed at his grave. See it here. 1925 - Feb. 24, Herman is granted the patent. Around this time, it appears that Herman has been convinced to return to Brunswick. Signs his patent(s) over to Brunswick. 1930 - Herman now owns a home on Wayne Ave. His mother-in-law Sarah has moved in with them. Herman is now officially listed as "cue expert" in the census. 1932-March 19, Herman's mother Christina Rambow died of asthma. 79 yrs old. 1935- October 23, Herman's father Charles Rambow died. 85 yrs old. |
| December 17th, 2:45 AM Master cue maker Herman J. Rambow secures his rightful place in billiard history. At 85 years of age, Herman died at Gottlieb Memorial hospital in Chicago. His death certificate can be read here. Chicago Tribune Obituary: Date: December 18, 1967 Herman J. Rambow, suddenly, beloved husband of the late Maude, nee Fitzsimons; fond father of Loretta Pranno; grandfather of Albert F. and John J.; great-grandfather of two. Funeral Wednesday, Dec. 20, at 9:30 a.m., from Ahlgrin and Sons Funeral Home, 5701-03 W. Division street, to St. Angela's church. Mass 10 a.m. Interment Mount Carmel cemetery. [Hillside, IL] |
| Company Name: J.C. McFarland Company Primary Business: "Art -Steel" billiard table production and sales etc. Also fire extinguishers, steel caskets and various sheet metal products. Business Address: 2511 State St. (1872) 27th and South Wells (1919) Home address: N/A Notes: Company founded by John Clemson McFarland, a native of Delaware who was born on January 1st 1850. For further information read the biography and see the images below from Billiards Magazine September,1919. Top Left: Front Cover Top middle : Bio pages Top right: McFarland Advert Bottom: Factory photo of McFarland and the gang, including Kieckhefer |
| Patent # 1,361,930 Dec 14, 1920 Theodore R. Treiber (assignor to J.C. McFarland) Gully Boot For Billiard Table. |
| 1950 - Herman retires from Brunswick and opens "his own" cue shop at the Keefe & Hamer company offices. See also Keefe & Hamer in this directory. |
| Above: A rare photo of Herman with his daughter Loretta (Pranno), her son Albert and his wife Mary Ann, on their wedding day in 1962. Image courtesy Pranno collection. 1964 - July 23 Herman's wife, Maude F. Rambow died. Chicago Tribune Obituary Date: July 24, 1964 Maude F. Rambow, nee Fitzsimmons, beloved wife of Herman J.; fond mother of Loretta Pranno; grandmother of two; great-grandmother of one. Funeral Saturday, July 25, at 8:30 a.m., from Ahlgrim & Sons Funeral Home, 5701-03 W. Division street, to St. Angela's church. Mass at 9 a.m. Interment Mount Carmel. 1967- July 7th Herman is featured in a Chicago Tribune newspaper article. Read it here. The photo below appeared with the article. |
