Historical Images of Porter County
C. O. Hillstrom & Company, Organ Manufacturers
Chesterton, Indiana
Date: Circa 1900
Source Type: Trade card
Publisher, Printer, Photographer: Unknown
Postmark: Not applicable
Collection: Steven R. Shook
Remark: Every organ warranted for 5 years.
Our organs are For Sale by . . . .
C. O. Hillstrom, who had begun the manufacture of organs in Chicago in 1869,
moved his factory to Chesterton in 1880, enlarging the plant
in 1884 to a production capacity of eight organs a day. A strike among workers
at Chicago piano factories in 1899 resulted in the Russell-Lane Company removing a portion of their
production to the Hillstrom factory in Chesterton. Thus, Chesterton had both an
organ and piano
factory. In 1906 Mr. Hillstrom began the manufacture of a cabinet dresser. A
branch of Hillstrom's business was established at Fort Worth, Texas. After Hillstrom's death, the
organ factory in Chesterton ceased operation.
![](../../../HistoricalImages/Chesterton/ChestertonBusiness/ChestertonIndiana-HillstromOrgan-circa1900-SS.jpg)
Return to
Chesterton Businesses
Images Index
Return to
Porter County Photographs & Historical Images
Please contact the
Porter County GenWeb Coordinator if
you can provide any additional information concerning this image.
Image and related text prepared by Steven R. Shook