Pictured at right is a Beckwith Piano recently donated to the Historical Society by a Pleasant Prairie family. It was purchased for use in the family home and came with the story from its previous owner (a Winthrop Harbor family) that it had originally been used in a saloon. The piano was built in Chicago by the Beckwith Piano Company. Though the exact date of manufacture is still being researched, the piano dates between approximately 1913 and 1927. It was built in a Puritan style with a plain case and a mahogany veneer.

The Beckwith Piano Company was established by Sears, Roebuck & Company in Chicago in the late 19th Century. Sears sold Beckwith Pianos primarily through their various mail-order catalogs (school furniture/supply catalogs and instrument catalogs). The Beckwith Piano Company guaranteed the highest quality with a twenty-five year warranty and marketed the factory direct (catalog) sales approach as an economical way to purchase a piano. A quote from page two of the Beckwith Piano catalog by Sears, Roebuck, & Company (circa 1912) reads, “ ‘TIME Must Justify or Time Condemn.’ The excellent condition of the Beckwith Pianos and Player Pianos after several years of hard use, and the fact that there are more than 18,000 owners of Beckwith instruments, answers the question of quality better than anything we might say.”

Can you help us add to this story? The Historical Society is always looking for members who have an interest in researching historical topics. If you would like to become a member of the Historical Society, please contact us at [email protected] or (262) 947-3600.