National Chair Company Records (Rockford)

Collection — Volume: 1-4

Identifier: RHC-RC-059

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The records in this collection are business correspondence files, financial records, and legal documents falling in the period 1927 to 1954. These documents were found mingled with the records of another defunct Rockford business, the Rockford Chair and Furniture Company. There appears, however, to have been no formal connection between Rockford Chair and National Chair. These records, used in concert with other Center manuscript material collections and printed sources, offer a value and unique insight on one of Rockford’s most important industries during a period when the manufacture of furniture almost disappeared from the city.

Dates

created: 1927-1954
Other: Date acquired: 10/24/1978

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on access to the collection.

Conditions Governing Use

Property rights in the collection are held by the Regional History Center; literary rights are dedicated to the public.

Biographical or Historical Information

Winfield L. Anderson, Gilbert W. Johnson, C. Amos Stockhus, M.A. Kjellgren, Frank I. Johnson, Alfred A. Carlson, and John H. Lindblade organized the National Chair Company on July 11, 1927 with a capitalization of $100,000. During the first few years of its existence, the National Chair Company contracted with eight Rockford furniture factories to supply chairs: included among these customers was the Rockford Chair and Furniture Company (RC 42). By 1942 due to restrictions of material, the attitudes of government toward production of consumer goods and competition with the machine shops for local labor, the National Chair Company seriously considered dissolving manufacturing operations. In 1943, the board of directors agreed to sell a part of the premises and plant to the Commercial Platers and Manufacturers, Inc. On May 28, 1954, the stockholders of the National Chair agreed to liquidate the assets of the business and dissolve the corporation.

Note written by