Maker/Dealer
William John Dyer
Boston MA, Makato & St Paul MN
USA
1855 - 1941
Dealer and importer. He became the largest music house west of Chicago.
1848 the Dyer family moves from England to Boston- 1858 William J. Dyer (1841-1925) is a carpenter in Boston
- 1861-63 William is a bookkeeper in Boston
- 1864 William J. Dyer &Co., grocers, #1209 Washington St.
- 1866 Doty &Dyer, #34 Broad St., Samuel H. Dyer (1842-1914)
- 1869 S.H. Dyer &Co., flour, #34 Broad St, S.H. &W.J. Dyer
- 1869 Opens store in Mankato MN
- 1870 Dyer &Howard, musical instruments, Faribault, MN; W.J.
Dyer joins with dry goods merchant Wilbur Howard;
joined by brothers Samuel, Charles E. (1845-1897) and
David M. (1850-1917) - 1872 Dyer &Howard moves to St. Paul, MN
- 1876 Dyer &Howard, musical inst., #37 E. 3rd St., St. Paul
- 1879 Dyer &Howard (WJD &WHH), #69 E. 3rd St., St. Paul,
David Dyer is clerk - 1880 Charles E. Dyer (3rd photo on right) opens the Minneapolis
branch at #507 Hennepin Ave. - 1882 Minn. Store moves to #408-410 Nicollet Ave.
- 1884 St. Paul store now at #148-150 E. 3rd St.
- 1885 W.J. Dyer buys out Howard; now WJ Dyer &Bro.
- 1887 Minn. Store moves to #509-511 Nicollet Ave.
- 1889 St. Paul store still at #148-150 E. 3rd St.; WJ Dyer &Bro.
starts the Duluth Music Co. - 1892 incorporated as WJ Dyer &Bro. Inc., William pres, Samuel
vp, David sec, Charles tres; Edward R Dyer is salesman - 1895 St. Paul store now at 21-23 W. 5th St.; Minneapolis store
still at 509-511 Nicollet Ave. - 1897 Charles Dyer dies on July 8th, age 52
- 1898 Dyer &Bro. now named the Metropolitan Music Co. in
Minneapolis; WJ Dyer is vp - 1900 MM Co. moves to #37-43 S. 6th St. in Minneapolis
- 1902 Edward R. Dyer, Sr. (1861-1941) becomes vice-president
- 1904 Edward R. Dyer, Sr. becomes president of M.M. Co.
- 1913 WJ Dyer &Bro., established in 1870, #21-27 West 5th St. in
St Paul; WJD pres, DMD vp, ERD sec, RH Johnson tres;
Samuel is retired - 1914 Samuel H. Dyer dies on December 14th
- 1917 David Martyn Dyer dies on September 26th
- 1920 Metropolitan Music Co., #37-43 S. 6th St.; E.R. Dyer pres
- 1925 William J. Dyer dies
- 1930 Edward Rowland Dyer, Jr. (1897-1946) is now a clerk
- 1940 Edward Sr. is sales manager for Dyer &Bro.; Ed Jr. is in a
US veterans’ hospital in Florida - 1941 Edward Sr. dies; company possibly ends at this time
Brass instruments are made in Austria and use model names
"Diamond", "Chieftan", "Improved", "Voca-Tone",
"Professional" and "American Leader"
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