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| Image Credit: Newspapers.com - Weekly Interior Herald from Hutchinson, Kansas c. 1893 |
Stumbled across this relatively unknown manufacturer of instruments from the town of Hutchinson, Kansas. This newspaper article details a visit from the Missouri-born pianist Blind Boone and noted that he ordered a 12 string guitar after being impressed with their build quality. The only other reference I could find to the manufacturer was on MugWumps who, as usual, has at least mentioned nearly every musical instrument manufacturer that has ever existed. Mr Holmes notes that they were in business from '1880-1899'.
According to a clipping of John L. Woodruff's obituary, he died in 1938 at the age of 76 having been born in Little St Louis, IL on August 9th, 1861. He is mentioned to have moved to Kansas when he was young and had six daughters and two sons. Van Woodruff is listed as still living in Kansas while Wallace Woodruff is listed as living in Washington state. So I think its likely that John and Van were the builders
I have yet to find a surviving example of their instruments
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