Carrom Company
|
Formerly called
|
Novelty Company |
|---|---|
| Industry | games |
| Founded | 1889 |
| Founder | Henry L. Haskell |
| Headquarters | Ludington, Michigan |
|
Area served
|
United States |
| Products | Games, furniture |
| Brands | Carrom |
| Services | manufacturer |
Carrom Company (also Carrom Industries) was a manufacturer of games and furniture, headquartered in Ludington, Michigan. It started as Ludington Novelty Company in the 19th Century. Its main product was the game of Carroms. The game was sold in the US by the tens-of-thousands starting at the end of the 19th Century.
Henry L. Haskell started the Ludington Novelty company in 1889, making baskets and games. The names of the first games of "Novelty" are unknown. Haskell was a Sunday school teacher at this time. He was concerned that young boys were loitering around pool halls, and influenced with bad habits. He invented a game board in 1892 that the whole family could play. Haskell called the game "carroms", played on a carrom board that he patented. An 1895 newspaper advertisement said that to get the boys to stay home, provide for them the carroms game to play with.
The carrom game boards were made first by hand in 1892. At that time a game board was made and sold before another was started. Haskell convinced his friend John A. Mitchell to invest in his game venture in 1893. Mitchell invested $1000 in Haskell's enterprise. Mitchell's brother Chauncey also invested in Haskell's enterprise and the Ludington Novelty company. In 1893 the company's production was about ten game boards per day; approximately 2,500 were produced in the first year. The boards were made by hand with assistance of crude machinery from a planing mill of Ludington partly owned by Haskell. Haskell's Carrom game was marketed from Ludington and introduced to ten states by 1901 through their traveling salesman Eugene C. Allen.
Haskell patented the carom game board (USD27788S) on October 26, 1897. His invention became popular in the US, then spread globally. An 1898 advertisement for the game of CARROMS in a Ludington journal used the slogan A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men. The ad went on to say that a fascinating way of nonsense was through the best parlor game made – CARROMS. The advertisement makes note that it was patented on October 26, 1897 and that other associated patents were pending. It said to get a catalog of the CARROMS products to make a request to Ludington Novelty in Michigan.
Game board 1897 patent
Carom back stop board
1900 corner-pocket patent
Carom game-piece rings
Carom spring cue shooter
Justus Smith Stearns, a local businessman, bought part of the company in 1900 and took over management of the Carrom company. The company prospered under the Stearns leadership. Other products were added to the game line, like the carrom folding card tables and other furniture. Carrom games and products were sold throughout the S by the thousands.
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Wikipedia