Root & Cady
Root & Cady was a Chicago-based music publishing firm, founded in 1858. It became the most successful music publisher of the American Civil War and published many of the most popular songs during that war.[1] The firm's founders were Ebenezer Towner Root (1822–1896) and Chauncey Marvin Cady.
The company's most notable publishing ventures include The Silver Lute, which was the first music book printed in Chicago and was eventually used in the city's public school system.[1]
Root & Cady dominated Chicago's music publishing industry until the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which destroyed $125,000 of the firm's inventory,[2] leading to its bankruptcy within a year.[1][3] In 1875, the former members of Root & Cady formed a new firm: The Root & Sons Music Company. The members were (i) George F. Root (1820–1895), (ii) Frederick Woodman Root (1846–1918), George's son, (iii) Ebenezer Towner Root (1822–1896) — George's brother — (iv) William Lewis (1837– ), (v) William A. Root — George's brother — and (vi) Charles C. Curtiss (1847–1928),[4] who served as manager.[5]
See also
- Fanny Crosby (1820–1915), songwriter
- William Lewis & Son Co., offshoot of The Root & Sons Music Company
References
- Cornelius, Steven (2004). Music of the Civil War Era. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 0-313-32081-0.
- Sanjek, Russell (1988). American Popular Music and Its Business: the first four hundred years. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-504310-3.
- Carder, Polly H. (2008). George F. Root, Civil War Songwriter: A Biography. McFarland & Company. OCLC 182656620. External link in
|title=(help) - Root and Cady — Re-Association of the Members of That Famous House, Daily Inter Ocean (Chicago), Vol. IV, Issue 80, pg. 12, June 26, 1875
- Charles C. Curtiss, Manager of the Fine Arts Building, Dies, Presto-Times, April 7, 1928, pg. 11