J. W. Mason furniture company was established in 1843 by Col. Joel Mason. As a teenager, my great-great grandfather John Dawson worked here as an office boy. After leaving the company and returning in 1860, he moved up to partner in 1874 and a senior member 4/27/1896. By 1901 Mary, John and George were also working with the firm. Attached are some patents that were filed by the partners. My grandmother recalled that her father had told her that the Barnun Circus purchased the folding chairs from J. W. Mason and would buy them seasonally. Rather than pack them up, the would burn them and buy new ones the next season.
On another note, there is particular irony in the fact that my grandmother's grandfather submitted the patent for the commode chair. I am not going to go into detail, but the Baggett children and grandchildren will surely understand.
On another note, there is particular irony in the fact that my grandmother's grandfather submitted the patent for the commode chair. I am not going to go into detail, but the Baggett children and grandchildren will surely understand.
As far as I can tell, the J. W. Mason Company was the leading manufacturer of the time. It also seems that they had their fair share of scandal as the purchase of their furniture was part of a large Cuban embezzlement investigation in 1900. There is even a book of their designs and this catalog is in the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The reason why the Dawson's had the summer home in Hunter and John was a director for the Catskills rail line became clear when I realized that the mill for the wood was in Hunter, NY. (lower left corner)
The catalog states that the Manhattan factory was along Madison between Monroe and Grand but that the store was at 375 Pearl Street. The Brooklyn bridge completed in 1883 and the Williamsburg in 1901 so I imagine that John had to take the ferry across the East River each day and eventually had the choice to go across the Brooklyn Bridge to work each day depending on which building he was heading to. Unless, or course, he was staying at the fire station (about a 15 minute walk) at No. 20 Eldridge Street.