North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory

North Tonawanda, NY. Founded by Eugene deKleist in 1893. Made barrel organs, mainly for the amusement industry. Eugene deKleist’s use of brass trumpets, clarinets, and piccolos established the “American style” of band organ through the late 1910s. Name changed to the deKleist Musical Instrument Manufacturing Co. in 1897 when its product line was expanded to supply the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. of Cincinnati with its first coin pianos.