John L. Hinners came to Pekin from Chicago in 1879 to build organs.
Mr. Hinners named his new business the
Perfection Organ Works. The original organs were
built by Hinners and one assistant. In 1881, Mr.
Hinners took on a partner and the business became the Hinners
& Fink Company.
Ubbo Albertsen came to America from
Germany when he was eleven years old. As a young man, he painted
wagons for the Teis Smith Wagon Works in Pekin. In 1885, after Mr.
Albertsen bought out John Hinners' other partners, the business became
the Hinners & Albertsen
Organ Company.
The
company sold directly from the factory, at
wholesale prices, to private purchasers.
Hinners & Albertsen built everything from
small parlor reed organs to huge church and theater pipe organs.
Pianos were also manufactured by the
business.
The Hinners & Albertsen Organ Company
grew to become an important part of the Pekin
business community. The factory became recognized
as one of the country's best quality organ and piano manufacturers.
The hand-crafted organs, prized
as much for their beautiful wood
cabinetry as their excellent tone, were sold all
over the United States and Europe. Everything was first class, from the
selection and preparation of quality
hardwood, right through the installation of the
instrument, which was always done by a factory
representative.
Unfortunately, this
hand-crafted excellence would
ultimately spell disaster
for the company. The arrival
of automation and mass production soon made it difficult for Hinners
& Albertsen to compete financially. The company stayed in business
until about 1940 but most production ceased in the late 1920's. The last
10 years or so were spent just repairing instruments and replacing parts.
The Hinners & Albertsen Organ Company
factory building at 125-131 Court Street no
longer exists. The site is now a small city park
near the riverfront (Illinois River).
Today a Hinners organ is still considered a prize
possession of many churches and antique collectors.
We do have a few pictures and ads in our collection. We
also have a small parlor organ in storage that will someday be placed in a
county museum currently under development.
