The Orinoco Furniture Company began in 1890 when two Rohminger brothers from Hartsville, Indiana opened a factory to make tables in the Orinoco district of Columbus, Indiana. The business soon changed hands. One of the new owners was my great-grandfather, William Harvey Lincoln. He helped lead the company to be one of the largest businesses in Columbus in the early 1900's. At its height, the company employed nearly 600 people.
The products made by the Orinoco Furniture Company were essentially reproductions of classical European style furniture, much as were the products of many other furniture manufacturers of that time in the midwest. The furniture produced involved the best woods and the finest craftsmanship such as hand carving, marqueterie, and some hand painting.
In 1913, a second company was started. This was the Lincoln Chair Company. At this facility, chairs, accent tables and upholstered furniture were made to compliment the dining room suites and bedroom suites made by the Orinoco Company.
Following the Great Depression, the companies suffered financial difficulties. After the death of my great-grandfather in 1935, my grandfather, William Lucas Lincoln, worked to keep the businesses going. At some point, the two companies were combined to be the Lincoln-Orinoco Company. In August of 1940, an auction was held to sell off all the remaining goods and property. The era of wonderful furniture was over.
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I am lucky enough to personally have several pieces of the furniture. I am also fortunate to now be living in Columbus, Indiana, where I can really "dig into" my family history right at the source!
If you have a piece of furniture manufactured by Orinoco Furniture or Lincoln Chair Company of Columbus, Indiana, and you would like to learn more about your piece,
please e-mail me.
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