History of Cabinet and Furniture making

Cabinetmakers in the Early 1800s

The life of the average cabinetmaker in the early 1800s was often mobile and uncertain. Cabinetmakers were also furniture makers, since most homes of the period were cabins and did not include the built-in cabinetry we think of today.

In the 1830s, railroads were still new and had not yet proven their value for long-distance travel or freight. Canals were the engineering marvels of the day, while turnpikes and horse-drawn roads formed the backbone of overland travel. There was no electricity and no power tools.

This history is based solely on Jane Hageman’s 1984 book, which provides an excellent look at the styles of the period and the cabinet and furniture shops of Ohio from 1795 to 1845.

What Was Life Like?

It was common for a boy to leave home at age fourteen and move to another town to begin an apprenticeship with a working cabinetmaker. Later, he might set out on his own as a journeyman, usually moving west in search of steady work and opportunity. At that time, there were only a few states west of the Mississippi. If things went well, he might remain in one place for life. If not, he moved on.

One example of this search for prosperity was Alexander Pinkerton. He trained in Pittsburgh, moved to Beaver County, Pennsylvania, lost the title to his land and everything he owned, and then relocated to New Castle, Pennsylvania. After an economic downturn, he decided to move to Ohio. He intended to settle in Zanesville, but after stopping in McConnelsville, he remained there permanently.

As one learns about these men, it is hard not to feel sympathy for them. Many searched constantly for security and prosperity, only to lose everything through debt, changing credit systems, or unstable financial conditions. Builders often worked as retailers as well, accepting barter and extending credit to customers. The political and economic climate of westward expansion only added to their hardships.

With wife and children packed into a wagon, many moved on in search of greener pastures and the hope of success.

Once a cabinetmaker found a town where he believed he could establish himself, he would often open a small shop, sometimes connected to his home. His newspaper advertisements might describe the location in practical terms, such as across from the courthouse or three doors west of a popular store on Main Street. Before long, he might be advertising for an apprentice or journeyman.

Dan Thompson, a cabinetmaker in Wilkesville, lived and worked in his home, which stood on sixty acres adjoining the public green in 1831. He made furniture for his family and community and even built an organ. His young son William served as his apprentice.

Some furniture makers had two to five apprentices living and boarding with them. James Caldwell, a cabinetmaker in Zanesville, had nineteen people listed in his household in 1820. Since he was only twenty-eight years old, some of those living with him were likely apprentices. For that time, this would have made him a large-scale furniture manufacturer.

A young apprentice typically began cabinet work at age fourteen and continued until age twenty-one. In exchange for labor, he received room, board, and instruction in the trade. No money usually changed hands. In many cases, this arrangement worked well for both master and apprentice, but not always. Newspapers sometimes carried advertisements about runaway apprentices, occasionally noting that they had taken their master’s clothing with them.

In the Columbus Gazette on July 1, 1819, the following notice appeared:

RUN AWAY FROM THE SUBSCRIBER

An apprentice to the cabinetmaking business, John Craig had on a blue coat, brown cashmere pantaloons, yellow vest, etc. Find him and receive a $1.00 reward.

In the same paper, John Craig, the apprentice and absconder, was also advertising:

To the inhabitants of the county of Franklin that he commences the cabinetmaking business at the corner of Water and Main streets—furniture of the finest quality and newest fashions from Baltimore. — John Craig

After this printed confrontation, nothing more was heard from either man. It remains an intriguing situation, and one wonders how it was resolved. Much remains unknown about many men who worked in this field. Often, they advertised once and then never appeared in print again.

When a cabinetmaker finally succeeded, he might open a wareroom where he could display his wares, often in a location separate from his workshop. At this stage of his career, the furniture maker handled business matters while his journeymen produced the furniture.

The Read brothers, who worked north of Xenia, Ohio, were described by their neighbor Elizah T. Fisher in 1817:

The way the Reads get hold of so much money, they have eight hands working at cabinetwork. This is a profitable, cash business. They also manufacture clocks. They carry that business so large that it keeps one man in collections, one in peddling clocks, and one in selling cabinetwork and settling for timber.

Many men who remained in the furniture business also contributed significantly to their cities and counties. Some supported the spiritual and civic welfare of their communities. Hector Sanford was a traveling minister. Robert Merrie and Ephraim Carmack served their communities in other ways, with Carmack becoming Justice of the Peace in Shandon. Alexander Mitchell of Eaton became County Treasurer, and William Keyes of Hillsboro became Auditor of Highland County.

Yet early cabinetmakers were a varied group, as seen in this newspaper notice:

$50 REWARD - STOP THE SWINDLER

Made his escape from the constable of Hocking Township, Fairfield County, a person by the name of Andrew Cavett or A. M. Cavett, having been taken on a capias for debt. He is a tall man with a sandy complexion, red hair, heavy eyebrows, and occupation as a cabinetmaker, though he generally follows gambling and defrauding for a livelihood. He is an arch-villain and well-calculated in taking the unwary and unsuspecting. He is a noted liar, easily detected by his shortness of memory. The above reward will be given to anyone who secures Cavett in any jail in this state.

Help the Poor...

The subscriber is anxious to settle his business by the close of the year and requests that those indebted to him make payment. Windsor chairs of the newest fashion and most substantial manner are for sale at his shop.

The Marietta newspaper of December 1815 also recorded the contents of the average chairmaker’s shop through the inventory of Robert K. Foresman of Circleville, who first advertised in 1822.

PUBLIC SALE

Here will be exposed for public sale: all the remaining personal property of John Jeffords, deceased, including all kinds of cabinet-making tools, 10,000 feet of seasoned lumber of different descriptions, and a variety of cabinet furniture, sideboards, secretaries, bureaus, desks, tables, together with considerable other property too tedious to mention. Three months’ credit will be given for all sums over five dollars by giving notes with approved security.

The inventory included one glue pot, one hammer, one hand ax, one small chair, one window sash, one set of paint brushes, one drawing knife, one grindstone and frame, one shaving horse, one whetstone, one file, one vise, one chisel, one gauge, five paint pots, one quart measure, one square, one saddlebag, two pocketbooks, one trunk, one-foot adz, one lot of paint crocks, one holdfast, one brace and bits, one taper auger, and one pan, shovel, and tongs.

Most shops had some way of turning wood. The following shows how their lathes were powered:

Type of Power

• Hand – 75%
• Horse – 11%
• Steam – 6%
• Hand & Horse – 5%
• Water – 3%
• Dog – 1%

As can be seen, the men who made chairs and furniture were a diverse group. Some worked in the trade for only a year, while others remained for a lifetime. They were careful, hardworking, and often endured long hours under difficult conditions. Their pay was modest by modern standards, and many began this lifetime of labor at age fourteen.

They often worked alongside brothers, fathers, or sons in family shops. Success came slowly, but any final advancement or good fortune must have felt especially rewarding after years of struggle.