
Ebenezer Batelle started selling sheet music from his Boston Book Store in 1783.
The expansion of the company proceeded at pace with the acquisition of the publishing catalogues of, amongst others, William Hall & Son and John Firth & Son and with musical instrument production following the establishment of Lyon & Healy in Chicago in 1864 and John Church Company of Cincinnati Ohio in 1860.
When John C Haynes joined the business in 1857 as a partner it became Oliver Ditson & Co. Ditson ensure tight control of the business by installing familly members in the main offices in New York and Philadelphia. On his death in the company changed its name to Oliver Ditson Company and continued trading until 1937 when the company was sold to Theodore Presser.
Oliver Ditson 1811 to 1888

