The Legacy of Brattleboro’s Jacob Estey Featured on Local Podcast “That’s One for the History Books”
In episode 47 of their podcast “That’s One for the History Books”, Springfield VT resident Marty Cohn and his colleague Hugh Ryan of Westerly, RI featured the remarkable life and legacy of Jacob Estey, a Brattleboro pioneer in the world of musical instruments.
Jacob Estey, born in 1814, was a visionary entrepreneur and inventor who revolutionized the music industry. Although his name may not be widely recognized today, his contributions are undeniable. Estey began his working life as a plumber’s apprentice at the age of 17 and, before the age of 35, was a partner in plumbing, lumber, slate, and marble businesses. Sensing a business opportunity, Estey took over a share of a small melodeon business in 1852 in Brattleboro, Vermont. A melodeon is a type of 19th-century reed organ.
