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This time period marks the beginning of the end of organ production by the Packard Company. In 1899, the company name had changed from The Fort Wayne Organ Company to The Packard Company. Also, the emphasis began to be placed on piano production. Within a very few years, almost the entire advertising emphasis by the company was focused on the piano part of the business.

While they continued to sell a number of quality organs, apparently greater profits were to be made in the sale of pianos. The piano catalogs of this period are quite extensive in their descriptions of their product and varied with each edition. This is unlike the organ catalog production, which varied very little for a period of over 20 years except in the cuts of models available. The descriptive pages were almost virtually unchanged.

Organ production ceased by the end of 1914, and the company name was changed from The Packard Company to The Packard Piano Company, ushering in a new year and a new era in 1915.

Because models varied only slightly during this time period, no attempt has been made to place them in chronological order. Any organ that has the company name on the stop board and/or warranty certificate--The Packard Company--would have been manufactured during this time period. All earlier organs before 1899 state the company name as The Fort Wayne Organ Company.

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Case 590

This case design became the top of the line parlor organ when it was introduced circa 1898. It continued in production for a number of years. About 1903 its base model was listed as selling for $200 while the next closest parlor organ base price was only $100--quite a substantial difference!

Case 370

One of the nice features of the example pictured here is that it has the largest action available. Perhaps because of the cost involved, it seems to be rarer in Packard organs to find examples with actions larger than the standard 122 reeds/11 stops.

Case 340

This case design is featured in the circa 1898 catalog and continues into the 1900s with slight variations in design features.

Case 360

This case design appears in the circa 1903 catalog.

Chapel Organ Case 470

This case design appears to have been introduced circa 1898 and continued in production well into the early 1900s. It was available in walnut or oak, with no indication that there was a price difference.

Chapel Organ Case 470

This is a back view.

Case Design Unknown

An unusual feature of this organ are the diamond-shaped side mirrors.

Case 340, Version 3

This variation of Case 340 is a little more extensive than in the previous modifications. It appears in a circa 1910 catalog.

Chapel Organ Case 280

This is another example of an organ appearing circa 1898 and continuing into the 1900s. It was their lowest-priced chapel organ, beginning at $80 in 1903.

Chapel Organ Case 480, Version 3

This model chapel organ became a favorite with the public for over a decade after its introduction circa 1900. It is a complete redesign of the earlier chapel organ case 480. However, the action options remained the same, featuring a pipe diapason set of reeds in a separate reed cell board in the treble section. This set of reeds was renamed circa 1905 as the humanola stop. Hence the term "Humanola" began to be used in the literature to describe this organ. It was available as pictured above--a single manual instrument--or with a pipe top and independent pedal bass.