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"The Piano" My parents David and Jessie Hatton bought a Nordheimer upright piano from JJH McLean's music store in Winnipeg Manitoba soon after they were married in 1910. The Nordheimer piano factory was established in Toronto Ontario in 1844 at 122 King St. East by brothers Samuel and Abraham Nordheimer. By 1866 the factory was in full production, and in 1890 they had to expand into a new factory in east Toronto, and another in Montreal. Their success was shown in 1927 when their competition, the Heinzman piano company bought them out. Heinzman continued to build pianos under the Nordheimer name well into the 1960's. Our piano, (serial number 2315) was actually constructed in 1889 making it one of the last pianos to leave the first plant.
When we were very young my mother encouraged my brother Clarence
and myself to take piano lessons, which we continued for over eight years. The
musical experience we attained on the Nordheimer was very helpful when we later
joined the Fennemore brass band. The Hatton family had many private social
gatherings with friends singing around the “Piano”.
After our parents passed away, Clarence and his wife Mabel took over the
homestead and the privileged use of the piano (It was too heavy to move). In the
early 1940's I was back living on the homestead with my wife Lila, so we assumed the honored assignment to
care for the Nordheimer. Besides cooking, playing became one of Lila's greatest
pastimes, and she willingly entertained many people over the years. Recently a
relative reminisced about a gathering with Lila playing the old piano. After
playing for hours and getting a little tired, someone would pipe up “Can you
play this one” and off she would go playing again with renewed exuberance.
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