The Foley & Williams Piano Company was established in Chicago in 1870. Records show that Foley & Williams instruments were actually manufactured by the E.P. Johnson Piano Company of Ottawa, IL. During the 1870’s – 1890’s, Foley & Williams marketed a large number of pianos, parlor organs and chapel organs. By 1910 most of their organs had been discontinued in favor of piano production.

In the late 19th and early 20th Century, the firm sold instruments under the brand names of Foley & Williams, Northwestern and Peerless as well as a line of organs under the name of Pipe-Tone.  Foley & Williams went out of business in 1930 with the Great Depression.  Instruments by Foley & Williams we have seen come through our shop have been very well-made instruments, indicating they were a higher grade, higher priced instrument.