Q:My oak rocking chair was purchased at an estate sale in 1956. The label on the bottom says "Taylor's Comfortable Rockers, Rocker Specialists, The Taylor Chair Co., Bedford, Ohio." What can you tell me about this company?

A:The Taylor Chair Co. is said to be the oldest furniture maker in the Unites States. It traces its origins to 1816, when Benjamin Fitch began making chairs in Bedford, Ohio. His son-in-law, William O. Taylor, began managing the business in the 1840s. The name of the company was changed to the Taylor Chair Co. 1885. The firm manufactured more than 100 different styles of chairs in the early 1900s. Tables, sofas and other types of furniture were added to the company's production lines in the 1950s and '60s. The company is still in business in Bedford.