Overview

Founded in 1892, this important novelty advertising company operated at this Spokane address in 1909. Printer Benjamin Whitehead (1858-1940) and paper merchant Chester Hoag (1860-1935) began their firm in Newark, NJ, and it was here where all of the production work was done. The two purchased three patents for advertising buttons in the 1890s that enabled them to corner certain markets, including the lucrative political button business. By the early 20th century, Whitehead and Hoag had expanded their company significantly, opening branch offices across the US. The Spokane branch office of Whitehead, Hoag and Company existed to show off samples of the 5,000 advertising items they produced to potential clients. The company's heyday was before World War II, and most branch offices had closed before the war.

PCAD id: 19973