The rapid economic expansion of the "Roaring Twenties" led to a massive increases in consumer spending and household debt. By the end of the 1920's, the bills came due. In October, 1929, the stock market, which was significantly overvalued due to widespread speculative investing, lost nearly 25% of its value in one week. Americans panicked and rushed to withdraw cash from banks that had insufficient reserves to cover deposits. As bank liquidity dried up, business and industrial investment spending slowed to a trickle. By 1932, over 20% of the U.S. population was unemployed.
Professional baseball wasn't immune to the crisis. While many Americans turned to the sport to forget about their financial woes, others simply couldn't afford to attend games and chose instead to listen to them on the radio. Players salaries dropped an estimated 25% and annual attendance league-wide decreased by 13%. Player salary reductions were nothing compared to American workers, who saw average wages drop by 50% at the height of the Great Depression. For American families, discretionary spending was a thing of the past, and non-essential purchases, like sporting goods, were eliminated from family budgets.
Professional baseball wasn't immune to the crisis. While many Americans turned to the sport to forget about their financial woes, others simply couldn't afford to attend games and chose instead to listen to them on the radio. Players salaries dropped an estimated 25% and annual attendance league-wide decreased by 13%. Player salary reductions were nothing compared to American workers, who saw average wages drop by 50% at the height of the Great Depression. For American families, discretionary spending was a thing of the past, and non-essential purchases, like sporting goods, were eliminated from family budgets.
The Great Depression
Stearns, Ezra S., A.M.
References
History of Plymouth New Hampshire.
Vol. I & II. Cambridge, Mass: U, 1906. Print.
Draper and Maynard (D&M) Sporting Goods Collection.
Plymouth State University, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2016.
Freeman, Rodney et al.. “The Draper-maynard Sporting Goods Company of Plymouth, New Hampshire, 1840-1937”. IA. The Journal of the Society for Industrial Archeology 20.1/2 (1994): 139–151. Web.
Tinney, Mike. "Vintage Baseball Glove Forum."
Vintage Baseball Glove Forum.
N.p., 11 Apr. 2011. Web. 25 Jan. 2016.
Spink, Al. "The Sportsman's Corner."
Reno Evening Gazette
[Reno, NV] 5 Mar. 1919: 6. Print.
The Plymouth Record
[Plymouth, N.H.] 3 Dec. 1932: 1. Web.
The Plymouth Record
[Plymouth, N.H.] 3 May. 1913: 4. Web.
Draper & Maynard survived the early years of the depression on low margins and credit. Unfortunately, the Great Depression wasn't a typical economic downturn, lasting for nearly ten years (1929-1939). In 1937, the same year as John Maynard's death, Draper & Maynard shut down production.
On October 12th and 13th, 1937, the Draper & Maynard factories, raw materials, equipment, and unsold stock were sold at auction. Horace Partridge of Boston purchased a large quantity of finished sporting goods in their D&M boxes and resold them over the next few months. According to a Horace Partridge advertisement:
On October 12th and 13th, 1937, the Draper & Maynard factories, raw materials, equipment, and unsold stock were sold at auction. Horace Partridge of Boston purchased a large quantity of finished sporting goods in their D&M boxes and resold them over the next few months. According to a Horace Partridge advertisement:
An Inglorious End
Between 1938 and 1962, P. Goldsmith & Sons produced Draper-Maynard sporting goods out of Cincinnati, Ohio. However, all that truly remained of Jason Draper and John Maynard's D&M was their name and logo. An advertisement in the Draper-Maynard Fall & Winter Catalog for 1939 proudly displays photos of the new D&M factories...filled with new workers from Cincinnati. D&M's new sporting goods line bore little resemblance to those produced in Plymouth, New Hampshire.
In Name Only
Horace Partridge Ad, 1937, courtesy Mike Tinney
The D&M factory on Main Street was eventually repurposed as a shoe tree manufacturing plant. A rival sporting goods manufacturer, P. Goldsmith & Sons of Cincinnati, Ohio, purchased the rights to the Draper & Maynard name, trademarks, patents, and forms.
We join in the widespread regret to see such an old and reliable concern pass out of business, another tragedy of the troubled conditions of the last several years."
Draper & Maynard auction notice 1937, courtesy Plymouth State University
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D&M Cincinnati Factory Ad, Draper-Maynard Fall & Winter Catalog, 1939
Draper-Maynard Ad, 1952
Draper & Maynard ascent from a small, one-room factory at Glove Hollow in Plymouth, New Hampshire in 1880 to one of the most respected manufacturer of professional sporting goods by the mid-1920's is a true American success story. Jason Draper and John Maynard won the loyalty of professionals and amateurs alike by focusing on top-quality, handcrafted products and constantly responding to the evolving needs of athletes with their goods. D&M's reputation was built on a remarkable feat, athlete endorsements given freely, without royalty payments. As a result, "The Lucky Dog Kind" became the gold standard in leather sporting goods and one of the most recognizable American brands of the early twentieth century.
D&M's Legacy
By 1920, Draper & Maynard's manufacturing footprint included five factories in Plymouth. In 1922, D&M purchased a sixth, the Foster Peg Mill, which it renovated to house their clothing and inflated leather goods departments (footballs, basketballs). The population of Plymouth in 1924 was approximately 2,300 and D&M employed over 400 workers, with an additional 700 men and women stitching baseballs at home. At its peak, the company produced over 2,400 baseballs each day.
In the mid-1920's, Draper & Maynard opened sales branches in Chicago, New York, and San Francisco and in 1928, a new factory was opened in Sutton, Quebec to handle Canadian sporting goods orders. By 1930, D&M products were being sold in 27 countries worldwide.
In the mid-1920's, Draper & Maynard opened sales branches in Chicago, New York, and San Francisco and in 1928, a new factory was opened in Sutton, Quebec to handle Canadian sporting goods orders. By 1930, D&M products were being sold in 27 countries worldwide.
Production Growth
In 1930, 84-year old John Maynard stepped down as president, ending his 35 years of leadership of Draper & Maynard. Edward Maynard replaced his father as president. John would remain on D&M's board of directors until his death on July 20, 1937.
Jason Draper's legacy was developing and producing the finest American leather athletic goods of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. However, it was John Maynard's salesmanship and vision that transformed Draper & Maynard into one of the most successful sporting goods companies of its day.
Jason Draper's legacy was developing and producing the finest American leather athletic goods of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. However, it was John Maynard's salesmanship and vision that transformed Draper & Maynard into one of the most successful sporting goods companies of its day.
The Changing of the Guard
