Chris Knutsen Timeline
by Gregg Miner, as part of
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by Gregg Miner, as part of |
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(some dates are estimates; most are those
proposed by Most/Noe.
Entries in blue are still under investigation)
| 1862 | Born Johan Christian Kammen in Norway. |
| 1866 | Immigrates to America, settling in Minnesota. |
| 1888 | Marries Anna Kammen. Changes name to Knutsen. Working as a mason. |
| 1895 | Moves to Port Townsend, WA. Prototype "One-Arm" guitars made. |
| 1896 | First patent for "One-Arm" guitar granted. |
| 1898 | Second patent for "One-Arm" guitar
with sub-bass strings granted. Symphony harp Guitars introduced. Dyer relationship starts. |
| 1900 | Moves to 1001 J. St., Tacoma, WA. |
| 1903 | Moves to 903 S. Yakima Ave. Symphony Harp Guitars evolving new headstock. |
| 1905 | Moves to 905 S. G St. Hawaiian bands tour the Pacific Northwest, including the Lewis & Clark Exposition in Portland, OR. |
| 1906 | Moves to 1910 8th Ave., Seattle, WA. Harp Guitars change to "Lower Bass Point" style. The Harp Guitar Company established with John H. Bourn at 2002 6th Ave. |
| 1907 | The Harp Guitar Company is dissolved. Knutsen again independent. |
| 1908 | Moves to 405 Cedar St. |
| 1909 | Moves to 219 Westlake Ave North. Public heavily attends the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle, WA, featuring continual Hawaiian music. First "convertible guitars" appear. |
| 1910 | Harp Mandolins introduced. |
| 1912 | Has a shop in Bellingham, WA; Residence still in Seattle. Harp guitar patent expires. |
| 1913 | Moves residence and shop to 1200 Stewart St.
in Seattle. Lists address as "Harp Guitar Factory at Stewart and Minor." Harp Guitar headstocks change further. DeLano/"Kona" relationship begins. |
| 1914 | For
the next two years, Knutsen's exact location is unknown. Tom Rousseau, Knutsen's son-in-law moves to 1413-F Temple St. in Echo Park, Los Angeles. This may have served as a temporary "base of operations" while the New Hawaiian Family line was created (perhaps to coincide with the upcoming PPIE in San Francisco). Hermann Weissenborn is in Los Angeles listed as a "manufacturer and repairer of all stringed instruments," with piano repair his specialty. |
| 1915 | Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San
Francisco officially starts the "Hawaiian music craze." "New Hawaiian Family" line introduced by this time, including harp ukes and additional Hawaiian guitar styles. |
| 1916 | Moves to 1600 Temple St.,
Los Angeles, CA. Weissenborn enters the Hawaiian guitar business. |
| 1917 | Residence at 1635 Temple St. Shop set up at 1542 Temple St? |
| 1918- 1919 |
Missing from 1918 directory (and 1919 directory is not available). |
| 1920 | Moves to 1642 Temple St. Shop is now listed at 1542 Temple. |
| 1921 | Moves into apartment over the shop at 1542 Temple St. |
| 1922 | Business and residence still at 1542 Temple; additional space listed at 536 Echo Park Av. |
| 1927 | Resides with daughter Myrtle’s family at 1306 McDuff St. |
| 1928 | Shop at 1487-1/2 Sunset Blvd. |
| 1930 | Dies on Nov. 6th at age 68. Anna dies on Nov. 8th at age 73. |
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