l ▁River ' s ▁first ▁O EM ▁relationship ▁with ▁a ▁Western ▁piano ▁mak er . ▁ ▁Hal let , ▁Davis ▁& ▁Co . ▁▁ ▁Hal let , ▁Davis ▁& ▁Co . ▁Boston ▁( H & D ), ▁is ▁a ▁piano ▁line ▁commonly ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁Hal let ▁& ▁Davis ▁or ▁H & D . ▁The ▁original ▁Hal let , ▁Davis ▁& ▁Company ▁was ▁formed ▁in ▁Boston ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 3 ▁by ▁Russell ▁Hal let , ▁George ▁H . ▁Davis , ▁and ▁other ▁partners , ▁but ▁dates ▁back ▁to ▁ 1 8 3 5 ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁Brown ▁and ▁Hal let ▁production ▁line . ▁The ▁H & D ▁line ▁is ▁the ▁oldest ▁United ▁States ▁piano ▁name ▁still ▁in ▁production , ▁pre - dating ▁We ber ▁( 1 8 5 2 ), ▁and ▁Stein way ▁and ▁S ons ▁( 1 8 5 3 ). ▁▁ ▁The ▁piano ▁line ▁was ▁reconst it uted ▁by ▁another ▁Hal let ▁( Ben jamin ▁Franklin ▁Hal let ) ▁and ▁Davis ▁in ▁Boston ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 0 s . ▁The ▁W . ▁W . ▁Kim ball ▁Company ▁acquired ▁Hal let ▁& ▁Davis ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁▁ ▁In ▁the ▁mid - tw enti eth ▁century , ▁the ▁Hal let ▁& ▁Davis ▁name , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁many ▁other ▁U . S . ▁piano ▁br ands , ▁were ▁cons olid ated ▁under ▁the ▁A e ol ian - American ▁Cor p ., ▁which ▁declared ▁bank rupt cy ▁in ▁ 1 9 8