0 7 , ▁Stra ube ▁P iano ▁Company ▁execut ives ▁public ly ▁recognized ▁ 1 8 9 5 ▁as ▁the ▁found ing ▁year . ▁However , ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 1 , ▁Alfred ▁Dol ge ▁published ▁an ▁influ ential ▁reference ▁book , ▁P ian os ▁and ▁Their ▁Mak ers , ▁that ▁gave ▁ 1 8 7 8 ▁as ▁the ▁found ing ▁year . ▁The ▁December ▁ 1 9 , ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁issue ▁of ▁Music ▁Trade ▁Review ▁began ▁using ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 8 ▁found ing ▁date . ▁At ▁some ▁point , ▁Stra ube ▁P iano ▁began ▁casting ▁the ▁numer als ▁" 1 8 7 8 " ▁in ▁the ▁piano ▁pl ates ▁( aka ▁iron ▁frames ). ▁Stra ube ▁P iano ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 4 ▁attributed ▁ 1 8 7 9 ▁as ▁the ▁found ing ▁year . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁a ▁book ▁author ▁provided ▁ 1 8 5 9 ▁as ▁the ▁found ing ▁year . ▁▁ ▁In cor por ation ▁of ▁Stra ube ▁P iano ▁Company ▁William ▁Stra ube , ▁an ▁invest or , ▁not ▁a ▁piano ▁expert , ▁incorpor ated ▁Stra ube ▁P iano ▁Company ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 7 ▁as ▁an ▁Illinois ▁entity . ▁▁ ▁Initial ▁execut ives ▁James ▁( J im ) ▁Francis ▁Bro der ick ▁( 1 9 ▁August ▁ 1 8 5 4 ▁Philadelphia ▁– ▁ 1 7 ▁November ▁ 1 9 2 0 ▁Chicago ) ▁became ▁president ▁on ▁January ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 8