Starr Piano Company was originally founded from Trayser Piano Company。

斯塔爾鋼琴公司的前身是特雷澤鋼琴公司。

The Trayser Piano Company was established in 1849 by George L. Trayser in Indianapolis, Indiana. The firm specialized in square grand pianos and reed organs in the early years, earning a good reputation for building very well made instruments. 

1849年，喬治· L.特雷澤在印第安那州的波利斯成立了Trayser鋼琴公司。公司早期主要專門生產方三角琴和簧風琴，品質如此之高，贏得了廣泛的讚譽。

EARLY LIFE (1808 – 1865)

早期（1808-1865）

George L. Trayser (1808 – 1881) was a German-born American piano maker. He immigrated to the United States in 1849, and made pianos in Indianapolis and Richmond, Indiana.

喬治·L.特雷澤（1808-1881）先生是一位德國出生的美國鋼琴製造商。1849年他移民美國並開始在印第安那州波利斯和裏士滿生產鋼琴。

Trayser was born in 1808 in Hesse-Darmstadt, Prussia which later became Darmstadt, Germany. Trayser apprenticed in piano making in German piano factories near Darmstadt. He married in Germany, and two sons were born in Neuchatel, Switzerland: Frederick L. was born in 1840 and Paul was born in born 1842. Trayser owned a piano company in Switzerland prior to coming to the United States.

    特雷澤1808年出生於後來成為德國的達姆斯塔特的普魯士的黑森-達姆斯塔特，特雷澤那個時候在達姆斯塔特附近的德國鋼琴廠學徒。他在德國結婚，兩個兒子出生於瑞士額納沙塔爾：弗雷德裏克生於1840年，保羅生於1842年。在移民美國之前，特雷澤在瑞士已經擁有了一家鋼琴工廠。

The family immigrated to the United States in 1849 and settled initially in Newport, Kentucky. Trayser started a small factory in Covington, Kentucky (Trayser & Co.), and had Morse & Guernsey as consignment agents in Louisville, Kentucky in 1851.

1849年，特雷澤家族移民美國，起初在肯塔基州的紐波特居住，並在肯塔基州的科溫頓建立一家小的鋼琴廠（Trayser & Co.), 1851年他讓莫爾斯&格恩西在肯塔基的路易士維爾成為寄售代理。

Trayser traded in and repaired pianos, and was granted his first patent for an upright piano in Cincinnati in 1853.  His younger brother Phillip, who lived in Baltimore, signed a guarantee for $1,000 in October 1853.  John A. Skiff was a sales agent for “Skiff & Trayser Piano Company” in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1854.  Unfortunately, Trayser struggled financially and was insolvent 1854-1856.  There were lawsuits about his debts until 1862.

    特雷澤以舊換新並翻新鋼琴來出售，1853年，在辛辛那提州他獲得了他的首個立式琴專利。1853年10月，在巴爾的摩居住的弟弟飛利浦簽了一份1000美元的擔保。1854年，約翰·A.斯基夫成為“斯基夫 • 特雷澤鋼琴公司”在俄亥俄州辛辛那提的銷售代理。但不幸的是，1854年至1856年間，特雷澤一直陷入財務麻煩並無力償還債務，有好幾個官司一直打到1862年。 

In 1857, the Covington KY factory was destroyed by fire so Trayser moved his factory to Louisville, Kentucky.

1857年，科溫頓的工廠毀於一場火災，特雷澤於是把工廠移到了肯塔基州的路易士維爾。

In 1858, Trayser was a witness in an extensive church dispute in Lousville, Kentucky.  It was apparent that customers took advantage of Trayser, especially in written contracts, because Trayser did not yet read English. He was competent to hear and speak English in the trial.

1858年，特雷澤陷入了一場發生在路易士維爾的廣泛的教會爭端當中，他是一名當事人。很顯然，人們在欺負他，特別是在書寫合同方面，因為那時特雷澤還不會寫英語。但是在審判中他的英語聽、說還是沒有問題的。

Trayser moved to Indianapolis in 1859. He paid a manufacturing license tax to the state of Indiana in May 1864 in Indianapolis.  He also partnered with Col. William J. H. Robinson to form Trayser, Robinson & Co. in 1865.

1859年，特雷澤移居印第安那波利斯。1864年的5月，他開始支付印第安那州的生產許可稅。

BUILDING PIANOS (1865-1876)

鋼琴製造（1865-1876）

Trayser moved the family to Maysville, Kentucky in 1865 and founded the Trayser Piano Forte Co.  Milo J. Chase was the President and General Manager, and G. Brambach, Jr. was Secretary. George Trayser made and supervised construction of the pianos.

1865年，特雷澤把家移到肯塔基州的梅斯威爾，成立的Trayser 鋼琴公司。米羅·J.查爾斯是董事長兼總經理。G.布蘭巴赫是秘書。喬治·特雷澤是生產總監並作為技術指導。

Trayser moved his family to Richmond, Indiana in 1865 except for his son Frederick, who lived most of his life in Maysville, Kentucky.  Trayser also sold his pianos in Ripley, Ohio until 1871.

1865年，特雷澤又搬家了，這次是印第安那州的裏士滿，不過這次他的兒子弗雷德裏克沒有跟他一起走，兒子和他的妻子一生的大部分時間居住在肯塔基州的梅斯威爾。在1871年之前，特雷澤在俄亥俄州的裏普利也有銷售鋼琴。

George L. Trayser became a naturalized US citizen in 1866 and was granted another patent for upright piano in Indianapolis in 1867.

1866年，特雷澤入籍美國，成為美國公民，1867年，在印第安那波利斯，他又獲得了另外一個立式琴專利。

In 1869, Trayser established the Trayser Piano Company in Richmond, Indiana.

    1869年，特雷澤在印第安那州的裏士滿成立了特雷澤鋼琴公司。

In 1873 Frederick Trayser was granted a patent for piano action in Maysville. He was listed in the Maysville city directory in 1876.

1873年，弗雷德裏克·特雷澤在梅斯威爾被授予了一項鋼琴擊弦機專利。1876年，他本人被列入了梅斯威爾的城市目錄，成為這個城市有歷史記載的人物。

In 1875 George Trayser was granted another piano patent in Richmond.  In 1876 the family resided at 43 N Pearl, while the Trayser Piano Company was at 145 N 5th.

他的老爸喬治·特雷澤呢，也不甘寂寞，1875年，在裏士滿又被授予了一項新的鋼琴專利。1876年，“喜歡”折騰的特雷澤又搬了一次家，不過這次只是一次小小的改動，北珀爾43號，他的工廠地址則是北第五大街145號。

Trayser pianos were considered such good quality that in a blind vote contest in Cincinnati on 10 June 1876, there were 73 votes for Trayser and 43 for Steinway.  In a blind vote contest at Lyceum Hall in Richmond on 8 September 1876, the vote was 120 for Trayser and 70 for Steinway!

不得不說說特雷澤鋼琴的品質了，具體品質好到什麼程度，下麵的事例能夠很好的說明：1876年6月10日，在辛辛那提的一次盲彈測試當中，73票投給了特雷澤，43票投給了斯坦威。1876年9月8日，在裏士滿學術大廳舉行的一次盲彈測試中，120票給了特雷澤，70票給了斯坦威！

GROWING THE COMPANIES (1876-1881)

公司成長期（1876-1881）

In October 1876 the Trayser Piano Company had rooms in Lyceum Hall for offices and warerooms, sharing those rooms with Hoosier Organ Co. and Professor Rhu, music teacher.

1876年10月，特雷澤鋼琴公司在學術大廳有了辦公室和展廳，同時那裏還有Hoosier風琴公司和鋼琴教師魯村教授。

In October 1876 construction began on a new piano factory. It was 80' x 125' and 3.5 stories built in the location of the old woolen mills.

In September 1877 the Valley Gem of Ripley, Ohio merged into Trayser Piano Company (including Milo J. Chase and 16 workmen). The Trayser Piano Company made the Trayser upright, the Valley Gem Square and the Chase Square Grand.

    1876年10月，鋼琴的生產在新的工廠進行，這是一棟80英尺 X 125英尺、高4層半的建築，它的原址是一家老的羊毛工廠。1877年9月，俄亥俄州的瓦利·吉姆並到了特雷澤鋼琴公司（包括米羅·J.查爾斯和16個工人）。特雷澤鋼琴公司生產特雷澤立式琴、瓦利·吉姆方琴和查爾斯方三角琴。

November 1877 marked the opening of the Trayser-Chase ware rooms at Main and Pearl in Richmond.

1877年11月，特雷澤-查爾斯展廳在裏士滿的梅恩和珀爾開張。

George Trayser withdrew from making pianos in 1878 at age 70.

1878年，特雷澤70歲，自此，不再涉及鋼琴的生產。

In 1878 the family resided at 85 S 6th, while in 1879 the family resided at 45 N Washington.

1878年，特雷澤家族又搬家到北大街85號，1879年，家族又搬至北華盛頓大街45號。

His son Paul started the Richmond Piano Company in 1879.

特雷澤的兒子保羅於1879年成立了裏士滿鋼琴公司。

SUCCESSORS (1878-1950)

公司高峰期（1878-1950）

In 1878 the Trayser Piano Company was subsumed into the Chase Piano Company in Richmond.

1878年，特雷澤鋼琴公司歸入裏士滿的查爾斯鋼琴公司。

In 1884 the Chase Piano Company became the James M. Starr & Company.

1884年，查爾斯鋼琴公司改名傑姆斯· 斯塔爾鋼琴公司。

In 1893 all the above companies merged into the Starr Piano Company. This company continued making pianos in Richmond under the names Starr, Trayser & Richmond, as well as several others, until the 1950s.

1893年，所有以上公司併入斯塔爾鋼琴公司。斯塔爾鋼琴公司繼續在裏士滿生產鋼琴，使用斯塔爾、特雷澤、裏士滿和其他一些商標，生產直至1950年代。

MILITARY SERVICE

從軍記錄

Paul Trayser served in the Civil War as a bugler in a Kentucky regiment.

    鮑爾 · 特雷澤在國內戰爭中的肯塔基團服役，擔任號手。

DEATH AND LEGACY

George Trayser died in 1881 in Richmond, Indiana, at the age of 73.Trayser is best known for piano making.

1881年，喬治·特雷澤在印第安那的裏士滿去世，享年73歲。提起特雷澤這個名字，人們給予的定義就是很好的鋼琴製造商。