Book 2 of the Washington Historical Society Series
In the 1870s Washington resident and local furniture maker Franz Schwarzer put Washington, Missouri on the international map as the place where some of the world's finest zithers were made. Schwarzer entered several of his hand-crafted zithers in the 1873 Vienna Exposition (similar to the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis,) and was awarded a Gold Medal of Progress – stealing the honor from multiple renowned Austrian zither makers.
Schwarzer wasted no time parlaying this accolade, proclaiming himself "The King of Zither Manufacturers," and quickly pivoted from furniture making to manufacturing zithers and other stringed instruments. He constructed a factory in downtown Washington that employed many local craftsmen for more than five decades and shipped more than 10,000 instruments to buyers across the country and all over the world. In 1912, eight years after Schwarzer's death, his status as the preeminent American zither maker continued to attract people to Washington when players from across the country gathered in Washington for the first American Zither Congress, which became an annual event and was later held in multiple other U.S. cities.
Beyond his success as an entrepreneur, Schwarzer was a notable contributor to the growth of Washington in its industrialization years. He converted the grounds surrounding his downtown home and factory into the lush Schwarzer Park featuring gravel paths, cultivated flowers and shrubs, a tropical garden, and even a small zoo that included his pet alligator. Schwarzer was also the founder of the local Volunteer Fire Company and he formed the Washington Cave Club where he led trips to explore numerous caves in southern Franklin County.
Learn more about Franz Schwarzer and his impact on Washington and the international zither community in Franz Schwarzer: "The King of Zither Manufacturers."
