# Root & Cady

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{{Short description|Music publishing firm}}
{{Infobox publisher
| name         = Root & Cady
| image        = 
| caption      = 
| parent       = 
| status       = Defunct
| traded_as    = 
| predecessor  = 
| founded      = 1858
| founder      = Ebenezer Towner Root and Chauncey Marvin Cady
| successor    = 
| country      = United States
| headquarters = Chicago
| distribution = 
| keypeople    = 
| publications = Sheet music
| topics       = 
| genre        = 
| imprints     = 
| revenue      = 
| owner        = 
| numemployees = 
| website      = 
}}

'''Root & Cady''' was a Chicago-based [music publishing](/source/Music_publisher_(popular_music)) firm, founded in 1858. It became the most successful music publisher of the [American Civil War](/source/American_Civil_War) and published many of the most popular songs during that war.<ref name="Cornelius19">Cornelius, pg. 18</ref> The firm's founders were Ebenezer Towner Root (1822–1896) and [Chauncey Marvin Cady](/source/C._M._Cady) (1824 - 1889).

The company's publishings include ''The Silver Lute'', the first music book printed in Chicago. It was eventually used in the city's public school system.<ref name="Cornelius19"/>

Root & Cady dominated Chicago's music publishing industry until the [Great Chicago Fire](/source/Great_Chicago_Fire) of 1871 destroyed $125,000 of the firm's inventory,<ref>Sanjek, pg. 356</ref> leading to its bankruptcy within a year.<ref name="Cornelius19"/><ref name="Carder">Carder, pg. 86</ref>  In 1875, the former members of Root & Cady formed a new firm: The Root & Sons Music Company.  The members were (i) [George F. Root](/source/George_F._Root) (1820–1895), (ii) Frederick Woodman Root (1846–1918), George's son, (iii) Ebenezer Towner Root (1822–1896) — George's brother — (iv) [William Lewis](/source/William_Lewis_%26_Son_Co.) (1837–{{space|1}}), (v) William A. Root — George's brother — and (vi) Charles C. Curtiss (1847–1928),<ref name="Presto-Times">''Presto-Times,'' April 7, 1928</ref> who served as manager.<ref name="Daily Inter Ocean">''Daily Inter Ocean,'' June 26, 1875</ref>

== See also ==
* [Fanny Crosby](/source/Fanny_Crosby) (1820–1915), songwriter
* [William Lewis & Son Co.](/source/William_Lewis_%26_Son_Co.), offshoot of The Root & Sons Music Company

==References==
* {{cite book|title=Music of the Civil War Era|first=Steven|last=Cornelius|year=2004|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=0-313-32081-0}}
* {{cite book|title=American Popular Music and Its Business: the first four hundred years|url=https://archive.org/details/americanpopularm00san_hz5|url-access=registration|first=Russell|last=Sanjek|year=1988|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=0-19-504310-3}}
* {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KzE7Q9SZGPcC&pg=PA86 |title=George F. Root, Civil War Songwriter: A Biography|first=Polly H.|last=Carder|year=2008|publisher=McFarland & Company|isbn=9780786483174 |oclc=182656620}}
* ''Root and Cady — Re-Association of the Members of That Famous House,'' ''Daily Inter Ocean'' (Chicago), Vol. IV, Issue 80, pg. 12, June 26, 1875
* ''[http://presto.arcade-museum.com/PRESTO-1928-2175/PRESTO-1928-2175-11.pdf Charles C. Curtiss, Manager of the Fine Arts Building, Dies],'' ''Presto-Times,'' April 7, 1928, pg. 11

==Notes==
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== External links ==

* [https://mms.newberry.org/xml/xml_files/Epstein.xml The Dena Epstein Root & Cady Research Papers] at [https://www.newberry.org Newberry Library]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Root and Cady}}
Category:Music publishing companies of the United States
Category:Publishing companies established in 1858
Category:1858 establishments in Illinois
Category:Defunct companies based in Chicago
Category:History of Chicago

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Root & Cady](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Root_%26_Cady) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Root_%26_Cady?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.