Cliff Notes of the WJ Southard story.

1915: WJ Southard purchases the Alexander Smith Rug Cleaning Company.  He expands the operation to include making and cleaning horsehair mattresses.

 
WJ Southard's first advertisement in the Syracuse Herald on May 18, 1915.

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1925: Southard opens a new factory on Hawley Ave with high powered sewing machines.

 
The mattress factory and store at 433 Hawley Avenue, Syracuse, NY.

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1929:WJ using the same techniques and materials that we use today in our Archetype. 

Advertisement in the Syracuse Herald on September 15, 1929

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1932: A fire destroys the mattress factory.  At 70, WJ and his sons rebuild.

 

Article from the Syracuse Herald on November 13, 1932

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1933:WJ Southard passes away. His sons, Leon, Harold and John take over.

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1950s:Southard Mattress begins producing latex mattresses and hasn’t stopped since.

Law tag from the 1950s for our latex mattresses.

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1965:Harold dies suddenly.  John runs the business side. George Goodrich, master craftsman, builds the mattresses.

Mattress labels from the 1960s. 

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1970: Nearing retirement, John hires his nephew Charles Van Patten as an apprentice. George entrusts Charles with the mattress techniques that have been in the family for generations.

George Goodrich signed everything he made.

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1978:The apprenticeship is over. Charles purchases the company from John.

 

WJ Southard stock certificate.

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1979: The business grows and moves into a new plant.

Article from the Post Standard on March 17, 1979.

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1984:We offer a mattress with a lifetime guarantee and learn nothing lasts forever.

 

Advertisement in Herald Journal on March 22, 1984.

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1991:Charles begins teaching his thirteen-year-old son Neal the family business.

Our mattress label in the 1990s

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2007:Neal returns to WJ Southard to carry on the family tradition.