# Oldest US company? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 17, 2009, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-us-company/500024 "2009-06-17T02:20:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-us-company/500024/1 "2009-06-17T02:20:36Z")
Don’t ask me how, but I recently discovered a Japanese company, [Takeda Pharmaceutical Research](http://www.takeda.com/), that has been in business since 1781. This got me to wondering: what is the oldest continuously operating company in the US? Is it some bakery in Massachusetts? A farm in upstate New York? There’s gotta be some US company older than Takeda, right? ---
**Author:** ![Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimmy_Gibbler)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-us-company/500024/2 "2009-06-17T02:24:51Z")
The [bank](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bony_mellon) my brother works for is only a few years younger. And that was just off the top of my head. ---
**Author:** ![Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimmy_Gibbler)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-us-company/500024/3 "2009-06-17T02:30:51Z")
Outside edit window: This [link](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oldest_companies) may also interest you. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-us-company/500024/4 "2009-06-17T03:50:25Z")
Well, according to that, [Shirley Plantation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Plantation) is the oldest business in the US, dating back to 1638. But they haven’t been a working plantation for like a hundred years. Seems to me that [Towle Silversmiths](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towle_Silversmiths) might be the oldest, dating from 1857 and still a division of some holding company. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-us-company/500024/5 "2009-06-17T03:53:48Z")
While the OP specifies the US, [here’s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=462619&highlight=oldest+company) a thread we did a year ago about the oldest continuious operating biz in the world. I didn’t even reread it, just supplying the link. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-us-company/500024/6 "2009-06-17T04:15:19Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Well, according to that, [Shirley Plantation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Plantation) is the oldest business in the US, dating back to 1638. But they haven’t been a working plantation for like a hundred years. There’s a farm in the little town in Connecticut (Fieldview Farm, Orange CT) where I grew up that’s been operated by the same family continuously since 1639. We used to buy milk from there when I was a kid. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-us-company/500024/7 "2009-06-17T04:20:50Z")
Tuttle Market Garden in Dover, NH, has been family-owned and operated since [1640](http://www.citypaper.com/news/story.asp?id=3572). ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-us-company/500024/8 "2009-06-17T12:12:01Z")
[King Arthur Flour](http://www.kingarthurflour.com/)has been selling flour since 1790. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-us-company/500024/9 "2009-06-17T14:52:18Z")
Harvard was [founded in 1636 and is the oldest corporation in the U.S](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard_University). I’m sure there are family companies that are even older. St. Augustine, Florida dates back to 1565. There may be something there. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-us-company/500024/10 "2009-06-17T19:53:38Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Don’t ask me how, but I recently discovered a Japanese company, [Takeda Pharmaceutical Research](http://www.takeda.com/), that has been in business since 1781. I just have to mention [Kongo Gumi](http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/apr2007/sb20070416_589621.htm),the 1400 year old temple builder just went out of business in 2008. I guess they just don’t build as many traditional temples these days. I find that sad. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-us-company/500024/11 "2009-06-17T20:00:58Z")
Oh yeah, and just for a mention, [Zildjian](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zildjian) is an American company that originated in the Ottoman Empire in 1623, although they are more of a spinoff of the original company. ---
**Author:** ![Kingspades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecae2f/32.png) [@Kingspades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kingspades)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-us-company/500024/12 "2009-06-17T20:11:16Z")
Zildjian, the cymbal manufacturer, claims to be the oldest continuously operating family-owned business in the United States. [This magazine article](http://www.familybusinessmagazine.com/oldestcos.html) backs up the claim and lists some other venerable companies, most of which are farms. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-us-company/500024/13 "2009-06-17T23:00:20Z")
The [Lake Champlain Transportation Company](http://www.ferries.com/) has been in continuous operation since 1826. ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-us-company/500024/14 "2009-06-18T01:04:37Z")
> [@Darryl\_Lict](#): > > I just have to mention [Kongo Gumi](http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/apr2007/sb20070416_589621.htm),the 1400 year old temple builder just went out of business in 2008. I guess they just don’t build as many traditional temples these days. I find that sad. They still exist, although they’re not a _family business_ anymore. They were bought by another company and are thus now a subsidiary, which raises questions of how you’re going to define “company”. The main reason for their financial difficulties was not lack of demand (demand has always been kind of low) but terrible investments made during the economic bubble of the 80s. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-us-company/500024/15 "2009-06-18T01:27:37Z")
Also not in the U.S., but I ate lunch at this [restaurant](http://we.tenfootsquare.com/spain/las-escobas-spains-oldest-restaurant-in-sevilla/) in Seville a few years ago. They claim to be in operation since 1386. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-us-company/500024/16 "2009-06-18T02:15:44Z")
> [@jovan](#): > > They still exist, although they’re not a _family business_ anymore. They were bought by another company and are thus now a subsidiary, which raises questions of how you’re going to define “company”. The main reason for their financial difficulties was not lack of demand (demand has always been kind of low) but terrible investments made during the economic bubble of the 80s. I can only imagine how it must feel to be the idiot who lost the company that was in the family for 14 centuries. If it were me, I’d seriously consider seppuku (or perhaps a less painful form of suicide). ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-us-company/500024/17 "2009-06-18T04:14:31Z")
I would commit suicide by snu-snu. And the slow slow poison of living life filthy rich. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-us-company/500024/18 "2009-06-18T13:50:57Z")
If we’re talking \*large \*companies, the one that has been on the Dow Jones 30 Industrials for the longest time is General Electric.