In the year 1866 Mr. G. O. Wilson and Mr. Albert Sumner left their homes in Foxboro, Mass., in search of a promising field for establishing the business of renovating straw hats. Without any definite place in view, one city after another was visited, Baltimore being finally their chosen locality. Messrs. Wilson & Sumner associated with them Mr. W. C. Perry, who also came from Foxboro, and the firm was made Sumner & Perry, establishing themselves in the rear of No. 71, now 10 West Lexington street. Mr. Sumner withdrawing from the firm the same year, the two remaining partners continued the business at the same place as the firm of Wilson & Perry. At that time the retail price of straw hats was such as to allow a profitable business to be done in renovating and altering styles, and in that branch these persons met with success. Previous to this, however, others had been engaged in the business of bleaching and pressing straw hats. Among the first who entered into the business, as far as can be learned, was the firm of Rosenswig, Davidson & Ash, about the year 1848; they were cap manufacturers, and added the pressing of Leghorn hats as an auxiliary business. Mr. Samuel White, who learned his trade of the previously mentioned firm, afterwards carried on hat bleaching and pressing in connection with cap making, at No. 78 South Charles street (present No. 132). From 1850 to 1865 extensive importations of German straw hats came into the port of Baltimore, and Mr. White did a large business in finishing these goods. In 1857 Mr. White commenced the jobbing hat business, forming in 1861 the firm of White, Rosenburg & Co., and is now in business at No. 9 South Howard street, of the firm of S. White & Son. Richard Hill, at present in the retail hat business at No. 5 South Liberty street, was formerly engaged in hat bleaching and pressing at the same locality. Messrs. Wilson & Perry continued to prosper in their enterprise, and, increasing their facilities, gradually developed it into straw goods manufacturing, confining their business for several years almost exclusively with two prominent Baltimore jobbing houses, who supplied sufficient patronage for their constantly increasing production; one of their patrons being Cole, Brigham & Co., the other Armstrong, Cator & Co., one of the largest millinery firms in the country. In 1877 Messrs. Wilson & Perry purchased the premises No. 101 West Lexington street, now 104, where they secured more commodious quarters, and, with an admirably equipped factory, continued to do a large and prosperous business. Mr. Perry died in 1880. In July, 1887, the firm title of Wilson & Perry was changed, Mr. Wilson associating with M. Frank, J. D. Horner and A. Levering, formed the firm of Wilson, Frank & Horner, and occupied the warehouse No. 204 West Baltimore street, in connection with the factory on Lexington street.