The following has been submitted by the Logan County History Center:
By: Todd McCormick
In May 2024, Don Stinson loaned one of his handmade band organs to the History Center for an exhibit at the Logan County Museum. The America 250 Ohio Commission has selected this Stinson Band Organ to be part of its “Ohio Creativity Trail” under the Carousel Art Theme, a recognition that highlights Ohio’s unique artistic and mechanical heritage.
Don Stinson of rural Bellefontaine is truly a master craftsman. He is one of the very few people in history to both build and repair band organs. Since founding the Stinson Organ Company in 1965, his work has earned international acclaim, making his company one of the foremost band organ manufacturers in the United States and the world.
Stinson’s journey began far from the world of mechanical music. He worked as a diesel electrician for the New York Central Railroad, but in 1960, he left the job when asked to relocate. Choosing instead to follow his lifelong passion for music, he learned to tune and repair pianos and organs while working part‑time as an electrician, welder, and plumber at a local factory. One assignment led him to tune a piano at the San Juan Amusement Park at Indian Lake. After finishing, he was asked a simple but pivotal question: Could he work on the park’s band organ? He said yes, and his new career began.
Fascinated by their complexity, Stinson immersed himself in the design and mechanics of band organs. These instruments recreate the sounds of full bands using music rolls, later replaced by digital music, to activate pipes, valves, and percussion. In 1965, he officially founded The Stinson Organ Company, dedicating his efforts to mechanical musical instruments.
As his reputation grew, Don Stinson became one of the most sought‑after band organ repairmen in the world, servicing instruments for amusement parks, entertainment venues, and private collectors across the United States and abroad. Yet his true focus remained on innovation. His repair work gave him deep insight into existing designs and inspired him to create more durable, modern organs that were easier to maintain and built to last.
Band organ manufacturing has always been a highly specialized craft. The Stinson Organ Company fabricated nearly every component in-house, from the tiniest valves to the organ pipes and even the mechanical figures adorning the façades. Many of the organs were enhanced with decorative hand-painted artwork by Stinson’s daughter, Brenda, and local artist Holley Milroy. The company also manufactured replacement parts for organs they serviced. Continuing his forward‑thinking approach, Stinson helped usher the industry into the digital age by adopting MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) technology in place of traditional music rolls.
In 1979, a new chapter began when Dave Niswonger joined the Stinson Organ Company at the age of fourteen. A graduate of Ohio Hi‑Point JVS and former Clark State student, Niswonger brought a strong engineering mindset to the workshop. Drawing on both formal training and years of hands‑on experience, he designed, built, and even invented organ components, including the innovative “Spool Frame,” which holds and rotates the music roll to help produce sound.
For over three decades, Niswonger became involved in every aspect of band organ design, construction, and maintenance. Together, he and Don Stinson traveled extensively to service organs nationwide, and Niswonger became an indispensable figure not only within the company but also in the wider world of mechanical music.
The Stinson Organ Company created over one hundred custom band organs, now located across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and Malaysia. Their impressive client list includes the Mall of America in Minneapolis and the massive “Mighty 3000M” organ built for the First World Hotel and Resort in Pahang, Malaysia. Stinson’s organs have brought joy to millions. They are admired for their precise engineering, celebrated for their artistic beauty, and loved for the music they produce.
Visit the Logan County History Center this Sunday, April 26th, for our “A Salute to America 250” open house from 1:00 – 5:00 pm featuring a Stinson Organ and many other interesting aspects of Logan County History. Plus, the Orr Mansion has been beautifully decorated in a patriotic theme by the Logan Piecemakers quilt club, and the Mad River Dulcimer Society will be performing in the Transportation Museum at 1:00 pm. Admission is free.
Regular tour hours are Wednesday – Sunday from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
