James Wallace Keller was born in Canada on April 6,1856. Either in, or near, St. Catherines, Ontario, to a New Yorker father and a Scottish mother. By 1870 the family had relocated to the village of Porterfield in Venango County, Pennsylvania, where his father worked as a Blacksmith. A few years later the family moved again, this time to Niles, Michigan, to start a farm.
James Wallace Keller
By 1881 James returned to Canada and was married in Westminster, now a suburb of London, Ontario. Returning to the states the next year he settled in Mishawaka, Indiana. Mishawaka is adjacent to South Bend and was only about 10 miles from the family farm in Niles.
In September 1872 a fire destroyed three-quarters of the commercial district of Mishawaka. However, the citizens rebuilt and attracted new industry. The Dodge Manufacturing Company, Perkins Windmills and the Mishawaka Woolen and Rubber Company (later Ball Band, then Uniroyal) all helped the town to recover and prosper.
James started a grocery business on the north side of South Bend. Two years later he opened a small stationary and candy stand at the main post office. By 1885 he had opened a second grocery location in the Kipling Building downtown. A newspaper article stated that he was manufacturing a very popular baking powder. In 1893 James had several delivery wagons working for his store.
In the 1890s a children's game, called "Hounds and Hares", was becoming popular with teenagers and young adults. This game, actually a race, was being run by some colleges, cross country groups and YMCAs. "Hares" were allowed a 3 to 5 minute head start and had to drop a piece of paper every 50 yards. The "Hounds" had to run the course by following the "scent" left by the paper. The courses were usually 3-5 miles through a town or fields. "Hares" had to be back to start line 5 to 7 minutes before the "Hounds". Some groups of cyclists had changed this idea to ten or fifteen mile routes in a city.
James came up with a simpler idea for the older crowd in 1894, a card game. The game was played by four players composing two "Hounds" and two "Hares", It was a game of taking tricks and accumulating points.
In September 1872 a fire destroyed three-quarters of the commercial district of Mishawaka. However, the citizens rebuilt and attracted new industry. The Dodge Manufacturing Company, Perkins Windmills and the Mishawaka Woolen and Rubber Company (later Ball Band, then Uniroyal) all helped the town to recover and prosper.
James started a grocery business on the north side of South Bend. Two years later he opened a small stationary and candy stand at the main post office. By 1885 he had opened a second grocery location in the Kipling Building downtown. A newspaper article stated that he was manufacturing a very popular baking powder. In 1893 James had several delivery wagons working for his store.
In the 1890s a children's game, called "Hounds and Hares", was becoming popular with teenagers and young adults. This game, actually a race, was being run by some colleges, cross country groups and YMCAs. "Hares" were allowed a 3 to 5 minute head start and had to drop a piece of paper every 50 yards. The "Hounds" had to run the course by following the "scent" left by the paper. The courses were usually 3-5 miles through a town or fields. "Hares" had to be back to start line 5 to 7 minutes before the "Hounds". Some groups of cyclists had changed this idea to ten or fifteen mile routes in a city.
James came up with a simpler idea for the older crowd in 1894, a card game. The game was played by four players composing two "Hounds" and two "Hares", It was a game of taking tricks and accumulating points.
James sent out advance copies of his game to people, and businesses, in Canada and the surrounding area. The responses were printed on cards included in the deck.
The game also appealed to the moral side of people.
There is no evidence that James every copyrighted or patented this game. Advertisements for "Hounds and Hares" appeared in newspapers across the country until late 1895.
Who printed this deck? James was living in South Bend at the time, but the box has "Mishawaka" printed on it. There were no playing card companies located there.
And the tuck box flap has Samuel J. Murray's patent printed on it. The patent had come out in 1890 and Murray, at this time, was running his National Card Company in Indianapolis.
Apparently the game was not a huge financial success. The grocery business may have even taken a downturn because in 1894 James had gone to work for Beatty Felting in Mishawaka. This company, only 8 years old, was becoming a big felt goods manufacturer, especially of boots. But James, after only one year, left to work for their competitor the Mishawaka Woolen Company.
In 1886, Martin V. Beiger and Adolphus Eberhart, the two principle members of the firm, invented the all-knit boot. From the start, the knit boot was such an outstanding success that the manufacture of flannels and yarn was discontinued. Since these wool boots and socks were worn with rubber boots and shoes, the company decided to make its own rubber footwear.
The knit boot was made with a black band around the top. In 1891, the Red Ball was added to the band, and it was registered as a trademark in 1901. The Red Ball on the black band naturally suggested the name “BALL-BAND,” and this name was also registered in 1901.
James became one of the company's best Ball-Band salesmen. He retired as their oldest salesman in 1930 at age 74. In 1933 he died after having been hospitalized for a month.
The knit boot was made with a black band around the top. In 1891, the Red Ball was added to the band, and it was registered as a trademark in 1901. The Red Ball on the black band naturally suggested the name “BALL-BAND,” and this name was also registered in 1901.
James became one of the company's best Ball-Band salesmen. He retired as their oldest salesman in 1930 at age 74. In 1933 he died after having been hospitalized for a month.