TidBit in time Van Dusen Baskets
Van Dusen Baskets originated in Edgerton, Ohio. My grandfather, Harry Alvin Van Dusen, born Feb. 15, 1870 in Leo Indiana moved with his family to Edgerton at an early age. Harry’s father died when he was 14 years old and Harry went to work at the Oak Manufacturing Company to help with the family’s finances. They manufactured oak lumber, oak bushel baskets and splint baskets.
In 1889 Harry Van Dusen married Elizabeth ( Lilly) Stoops. To this union was born 10 children, five boys and five girls.
Harry went to Paducah, KY in 1905 to work in a veneer plant. He had learned the veneer business so well that he was sent to Mishawaka, IN to set up a new mill. From there to Des Arc, AR in 1907 and on to Cotton Plant in 1909 to help build still another veneer mill.
It was in Cotton Plant that Garner Green persuaded my grandfather to go into business with him in Malvern, AR. Mr. Green had acquired the old AP&L building after they moved to Arkadelphia. The business was born and named Van Veneer Company and remained at the same site until 1969 when the family sold the business to Charlie Adams.
The Van Veneer Company produced face veneer for furniture, but baskets were a by-product. Grandfather Van Dusen had a patent on banana crates used to ship bananas. Also, a diamond basket was made to ship vegetables.
The ten children of Harry and Lilly all learned the business and worked in some area of the business at some time in their lives. The boys would all eventually serve as president of the company.
With the help of Grandfather Van Dusen, my father, Clyde Clarence, started his own business making baskets for the market. Daddy had several employees, mostly in North Malvern, making plats and baskets, usually a 2nd job for them. Every day Daddy would take out splints of fresh cut logs. The plat workers were young and old. He had a stripped down ‘31 Model A that he used to deliver and pick up. We called her “Betsy”.
Times were tough during the Depression and the five children in our family learned to work at a very early age to help in any way we could. When the war came, business picked up. Along with the usual baskets, we began cutting material for cheese boxes for the government to ship cheese to the armed forces. Daddy worked at the Van Veneer Company until he retired and the business was sold.
Daddy made a bassinet for my 2nd child in 1947 and each of the next four were gently rocked in the basket built on a screen door springs attached to make it spring up and down or rock to and fro.
I, Juanita Van Dusen Efird, began making baskets as a hobby in 1980. Daddy would watch me and offer advice. My younger brother, Milton E. Van Dusen,
began making Van Dusen Baskets in Ada, OK after retirement from Ark- La Gas.
This Tidbit in Time shared by the Hot Spring County Historical Society
The Heritage, Vol. 20, p.9-11