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History Highlights
In the Beginning
The Unknown Revolutionary Soldier
The Totem Pole
The Store Today
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In the Beginning Custom Furniture Manufacturing Inc. of Chicago was started by Andrew and Maryon Pakan in 1938. An outgrowth of Pakan Bros. retail furniture store, Custom Furniture inherited a shop of European crafstmen noted for custom made upholstery, cabinetry and finishing. Custom sold furniture both retail and wholesale mainly to many designers. It was shipped throughout the United States. In 1963, the Pakans opened a free standing unfinished furniture solid-wood furniture store in rural St. Charles. |
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The Unknown Revolutionary Soldier In the early 1970's, Andrew built a 18 foot revolutionary soldier with a 14 foot long gun that sits in a large red rocking chair. It took him over a year to carve. He used 100 year old oak trees that had been growing next to the store. The soldier is held together by 2 inch pipes and the head alone weighs 650 pounds. The wooden soldier is a Bicentennial Memorial, dedicated to the brave, unsung heroes of all past wars. In 1976, Andrew gained national recognition for his creation when he and the soldier were featured on the cover of TV Guide. Locally, the soldier is considered a landmark and people often have their picture taken with the soldier. |
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The Totem Pole In 1983, Andrew again put his creative talents to work when he carved the totem pole that sits on the store property. The totem pole was carved from one tree that was cut into three pieces. This made the carving easier, but putting it back together turned out to be a challenge! Update: Oct. 2006: The totempole is no longer able to withstand the weather, and has since been removed. |
Assembling the totem pole |
The Store Today
Today, although Andrew and Maryon no longer run Custom Furniture, it has
remained as a family business. Now their son,
Richard Pakan, and his
wife, Carolyn, manage the store.
They are helped by Andrea Hickman,
Andrew and Maryon's daughter, and
Andrew,
Richard and Carolyn's son. Other family members have also
helped throughout the years to make Custom Furniture what it is today.
Our family owned business is here to serve you!
Our family is here to serve you!
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