Salem Brothers Incorporate Game Company
On this day in 1901, George, Charles, and Edward Parker incorporated a game company: Parker Brothers. Started by George in 1883 with a single, self-invented game named Banking, Parker Brothers quickly capitalized on the nation's interest in new games and novelties. By 1900, the company was a major force in the game industry. The Great Depression took its toll on the Salem-based company, and only the 1934 introduction of a real-estate selling game kept the company solvent. George Parker had first rejected this game as too complicated. He quickly realized his error in judgment and introduced Monopoly to a game-loving American public. Purchased by Hasbro in 1991, Parker Brothers continues to be an internationally recognized leader in games.
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