The Wicks Organ Company started in the early 1900's on the second floor of a jewelry and watch-making store in Highland, Illinois. Soon the parish wanted a new pipe organ to replace their aging reed organ, so John Wick, with the help of his brothers, Louis and Adolph, started to work. Using their talents as a watchmaker, a cabinet maker, and a jeweler, the three Wicks created a small mechanical ac
tion instrument that successfully met the needs of their church. It wasn't long before nearby churches heard of their work, and wanted the same for their growing parishes. The Wicks created more of their instruments, and interest in organs built right here in Illinois grew. By 1908, the three Wicks incorporated the Wicks Organ Company, and began producing pipe organs for homes and churches in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and eventually almost every state in the country. The Wicks initially used all mechanical action, but with the advent of electricity and electric blowers, began to experiment with electro-pneumatic actions. There are surviving examples of their work today, but John Wick thought that surely an organ could be operated purely electrically, avoiding the difficulties of pneumatic actions. Such pneumatic actions require frequent total releathering, and are susceptible to dirt, air pollution, changes in weather, moisture, and the winding and layout of the organ must be designed with the action in mind, not the pipework, or the amount of space available to the organ. When difficulties do occur in these actions, repair and service can be incredibly difficult. By 1914, Wicks had perfected their electric action. Named DIRECT-ELECTRIC® for the electrical connection directly from the key to the valve, this small device remedied all of the difficulties of the pneumatic actions. The DIRECT-ELECTRIC®units had only one moving part, no perishable materials, could be arranged in any fashion one could dream of, were easily serviceable, and could function under any given wind pressure. Their single moving part made their reaction time immediate. The DIRECT-ELECTRIC®Action was patented in 1922, and again in 1929, based on improvements. The organ world, unlike the fast-moving world of technology, was slow to grasp a new idea. There were some tough years for the Wicks as they began to use the DIRECT-ELECTRIC® action, but in hindsight, one can see the great opportunities this action brought to the company. In their first 13 years of building pneumatic and mechanical action instruments, the Wicks built 275 instruments. In the 15 years after inventing DIRECT-ELECTRIC® action, the Wicks opus list grew to over 1000. The Wicks continued to build instruments for the many small churches around the Illinois and Missouri countryside. Most of these organs are still playing today, a testament to the longevity of the Wicks DIRECT-ELECTRIC® action. Many people considered Wicks a builder of only small organs, but this is just one part of the Wicks history. Many large instruments have come out of the Wicks shop, including the 82 rank organ at First Baptist Church in Memphis, or the 92 rank instrument at Morehouse College in Atlanta, and Wicks has been proud to be part of many large restoration projects, such as the implementation of DIRECT-ELECTRIC® action in the Aeolian-Skinner organ in the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., or the restoration and enlargement of the 118 rank Kilgen/Möller instrument in the Cathedral Basilica in St. The first Wicks pipe organ is still playing today, proving that durability, reliability, and longevity are foundations of the Wicks Organ Company. Today the third generation of the Wick family oversees our extensive facilities and trained staff. The traditions of quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction continue today. Wicks is a bondable company, with a secure financial background, a rarity among organ building firms. We know our organs will be around for many years, and so will we.
