Grayson County TXGenWeb

Mattress Factory
Denison, Texas

ca1930

308 S. Chandler at 1001-1017 West Owings Street
photo by Walter P. Lebrecht

Denison Herald
July 25, 1972
pg.5

MATTRESS FACTORY STARTED IN 1899
In 1899 Nicholas Marsico, who had never been inside a mattress factory before, purchased the Red River Mattress Factory in Denison. That factory, located where the first Pillsbury plant in Denison was to be, became the Denison Mattress Factory as Marsico took it over and the history of the 72-year-old firm began.
From its first mattresses stuffed with cottonwood block shavings, the firm has undergone years of change to its present production of Den-Mat replaceable parts mattresses with 35 employees. Sons Ted and Gene still operate the family farm.
The senior Marsico's route to Denison was an intricate one; the journey began when he came to the United States from Italy in the middle 1880s. One of the 4 children in his family, Marsico arrived in New York with $1.25.
His first job was with a steel company in Virginia where he advanced from a laborer to yard superintendent. But his dreams centered around owning a Texas ranch and after he had saved enough money he acquired a ranch in Ft. Worth. That venture did not go well; however, and after he lost the ranch he came to Denison to start over because he had liked what he had seen of the frontier town while enroute to Ft. Worth.
From it's beginning as a one-man operation at the turn of the century, the firm's first expansion began with the purchase of the then abandoned Knitting Mill building which had been destroyed by fire in on January 31, 1904 on the opposite side of Chandler avenue and rehabilitated the building by putting a new roof on it and making changes with the interior. The plant was operated by electricity.
Established about 1879, the Knitting Mill had for several years produced hosiery. It was one of a series of earliest Denison factories that failed to prosper.
The knitting mill building was a rock structure measuring about 50 by 150 feet. Still part of the facilities today, it is surrounded by an extensive maze of other buildings.

In 1905 Mr. Marsico purchased the Red River Mattress factory in Gainesville and moved it to Denison. There was a great demand for the products of the Red River Mattress factory. Mr. Marsico controled the entire market in Denison and largely in Sherman; his patronage covered a large scope of territory. (The Sunday Gazetteer, Sunday, August 20, 1905, pg.3)

Denison, Texas.
Factory building: Denison Mattress Factory had plans prepared by John Tulloch, architect, Sherman, and began erection of 1-story press brick factory building, 69x50 feet to cost about $5,000. Material not purchased and will include concrete wire glass, steel trusses, steel columns, etc. (Western Contractor, Kansis City, Missouri, June 5, 1912, pg.11)

The Sunday Gazetteer
Sunday, December 18, 1910

The firm's first first warehouse was built in 1918.
Marsico's four sons, Gene, Victor, Bill and Ted were delegated much of the firm's duties in 1940 and the operation became theirs in 1946. The senior Marsico died here in 1946.
The firm has changed its production emphasis several times in its 72 years of existence; by far the busiest time in its history were the war years.
Throughout that period the firm produced many thousands of mattresses under defense contracts for all the military branches. One government contract called for the manufacture of 5,000 baby bed mattresses for the Army Medical Corps.
The firm in the past has manufactured all types of mattresses and related products; for many years it was also a leader in the production of furniture.
The Den-Mat mattress with its replaceable parts currently is in more than 700 commercial institutes.
Because of the top and bottom sections, sandwiching a spring unit with zipper closure, Den-Mat replaceable parts are ideal for solving problems encountered by nursing home hospitals and other institutions.
The firm has the only mattress which can meet all federal specifications.
From a modest beginning in 1899, the Denison Mattress Co. has grown to be an integral part of the Denison business community.

The Denison Press
Friday, May 12, 1933

THREE THOUSAND MATTRESSES MADE BY DENISON FIRM
Business was given a great impetus at the Denison Mattress Factory recently when an order was received by them from the United States government for the construction of 3000 mattresses to be used in the reforestation program, according to N. Marsico, proprietor of the factory.
The order came through the Department of War and was awarded on competitive bid. Delivery of mattresses are being made as they are completed and final delivery will be made by the 25th of June.
Mr. Marsico stated this week that as far as possible Grayson county material and especially cotton from this county will be used. Work is progressing rapidly on them.
There are regularly employed at the factory 3 men but this order has made it necessary to put on 12 extra men and they will be working full time until the completion of the order.
The Denison Mattress Factory has been operating in the city for the past 32 years. Mattresses made here are not only sold in Denison but in a large number of the southern states. This business has been a real asset to the city in the years that it has been in operation.

The Denison Press
Friday, June 27, 1947
pg. 9

Founded in 1900 by the late Nicholas Marsico, the factory has expanded constantly. In 1930 operation was taken over by sons of the founder and new lines added for public consumption.
Items now turned out by the firm and ending the deed of Denisonians to go to foreign markets to obtain are fiber-glass mattresses, insulated shopping bags for cold drinks and frozen foods, rain capes, fiber glass, fire proof mattress covers, Billow Fluff mattresses, Hollywood furniture, box springs and others.
Only this year has the company erected a new brick building and added the latest type machinery for its modern factory. It has spread its territory and is now serving 38 states and Puerto Rico. Seventy-five persons are employed here and sales representatives are located all over the nation.
Operated as a general partnership, Denison Mattress factory executives are Eugene A. Marsico, general manager; William E. Marsico, sales manager, Theodore W. Marsico, production manager; and Victor N. Marsico, counsel and legal advisor.