– Johann Fredrich (J. Fredrich) Hillerich is born in Sigmaringen, Germany.

– J. Fredrich’s father, Michael Hillerich, brings the family from Baden-Baden, Germany to Baltimore, Maryland.  After a short time, the family moves to Louisville, Kentucky

– J. Fredrich has his own business “running a cooperage” in Louisville.  He had worked for his father as an apprentice before starting his own business.  The name of the business was “J.F. Hillerich, Job Turning.”  The two-story brick building was located at 22 Clay Street, near the Ohio River, in downtown Louisville.

– J. Fredrich’s eldest son, John Andrew “Bud” Hillerich, is born in Louisville.

– J.F. Hillerich moves his business to First Street, between Main and Market Streets.  There, he continued to do job-lot turnings of roller skids, bed posts, tenpins, duckpins, wooden bowling balls, newel posts, handrails, and porch columns that dignified Louisville mansions built in that period.

– “Bud” Hillerich, 14 years old, learns his father’s trade by serving as an apprentice in J.F. Hillerich’s woodworking shop.

– “Bud” Hillerich turns a wooden baseball bat for Pete Browning, who played for the Louisville Eclipse baseball team of the American Association.  This is believed to be the company’s first baseball bat for a professional player. One of Browning’s nicknames was “The Louisville Slugger.” 

– Simmon’s Hardware Company of St. Louis signs an agreement with the Hillerichs to handle all bat sales, except those for professional baseball players and a few chosen outlets.  The bat turned by young Bud Hillerich six years before is now known as the “Falls City Slugger,” named for the Falls of the Ohio River – a stretch of rapids on the Ohio at Louisville.

– The name “Louisville Slugger” is registered with the United States Government as an official trademark by the Hillerichs.

– The name of the firm is changed to “J.F. Hillerich & Son.”

– Because of expanded growth, new manufacturing quarters had to be found, so the company moved its operations to Preston Street, between Finzer and Jacob Streets in Louisville.

– On September 1, 1905, Honus Wagner, “The Flying Dutchman,” signed a contract giving J.F. Hillerich & Son permission to use his autograph on Louisville Slugger bats.  Not only was Wagner the first of thousands of baseball stars to sign a contract with the Hillerichs, but this is also regarded as the first instance of a professional athlete endorsing an athletic product.

– A disastrous fire severely damages the bat factory.  Rebuilding soon begins.

– While rebuilding from the fire is in progress, Frank W. Bradsby, a young buyer from Simmon’s  Hardware, joins the company.  He assumes responsibility for the firm’s sales strategies.

– The company name is lengthened slightly as it becomes “J.F. Hillerich & Son Co.”

– Because of the increasing popularity of its new golf club, the company purchases a large warehouse on Finzer and Jackson Streets from the American Tobacco Company.  This building houses new golf club manufacturing.  The company also moves its offices into this new location

– The first use of the name “PowerBilt” on golf clubs made by H&B.

– Hillerich & Bradsby Co. celebrates the 50th anniversary of the turning of the first Louisville Slugger baseball bat.

– The catastrophic flood of 1937 hits H&B hard.  The offices and parts of the factory are damaged.  Although the material loss is of small consequence, the tremendous strain and hard work after the flood contribute to the death of Frank Bradsby.

– H&B aids in the war production effort with the manufacturing of bats, M1 carbine stocks, and tank pins for the United States Armed Forces.

– Louisville Slugger awards its first Silver Bats to the batting champions of each league.

– H&B Purchases Wally Enterprises in Wallaceburg, Ontario.  This marks the firm’s entrance into the ice hockey stick business.

– Hillerich & Bradsby Company moves its corporate offices to the Portland Federal Building in downtown Louisville.

– When John A. Hillerich, Jr. dies, his son, John A. Hillerich, III, assumes leadership of the company.

– H&B contracts Alcoa Aluminum Company to manufacture the first aluminum bat for Louisville Slugger.

– Because of inadequate production and warehousing facilities, H&B purchases a building in Jeffersonville, Indiana and moves the golf production to “Slugger Park.”

– H&B enters the glove and mitt business with its first Louisville Slugger line of baseball and softball gloves.

– Louisville Slugger creates the Silver Slugger Team, an annual award given to the top offensive performers at each position in both leagues.

– Because of the tremendous growth of its aluminum bat sales, Louisville Slugger moves its aluminum bat production into new and larger facilities in Ontario, California.  During the same year, a smaller aluminum bat and aluminum hockey stick manufacturing facility was opened in Florence, Kentucky.

– H&B places the World’s Biggest Baseball Bat in front of the company’s new headquarters and museum, still under construction on Main Street, in downtown Louisville.

– H&B moves to new corporate complex with company offices for PowerBilt Golf, Louisville Hockey, the bat factory, and Louisville Slugger Museum in downtown Louisville, just a few blocks from J.F. Hillerich’s 1875 location.

– The assembly of PowerBilt golf clubs was moved from the Louisville, Kentucky location to Golf Works in Newark, Ohio.

– In partnership with a local hand surgeon, H&B’s Bionic Glove division is created. The hand surgeon’s medical expertise, combined with H&B’s experience producing high-performance equipment, results in revolutionary gloves for hockey, golf, baseball, gardening, and more.

– John A Hillerich IV steps to the plate as President and CEO of Hillerich & Bradsby Co.  He succeeds his father, John A. “Jack” Hillerich III who remains as chairman of the board.

– In its tenth anniversary year, Louisville Slugger Museum changes its name to Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory to better reflect the overall experience at the attraction

– Louisville Slugger teams up with Major League Baseball to produce pink bats for professional players to use during a Mother’s Day campaign, raising money for breast cancer research.