Derby, Miller & Co., Auburn, New York
Derby and Miller, Auburn, New York
Derby, Orton & Mulligan, Buffalo, New York
Miller, Orton & Mulligan, Auburn and Buffalo
J. C. Derby, New York City
Derby and Jackson, New York City
Derby and Miller, New York City
Henry W. Derby, Cincinnati

James Cephas Derby (1818-) began his book career in Auburn, New York as an apprentice in the H. Ivison bookstore. He opened his own bookstore in 1840: J. C. Derby & Co.
In 1844 he published his first book. Norman C. Miller was a clerk in the bookstore and was made a partner in 1848: Derby, Miller & Co. A third partner was James B. Thompson. In 1850 the firm name changed to Derby and Miller.

William Orton (1826-1878) worked in George Derby's bookstore in Geneva, New York. George was a brother of James Derby.

In January, 1853 the Derby and Miller firm dissolved. At that time the partners were J. C. Derby, N. C. Miller, E. C. Storke and E. Munson. In its place the new firms of Derby & Miller, Auburn and Derby, Orton & Mulligan, Buffalo were established. The partners in this firm J. C. Derby, N. C. Miller, Elliot C. Storke, Edward Munson, William Orton and Eugene Mulligan.

Elliot Storke (1811-1879) was educated in the public schools of Auburn. In 1842 he was County Superintendent of the Public School of Cayuga County. He worked with Mark H. Newman & Co, book publishers, in New York before becoming a partner with Derby, Miller, et. al. After the failure of Miller, Orton & Mulligan in 1857, Storke organized the Auburn Publishing Co. which published subscription books.

In December, 1853 the relatively newly formed partnerships dissolved. J. C. Derby moved to New York at 8 Park Place. The other partners formed a new limited partnership: Miller, Orton & Mulligan at Auburn and Buffalo. It succeeded the previous firms of Derby & Miller as well as Derby, Orton & Mulligan. By April, 1855 this outfit had Auburn and New York City offices. Eugene Mulligan left the Miller, Orton & Mulligan in January, 1856 under the shadow of fraudulent use of the credit of the company for his own personal affairs. Orton left the company in about this same time frame. The panic of 1857 caused the financial failure of the firm and necessitated the liquidation of any assets.

William Orton subsequently spent time with the Mason Bros., W. A. Townsend & Co. and James G. Gregory. In 1863 he became involved with Western Union Telegraph.

James Derby's new publishing company was J. C. Derby. In 1856 Derby entered into a partnership with Edwin Jackson to establish Derby & Jackson. Jackson had previously been associated with Phinney & Co. This firm was active until 1861. Norman C. Miller joined Derby to form Derby & Miller between 1861 and 1866.

Henry W. Derby who was the younger brother of James Cephas Derby initially settled in Columbus, Ohio in about 1838. In 1843 he established "Derby and Allen" (H. S. Allen), a publishing and bookselling operation. It dissolved within a year. He moved to Cincinnati in about 1844 and went into business with Charles F. Bradley who had previously worked for D. Appleton & Co. By 1845 the company name had changed from Henry W. Derby and Company to Derby, Bradley & Co. In 1848 Bradley was gone and the name returned to Henry W. Derby & Co. He retired in 1858.

These firms published several series for juveniles.