William D. Ticknor, Boston
William D. Ticknor & Co.

William D. Ticknor and John Allen opened their bookshop in Boston in 1832. At the time Ticknor’s working experience had been limited to the banking industry. Allen had a circulating library. In addition to selling books they also did some publishing as Allen and Ticknor until 1834 when Allen left. Thereafter Ticknor continued as William D. Ticknor until 1843 when the company morphed into William D. Ticknor and Company when James T. Fields and John Reed were made partners.

James T. Fields (1817-1881) had been with the firm from the beginning. Reed was brought into the company as an investor ($8000) without book acumen. He was the son of the Lieutenant-Governor of Massachusetts and was later elected to congress. In 1849 the outfit changed its name to Ticknor, Reed and Fields.

Reed retired in 1854 and the company became Ticknor and Fields.

William D. Ticknor died in 1864. His son, Howard M. Ticknor, continued in the firm until 1868 when he retired. The remaining partners, James T. Fields, James R. Osgood, and John S. Clark succeeded Ticknor and Fields, as Fields, Osgood and Company.

James T. Fields retired in 1870 and on January 2, 1871 James R. Osgood & Co. was established with Osgood, Clark and Benjamin Ticknor as partners

Allen & Ticknor 1832-1834
William D. Ticknor 1834-1843
William D. Ticknor & Co. 1843-1849
Ticknor, Reed & Fields 1849-1854
Ticknor and Fields 1854-1868
Fields, Osgood & Co. 1868-1870

The publishers were well known as their list of authors was quite impressive: Hawthorne, Thoreau, Stowe, Tennyson, Kingsley, Emerson and Dickens to name a few.

William D. Ticknor published a few series for juveniles.