1940s Streamline Moderne Highboy Dresser by R-Way

Known among vintage furniture collectors for its beautifully finished wooden pieces, R-Way Furniture Company has an enduring legacy as one of the foremost American furniture manufacturers of the 20th century. 

Before it became R-Way, the Sheboygan, Wisconsin-based company was known as the Mattoon Manufacturing Company, founded by entrepreneur George B. Mattoon. Mattoon came from a background of limited means and left school at the age of 12 to support his family. At 15, he enlisted with the Union Army and fought in the Civil War. In 1865, following his stint with the military, Mattoon worked at his brother’s chair factory in Sheboygan Falls. His natural knack for business led him to manufacture and sell his own furniture, establishing the Mattoon Manufacturing Company in 1881.

After Mattoon died in 1904, the company became Northern Furniture. In 1916, the C. Reiss Coal Company bought the firm, and in 1942, it changed the name to R-Way.

Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, R-Way became known for producing high-quality home furnishings. Pieces such as dressers, commodes, credenzas, tables, dining room chairs and bedroom furniture were created using walnut, maple and mahogany and accented with brass fixtures. Although R-Way’s furniture consisted mainly of classic mid-century modern style, some pieces deviated into the Exotic Revival style. One example is a black, lacquered Pagoda-form sideboard buffet designed in the style of flamboyant, notorious designer James Mont. 

R-Way experienced continued success until 1962, when Franklin Industries, Inc., acquired it. In 1965, the company shifted its focus from producing household furnishings to commercial furniture.

During the 1970s and 1980s, R-Way’s production began to slow, and Reiss Industries bought the firm in 1987. R-Way Furniture Company closed in 1992.

Today, R-Way Furniture Company pieces remain highly sought after by mid-century modern interior designers and 20th-century furniture collectors. 

On 1stDibs, discover a range of vintage R-Way Furniture Company case pieces and storage cabinets, seating and more furniture and collectibles.