Info on a C.C. Steepleton Pool Table
3/1/2021 7:08:17 AM
Info on a C.C. Steepleton Pool Table
Can anyone give me info on a C.C. Steepleton & Co. pool table?
It has a 3-piece slate.
Info on a C.C. Steepleton Pool Table
Replies & Comments
billiardsforum on 3/1/2021 2:18:57 PMIt may well be that it's simply a Steepleton name plate, and some other brand of pool table.
Pool table service companies (of which C.C. Steepleton & Co. was one of) used to replace the original name plates on pool tables they serviced with their own name plates.
Are there any other markings, names, or writing of any kind on or under the pool table?
The pictures aren't clear enough to judge either way.
user1614611296 on 3/1/2021 5:36:32 PM
It has the word "Challenger" stamped underneath.
It was made for a Dr. Bessie Foster of Alabama (1882-1963). Her name, city and state are written on the underside of the slates.
user1740669419 on 2/27/2025 10:17:00 AM
@user1614611296 - I know your post is 4 years old, but I am curious if you ever figured this out?
My great uncle has a Steepleton pool table. The brand plate on his is exactly the same plate as yours, and these are the only two examples I've seen like this. His is also the only other "Steepleton" where I've seen those screws with oversized washers on the aprons like yours.
His pool table has existed my entire life, which means that it is probably at least as old as 1980. It is interesting that yours belonged to a lady that died in 1963. That may help me narrow mine down a bit.
The legs and pockets are a bit different on my great uncle's pool table. But not a lot different.
- billiardsforum on 2/27/2025 6:47:40 PM
Yea, that pool table in the question above, I believe, would be much older than 1980. If I had to guess. I would put it somewhere between 1920 and 1940.
Unfortunately I don't have this model in my Steepleton archive.
I appreciate your response!
I actually have a little update to this. I reached out to Steepleton through email. They said that the table my great uncle has (almost the same as above) was likely not made by Steepleton. He said that "during that time, Steepleton was not making pool tables, but rather, they were putting their nameplate on pool tables that they serviced", and that "the table you have is likely a Brunswick".
I still can't find a Brunswick pool that looks similar to this one, but that's pretty neat. He also said, it's likely pre-1950 (as you've stated).
- billiardsforum on 2/28/2025 7:35:52 AM
Yup, I did a little more research as well, and my findings match what you're saying above:
C.C. Stapleton & Co. was a billiard supply company based in the early 1900s, primarily operating in the Midwest (notably in Kansas City). They were well-known as distributors and dealers of billiard tables, cues, balls, and other accessories.
However, they were not a primary manufacturer of pool tables themselves. Instead, they sourced tables from larger manufacturers, most notably Brunswick-Balke-Collender.
Did C.C. Stapleton & Co. manufacture their own pool tables?
- No, they were primarily dealers and suppliers.
Who made the tables they sold?
- A significant portion were made by Brunswick, which was the dominant pool table manufacturer at the time. It’s also possible they worked with a few other smaller regional table makers, but Brunswick was by far the biggest player in the market during that era.
C.C. Stapleton was especially known for being a trusted supplier in the billiard business, offering not just pool tables, but also pool cues, billiard balls, and cue sport accessories, much like a modern distributor who acts as a middleman between manufacturers and pool halls or private buyers. This type of setup was quite common before direct-to-consumer sales became more prevalent.
Info on a C.C. Steepleton Pool Table
- Title: Info on a C.C. Steepleton Pool Table
- Author: user1614611296 (M. Mundy)
- Published: 3/1/2021 7:08:17 AM
- Last Updated: 3/1/2021 2:10:02 PM
- Last Updated By: billiardsforum (Billiards Forum)
