After 100 years, the original 12 Dow Jones members from 1896 have had name changes, consolidation, booms, and busts. (Source: Forbes)
- American Cotton Oil – Ancestor of Best Foods, now part of Unilever.
- American Sugar – Became Amstar in 1970 and subsequently Domino Foods.
- American Tobacco – Broke up into separate businesses in 1911, expanded beyond tobacco and renamed itself American Brands; now Fortune Brands.
- Chicago Gas – Absorbed by Peoples Gas, which replaced it in the Dow in 1898. Now part of Integrys Energy.
- Distilling & Cattle Feeding – After a series of deals became National Distillers, then sold liquor assets to Diageo and fellow Dow component progeny American Brands. Rest of business now part of Millennium Chemicals.
- General Electric – Still an independent company with diversified assets around the world. Was removed from the Dow twice around the turn of the 20th century, but was reinstated both times.
- Laclede Gas – Still around, as the primary subsidiary of the Laclede Group.
- National Lead – Changed its name to NL Industries in 1971, 83% owned by conglomerate Valhi. Once known for mining, moved into paints (Dutch Boy brand), pigments and coatings. Sold paint business in 1970s.
- North American – Dissolved by a federal court in 1938, surviving successor became Wisconsin Electric, part of Wisconsin Energy.
- Tennessee Coal Iron and RR – During the panic of 1907, TC&I was acquired by U.S. steel, with banker J.P. Morgan playing a key role in arranging the merger.
- U.S. Leather – The only preferred stock in the original Dow, U.S. Leather is also the only company to have vanished with nary a trace since the trust was dissolved in 1911.
- United States Rubber – Merged first into Uniroyal in 1950s then with B.F. Goodrich in 1986. The resulting company was bought by France’s Michelin in 1990.
Where will your company be in 100 years?
