Asa Rogers had three sons: William Hazen Rogers - Asa Rogers Jr. - Simeon S. Rogers.     William Hazen Rogers (d. 1873) was the oldest of the Rogers Brothers. He left the family farm in 1820 to apprentice with Joseph Church, a jeweler and silversmith in Hartford, Connecticut. In 1825, William Hazen Rogers became Church's partner; though partnered with Church, William Hazen Rogers also stamped spoons with his individual maker's mark of [eagle] WM. ROGERS [star] between 1825 and 1841.   William's brother, Asa Rogers, Jr., formed a partnership with John A. Cole in 1830.    When Cole retired in 1832, and the company became Asa Rogers Jr. and Company, with William Hazen Rogers as a partner until 1834. On the 2nd of August 1836, William Rogers opened his own shop under the company name William Rogers.

On 23 July 1838, William Hazen Rogers bought Asa Rogers Jr.'s spoon manufactory.  A third Rogers brother, Simeon S. Rogers learned silversmithing in William's shop.   In 1841, Simeon S. was admitted as a partner with William Hazen Rogers, and the company changed names to William Rogers and Company.   The new company maker's mark became [eagle] WM. ROGERS & CO. [star].

About 1843-1844, Asa Rogers, Jr. began working with William B. Cowles and James H. Isaacson.   So, on the 13th of November 1845, Cowles Manufacturing Company was formed in Granby, Connecticut.   Asa Jr. was also working with William Hazen Rogers in Hartford at this time; William and Asa Jr. partnered with J. O. Mead as Rogers and Mead from 1845-1846.   In 1846, Asa Jr. left Cowles Manufacturing Company.   In early 1847, Asa Jr. returned to Hartford, and all three brothers: William Hazen, Simeon S. and Asa Jr.---began producing silverplated spoons bearing the trademark "ROGERS BROS."

Then two sons of Simeon S. Rogers named Simeon L. Rogers and George H. Rogers learned their trade from their father and uncles and went on to form the Simeon & George H. Rogers Company active in Hartford, CT, from 1900 - 1918.  The firm was acquired by Wm. A. Rogers Ltd in 1918 who was then in turn absorbed by Oneida Silversmiths in 1940.  The production was relocated to Ontario, Canada supposedly after 1940.

Flatware is a generic term applied to the knives, forks spoons and other utensils people use to serve and eat food. Silver-plated flatware is made of a base metal like stainless steel, brass or copper that has been electroplated with silver. The plating is thinner than a human hair. Silver-plated flatware first appeared in the mid-19th century as manufacturers sought to expand their market by offering a low-priced alternative to pure sterling silverware.

When not in use, keep these Sterling or Silver-Plated flatware in a closed drawer or chest lined with tarnish-resistant cloth. We do not recommend any of these three metals to be put in the dishwasher. If you choose to place them in a dishwasher, ensure that you do not mix metals in the same load. Remove flatware before the drying cycle and hand dry. Also, dishwashing detergents might contain bleach that remove the oxidation that was used to highlight pattern detail.   Sterling and silver-plate do require periodic polishing with high-quality silver polish. -ONEIDA

Silver-plated flatware should be washed by hand with a non-lemon-scented, phosphate-free dish detergent and dried immediately with a soft dish towel. Never wash silver-plated flatware in a dishwasher, according to the Society of American Silversmiths, because the high heat and harsh detergents can damage the thin plating and loosen knife handles or non-metal components of the flatware. Also, pepper and salt corrode silver plating, so shakers should be emptied, washed and dried before storing.