Founded in 1849 by Joseph H. Rogers, the Rogers Company originally manufactured high-quality animal-skin heads for the fast growing Banjo market. The Rogers facility is believed to be the first drumhead factory in the U.S. They soon established themselves as the maker of the finest calfskin heads available. This legacy of quality and innovation would later establish Rogers as one of the premier drum companies in the world. By the 1930’s the decline in popularity of the banjo created a need to diversify their business, so Rogers began manufacturing drums and drum accessories.

The most important era in the company’s history known as "The Covington Era" began when Henry Grossman purchased Rogers and moved it to Covington, Ohio. Covington was a small, tight-knit community and the Rogers factory was very important to the local economy, as it was the town’s largest employer. Grossman had enlisted Joe Thompson to run the Rogers drum company with the factory located on Joe’s land. Joe collected and repaired vintage musical instruments, and was a talented and skilled inventor. Production began in Covington in 1954, and this period saw some of the most innovative designs in not only Rogers’ history, but in the history of acoustic drums in general. Some of Joe’s designs include Swiv-o-Matic hardware and the Dynasonic snare drum. Even though some vintage Rogers drums have stickers inside that indicate they were made in Cleveland or Dayton, most these drums were built in Covington.

On February 4, 1967, a fire started in the room where the pearl covering was stored. The covering was at that time a cellulose nitrate based material that was highly flammable. The fire was difficult to fight due to the thick black toxic smoke. Fortunately, the pearl room exploded, blowing out an exterior wall and giving the fire fighters access to the fire. Damages estimates were between $75,000 and $100,000, plus the damage to the local economy. The factory workers acted quickly to get the factory up and running again and they were back in business in less than two weeks.

Under the guiding hands of a few dedicated individuals, the Rogers Drum Company had risen from a manufacturer of calfskin banjo heads to become one of the great drum companies in history. Joe Thompson died March 8, 1968 and thus ended an era that to most was the pinnacle of success for the Rogers Drum company. Many great drummers were Rogers endorsees throughout the years. Buddy Rich, Louie Bellson, David Garibaldi, Roy Burns, Harvey Mason to name a few. The company was responsible for many innovations that are still being applied today, and collectors and players still seek Rogers drums on the vintage market.