The Buescher Manufacturing Company was founded by Ferdinand August ("Gus") Buescher.  He started building instruments with C.G. Conn, worked his way up to foreman, and in the fall of 1894 he opened his own company.  In March of 1901 he was issued the patent shown to the right for a cornet with valves of unequal lengths, done to minimize the sharp turns that had to be taken in the valves by the windway.  Buescher described this as being more "trombone-like".

At first, probably because the bottom cap of the 1st valve proved to be difficult to remove with the bell tubing in the way, all the valves were constructed of different heights, as is the cornet above, and the 1901 advertisement below. 

In 1904, after a disastrous bank crash the year before, Buescher's factory burned to the ground with all records.  The business was reorganized and renamed the Buescher Band Instrument Company. After the reorganization, while still producing "Epoch" valve instruments for a few more years, the company limited itself to band instruments of a more conventional design.  The 1st valve of the cornet was made the full height of the 2nd valve and the mouthpipe was fixed, as in the 1909 advertisement below, perhaps to look more "modern" or for cost reduction reasons.

This cornet was recently found in the midwest.