Sullivan, who founded the brand in 1874, got his start in business with the winnings from a lottery ticket with the numbers 7, 20, and 4. However, writer George Franklyn Willey, offered a more plausible explanation in his book, Willey's semi-centennial book of Manchester, 1846-1896, that Sullivan changed the brand's original name, "New Gold Dust Cigars" to "7-20-4," the address of his Manchester, NH cigar factory at 724 Elm Street. The cigars, which sold for 10¢, were hand-made with Cuban tobacco fillers and Sumatra wrappers. The brand was so successful that Sullivan's factory became one of the world's largest manufacturers of handmade cigars. Kendall, an entrepreneur and owner of two New Hampshire cigar stores, always had a fascination for vintage cigar memorabilia. Over the years he built-up an extensive collection of artifacts, and one of his passions was to revive the 7-20-4 cigars brand. So, Kendall acquired the then-defunct trademark, and began reproducing the historic cigars that now rank as one of the best boutique cigars on the market.
