Founded as the Taylor Aircraft Company during the 1920's by the Taylor brothers, it became the The Piper Aircraft Corporation in 1937, after the Taylor brothers had gone on to other things.
Piper produced the Piper model J-3 Cub, a small, two seat, 65 horsepower single engine aircraft which was commonly known as the Piper Cub. The Cub was the first inexpensive training aircraft produced in large numbers.
Many folks today still think of all light aircraft as "Piper Cubs."
See their website at: http://www.newpiper.com/