USA > Michigan > Kalamazoo County > Compendium of history and biography of Kalamazoo County, Mich. > Part 10
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On July 25, 1853, the first engine of the town was purchased. It was originally bought by Ran- som & Arnold for their distillery. It was called the "Cataract" and cost one hundred and twenty- nine dollars. The purchase included the use of another but smaller engine, the "Star," whenever needed.
MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES.
Kalamazoo, known far and wide as the "Cel- ery City," still retains that fair name, and has added unto it the extended recognition of Kala- mazoo as a manufacturing city.
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Perhaps no city in Michigan has progressed as rapidly along manufacturing lines as has Kal- amazoo. Within the past four years she has come to the front in ways that are amazing, and now ranks third in the state in regard to bank clearings, the amount of labor employed, salaries paid, and the amount of freight tonnage and trans- portation. These are not boastful and idle state- ments, but are based on the report recently made by the Michigan board of census officials.
With its population of over thirty thousand, Kalamazoo has more diversified industries than any other city of like population that can be named. As a railroad center her condition could not be bettered, as four railroads furnish facili- ties for shipping to all parts of the country.
New manufacturies are locating in Kalama- zoo continually, and at present she can boast of over one hundred ninety-two manufacturing in- stitutions, eighty-eight of which are incorpo- rated. representing a capital of over ten million dollars, employing over six thousand people and having a pay roll of about three million five hun- dred thousand dollars.
There are two hundred and twenty-three es- tablished celery growers and shippers in the city, representing over one million dollars in exports annually.
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·Kalamazoo is known widely as the center of the paper making industry, having eleven well-es- tablished paper mills, representing in value over four million dollars, with an annual capacity of over sixty thousand tons, and employing one thousand five hundred and sixty people. Paper from these factories is sent to all parts of the country.
The American Playing Card Company, one of the largest card factories in the United States, is one of Kalamazoo's most thriving manufac- tories, and represents a large capital. It has re- cently been enlarged in order to take care of its large business.
Through its corset factories, also, Kalamazoo has become widely known. It is the home of the American Beauty corset, made by the Kalamazoo Corset Company, and of the Puritan corset. The. Kalamazoo Corset Company is the largest exclu-
sive corset factory in the United States, and has recently been forced to enlarge its capacity. These two corset factories represent an annual output of over one million two hundred and twenty thousand dollars, and employ about one thou- sand hands.
The vehicle industry of the city is well repre- sented by eight concerns-automobile, buggy and wagon factories-employing over seven hundred and thirty men, and representing an annual out- put of over one million, eight hundred thousand dollars. Among these factories are the Michigan Automobile Company, the Burtt Automobile Company, the Michigan Buggy Company, the Lull Carriage Company, and the American Car- riage Company.
Although not the "Windy City," Kalamazoo is well to the front in the windmill industry. She has two windmill factories representing an out- put of two hundred thousand dollars annually.
She numbers two sled factories-the Kalama- zoo Sled factory and the Angle Sled factory, the former being one of the largest of like concerns in the country. The Clark Engine and Boiler Company is one of the oldest business concerns in Kalamazoo, and supplies a large market with en- gines and boiler products. The railway supply industry is carried on by three successful con- cerns, representing an annual output of over four hundred and twenty-six thousand dollars. One of our city's most successful mail-order businesses is done by the Kalamazoo Store Company, a com- paratively new concern, which carries on a large mail-order business. The Globe Casket Factory, one of Kalamazoo's pioneer factories, is the only one of like character in southwestern Michigan, and has always carried on a large business. The cigar manufacturing industry is carried on by eighteen companies, all of which do a thriving business. The largest of these are the Lilies Cigar Company and the Verdon Cigar Com- pany. Two of Kalamazoo's most success- ful factories are the Humprey Manufactur- ing and Plating Company, makers of the cele- brated Humphrey heaters, and the General Gas Light Company, manufacturers of the famous Humphrey lamp. The Henderson-Ames Company
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BURDICK STREET, LOOKING NORTH.
MAIN STREET, LOOKING WEST.
KALAMAZOO RIVER. By courtesy of the Gazette.
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is one of the largest regalia factories in the world, and does a mammoth business. The manufactur- ing chemists' industry is sustained by the Upjohn Pill and Granule Company, a concern known from coast to coast, and the P. L. Abbey Company. There are also several smaller concerns. The Merchants' Publishing Company, a comparatively new concern, and the R. E. Bartlett Company . carry on the label and price-mark industry. Kala- mazoo has three garment factories, whose prod- ucts are well known.
The lumber industry is carried on by Dewing & Sons and by North & Coon, both of which are old and well established concerns. Much of the paper made in Kalamazoo's various paper mills is used by the Paper Box Company and by the Kal- amazoo Stationery Company, two well known con- cerns. The Dutton Boiler Company holds an enviable place in the list of Kalamazoo's factories, it being an old established concern. The Reynolds Wagon Company and the Bullard Davenport-Bed Company are two recent additions to Kalamazoo's long list of factories.
Aside from being widely known as a manu- facturing city of varied industries, Kalamazoo holds sway as a mercantile center as well, as is shown by the many stores and business insti- tutions that may be seen on her streets. It is here that her thirty thousand inhabitants come to pur- chase necessities and luxuries of all kinds, and not only do her own inhabitants come to this center but also the people from many surrounding towns and from the fruitful and fertile farms around about.
The banking institutions of Kalamazoo are institutions of which she is justly proud. She boasts of eight banks in all, four national banks, three state banks and one private bank. An enor- mous business is carried on by the concerns which possess over seven million dollars in resources with deposits exceeding over five million five hundred thousand dollars. The banks are as fo !- lows: City National, E. C. Dayton, president : First National, J. A. Pitkin, president; Kalama- zoo National, E. J. Phelps, president ; Michigan National, Charles Campbell, president; Central Savings, A. L. Blumenberg, president; Home 5
Savings, V. T. Barker, president; and Kalama- zoo Savings, F. B. Monroe, president.
The dry-goods business is represented by many concerns, the most important being Gilmore Bros.' dry-goods store, which is one of the most complete in the state, J. R. Jones & Sons, W. W. Olin & Son, A. L. Flexner's, George Bruen's and Charles White's. All of these stores are strictly up-to-date and do a splendid business.
Kalamazoo has many grocery stores, situated in all parts of the city. The leading ones are A. B. Scheid's, E. B. Russell's, A. L. South- hurd's and A. C. Baker's. Sam Foly's, George Taylor's and M. Cramer's Son are leading cloth- ing stores. H. F. Weimer and Frank Cowlbeck run up-to-date haberdasheries. Kalamazoo has many fine jewelry stores-the leading ones being A. C. Worthey's, F. P. Darey's, F. W. Hendricks, and Pyl & Wykel's. In furniture stores Kalamazoo excels most cities of her size-the principal ones are the Ihling-Cone Company, the People's Out- fitting Company and A. T. Prentice. The city has innumerable drug stores, the leading drug- gists being H. G. Colman, E. M. Kennedy, F. N. Maus, David McDonald and J. L. Wallace. Two attractive candy stores are located in Kalamazoo, one being run by Miss K. A. Meadimher and the other by Miss Belle Mclaughlin. Kalamazoo's leading hardware stores number three --- the Ed- wards & Chamberlain Company, John Van Male's and Larned & Shandrews. Many neat cigar stores are doing business in Kalamazoo -- the leading ones being Whitley Karls', S. P. Fitzgerald's and Chenewerk's. The leading music stores are the Benjamin Temple of Music and Reem's Music Store. Two splendid art stores are to be found in Kalamazoo-one run by James Geary and the other by E. E. Labodie. Many other mercantile pursuits are engaged in in Kalamazoo, and most of the merchants are doing a hustling business.
The Lilies Cigar Company .---- Kalamazoo is justly proud of the fact that she possesses one of the largest cigar manufactories in America, and the very largest in the state of Michigan. This is a potent factor in the business welfare of the city, employing many work-people and paying
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out a generous amount of money. We allude to the Lilies Cigar Company, which employs over two hundred fifty operatives, with a weekly pay- roll of over two thousand five hundred dollars. Starting in business in 1870, the record of the company is one of steady prosperity. The main office is on Jackson boulevard, Chicago, where the famous El Sueto cigar is made. The business in this city is ably managed by Samuel T. Gold- berg. An eastern office is located at 116 Nassan street, New York city.
The Central Michigan Nursery .- Incorporat- ed in 1894, produces nursery, greenhouse and small fruit stocks. Extensive greenhouses, to- gether with several hundred acres of land, are lo- cated at Kalamazoo, and their large business de- mands and uses a branch at Three Rivers. The offices and salesrooms are located at .306 West Main street, and in connection with this business they plan and execute landscape gardening, the beantifying of home grounds and of public and private parks. In Kalamazoo are grown the flow- ers, including roses, bedding plants, etc., and or- namental trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants. At the nursery, south of the city, the grounds are solely devoted to nursery stock. At Three Rivers are grown strawberry plants, grape vines, rasp- berry, blackberry and other small fruit stock.
The Lull Carriage Company .- Kalamazoo is rapidly coming to the front as a carriage manu- facturing center, and greatly enhancing the com- mercial importance of the city. The grade of ve- hicles produced has reached the highest standard since the inception of the industry. The improve- ment in the work produced has been largely due to the Lull Carriage Company. With the organi- zation of this company in September, 1902, came the policy which was the result in only high grade product. The policy has been followed out to the letter and has had its effect upon the attitude the buggy trade is assuming. The Lull Carriage Company comes as successor of the Lull & Skin- ner Company, following the dissolution of H. A. Crawford and J. F. Beuret, who formerly were engaged in the carriage manufacture in Flint. The large plant operated by the company covers three and a half acres at Grace and Pitcher
streets, near the tracks of the Grand Rapids & Indiana and Lake Shore railroads, from cach of which a switch enters the plant. The establish - ment has the unusual capacity of ten thousand vehicles and five thousand sleighs and cutters. About one hundred and seventy-five employes are steadily at work in the factory. The officers are L. C. Lull, president ; J. F. Beuret, secre- tary : H. A. Crawford, treasurer.
The Kalamazoo Paper-Box and Card Com- pany .- This important manufacturing industry is the ontgrowth of a vigorous firm organized in August, 1897, as the Kalamazoo Paper-Box Company. This began business in the Hall block on North Church street at the crossing of the Michigan Central Railroad. This block was burned in 1898, when the business was removed to Water and Edwards streets, its present home. Four thousand feet of floor space was here oc- cupied, and, in August, 1900, six thousand feet were added, to which, in January, 1903, six thou- sand four hundred feet more was placed in serv- ice. These additions testified to the rapid growth of the trade, which included paper boxes only. In December, 1903, an advance movement was made and eighteen thousand fect of floor surface was again added to the plant. A full and expensive outfit for the manufacture of playing cards was installed. As fine a quality as is placed on the market is here produced under the personal su- perintendence of S. N. Barker, the vice-president and efficient general manager.
South Side Improvement Company .- Kala- mazoo is essentially a city of homes. It has been well said that if you house your labor according to the most approved sanitary and hygienic knowledge there need be no fear of strikes. Per- haps no one in many a mile of distance has con- tributed more to do this than has Charles B. Hays, the owner of that tract of land formerly the mustering campground of the Civil war, now known as the "South Side." Less than eight years ago the land was comparatively a waste and un- promising section, with a millrace running di- agonally across it and having but a solitary resi- dence, which was located on Portage and Reed streets. Mr. Hays, in August, 1896, became the
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owner and founded the South Side Improvement Company, of which he is the secretary and busi- ness manager. A wonderful transformation has been accomplished, the district being today a beautiful and artistic suburb of Kalamazoo. Messrs. O. M. Allen and H. C. Reed, deceased were the original investors in the property. Mr. Hays, the secretary, from the first, becoming later sole owner. In 1899 the South Side Im- provement Company was organized and pur- chased the old fair grounds from the Stockridge and Eggleston estates and as much land adjoining on the side of Portage street.
"South Side" is only one mile from the Kala- mazoo House and is fully thirty feet above the adjoining lands, thus giving good drainage. The view of the surrounding country is entrancing, the beautiful city, with its church towers, public buildings, asylum and seminary, standing out in bold, yet rich relief, in the distance. The tract presents now the appearance of a cultivated park. Modern homes with sanitary plumbing, correct system of heating, ventilating and lighting are furnished on terms attainable by all. Over one hundred of these model homes have been con- structed, and still the number grows. As a result of the association of Messrs. Allen, Reed and Hays in this enterprise, Kalamazoo has been much benefited, these important industrial homes having been called into existence: The Bryant. the Superior, the King and Imperial Paper com- panies, the C. B. Ford Body Factory. the Michi- gan Buggy Company, and the Kalamazoo Rail- way Supply Company. Through the advent of these plants, the taxable property of the city has been increased more than one million dollars.
Burtt Manufacturing Company .- This busi- ness was established in 1901 and incorporated on October 1, 1902. The products are the celebrated Cannon automobile, which is made in three styles, ranging in price from six hundred and fifty dol- lars to one thousand three hundred and fifty dol- lars, the manufacture being inaugurated in 1903. The house is unable to fill its orders on account of the great demand for and the popularity of the automobiles. They also manufacture the well known Schau cold tire setters, of which they
are the exclusive makers, the D. & L. gasoline engines and automobile fittings. The stock- holders and officers are as follows: President, Frank Burtt; secretary and manager, W. B. Cameron ; J. M. Burtt, H. M. Burtt, C. T. Burtt, and T. W. Resch, of Detroit.
The Kalamazoo Gas Company .- This incor- poration was organized in 1899. The officers are H. D. Walbridge, president; John J. Knight, vice-president ; F. W. Blowers, secretary and general manager ; David H. Haines, treasurer ; Claude Hamilton, assistant treasurer. Its manu- facturing plant is the most complete in the state, all the apparatus being of the latest design. It is located on Spring and Pitcher streets, while its offices are at 127 South Rose street. This com- pany has facilities for supplying the public with gas of a high grade for illuminating, heating and industrial purposes, their products giving general satisfaction. It has an excellent service, employ- ing a large corps of employes. Its already extensive mains are rapidly being enlarged and extended to meet the persistent demands for gas.
General Gas Light Company .- This is one of the successful manufacturing houses of the county. Its specialty is the celebrated Hum- phrey Gas Arc Lamps, which have revolutionized the commercial lighting gas companies. To A. H. Humphrey and his associates is due credit for the fact that today gas competes successfully with the arc electric light. The extensive plant of this company occupies the entire square embraced by Church, Water and North Park streets. The annual output is over sixty thousand lamps. Branch offices and distributing stations are main- tained in New York, San Francisco and Havana, and London and Bremen in Europe. A large porcelain enameling plant is a feature of the busi- ness, and they also use the entire productions of a large glass manufacturing house of Pennsyl- vania.
Kalamazoo Valley Electric Company .- This company was established years ago, with an amended incorporation in 1898. It does a general electric light and power business, with these plants: 3,000 horsepower at Trowbridge, I,- 400 horsepower at Plainwell, 3,000 horse-
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power at Otsego and a 1,000 horsepower steam plant at Kalamazoo, with sub-stations lo- cated at Allegan, Otsego, Augusta, Galesburg, Battle Creek, Marshall, Albion and Parma. The company transmits power ninety miles to the Michigan Traction Company, and the Jackson Light and Power Company, also furnishes power to the Jackson Suburban Company. The com- pany also owns other water-power rights, and when these rights are developed it will control one of the largest and finest transmission systems in the United States. The company now fur- nishes power to a large list of consumers. The lighting service is exceptionally fine and the de- mand is steadily increasing. Electric power serv- ice being so available, many manufacturers have come to this city. The officers of the company are WV. A. Foote, president ; James B. Foote, secre- tary and treasurer; W. P. Stephens, superin- tendent. The office is located at III Chase block.
The Michigan Traction Company, a Michigan corporation, operates electric street railway lines in the cities of Kalamazoo and Battle Creek, and an electric interurban between those cities. The combined trackage of the system is over fifty miles. Evans B. Dick, of New York, is presi- dent ; Gerald Holsman, vice-president; H. C. Winchester, secretary and treasurer; D. A. He- garty, also of New York city, is general superin- tendent of-the roads, as well as of those of the Railway Company General, a Pennsylvania cor- poration, which controls several street railways and electric companies. The local superintendent, S. J. Dill, is an experienced and progressive street railway manager, under whose administra tion the Michigan Traction Company has made marked progress. The company procures its electric power from the Valley Electric Com- pany and operates forty-eight cars. It has a car- barn, repair and paint-shop at Kalamazoo, a car- barn at Battle Creek, and is provided with a large rotary snow plow and an adequate equipment to keep its trackage open during the winter. It employs about one hundred and sixty-five men, and has a payroll aggregating nine thousand dol- lars per month. It has placed a number of new and modern cars in service upon its lines and is
now engaged in making extensions to its trackage at both Kalamazoo and Battle Creek and is pre- paring to erect an extensive steel bridge over the Michigan Central Railway at Galesburg. The in- terurban cars reach Gull Lake and Yorkville by a branch line from Augusta, furnishing excellent service to picnic parties, summer residents and the guests of the hotels at this lake. At Kalma- 7.00, during the summer months, vaudeville enter- tainments are nightly provided at the Casino and the grounds owned by the company at Lake View. At Battle Creek is a fine 'service to Go- guac lake, a beautiful sheet of water, at which bathing, dancing and many other attractions are installed which is regularly maintained. The company does an extensive freight business be- tween Kalamazoo and Battle Creek and purposes to increase its facilities in this line of its business.
The Phelps & Bigelow Windmill Company .- This company has been in consecutive business existence in Kalamazoo for fully thirty years, within that time building up the largest windmill trade of any house in this line in Michigan. Their specialty is the I. X. L. brand. Their produc- tions comprise steel windmills, steel towers, steel tanks, steel feed-cookers, steel tank-heaters, steel sub-structures, wood-wheel windmills, wood tow- ers, wood tanks, tubular well supplies. The windmill is simple, substantial and in great de- mand. The company was awarded the first pre- mium on both steel and woodwheel windmills three years in succession at the Kansas and Mis- souri Interstate Fairs of 1891, '92 and '93.
THE KALAMAZOO TELEGRAPH.
The Michigan Telegraph, as it was called, was started as a weekly newspaper in August, 1844, the first number appearing on the Ioth of that month. It was started as an ardent Whig organ. Henry B. Miller was editor and publisher. The office was in a little low building on Portage street, just south of the present Humphrey block. George Torrey, Sr., subsequently became part owner. In November, 1845, Mr. Miller disposed of his interest to William Millikin, and the paper was. published by Millikin and Torrey in the
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basement of a building on the corner of Main and Rose streets. The following spring the office was moved to the second story of a building on the southeast corner of Main and Burdick streets. In 1847 the name of the paper was changed to the Kalamazoo Telegraph. Mr. Torrey continued as editor. In 1849 Samuel N. Garitt became owner of the Telegraph. In January, 1850, Garitt sold out to George A. Fitch & Company. Feb- ruary 5, 1850, fire destroyed the plant, but in two months a new plant was installed. Mr. Fitch had H. E. Hascall associated with him from 1858 to November, 1860, while Mr. Fitch was state printer. H. C. Buffington & Company leased the office in November; 1860, and continued in charge for about a year. He was succeeded by R. F. Johnstone for a year, Mr. Fitch returning to the helm. The friends of Mr. Fitch claim that he deserves the credit for first suggesting. the name "Republican party" to the party that succeeded the Whig party. An editorial was written by him and published in the Telegraph just prior to the memorable Jackson convention, suggesting the name "Republican." The Telegraph, under Mr. Fitch, was the first journal. to advocate the formation of a new party, the first to define its purpose and the first to predict its great triumph.
In 1865 Thomas Fitch was associated with his brother, and Rev. Dr. James A. B. Stone, presi- dent of Kalamazoo College, became editor. In July, 1866, the Fitch Brothers sold out to Clement W. and Horatio H. Stone, sons of Dr. Stone. In April, 1867, the office was removed from the House block to the old postoffice building on Burdick street.
In April, 1868, the Daily Telegraph was es- tablished on a firm footing by the Stone brothers. December 9, 1869, the Kalamazoo Telegraph Company was formed, Rev. George W. Harris, of Detroit, becoming editor. Mrs. L. H. Stone was a frequent contributor. The daily at the be- ginning was. a morning paper for a year, later made an evening paper. It received the Asso- ciated Press news from the very first.
March 4, 1870, Horatio H. Stone died. In October following, James H. Stone, a son of Dr. Stone and Harry H. Smith, late journal clerk of
the national house of representatives, became the proprietors. Under the management of Stone & Smith an unpleasantness over an attack on Senator Chandler arose, and Smith retired, selling his interest to Herman E. Hascall in November, 1871. November 25th the plant was again seri- ously injured by fire. February 2, 1872, Mr. Has- call died; and in January, 1873, the entire proper- ty passed into the hands of James H. Stone. At this time Dr. Stone was postmaster and James H. Stone, deputy. In March, 1874, L. B. Kendall bought a half interest in the Telegraph, and Messrs. Stone and Kendall published the paper. Mr. Kendall was appointed postmaster, and later Lyman M. Gates purchased Mr. Stone's interest, Mr. Kendall and Mr. Stone not agreeing as to the paper's. treatment of local politicians. In Oc- tober, 1874, the Kalamazoo Publishing Company was organized, composed of L. B. Kendall, L. M. Gates, O. and R. Illing, Dwight May, George M. Buck and Arthur Brown. Later the company re- organized with L. B. Kendall, W. L. Eaton, E. T. Mills and E. E. Bartlett as owners. Mr. Eaton was editor and Mr. Bartlett business manager. Edward Fleming, for years a noted Washington correspondent, and Henry L. Nelson, who sub- sequently became noted as a writer and especially as editor of Harper's Weekly, were Mr. Eaton's predecessors. Mr. Eaton had as an associate editor Clarence L. Dean, subsequently one of the editors of the Detroit Free Press and later on the Kansas City Star, and still later special newspaper representative and part owner of Barnum & Bailey's great show.
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