USA > Michigan > Kent County > Grand Rapids > Grand Rapids and Kent County, Michigan: History and Account of Their Progress from First. Vol. II > Part 6
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BIOGRAPHICAL
when called to military service. He was married Dec. 27, 1915, to Josephine Dominich. Not only is he a man of great musical ability, but he is a capable instructor and is both respected and beloved by the men under his charge. Karl G. Bischoff, the assistant leader, is a son of Rudolph and Anna (Schuur) Bischoff, and was born in Grand Rapids and educated in the Grand Rapids schools. He began earn- ing his way in life as a newsboy, and as his love of music developed, became president of the Press Newsboys' band, heading that organ- ization for eight years, and learning the printer's trade. He is an ex- pert trombone player, in which capacity he has been connected with various musical organizations. He was married June 27, 1917, to Elizabeth Papke, and left his bride to serve his country.
Lee Hutchins Bierce. - The second largest city in Michigan, Grand Rapids has for many years been accepted as one of the indus- trial centers of the country. Its geographical location and trade ad- vantages make it undoubtedly one of the greatest manufacturing communities in the Middle West, and its rapid growth along this and kindred lines has been largely due to the ceaseless energies of men in- terested in its business prestige who have worked for its advance- ment. Much of the work of these successful men who during the past score of years have utilized the business opportunities found at Grand Rapids would have been ineffective without the factor of co- operation. And it is in this connection that the Association of Com- merce has played so important a part. This association has been fortunate during its existence that it has had for its officers men of ability and experience who have caused its machinery to work smooth- ly and without hitch and who have builded its structure upon a firm and solid foundation. One of the officials of this organization who has done much for its success is the present secretary, Lee Hutchins Bierce, a man still young in years but with a wealth of experience. Mr. Bierce is a Detroiter by nativity, born Aug. 22, 1881, in the Wol- verine metropolis, and his education was received in the public schools there, he being graduated in the Central High School in 1900, as president of his class. He then secured a clerkship with the Pere Marquette railroad, in the general offices at Detroit, and his close ap- plication, constant industry, general ability and absolute fidelity won him rapid promotion, so that at the end of four years he was sent to Grand Rapids as assistant car distributor of the Grand Rapids divi- sion. Mr. Bierce remained with this line until November, 1908, when he was chosen as secretary of the Winona (Minn.) Merchants' & Business Association, a capacity in which he acted for three years, and Jan. 16, 1912, he returned to Grand Rapids and became assistant secretary of the Grand Rapids Association of Commerce. On Jan. 1, 1917, he was made secretary of this body in recognition of his splendid services, and his record in the new office has been one characterized by steadfast work and achievements of no mean order. As befits one of Mr. Bierce's special abilities, he has identified himself in a helpful way with various movements connected with civic ad- vancement and the betterment of general conditions. He is a mem- ber of the Social Welfare Association, has been one of the busiest of the members of the Anti-Tuberculosis League, and has recently affil- iated himself with the Big Brothers movement, in which he has taken an active and helpful interest. With his family, he belongs to the
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Fountain Street Baptist church, where he is president of the class of Applied Christianity. His social relations include membership in the O-Wash-ta-nong club, the Rotary club, the Point Nip'O'Gon Resort club, York Lodge, F. & A. M., and the Peninsular club. Mr. Bierce married Miss Florence Josephine Webster, of Detroit, Mich., and they are the parents of two children-John Hutchins and Alice Jane.
Melville R. Bissell .- Many of the men who contributed to the early prestige of Grand Rapids, which made possible the marvelous development which came later, have long since passed away, and but few of those who came here in the '60s are remembered in more than an ordinary way. However, there are some whose contributions to the city's greatness have been of such a character that their memo- ries are kept green and their names are still household words, and among these was the late Melville R. Bissell. While nearly thirty years have gone by since Mr. Bissell passed on to that bourne from which no man returns, he is still remembered as the perfector of the carpet sweeper, and the factory which bears his name in this connec- tion, at Grand Rapids, is the largest in the world in its line. Mr. Bissell was born at Hartwick, Otsego county, New York, Sept. 25, 1843, and was five years old when his parents removed to the West, the family settling at DePere, Wis., where they remained for about three years. The next home of the family was at Berlin, Wis., where Mr. Bissell received his education in the public schools, and at the age of seventeen years he gave up his studies. In 1862 he left for Kala- mazoo, Mich., where he embarked in the grocery business, crockery subsequently being added to his stock. In 1869 Mr. Bissell came to Grand Rapids, which was destined to be the scene of his future suc- cess, his initial line being the crockery business, in which he won much prosperity. Among the many articles of household furniture which were handled by Mr. Bissell was an old-fashioned carpet sweep- er. For some time he had noted that there was a serious defect in the old style of sweeper, but had been unable to come to the conclu- sion as to what this defect was. However, one day while exhibiting it to a prospective customer, he suddenly discovered that the fault lay in the adjustment of the brush, saw the solution of the problem that had bothered him, and soon made his first invention, upon which he was granted a patent in 1876. After this on several occasions he made improvements on his sweeper, which became generally recog- nized as the best and most complete upon the market. A company was formed, with Mr. Bissell at its head, the business was enlarged several times over, and its product found a ready welcome in every market in the world. By 1884 the business had assumed tremendous proportions, and when the factory was entirely destroyed in a great conflagration, it was immediately rebuilt with greatly increased fa- cilities for manufacture. From that time to the present the business has shown a steady and constant gain and the Grand Rapids factory of the Bissell Carpet Sweeper Company is now the largest of its kind in the world. Mr. Bissell was one of the men who had the foresight to note the great possibilities lying in the handling of Grand Rapids real estate. Soon after coming to the city he began to deal in realty, and his operations therein gained him large profits. He always had faith in the future development and prosperity of his city, and this
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confidence was repaid substantially. In 1888 Mr. Bissell established the Standard Stock Farm, at Reed's Lake, where he expected to spend many happy hours in the humoring of a hobby. However, he did not live long to enjoy this experiment, as his death occurred when he was only forty-five years of age, March 15, 1889. His life, while short, had been a crowded one, full of success and marked by more than ordinary achievement. As a citizen he had helped his city to grow and develop, not only through the medium of the product of which he was the originator, but by his support of good and beneficial civic movements and educational and charitable enterprises. A mem- ber and regular attendant of the Methodist church, he took an active part in its work, and was for many years superintendent of the Sun- day school. In 1865 Mr. Bissell was united in marriage with Miss Anna Sutherland, of De Pere, Wis., and they became the parents of five children : Mrs. Dorothy A. McCay, of Pasadena, Calif .; Melville R., of Grand Rapids ; Harvey S., of La Centra, Calif .; Irving J., of Grand Rapids, and Lillie May died at the age of seven years.
Frank I. Blake .- A member of the Grand Rapids bar since 1899 and a man who has identified himself in various ways with the life of the city, Frank I. Blake has incorporated the two characters of lawyer and citizen into a high personal combination which has been generally adjudged an example worthy of emulation. While en- gaged in an important and busy practice, he has always used his fine legal talents in the furtherance of what he has believed to be best for the general welfare. Mr. Blake was born at Saugatuck, Mich., Feb. 1, 1864, of Scotch-Irish parentage, and has resided in Michigan nearly all his life. After securing his primary education, he taught in the schools of Branch and Hillsdale counties, Michigan, for five years, and following this enrolled as a student at the Northern Indi- ana Normal School, Valparaiso, Ind., in which he was duly graduat- ed. After three years of study and one year's lecture course at the University of Michigan, he was admitted to the bar of Michigan in 1888. Mr. Blake was engaged, with others, by the Leslie publica- tions to gather data for articles for publication and for a history of the World's Columbian Exposition, at Chicago, in 1893, and in that same year was admitted to practice in the courts of the State of Ore- gon, subsequently practicing his profession at Portland for some time. Following this he traveled extensively in the West and North- west and in Alaska, until 1898, during most of which time he fol- lowed his professional calling, and in the year mentioned returned to Michigan and in 1899 permanently settled at Grand Rapids, where he has since been engaged in a lucrative practice. Mr. Blake has a keen, vigorous and alert mind, is a close student and a tireless worker, and keeps pace with the rapidly moving and ever-widening current of the law. His offices are located at 229-230 Houseman building and his home at 665 Kellogg street, Southeast. Mr. Blake was married to Florence M. Bennett, and they are the parents of five children: Alice J., who has for some years been her father's assistant, taking care of the pension business that comes to his office; Jean Mildred, at home; Reuel Russell and Roswell, twins, who have joined the United States army as members of the Michigan field hospital service, and Harold R., at home.
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HISTORY OF KENT COUNTY, MICHIGAN
William J. Blake .- In the fertile township of Gaines, Kent coun- ty's agricultural interests have a capable representative in the person of William J. Blake, whose well-cultivated property is located in sec- tion 2. Mr. Blake is one of the men who have made their own in the world and who, unaided, have attained success and position, for when he started upon his career he had only determination and am- bition as available assets, his inherent abilities being developed through experience. He is a native of County Norfolk, Ontario, Can- ada, and was born Nov. 27, 1876, a son of Benjamin and Mary Ann (Smith) Blake. His father was born in England, and as a lad of eighteen years emigrated to Canada, where for some time he worked at the trade of butcher, which he had learned in his native country. After his marriage he turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, buying a farm of seventy-five acres, and is still a resident of Canada, where he is now a man of some means, gained through industry and intelligent handling of his affairs. He belongs to the Methodist Episcopal faith and has been very active in the work of that faith. By a previous marriage Mrs. Blake had a daughter, Lettie, now Mrs. James Kitchen, of Conneaut, Ohio. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Blake: William J .; Caroline, wife of Wesley Card, of Can- ada ; Charles Roy, and Eva, who is living near London, England. Wil- liam J. Blake divided his boyhood and youth between attending the public schools and assisting his father in the cultivation of the home farm, but when he was nineteen years of age he left the parental roof and came to Dutton, Mich., where he secured employment in the mercantile establishment of his uncle. After a short experience there he went to Grand Rapids and for two and one-half years was em- ployed by Clark, Jewel & Wells, but eventually returned to farming, establishing himself on the Charles H. Deming farm, which be- longed to them. Of this he purchased eighty acres, but later sold off thirty-six and subsequently bought 157 acres from the same owners. Mr. Blake's operations have been largely of a general character, but he has overlooked no opportunity to improve his finances and stand- ing, and has met with success in dairying, and as a breeder of Perch- eron horses, registered, from France, and another feature of his ac- tivities is the raising of Shorthorn cattle. If this success may be cited as evidence of his ability, it may be said that he is one of the really skilled and capable farmers and stock growers of Gaines town- ship, and that he possesses business acumen and judgment beyond the ordinary. In the building up of a handsome country estate, Mr. Blake has left nothing undone in the way of modern buildings, im- provements and equipment, and many of his fellow-townsmen could profit by using his property as a model upon which to base their own operations. Mr. Blake is a Prohibitionist and has always warmly supported the candidates who have included a temperance plank in their platforms. He has also been active in the work of the United Brethren church, and at this time is a class leader and a member of the board of trustees. He was married May 23, 1900, to Lillie, daugh- ter of Charles H. and Mary (Knapp) Denning, and four children have been born to them: Olive, Floy, Donald and Russell, all at home. Mr. Denning was a native of Massachusetts and Mrs. Den- ning was born in Kent county, Michigan. He came to Michigan as a small boy with his parents. He is now retired, living in Dutton. His
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children, ten in number, are all living. Mr. Denning first married Nancy Hammond, second, Mary Knapp, and after her death, which occurred in January, 1901, he married Clara Benneway.
Thomas J. Blanchard .- Naturally, an individual's success in life is measured by the standard of what he attains in prestige in busi- ness, social and political circles, and when he figures prominently in all three it may be assumed that his career has been crowned with prosperity. Among the residents of Sand Lake who have thus at- tained their goal in life, Thomas J. Blanchard has made himself a recognized place. He has been engaged in a number of business ventures, in all of which his abilities have brought him to the fore- front, he has served acceptably in positions of public importance, and in social matters is accorded the respect and esteem demanded by those who have led careers of integrity and fidelity. Mr. Blanchard was born on a farm in Eaton township, Carroll county, New York, Feb. 21, 1863. His father, George S. Blanchard, who was an agri- culturist, passed his entire life in the Granite state, where he died in 1905, and Thomas J. Blanchard was reared on the home place, his education being secured in the district schools of his native township. His schooling ceased when he was fourteen years of age, and for about four years which followed he continued to assist his father, but at that time the call of the West became too strong, and in 1881 the youth came to Michigan to seek success. In that year he purchased a farm not far from Sand Lake, in Kent county, but after three years of tilling the soil disposed of his interests therein and purchased the undertaking business of H. L. Carter, at Sand Lake. He soon devel- oped a first-class establishment and gained the confidence of the peo- ple, and after a short period added the hardware business to his ac- tivities, in connection therewith dealing in agricultural implements, in which line he soon built up a good business among the farmers of this part of the county. As the years passed he became more and more impressed with the future of this section and began dealing in real estate, in which line he has continued to the present time, having been the medium through which some large deals have been consum- mated. He continues to conduct his undertaking establishment, which is considered one of the old and reliable houses of the county, and is also operating a large stock farm, where his preferred stock is Holstein cattle, he having at this time a large number of the animals. Mr. Blanchard married Mary Martin, of Sand Lake, daughter of James Martin, of Howell, Mich., and of this union there have been born the following children: Edith, Eva (1), deceased; Arthur, a graduate of Albion College, and for four years a teacher at Crystal Falls, is now enlisted in the United States army, he is also an under- taker and was engaged with the Glenn undertaking establishment at Cedar Springs; Roy, who was called into the United States army and is now in service; Sylvia ; Eva (2) ; Ernest, who enlisted in the United States army and is now in service; Mildred, who is deceased, and Margaret, Juniatta and Wells, who reside at home and are attending school. Mr. Blanchard has been variously prominent in the civic af- fairs of Sand Lake. He has shown himself public-spirited in the support of progressive movements, willingly giving of his time and abilities in their furtherance, has been a member of the school board for a period of twenty years, and has also served as president of the
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village. Politically, he is a Democrat, while fraternally he is affili- ated with Cedar Springs Lodge No. 213, F. & A. M.
Christian Blickley .- There is perhaps, with the exception of hon- esty, no other quality so in demand in the business world of today as practicality. Energy, initiative, resource, push and rapid and sure decision are desirable requisites, but without the balancing power of practicality they frequently lead to disaster instead of success. The late Christian Blickley was the fortunate possessor of this quality in marked degree. There was no element of chance in the success which he achieved; on the other hand, it was the inevitable result of what the man put of himself into his work. No fortunate chance gave him any advantage; he merely set himself a goal and worked toward it unerringly and undeviatingly. Mr. Blickley was a native son of Grand Rapids, born Feb. 2, 1857, and his entire life was passed with- in the limits of the city, save for a short period when he was gaining his education. His parents were Jacob and Magdalene (Kalmbach) Blickley, natives of Wurttemburg, Germany, who came to the United States as young people, were married at Detroit, and very soon there- after took up their residence at Grand Rapids. The father, a mason by trade, was an industrious and ambitious man. He died at Grand Rapids in 1893, having lived retired for thirteen years previous to his death, while Mrs. Blickley survived him until 1900. Both were char- ter members of the German Methodist Episcopal church, and were highly esteemed and greatly respected. They were the parents of three children : Lena, who is the widow of William Fink, of Grand Rapids; Jacob, who died as a child; and Christian. Christian Blick- ley attended the public schools of Grand Rapids as a boy, following which he went to the German-Wallace College, at Berea, Ohio, and then took a commercial course in the Swensburg Business College, His first experience in commercial affairs was gained with the firm of H. Leonard & Sons, merchants of Grand Rapids, with which con- cern he was connected until 1888, in that year embarking in the crock- ery business on his own account. His practical ideas, combined with other qualities, not the least of which was an inherent ability for business, soon brought results and Mr. Blickley built up a trade that was representative in character and remunerative in results. While thus engaged, he became interested in real estate, rcognizing the op- portunities in Grand Rapids realty, but here again his practicality asserted itself, for instead of rushing into any wild-cat speculation, he carefully invested his capital in safe holdings, being content to take a reasonable amount of profit. Thus he built up an attractive business in realty. In this he continued to be engaged until his early death, Aug. 13, 1911. Mr. Blickley built up an excellent reputation for integrity and probity of character, and his friendships were many and sincere in the business world. In 1901 his mercantile interests were destroyed by the collapsing and burning of the Luce building, in which he conducted his business. He was a Republican in his po- litical views, but not a politician; belonged to the Modern Woodmen of America, and was a member of the German Methodist Episcopal church, in which he served as deacon and trustee. He was married May 19, 1885, to Talitha, daughter of John F. and Eva Margaret (Huss) Miller, of Detroit, Mich., and of this union there were born six children : Elmer C., of Grand Rapids ; Arthur E., who died in in-
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fancy ; Talitha M., who is the wife of James Donald McCormick, of Chicago; Agnes M. and Esther, who reside with their widowed moth- er at No. 343 Wealthy street, S. E., and Ruth, who died in infancy.
John W. Blodgett .- Among the family names that bring to mind the suggestion of progressive enterprise and civic helpfulness in Grand Rapids there is none of more prominence than that of Blod- gett, and the present manager of the large Blodgett interests has not only maintained but has materially added to the prestige of the fam- ily. John W. Blodgett is a son of Delos A. and Jennie S. (Wood) Blodgett. The father, Delos A. Blodgett, was born in Otsego county, New York, March 3, 1825, his parents being Abiel D. and Susan (Richmond) Blodgett. When Delos A. was but four years old these parents moved to Erie county, New York, where the son received his early education. In 1845 he made a trip to the South, going down the Allegheny, Ohio and Mississippi rivers, to New Orleans. While he was absent his parents removed to McHenry, Ill., and in 1847 Delos A. rejoined them at that place; and he attended a district school at Geneva, Wis., the following Winter. In the Spring of 1848 he went on foot to Chicago, where he secured a position in the saw- mill of Reed & McKegg, located at Masonville, Mich., a place which was then called Little Bay-de-Noquit. A few months later Mr. Blod- gett entered the employ of Henry Knickerbocker, a prominent lum- berman at Muskegon, Mich., and he officiated as foreman of the camp until July, 1850. In the Autumn of that year he formed a partner- ship with Thomas D. Stimson and located a tract of land in Clare county, on a small tributary of the Muskegon river. This partner- ship continued until 1854, when it was dissolved, but Mr. Blodgett continued to locate tracts and cut the timber thereon. In 1851 he cleared a tract in Osceola county and planted the first potatoes in a region that has since become somewhat famous in the production of the tuber. In 1858 he built a saw and grist mill at Hersey, and it was the first industry of the kind in that section. He established a mill at Muskegon and operated it until 1893, when the timber in that part of the state became practically exhausted. Mr. Blodgett became a resident of Grand Rapids in 1881, continuing in the lumber busi- ness, and for a time he had as a partner, Thomas Bryne, who is given more extended mention on another page of this volume. He became a stockholder in the Fourth National Bank and was president of that institution for a number of years. He was also a stockholder in the old Kent Savings Bank, and he built the Blodgett building at the cor- ner of Ottawa avenue and Louis street. Among his other vast finan- cial interests, he was a stockholder in the Lumberman's National Bank and the Muskegon Savings Bank at Muskegon and the Preston National Bank at Detroit. He was an incorporator of the Grand Rapids Fire Insurance Agency and an active member of the State Agricultural Society and of the West Michigan Agricultural and In- dustrial Society, his interest in these movements being increased by the ownership of several large farms. He continued actively en- gaged in business until 1900, when, at the age of seventy-five years, he retired. His political views were in accord with the Republican party and he served as delegate-at-large to its national conventions in 1892 and 1896. In his religious ideas he was considered an agnostic, being a warm personal friend of Robert G. Ingersoll and of Charles II-4
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