USA > Michigan > Calhoun County > History of Calhoun county, Michigan : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people, and its principal interests, Volume I > Part 42
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Geo. M. Hodges, Co. M, 8th Mich. Cav. Chas. T. Hall, Co. K, 13th Mieh. Inf. Samuel M. Holton, Co. C, 2d Mich. Inf. Geo. C. Hicks, Co. L, Merrill's Horse Cav. Win. O. Holmes, Co. D, Ist Mich. S. S.
Hiram J. Johnson, Co. H, Merrill's Horse.
Wm. K. Jackson, Co. F, 46th Mass. Inf.
M. J. Jones, Co. K, 5th Mich. Cav.
Levi A. Juckett, Co. K, Ist Mich. Engineers & Mechanics. Wm. Karcher, Co. A, 8th Mich. Cav. Geo. M. Knowles, Co. C, 20th Mich. Geo. Kocher, Co. G, 9th Mich. Inf. Edgar D. Kaine, Co. B, 156th N. Y. Inf. John W. King, Co. G, 9th Mich. Inf.
Andrew Knight, Co. C, 20th Mich. Inf.
Philitus Lapham, Co. F, 1st Mich. Cav.
Edgar L. Lewis, Co. F, 8th N. Y. H. Artillery.
Jerome V. Lucas, Co. A, 8th Iowa Inf. Emory Morse, Co. C, 51st Ind. Vols. Geo. R. McCreary, Co. D, 145 Pa. Vols. D. L. Merrill, Capt., Co. B, 24th Wis. Inf. Erastus S. Marsh, Co. L, 24th N. Y. Cav. L. M. McCoy, Co. F, 33d Iowa Inf. Chas. E. Manchester, Co. F, 1st Mich. Cav.
Jerome Morse, Co. K, 44th Ind. Vols.
Pierce Mitchell, Co. H, U. S. Artillery. Wm. H. Mason, Co. C, 2d Mich. Inf. II. McDonald, N. Y. Inf. James McFarland, Co. G, 55th Ohio V. I. Wm. II. Ogden, Co. A, 66th Ill. Inf. Albert Perring. Co. F, 139th Ind. Inf. John Pollack, Co. C, 42d O. V. Inf. James Phillips, Co. I, 7th Mich. Vols. M. I. Perkins, Co. D, Ist N. Y. Cav. Austin S. Parker, Co. B, 23d Ohio Inf. Wm. Pratt, Co. H, Merrill's Horse. Abram Powers, Co. C, 16th Mich. Inf. Chas. Parker, Co. H, Merrill's Horse. Wm. D. Rogers, Co. K, 104th N. Y. Inf. Robert W. Raynor, Co. E, 5th Wis. Inf. John R. Robinson, Co. E, 1st Lt. Art. Gco. H. Rowell, Co. H, Merrill's Horse. Wm. J. Reed, Co. C, 93d N. Y. Vols. Chas. W. Robinson, Co. C, 2d Mich. Inf. Ephraim Rebell, Co. C, 14th Mich. Inf. Chas. J. Shoemaker, Co. D, 17th Mich. Inf.
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Alphonso Sharpsteen, Co. H, Merrill's Horse.
Amos Swanagan, Co. F, 107th U. S. Vols.
Chas. M. Stephens, Co. A, 1st Mich. S. S.
Albert B. Simpson, Co. C, 2d Mich. Inf. Geo. F. Stone, 18th N. Y. Battery.
M. D. Strickland, Co. A., 9th Mich. Cav.
Daniel D. Strain, Co. II. 27th N. Y. Inf.
Daniel Snyder, Co. L, Merrill's Horse.
Enos Short, Co. F, 98th N. Y. Vols.
I. W. Taylor, Ill. Inf.
Alonzo Traver, Co. D, 20th Mich. Inf.
Stephen R. Travis, Co. C, 2d Mich. Cav.
John Templeton, Co. L. Merrill's IIorse.
Albert E. Thayer, Co. E. O. V. I.
Frank Thayer, Co. D, 27th Iowa, Inf. Wm. Vickery, Co. H, 6th Mich. Inf.
Geo. L. Wallace, Co. II, 12th Mich. Inf.
S. Van Horn, Co. F, 7th Mich.
I. C. Williams, Co. I, Merrill's IIorse.
John H. Williams, Co. M. 1st N. Y. Artillery.
Wm. O. Wells, C'o. A, 25th Mich. Inf.
Henry C. Winbrenner. Co. B. 88th Ind. Vols.
T. J. Young, Co. A. 1st Penn. Cav.
FARRAGUT RELIEF CORPS, No. 4. By Mrs. Jennic Jones.
Farragut Relief Corps No. 4, auxiliary to Farragut Post No. 32, G. A. R., Department of Michigan, was organized in Grand Army Hall at Battle Creek, January 29. 1884.
The first meeting was called December 4, 1883, in G. A. R. Hall, by L. G. Allan, committee appointed by Farragut Post, having in charge the preliminary work of organizations. Mrs. A. E. Preston was elected temporary president, Mrs. Robert Perey, temporary secretary and Mrs. A. S. Parker, temporary treasurer. A committee of three on arrange- ments was appointed by the temporary president to co-operate with a committee from Farragut Post in obtaining a charter and supplies. An assessment of one dollar on each charter member was voted to defray the expenses of organization. The charter members were 12 in number and were as follows: Mrs. Geo. H. Lunt, Mrs. Geo H. Rowell, Mrs. R. W. Surby, Mrs. II. Mattoon, Mrs. James H. Cleveland, Mrs. A. D. Gifford, Mrs. A. S. Parker, Mrs W. H. Hall, Mrs John Hill, Mrs. Albert Gris- wold, Mrs. James R. Cooper and Mrs. James Finlay.
A second meeting was called by the committee on arrangements January 29, 1884, at 2:30 p. M., in G. A. R. Hall. Col. S. S. French was elected chairman of the meeting and Mrs. Y. E. Revere as secretary. At the command of the national president, Mrs. E. Florence Barker. Col. S. S. French, commander of Farragut Post, instituted a branch of the W. R. C., by giving our corps its name and number, Farragut Corps, No. 4.,
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Dept. of Michigan. At this meeting the following officers were elected by ballot : President, Miss M. Therese French ; senior vice-president, Mrs. Geo. H. Rowell; junior vice-president, Mrs. A. E. Preston; secretary, Mrs. Julia E. Revere ; treasurer, Mrs. A. S. Parker; chaplain, Mrs. R. W. Surby ; conductor, Mrs. James Finley ; guard, Miss Jennie Harris. The officers were installed by Col. French, who delivered the supplies, in- cluding a sealed package of the instructions on the secret work, to our president and left the hall to the newly organized corps. The president appointed her several committees; assessments amounting to $11.00 were collected and paid over to the treasurer, Mrs. Parker, $5.00 of which had been appropriated in the previous meeting to pay the charter fee. The remainder of the afternoon was devoted to the secret work, until adjournment to February 5, 1884, when Farragut Post, No. 4, had its first meeting.
The first work taken up by the corps was the admission of several candidates. It was decided that they should be voted on separately and initiated in a body. A committee was appointed at this meeting to draft the rules and by-laws for the government of the corps, which were read and accepted at a later date, with the exception of one clause on as- sessments. That clause was laid on the table until the members were larger in number. It was voted about this time that none but soldiers' wives, widows and daughters, would be received into the order and the regular meeting day of the corps was set for the first and third Tuesday of each month. At a later day, December 16, 1884, the meeting day was changed to Thursday, which day has remained to the present time. Up to this time they met once a week. The Post, then as now were very generous, giving the corps all the aid they could in every way They donated the use of their hall and fire free of charge, the ladies to furnish their own janitor, who was paid according to his services rendered, usually fifty cents for a meeting. In the spring the help of the janitor was dispensed with after the fire was built at noon and a lady appointed by the president at the beginning of each meeting to superintend the fire.
The first summer no meetings were held during the hot weather from June until September, but the members enjoyed several social afternoons at lawn parties, etc., at the homes of the different members, by invitation. The first of these was held at the home of Miss French early in July, and all business of the corps was finished for the summer. On August 19, 20 and 21, a re-union was held at Battle Creek and a com- mittee was appointed at a special meeting, to decorate the tent and provide lodging for the department officers. The corps was growing rapidly, and the members were becoming more interested in other lines of work. A motion was made that the ladies bring calicoes and busy their hands during the session for the benefit of the corps, and later a sewing society was organized which met once a week to sew for poor families, etc. Poor families were not given charity, however, until thoroughly investigated as will be seen by the following incidents taken from the minutes of a meeting held July 16, 1885. The president, having gained some information relative to the Houston family, de- cided that they were not objects of charity, having a horse, cow. and a a sewing machine, and can make a living if so disposed, and be in-
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dependent. The president reported having seen Mrs. Thompson, also, and she would like something to make a pair of pants for her youngest boy. At another meeting, a family was unable to cook food sent to them on account of siekness, and a committee of two was appointed each week to see that the food was properly prepared. Another family was reported as being destitute of shoes and three pairs were purchased and sent to them.
A great many little ineidents have happened during the history of our eorps that most of you, and especially the older members will be interested in.
May 27, 1884. Reeord of the previous meeting was read but not ae- cepted as the names of the ladies who paid their dues was inserted.
June 10. It was moved and supported that the corps receive and entertain as guests any true and loyal woman who served her country and its defenders in its time of need as nurse or attendant.
August 5, 1884. Special meeting. A motion was made to have the charter framed. The frame was purchased of George Steele for the sum of two dollars.
November 4. 1884. Treasurer reports, $110.49 on hand.
February 5, 1885. The president read the by-laws of the Woman's Relief Corps in Lansing, Farragut Corps, thought them more perfect than ours, and voted to adopt them, with some amendments.
April 2, 1886. Ladies decide to make a handsome spread for the new altar for the Post to show their appreciation of the many aets of kindness shown them.
May 6. 1886. It was moved and supported that a request be made through the press of the eity, for citizens not to decorate any but sol- diers' graves on May 31. Flowers were undoubtedly very scaree at that time.
June 17, 1886. A vote of thanks was tendered to Mr. A. S. Parker for the picture, The Battle of Shiloh.
August 5, 1886. Meeting could not be ealled to order, as there was not a quorum.
August 19, 1886. Janitor went to Kalamazoo and forgot to leave keys to hall, so no meeting was held.
January 6, 1887. Mrs. Carrie Surby, newly elected president, in her remarks, gave a thrilling account of her experience during the re- bellion between the North and South. She gave up her husband for a soldier, there worked through the long weary months solieiting the many little necessities for the boys in blue, that only a devoted wife or mother could prepare. She also made many beautiful remarks about Gen. John A. Logan.
February 7, 1889. Organ with stool was purchased for the sum of seventy-five dollars.
The first member to be laid to rest was Mrs. Anderson, who died shortly after the corps was organized. Miss Therese Freneh, the Corp's first president, was the second member to pass away, her death occurring in April, 1887. An order was drawn on the treasury for four dollars to pay for flowers for her funeral, the first flowers sent to
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any funeral by the corps. It was not a practice then but became cus- tomary later.
Mrs. A. S. Parker is the only member with us now who attended the first meeting of the Farragut Corps, being a charter member. She was the first treasurer, first delegate to the department meeting at Lansing, April 2, 1884, first delegate to the National Convention, May 6, 1886, and also department treasurer in 1890. A few other older members are as follows:
Mrs. Ellen Taylor, initiated February 29, 1884, the first year of the corps; Mrs. Flagg, initiated, February 5, 1885; Mrs. Mary E. Beach, balloted on and duly initiated April 1, 1886; and Mrs. Ann Howe, initiated, March 7, 1889; Mrs. Flagg was elected department president in 1900 and appointed Mrs. Willard, her secretary.
Following is a list of past presidents :
1884-Miss Therese French, deceased.
1885-Mrs Nichols, withdrawn.
1886-Mrs. N. J. Roberts. deceased.
1887-Mrs. Carrie Surby. deceased.
1888-Mrs. Stella L. Parker.
1889-Mrs. Amity Manchester, withdrawn.
1890-Mrs. Eliz. Rhodes, withdrawn.
1891-Mrs. May Percy, withdrawn.
1892-Mrs. Abbie Flagg.
1893-Mrs. Nettie Cummings, deceased.
1894-Ellen Raynor, deceased.
1895-May M. Perring, deceased.
1896-Sara J. Cooper.
1897-Laura L. Barrows.
1898-Mrs. Mary Beach.
1899-Mrs. Lillian M. Procens.
1900-Mrs. Mary Flowers, deceased.
1901-Mrs. Julia Stayman, deceased.
1902-Mrs. Marie Traver.
1903-Mrs. Eliz. Dowsett.
1904-Mrs. Mary O. Hayes.
1905-Mrs. F. Bellinger.
1906-Mrs. Dennison.
1907-Mrs. Allen.
1908-Mrs. D. McMillan.
1909-Mrs. Cora M. Quayle.
1910-Mrs. Ollie Senker.
1911-Mrs. Jennie Stephens.
1912-Mrs. Jennie Jones.
I am pleased to say the corps at present is in a flourishing condi- tion and has a membership of one hundred and twelve members.
Every two weeks a social is held where the post and corps unite in having a good time. The members who cannot attend are remem- bered and visited and flowers are sent in sickness and death.
CHAPTER XX
FINANCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL
BANKS AND BANKING (BY CHARLES AUSTIN)-THRESHER AND ENGINE INDUSTRY-STEAM PUMP INDUSTRY-AMERICAN STEAM PUMP COM- PANY - ADVANCE PUMP AND COMPRESSOR COMPANY - DUPLEX PRINTING PRESS COMPANY-BATTLE CREEK PREPARED FOOD IN- DUSTRY
The financial and industrial interests of Battle Creek are detailed in the following pages.
BANKS AND BANKING
By Charles Austin
The first bank organized in what is now the city of Battle Creek was in 1837, when the Bank of Battle Creek was organized as a bank of issue. It was in business for some six months and some of its bills are still in existence among the older residents.
As money was a scarce commodity in those day, there was little to deposit, but the private banks of W. H. Coleman, Leon & Sanborn and W. H. Skinner satisfied the needs of the community by the trans- action of the business incident to a new country. This included the selling of exchange, the buying, selling or exchanging of business notes, the handling of due bills on individuals or firms for goods to be delivered on demand, even the swapping of due bills where two persons could not effect an exchange, using cash only to match up the uneven ends of a trade.
In July, 1851, L. C. Kellogg started a private bank and continued it until 1865, when he organized the First National Bank of Battle Creek. There were others interested and the first board of directors consisted of L. C. Kellogg, D. Miller, W. Andrus, T. Hart, H. D. Hall, W. Wallace and W. Brooks. Their first statement was published October 2, 1865, and showed deposits of $38,821.06 and total assets $149,511.88, which constituted the total banking deposits and assets of Battle Creek at that time. The business established at that time is still continued by the old National Bank of Battle Creek.
In 1871 the City bank opened for business on June 7. The di- Vol. 1-23
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rectors were R. Kingman, N. Eldred, C. Wakelee, J. F. Moulton, R. P. Kingman, E. W. Pendle and A. Noble. It is still in operation as the City Bank.
The private bank of A. C. Hamblin succeeded that of Leon & San- born in 1859, and was continued by him until May 23, 1888, when it was succeeded by the Merchants National Bank, organized with di- rectors as follows, viz., A. W. Wright, F. Turner, F. A. Smith, A. C. Hamblin, and S. Field, and in April 1895, was re-organized as the Merchants Savings Bank and is still in business.
On November 21, 1903, the Central National Bank opened for busi- ness with C. W. Post, H. B. Sherman, E. C. Hinman, F. Wolfe, C. L. Post, H. P. Stewart, L. Werstein, G. L. Gilkey, L. W. Robinson and F. G. Evans constituting its board of directors. It is now one of the four successful banks of the city.
Our banks have never had a clearing house, but the establishment of one is contemplated.
It is interesting to note how the banking interest has kept pace with the growth of the city We have seen that the total deposits on October 2, 1865, was $38,821.06, but are now, as shown by the published state- ment of June 14, 1912 over ten millions or to be exact the sum of $10,603,132.89, and this immense growth is paralleled by the increase in assets which in October, 1865, were only $149,511.88, but on Juue 14, 1912, were $12,273,072.29.
All banks have been liberal in advancing for the enterprises of our city and the needs of the surrounding country, but have not permitted sentiment to endanger the depositors, as the officers have always deter- mined that safety must be the first consideration. As a consequence, there has been no bank failure in our city nor has any bank demanded notice of withdrawals of deposits. It did not matter how severe the money stringency, nor that New York, Chicago or Podunk were refusing to pay their depositors cash, our tellers have always paid it smilingly, thanking the depositor and inviting him to call again and bring his sisters and cousins. This condition is largely due to the intelligence and confidence of our citizens, both in the city and its vicinity, convincing us that while our past is bright the future is big with promise of still brighter days.
THRESHER AND ENGINE INDUSTRY
Contributed
Among Battle Creek's industries, that of manufacturing threshing machinery, traction engines, etc., has been very prominent for a long series of years. It began, as so many successful industries have started, in a very modest way.
In 1848 or thereabouts, John Nichols and David Shepard opened up a foundry and machine shop on what is now North State street, doing such job and custom work as such a shop was capable of handling.
The firm started under the title of Nichols & Shepard. It ran along
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a number of years, building plows, harrows and similar implements, and in the early sixties produced what was at that time known as the Vibrator thresher.
Previous to that time, grain threshing was accomplished by what was known as the endless apron type of thresher, which was comprised of an endless web back of the cylinder carrying the intermingled straw, chaff and grain partially through the machine and delivering it upon an open raddle. Both the web and the raddle received some agitation, which was given to them by their running over elliptically-shaped rollers, and beaters and pickers were used to further shake up or agitate the straw.
The Vibrator thresher which was brought out by Nichols & Shepard was built and designed upon an entirely different plan, using an entirely new method for separation. It consisted of two shakers extending from the cylinder to practically the rear of the thresher, the upper one open so as to permit loose grain to fall through it upon the lower shaker, which upper shaker was provided with lifting fingers which tossed and beat the straw as the shakers swung back and forth. The grain and fine chaff fell through this shaker upon the lower shaker, or grain pan as more commonly called, which vibrated lengthwise of the machine, carry- ing the grain and chaff to the fanning or cleaning mill, to which it was delivered for the purpose of thoroughly cleaning from dust and chaff. This machine was such an innovation in thresher building that it met the aggressive opposition of all the old builders. But notwithstanding that fact it became rapidly popular.
The business management of this company at an early date fell to Mr. Edwin C. Nichols, the son of John Nichols, who is today president and at the head of the Nichols & Shepard Company factory, and who is recognized as the dean of the threshing machine industry throughout the United States. While the company had the usual experiences of an institution growing from a modest beginning, it became one of the large thresher industries of the country through the great merit, effectiveness and popularity of its machine and the business ability which Mr. Nichols brought into the management of the institution.
This new thresher, to designate it from the old endless apron type that had been previously built, was termed the "Vibrator," the word being coined and copyrighted by the company. Notwithstanding the opposition which it met from competitors, it became so noted for its meritorious qualities and so popular among threshermen of the country that competitors were compelled to change their designs and follow the type of the Vibrator as closely as they could. In within practically twenty years from the advent of the Vibrator, the endless apron type of machine had been abandoned and all builders had designed and were constructing threshers using the vibrating or agitating principle.
In 1854 Mr. Roswell T. Merrill began the manufacture of a thresher which was called the "Double-mill separator." In 1856 his son-in-law, Mr. William Brown, assumed the business. Mr. Brown aban- doned the double-mill machine in 1859 and began the manufacture of a separator or thresher which was so near like the then popular Joseph
.
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Hall, Rochester, N. Y., machine that the United States court decided it an infringement and rendered a judgment against him. At about that same time, James S. Upton became his partner, the firm being styled Upton & Brown. In 1863 they began building and selling a thresher called the "Michigan Sweepstakes." In 1867 they took in Mr. William Brooks as a partner, and Mr. Parley Upton became a member of the firm in 1869, at which time the firm was styled Upton, Brown & Company. In 1874 a new firm or company was organized, consistng of William Brown, James S. Upton and Henry M. Strong; and two years later, 1876, they were incorporated under the name of the Upton Manufacturing Company, remaining in business until 1885, when the business and plant were removed to Port Huron, Michigan, forming the basis of what is now known as the Port Huron Engine and Thresher Company.
In the early eighties Mr. C. G. Case, who had been in the employ of Nichols & Shepard Company to some extent, designed, invented and patented a new thresher which was afterwards named the Advance. A company to manufacture it was organized under the name of Case & Willard. Mr. Charles Willard was induced to contribute towards the building of this new thresher and a number of other business men of Battle Creek as well, among them Mr. William H. Mason, Mr. James Green, Mr. B. T. Skinner, Mr. F. M. Rathbun and Mr. Charles E. Thomas.
This company grew and thrived, afterwards becoming the Advance Thresher Company. Mr. A. W. Wright of Alma, Michigan, purchased a large interest in the company and was its president for a great many years. The stock of this company was, in the latter part of 1911, pur- chased by the M. Rumely Company, also thresher manufacturers of La Porte, Indiana, and while it maintains a separate existence to some extent is practically managed at the present time by the said Rumely Company.
These two thresher factories have grown in magnitude until the city of Battle Creek produces practically ten per cent of the threshing ma- chinery and traction engines built in the entire United States. Their prosperity has been of incalculable benefit to the community, and they are at the present time furnishing employment to not less than one thousand men.
Other industries sprung up in their wake in the city of Battle Creek and have helped to give it its present growth, but the base of its pros- perity and its enterprise is practically the threshing machine industry. Instead of the little light threshers with limited capacity, and the old "down" horse powers trailed around the country under the trucks of a wagon, these companies now produce the largest threshing machine outfits built.
The steam engine for threshing came into use in the latter part of the sixties, and in the seventies was built into a traction or self-propeller. Instead of the old small thresher with a capacity to thresh not to exceed 300 to 500 bushels of wheat per day, these factories now produce a thresher with a capacity of 4,000 to 6,000 bushels of wheat per day and traction steam engines that will develop not less than 125 to 150 brake horse power.
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The policy of these companies toward their employees has always been the best. They have insisted upon skilled labor and clean, honest workmen. Employees have been treated in a manner so different from other communities that today Battle Creek has no impoverished settle- ment but is built up with mechanics' and shopmen's homes, which they own and in which they take pride, until the visitor from other parts is amazed at the clean town and comfortable homes for working men, with their well-kept lawns and bright surroundings.
There have been efforts made at different times in a meager way to introduce into Battle Creek the building of other lines of farm imple- ments and machinery, but never to any considerable extent, nor have any such institutions or efforts been considerably developed.
STEAM PUMP INDUSTRY
Contributed
In 1886 Elon A. Marsh was employed by the Battle Creek Machinery Company to develop a boiler feed pump for traction engines-his early efforts were directed with the idea of operating the same by the engine's exhaust, which was at considerable pressure for the purpose of forcing draught in the smoke stack through a reduced exhaust nozzle. He worked along these lines for about two years, making what he termed a "gravity pump" of vertical design and single acting-work being done on the "np" stroke, and the heavily weighted piston falling for renewed action by gravity. This scheme proved a complete failure, and was abandoned early in 1888, all patterns and castings being scrapped. He kept at work, however, experimenting on other designs, and December 18, 1888, issued his first patent, No. 394,656, for a single-acting plunger pump the piston of which was operated both ways by high pressure steam direct from the boiler.
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