USA > Michigan > Genesee County > History of Genesee County, Michigan, Her People, Industries and Institutions, Volume I > Part 57
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As the lumbering declined. some of the operatives purchased farms for themselves in the openings and began working their own destinies. The agricultural resources of the locality had vastly increased as the cultivated areas enlarged and Flint was the market center. The Thread grist-mill was at the high tide of its activity; had been rebuilt as a thoroughly up-to-date merchant mill, and was buying all grain offered. milling it into flour and shipping it far and wide. The Genesee Flouring Mills had absorbed the attention of the Hamiltons that had formerly been devoted to the saw- mill business, and this mill was also in the market for the grain of the locality and
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was distributing it as a manufactured product in all directions. Still another, the City Mills, came into commission because of the great agricultural resources, and the flour-milling activities of the city went a long way toward keeping up the aggregate of business that might drop off by reason of the decline in lumbering. The Thread Mill has been burned down, but the other two mills have changed their equipment to modern requirements and are in continuous operation. Their capacity is far beyond the local supply and they ship in many cars of grain and distribute in all directions many cars of milling products. Not only was the grain marketing and milling active, but all farm products of the section were pouring into the food store-houses of the world through the assembling point of Flint and shipping increased rather than diminished from year to year. This is equally true today and, while not strictly to be classed as a manufac- turing interest, it would not be fair to withhold from agriculture its full share as a devolving agency, hand in hand with the industrial contributions.
Men who had been employees in the mills became proprietors of their own business, be it what it might, for the atmosphere of prosperity was here, and the spirit was buoy- antly "Forward." They created avenues into which latent talent could turn and were responsible for the new lines of manufacturing, which was assuming a diversified charac- ter instead of the one great interest, lumber. The agricultural prosperity naturally dictated a factory to supply farming tools and for several years such an industry, includ- ing foundry, machine shop, wood working and finishing, was a prosperous and aggres- sive institution, employing many operatives. Another result of agricultural expansion was a factory making creameries, and it was a power in educating the farmers into a proper appreciation of the value of their grazing lands and cows. A soap factory was another industry that was eminently prosperous and accumulated wealth. Unostenta- tiously this wealth was invested and was steadily increased into an estate of generous proportions. Through those years of accumulating, the owner cherished a thought of returning to the city that gave him his home and competency, a monument of his grateful- ness. Therefore, when James J. Hurley was called to his eternal rest it was found that he had generously endowed a hospital for the city of Flint.
Pump factories added their usefulness to the needs of the developing country and contributed to the aggregate of the city's manufacturing, until the more modern drive- well largely replaced the wooden pump. Broom factories have been a part of the manufacturing interests for many years. The manufacture of clothing, both for men and women, has at different times been of importance. A shoe factory was organized here at one time, hoping to develop a business along lines that have made other locali- ties wealthy ; but conditions were not favorable and after a year or two it was dis- mantled. A table factory was another institution that offered work to craftsmen in wood, and for several years did a large business and drew generous earnings to the city. The receding of the lumber supply made operations too expensive, and its activities ceased. Before Begole-Fox & Company suspended lumbering operations they had pro- vided for utilizing their property for further manufacturing enterprises. The water- power site was sold to F. R. Lewis, who organized a paper manufacturing industry, making a market for all the surplus straw of the farming community. His product was straw wrapping paper and straw board. Eventually there was added a plant utiliz- ing this straw board in making egg crates in large quantities.
Cigars came to be manufactured in Flint in 1875, when Myer Ephraim started a little shop. Others were attracted to the business and succeeded. Graduated from Ephraim factory, they essayed a business career for themselves, or employees became employers. So new factories were created and they seemed invariably to fill a need and increased the aggregate of business. Gradually Flint has come to be a cigar manufac-
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turing center, with a dozen large factories, making and shipping thousands of dollars worth of manufactured tobacco annually and distributing good earnings to the hun- dreds of skilled operatives. The traveling forces of these factories cover a wide terri- tory and a large clientele looks to Flint for their cigar stocks. It is to the credit of the industry that healthful conditions for work prevail in all the factories and that the profits have added not a little to home making in the city.
"The only factory of its kind in the world," was the announcement of another institution started primarily to introduce a Flint invention : a novel revolving device for displaying hats.
But it so happened that the manufacture of vehicles has come to be the dominant, but by no means the sole interests of industrial Flint, and around the word "Vehicle" are now unified all of life's phases for many individuals, families, societies and busi- ness interests of the city. In 1869, W. A. Paterson came to Flint, started a small carriage and repair shop, and therein was born the industry that has come to be Flint's pride. This business was for many years almost entirely local in character and of exceedingly modest volume, but by the force of splendidly directed efforts it has advanced to a commanding commercial position. The Begole-Fox & Company lumber yard became the site of the Flint Wagon Works.
In 1886 W. C. Durant became owner of a patent on a road cart and invited J. D. Dort to join him in the manufacturing venture, which eventuated in the largest manu- facturing institution of the city, the Durant-Dort Carriage Company and its allied interests. The real introduction of all three of these big factories to the market of the world was through the road cart, which enjoyed a wonderful wave of popularity from 1885 to 1895 and in the manufacture of which all three institutions were heavily involved during that period. Looking down upon this industry from the heights of present knowledge, it almost seems as though advanced sheets of the book of futurity might have been spread out before those responsible for the management. It was not fortune, but business ability and business foresight that has given Flint this pre- eminence. As time passed along a fixed purpose formed and a steady advance toward the attainment of that purpose has made Flint the Vehicle City. Also, as the indus- try has advanced, men whose experience and training with the growing industry have made them valuable, have been drawn within the circle of administration; have been admitted into councils; have been assigned to executive positions and by their expe- rience and their genius have contributed their quota to Flint's success. Around the home of the complete vehicle are clustered factories for many of the component acces- sories, and with the very fact of manufacturing itself has come the idea of a manu- facturing district, equipped with everything conducive to ideal working conditions, coupled with homes and enjoyable environment readily accessible. The very nature of the coming of the present plants intimates the eventual coming of more.
A NORMAL AND LEGITIMATE GROWTH.
Flint's manufacturing development was never characterized by a scramble to take advantage of existing conditions, but came about in an orderly way ; as needs were felt, the response came upon that solid foundation which, with business judgment, insures success. In the early days of the carriage industry, W. F. Stewart commenced making buggy bodies and wood work. His experiences have been but those of the indus- try to which he was allied and, by thought, study and energy, he kept pace with its march of progress and contributed a goodly proportion to the sum total of Flint's commercialism. So the Armstrong Spring Works came into existence and has justi-
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fied its right to be continued and increasing usefulness. So came the Imperial Wheel Company, an institution known all over vehicledom as the largest and best wheel plant in the world. Its equipment includes mills and forest areas in the South to supply its timber requirements. The history of the automobile industry would show that at about the beginning of the twentieth century it had passed all experimental stages and was a fixed element in the world's business. The management of the wheel plant, perceiving the possibilities, promptly equipped its factory to supply automobile wheels and today Flint furnishes the majority of these wheels for American cars. Attracted by the vehicle interests, the Flint Axle Works established a plant in farm lands just outside the city limits, but the municipal boundaries were soon expanded to insure it fire and police protection. The Flint Varnish Works soon followed into the same local- ity, known as Oak Park, where an ideal manufacturing center was created. The Michigan Paint Company has a history like many other industries more or less allied to the vehicle interests-of a small beginning and expansion. The Flint Woolen Mills, which were so important in early development, were later discontinued. The Flint Specialty Company makes the whipsockets of the world. A tannery was established to make carriage leathers and another factory furnishes buggy boots, aprons and cut leather necessities. This detail is not exploitation, but an exposition of the result of concentrating every fibre of business ability and thought into channels of progress along a specific line. Modern geographies will tell you that Flint is noted as producing more vehicles than any other city in the world; therefore, it is not particularly surprising that accessory interests would ally themselves with a locality that can offer such a market and attract such attention, and it is easy to comprehend what a wide publicity must result for Flint when such an output is being spread over the earth by the selling corps of all the factories. The permanent character of their equipment is the best comment on the question of their success and their gradually increasing shipments to other vehicle centers is the evidence of their profitable operation and expansion.
Like the lumbering operations of early years, these varied vehicle industries have attracted to the city, mechanics and operatives of many kinds. Young people have grown up with the business and have attained to responsible positions in divers lines. They have been graduated from the college of experience, and have gone as proprietors or managers elsewhere. Merit is recognized and appreciated while organized promotions develop both talent and loyalty. Their business or mechanical education is not all that the management has done to make conditions attractive to the great body of helpers and co-workers. The various vehicle and accessory companies have equipped a splendid club with reading, billiard, bowling, bath and gymnastic rooms. The operatives them- selves maintain it, as well as a generous sick and accident benefit association. An organ- ized effort for beautifying landscapes in resident sections is another interesting element of this community idea.
[NOTE: The excellent article by Mr. Aldrich was written in 1905 and before the city of Flint became one of the greatest manufacturing centers for automobiles in the world.]
FENTON.
The manufacturing industries of Fenton have shown a steady develop- ment since the late fifties. The first saw-mill and grist-mill there, built about 1837 on the Shiawassee river by Wallace Dibble, Robert LeRoy and William
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M. Fenton, did a great service for the settlement of this part of the county. The old mill gave place to one built on the same site by Riker & Adams in 1858. This mill was burned and a new one put up, later owned by Messrs. Colwell and Adams, who entered into business in 1867. Mr. Colwell was a native of Livingston county and Mr. Adams came here from the army after the close of the Civil War. The mill stood on the site of the original one built by LeRoy & Fenton, who, in 1876, expended twenty-one thousand dol- lars upon it in repairs and improvements. From August I to November I, 1877, ten thousand barrels of flour were ground at this mill. The warehouse was built in 1865 by J. R. Mason on the east side of LeRoy street imme- diately north of the railroad. Before the fire of April 24, 1879, this firm was engaged to a large extent in the manufacture of lumber, coopers' material and barrels, but their mills were destroyed at that time.
About 1855-56 Samuel G. Alexander located in Fenton. He was an Englishman by birth and a practical worker in woolen cloths. He had for- merly been employed in the mills of the Messrs. Stearns, at Pittsfield, Massa- chusetts, and upon coming to Fenton engaged in buying wool and selling cloths for the Pittsfield mills. He in time started a small woolen-factory here, but for want of capital could do but little. Finally the citizens became interested, and on the 15th of October, 1864, the Fenton Manufacturing Company was organized, with a capital stock of sixty thousand dollars, taken by the principal business men and farmers in the vicinity. David L. La- tourette was the heaviest stockholder. A large factory was built and fur- nished, at a cost of about sixty-four thousand dollars, and the material manufactured was of the first quality. For some time an extensive business was transacted. In January, 1868, the stock was increased to one hundred thousand dollars. Upon the failure of Mr. Latourette in 1871 and the conse- quent collapse of his bank, the woolen-factory was forced to suspend opera- tions. A. Wakeman became Latourette's assignee. The factory long stood idle, and its price to any purchaser continued to decrease until finally it was bought in the spring of 1873 by Mr. Wakeman's son, L. B. Wakeman, F. H. Wright and J. H. Earl (the latter of Flint), for eight thousand dollars, the firm name being Wright, Wakeman & Company. Mr. Wright purchased a half-interest. After the great panic of 1873 they continued business until they had sunk all their capital and the stockholders generally had lost. They were finally obliged to close up and make an assignment for the benefit of their creditors. Since then the factory had not been in use up to the time it was destroyed. It had furnished employment for as many as thirty hands
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and was closed in October, 1877. It was subsequently purchased on a mort- gage by George L. Lee, of Detroit, who owned it when it was burned ( April 24, 1879). Its destruction caused a total loss to him, as it was uninsured.
A steam carding-mill and wool-manufacturing house was erected in 1871 by S. G. Alexander & Son, after the closing, at that time, of the fac- tory. It was subsequently transformed into a cotton-batting factory by the same persons.
The subject of building a fruit-preserving factory at Fenton was broached to the citizens of the place in March, 1873, through the columns of the Fenton Gazette by Charles A. Keeler, but it was not until 1876 that it was established. The dryer first put in proved unsatisfactory and the pro- prietors, Messrs. Buskirk and Britton, inserted a Williams machine in its place, which dried the fruit very rapidly and without changing its color. In the fall of that year (1876) one hundred bushels of apples were dried daily. The institution was destroyed with others equally unfortunate in the great fire of April 24, 1879.
The Rose Manufacturing Company was incorporated under the general laws of Michigan on January 31, 1879. It had commenced fitting up a building at Fenton about the first of the previous December and early in March following began operations. It had purchased all the machinery, tools, etc., of the Ypsilanti Whip-Socket Manufacturing Company and, be- sides the new varieties, it made all the styles formerly manufactured by the company named. The stock of the Rose Manufacturing Company was orig- inally ten thousand dollars. George P. Rose, the patentee of most of the varieties of sockets made, was the general manager, superintending the entire work at the factory. The main office and depository was at Nos. 71 and 73 Jefferson avenue, Detroit. The goods made were at that time undoubtedly the finest the country produced. The rooms in use occupied three stories of a building at the north end of LeRoy street, erected for a carriage-manu- factory by Cole, Kimball & Campbell. This half of the building was twenty- two by sixty feet in dimensions. The motive-power was furnished by a twenty-horse power engine. Mr. Rose had been engaged in this business for some time before coming to Fenton. About thirty-five varieties of sockets were originally manufactured. A fine japanning oven was one of the fea- tures of the establishment, in which one thousand could be japanned at once. Malleable iron sockets were cast from patterns made by Mr. Rose. Tubular sockets were also made and an extensive trade was worked up from the very beginning.
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On south LeRoy street was a large brick building which was erected originally by Messrs. Hirst and Boyes for use as a grist-mill and oil-mill. It was operated by them about a year and was purchased in 1869 by A. J. Phillips, who converted it into a pump and safe factory. Mr. Phillips manu- factured very fine iron and porcelain-lined pumps, double and single water- drawers and milk-safes of all kinds. Planing, matching, sawing and resaw- ing, turning, etc., were also done to order and a good business was transacted annually.
Thomas Whittle had operated a brewery on a small scale previous to 1870 in a building north of the river and west of LeRoy street. In the year named he, in company with Messrs. Colwell and Adams, built a brick brewery. About 1854-56 a foundry was started by Henry VanAlstine, who came to Fenton from Byron, Shiawassee county. Besides numerous other articles, he manufactured what were known as "Empire" plows and had a fair cus- tom. The establishment was later owned by Messrs. L. Fitch and son. The Messrs. Fitch were proprietors of this foundry from the fall of 1873. Mr. Fitch, Sr., was one of the pioneers of Oakland county, having removed to the township of Oxford, from Genesee county, New York, in 1839.
The Fenton Novelty Works were established by H. S. Andrews about April 1, 1878. Picture-frames in all styles, rustics, brackets, etc., were manu- factured. Mr. Andrews was one of the earliest emigrants from New York to Michigan. In 1820, when a boy, he came with his father, Ira Andrews, upon the steamer "Walk-in-the-Water," the first upon Lake Erie, from Buffalo, New York, to Detroit, where his father became one of the early hotel-keepers. Mr. Andrews, Sr., afterwards removed to West Bloomfield, Oakland county, and died at Birmingham. In 1844 H. S. Andrews worked at his trade, that of blacksmith, in Fenton, subsequently moved away, but ultimately returned. For years before moving here he was well acquainted with the region and when a boy was personally acquainted with Rufus Stevens, the first settler in Grand Blanc. Mr. Andrews for some time owned and kept the Andrews House, in Fenton, later King's Hotel. He wrote numerous historical articles for the press, all interesting descriptions of the early settlement of the region which was so long his home.
The only establishment operated in 1880 by water (since the burning of the saw-mills) was the grist-mill of Colwell & Adams, and this not entirely. Steam was used to a great extent, especially in case of low water, and the same motive-power was also utilized in other manufactories. The Shia- wassee river, although but a small stream, furnished a remarkable amount
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of power, and that without flooding as extensive a tract as would be supposed from the nature of its shores. Later, the Phillips family, father and sons, operated one of the largest window screen factories in the country.
FLUSHING.
At Flushing a woolen factory and carding machine was early operated. It was finally discontinued in that capacity and became part of a flouring- mill, which was afterwards burned. A saw-mill on the west side of the river was originally built by Messrs. Cull and Warner for a sash-factory. A furnace near the west end of the bridge was originally built for an ashery by Mr. Henderson, of Flint, and converted into a furnace by Ogden Clarke. Green & Langdon used it for a time as an ashery. A shingle-factory on the north side of the street, west of the bridge, belonged to Mr. Willett, and a saw-mill and rake-factory near it was owned by Mrs. Henry French and managed by Smith & Martin. The village contained also the usual number of mechanic-shops found in a place of its size. There is no location in Michigan furnishing better advantages for manufacturing than Flushing.
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CHAPTER XV.
BANKS AND BANKING.
When one ascends marble steps into some wonder of the American builders' art; as he moves through offices magnificently finished, with a long line of wickets, behind which are a crowd of bookkeepers, collectors and messengers; as he sees desk after desk occupied by sharp-eyed officers and assistants; as he notes with what smoothness and consummate ease the busi- ness is divided and handled, like some huge power machine, made of the finest metal-he is struck with admiration for a thing so immense, so far- reaching, yet so graceful and perfect. It is difficult to imagine that the science which it is practicing and developing-the science of banking and finance-had a beginning long ago, in the days of rude, undeveloped barter- ing. It is a far reach from the days of trade when the medium of exchange was a string of pelts, a sack of meal, or a few green beads, to this age of intricate business system, but our task in this chapter will be to give in brief the history of banking in Genesee county.
In March, 1837, two months after Michigan was admitted into the Union as a state, a general banking law was enacted, making the banking business free to all persons. The early banks of Genesee county were inaug- urated under this law. The general provisions of the law were fairly drawn, except that in the two most important features-security to the bill holders and a bona fide capital to secure the depositors-they were inadequate. The capital must not be less than fifty thousand dollars or more than one hun- dred thousand dollars. The issue could be two and one-half times the capital paid in. The issue should not exceed seven per cent. on discounts, and the banks were required to make semi-annual dividends, thus assuring the banks' ability to do this. The security for the payment of the banks' obligations were to be the specie in the vaults of the corporation and bonds and mort- gages on real estate to be held by the bank commissioner. Few, if any, banks had this specie, though the law required thirty per cent of the capital to be paid in "legal money of the United States." These specie deposits fur- nished little reliable security. The bank commissioner, whose duty it was to examine the banks once in three months, was often deceived, for one bank
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would inform another as to the advent of this official, thus giving each one an opportunity to secure sufficient funds to meet the requirements of the bank- ing department.
These pioneers of finance were not without strategy. A good story has been told in Abbott's history of an ex-governor of Michigan, who in going from one bank to another on his trip of inspection, thought he noticed a familiar look in the boxes containing the silver. After reaching the end of his route, though finding all the banks supplied with specie, he suddenly turned back and, re-examining the banks, found all but one without coin. This was the system of banking in the early days of Genesee county, the overthrow of which so shocked the state, financially, that many years elapsed before a recovery from its effect was manifest.
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