History of Saginaw County, Michigan; historical, commercial, biographical, Volume II, Part 46

Author: Mills, James Cooke
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Saginaw, Mich., Seemann & Peters
Number of Pages: 838

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At that time "Captain" Naegely kept a hotel in the low two-story brick building, which is still standing. on the west side of Jefferson Street, near Tuscola. He was a "father," so to speak, of a large number of lumber-jacks who stayed at his house and enjoyed his hospitality, and he knew how to handle them. The wise ones who realized the pitfalls of the city, made him their banker, and he would cash their camp orders, either handing out a generous roll of bills or retaining the greater part of the amount in his safe keeping. This preliminary arranged, nothing would do but he should look after their physical comfort. A visit to Jerry's barber shop on Lapeer Street relieved them of a Winter's growth of hair and whiskers, and a hot bath made them tolerably presentable. Next, a call at Bendit's or Koch's clothing stores refitted them with new, clean outfits, including the inevitable red sash, and at Lenheim's or Warner's with new boots or pacs.

After some minor purchases had been made and the woodsmen had filled up on the feed provided by the "Captain," they were ready to "take in the sights of the town," and this they proceeded to do in characteristic fashion. Water Street from the depot at Potter Street to Sears and Holland's mill, near Bristol, was the principal trail of the lumber-jacks, one of their favorite haunts, the Riverside House, being situated at the corner of MeCoskry and Water Streets. The main streets of the town were rendered indescribably gay and fantastic by the fighting woodsmen, the lives of law-abiding citizens often being jeapordized by their murderous outbreaks. Many reckless spirits lost their "wads" in one night by theft, others spent their all in a week or ten days, while a few wiser ones managed to "have a time of it," and still keep some of their hard earned wages. The truth was, the tradesmen were "out" to get the woodsmen's coin, and the rough element got the most of it, from Warren Bordwell's show house, on Washington Street, to the ever open row of resorts on Franklin Street. The scenes of revelry witnessed by those who were thrown much with the lumber-jacks and river men, will never be erased as long as memory lasts.

In those days everybody was busy as there was plenty of work to do. and with money and spenders everywhere, many enterprising men were gaining wealth. The foundation of many a substantial fortune was laid in trading and less legitimate pursuits, generally at the expense of the dwellers of the north woods. As years went by, the "Captain," as the friend of the woodsmen, acquired a handsome competence and erected the three-story brick hotel, nearly opposite his old place, which for many years bore his name, and in which he continued to entertain the lumbermen and the traveling public.

Some Old-Time Saw Mills

Beginning at the lower end of town, at the railroad depot, and proceeding up the river one would come to the steam saw mill of Dwight G. Holland, capable of making five million feet of lumber annually and giving employment to eighteen men. Next in order was the ship yard of Jesse Hoyt, and then the extensive stave factory of C. & E. Ten Eyck, with a capacity of two million staves and employing ten men. AAfterward the manufacture of shingles be- came the principal product of this concern. Jesse Hoyt's planing mill, work- ing twenty men, came next, and its capacity was forty thousand feet of planed lumber per day. Above this was the Genesee Iron Works of Wickes Brothers, and the Mayflower Mills owned by Jesse Hoyt and operated by John Bradfield. Its capacity was one hundred and fifty barrels of Hour per

409

THE LUMBER INDUSTRY

day, and was considered one of the best equipped flouring mills in the country. L .C. Whiting's saw mill came next, and had a capacity of three million feet annually, employing eighteen men.

The saw mill of W. F. Glasby, of three million feet capacity, was next in order. with stave making machinery which turned out fifty thousand staves per day, and shovel handles and wood work generally, giving employment in all to thirty-six men. In the same establishment was the planing mill of A. H. Mershon, with a capacity of twenty-five thousand feet per day, and a pump boring machine capable of boring one thousand feet of pump logs in a day, and other machinery for cutting, sawing, boring and planing, requiring eighteen men. E. A. Wilder also had in operation at this mill a patent hoop machine, which turned out twenty thousand barrel hoops per day.

TABLES SPREAD IN "CHUCK" SHANTY

Above this factory was the mill of Penny & Quackenbush, giving em- ployment to fourteen men and turning out about two million feet of lumber in a year. Next above was the large mill of G. C. Warner & Company, of six million feet capacity and employing twenty-eight men. Near by was the foundry and machine shop of Warner & Eastman, and the brewery of John Erd, which made three thousand barrels of ale and beer in a year. The iron foundry of George W. Merrill came next giving employment to ten men. Above the foundry was the immense saw mill of F. P. Sears & Com- pany which cut seven million feet of lumber and manufactured staves for forty thousand nail kegs in a year, employing thirty-five men. In 1863 the combined capacity of the mills at East Saginaw was forty million feet of lumber, and large quantities of square timber, staves, shingles and lath.

In other parts of the city were numerous works of various kinds, among which was the sash and blind factory of Hosea Pratt, on Hayden Street. which employed twelve men ; the "City Mills," owned by O. H. P. Champlin. with a capacity of fifty barrels of flour per day : the sash and blind factory of Allen & McLean, on Jefferson Street adjoining the hotel of H. Naegely, and the brewery of Charles Langlas, on the same street.

110

HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY

Near the upper limits of Saginaw City was the shingle mill of William Il. Tuttle, and near by the steam saw mill of Jerome & Taylor, with a capacity of five million feet of lumber. Next in order coming down the river, was the saw mill of Williams Brothers, cutting three million feet, and further down the gang mill of Millard. Paine & Wright, then the largest inill in the world. This mill had a capacity of ten million feet in a year, which was regarded as a phenomenal production. Waterman & Harrington, and Blanchard & Sons, had large factories, and N. R. Ramsey an extensive sash, door and blind shop. There was also a steam fouring mill, having two run of stone, owned by E. R. Shimmons, on Water Street, all within the limits of one mile.

A Mcdel Establishment

In the seventies the saw mill of W. R. Burt & Company, situated about seven miles below the city, was one of the most complete establishments on the river. Whether its sawing capacity, or its stave and heading mill, barrel factory, shingle mill or salt works, all combined under one management. was considered, and its carpenter and blacksmith shops, gas works, school house and public library-everything requisite for a community in itself-the guiding spirit of a master mind was everywhere apparent. The mill was completed in July, 1868, and the banks of the river at the isolated and barren location pre- sented an almost unlimited space for boomage and dockage. and with a channel of a depth of eleven feet to the Bay. To reach Zilwaukee a roadway had to be made through the prairie on the bank of the river, but the principal mode of conveyance to East Saginaw, where Mr. Burt lived and had an office, was by boat. The investment in plant was nearly two hundred thousand dollars. a large capital for that time, and was exclusive of heavy investment in timber lands in adjoining counties.

During the sawing season one hundred and fifty men were employed in the mill proper, which ran night and day with an average cut of one hundred thousand feet every twelve hours. There were two gangs, one circular and one upright saw, with edging tables and cut-off saws, a lath machine which made twelve thousand pieces in twelve hours, and stave machinery turning out seven thousand pieces and a heading machine eight hundred sets in the same time. The shingle mill employed twenty-five men and boys, who made fifty thousand shingles, and the cooper shop with fifteen men turned out three hundred barrels daily. The salt works had a capacity of two hundred and seventy-five barrels per day, and gave employment to forty men. In all two hundred and thirty men were employed at this mill, and formed a community living in cottages erected and owned by the company, and in large boarding bouses, all on the premises. It was Mr. Burt's policy to employ married men whenever possible, as they were more steady and less excitable in time of strikes. In one instance, when nearly every mill on the river shut down on account of labor troubles, the Burt mill did not stop a day, the men being contented and well satisfied with conditions. A school house erected by the company was open to children of employees seven months in a year, and a well stocked public library was maintained for the benefit of the people.

The lumber cut in this mill was shipped largely to Ohio ports, and the salt found a ready market at Chicago and Milwaukee. As an index of the volume of business transacted by this company, the shipments for the first half of 1874 amounted to fourteen million feet of lumber, one million two hundred and thirty thousand pieces of lath, forty-five thousand sets of heading, two million and seventy-seven thousand shingles, one hundred thousand staves, and thirty-one thousand barrels of salt. The office in Saginaw was on Water Street and was in charge of Frank Lawrence, afterwards an extensive real estate dealer and mayor of the city.

411

THE LUMBER INDUSTRY

The Saginaw Mills in the Eighties

About two miles below the Burt Mill, at Melbourne, was the large saw mill and salt works of Whitney & Batchelor ; and above, at Zilwaukee, were the mills of Rust, Eaton & Company, E. F. Gould, Bliss, Brown & Company, and C. L. Grant & Company, while on the east side of the river were the mills of the Saginaw Lumber & Salt Company, Melchers & Nerreter and S. W. Tyler & Son. At Carrollton, coming up the river, was the saw mill and solar salt field of J. C. Lockwood, the mills and salt works of W. A. DeGrauw, Aaron T. Bliss, T. Jerome & Company, E. F. Gould, J. Riley, and the planing mill and salt works of William B. Mershon. On the middle ground opposite was the extensive plant of the Hoyt Estate, managed by William L. Webber, which included a complete planing mill on the east side of the river ; the planing mills of Witham, Anderson & Company and J. J. Winsor, and the large plants of John G. Owen, comprising saw mill, salt works, and planing mill which also made sash, doors and blinds.

At Florence, directly opposite East Saginaw, were located a number of lumbering concerns, including Backus & Binder, Whittier & Company talso making shingles), Charles Merrill & Company, the salt works of George E. Anthony, the saw and shingle mill of James Patterson, the shingle mill of George Davenport, and the extensive plants of C. K. Eddy & Son, J. H. Pearson & Son, and the shingle mill and salt works of Wylie Brothers. On the east side of the river were the mills of C. & E. Ten Eyck, Charles Lee, Warner & Eastman and Nelson Holland.

Within the limits of Saginaw City during this prosperous period in our history, were the mills of A. W. Wright & Company, the planing mill of Wright & Knowlton, the shingle mills and salt works of D. McLeod & Com- pany and Brand & Hardin, the planing mill of D. Hardin & Company, the saw mills and salt works of G. F. Williams & Brothers and N. & A. Barnard ( the latter also operating a shingle mill), Cameron & Merrill and Green, Ring & Company. On the midde ground, now Rust Park, were the saw mills of Sample & Camp, W. B. Stillman and A. D. Camp, the shingle mill of D. S. Chapin, the saw mill of Burnham & Still, and the mills and salt works of Gebhart & Estabrook.

At Salina, on the east side of the river, were the salt works of E. J. Ring, the planing mill of A. Linton & Son, the saw mills and salt works of Rust Brothers & Company, Eaton. Potter & Company and Wiggins, Cooper & Company. Above, near the head of the Saginaw, were the shingle mill of F. Kelly, the salt works of F. Beschkee and W. A. O'Donnell, the shingle mill and salt works of E. R. Phinney and John Creenie, the salt works of Red- mond & Nolan ; and the shingle mill of F. & L. Brucker, completes the list of sixty-one active lumbering and salt making concerns.

The Output of the Saginaw Mills in 1892

The manufacturers of lumber, lath, shingles, staves and heading, in 1892, embracing a majority of the concerns enumerated above, employed eighteen hundred and ninety men in the saw mills, and two hundred and ninety-two in the shingle mills, and paid in wages six hundred twenty-six thousand six hundred and forty-four dollars in the saw mills, and seventy-three thousand dollars in the shingle mills. The value of the product was four million eight hundred and twenty-four thousand dollars for lumber, and three hundred thirty thousand five hundred and ninety-two dollars for shingles. The total cut of the Saginaw mills. in 1892. was three hundred twenty-one million eight hundred and thirty-one thousand feet of lumber : one hundred twenty million two hundred and fifteen thousand shingles; fifty-nine million seven

WARNER & EASTMAN,

Gang and Circular Saved Lumber. C. & E. TEN EYCK, North Water For. I'mrrson, and North Wales Cor. M

CATLIN & PAINE. Inspectors and Commission.

VIBER DEALERS. 4. HAN( Saginaw, Mich.

A. W. WRIGHT & CO.,

MANUFACTURERS OF

Gang Sawed Lumber,

VTH AND PICKETS.

NEWELL BARNARD & CO., GANG SAWED LUMBER,

Aud Timber of all sizes LATH, JOISTS

١٤١٣٫٠٠ DEALFD

3CANTLING.

'shipped by Vessels or un Port IND FARMING LANDS.

LUMBER, LATH AND SALT.

MILLS AND SALT WORKS IN EAST SAGINAW.

-Ny CITY. -

THOMAS SAYLOR & CO. GANG SAWED LUMBER. Planed Lumber, Flooring, Siding, Pickets and Lath. Also, SALT.

Bill Lumber furnished on Sh MILL AND WORKS AT

LUMBER,

SALT AND SHINGLES.

Special attention paid to furnishing Bill Stuff, Timh.

NAGI.W. - Shingle Mill, F. & ~ CLEVELAND APP

SEARS & HOLLAND. Manufacturers and lun'er. in

LUMBER, LATH, SHINGLES & SALT, ANT DEALET! IN

-. Bristol Street Bridge,

Pine Lana AND DEAL? IN

JANES. MEAD & LEE, 1 Real Estate,

Office at M KAS Lumber, Sash, Doors, Blinds, Mouldings. Siding Flooring, Ceiling and Hard Wood of all kind -. Cor. . "arden & Franklin Sts .. nr. Washington

Past Anginaw, sich.

BUSINESS CAROS OF LEADING LUMBERMEN, ABOUT 1874

Shingles, Stares &. Bar Manufacturers of and D sh to de

Water Street, near F. & P. M. E's.

G. F. Williams & Bros.,

MANUFACTURERS AND HEALERS IN

LUMBER. TIMBER. LATH.

Shingles, Posts, P: .

CHAS. MERRILL & CO ..

Dry Gang Sawed Lumber.

Cart Londed to any

EATON, POTTER & CO., 1

BUTMAN & RUST,

Manufactororr and Deale:' >=

BARNARD & BINDER, Gang Sawed Lumber, LATH, SCANTLING, JOISTS, AND TIMEER OFALL SIZES. "ES AND HEADING.

- and Dairy Salt. W. J. BARTOW,

Manufacturer and Deuter in

GANG SAWED LUMBER,

PINELAND AND LOGS.

and Salt W

Office

44od State

Gang Sawed Lumber, AND DEALERS IN LOGS AND PINE LANDS. SAGINAW CITY, MICH Post Office .uids ex4. CHAPIN, BARBER & CO .. ...

413

THE LUMBER INDUSTRY

hundred and seventy thousand lath; thirteen million two hundred and two thousand staves, and seven hundred and fourteen thousand sets of heading.

Saginaw Becomes a Distributing Market

Early in the seventies the necessity of adopting a general system of preparing lumber for use, previous to shipping it, became manifest, and serious consideration was given the subject of establishing planing mills and lumber yards in the Saginaws. The shipment of rough lumber, either green or dry, involved the transportation of a large percentage of waste material, as dry, dressed lumber weighs only half as much as rough green, and the bulk is twenty per cent less. Lumber must be seasoned and planed and otherwise prepared before it can be used for most purposes, dry kilns and planing mills doing the bulk of this necessary labor. It was evident that if they were located here, instead of at Ohio ports, and at Buffalo and the Tona- wandas, and the debris and waste incident to their operation removed before any transportation costs were incurred, a great advantage would acrue to this market, and the shavings and trimmings could be utilized as fuel in the manufacture of salt, our other large staple. A discussion of this subject by A. H. Mershon. Inspector General of Lumber in 1874, was pertinent to the case, references from which are transcribed :

"The dull state of the lumber market, slow sale, low prices, slight demand, causes the anxious manufacturer to ask what is the matter, and ( what is more to the point) what is the remedy ? # The consumers are, as far as we are concerned, the retail lumber yard men and the large builders, but we hardly recognize them in our trade. We have only sought to sell by the cargo or the million feet to the large city and lake port yards. Somebody must pay the yard and dock rents, the sorting and piling, the office and incidental expenses, that do not add one cent to the value of the lumber. What can't be added to the price and got out of the consumer, must be subtracted from the price paid the pro- ducer by the middle men who have made fortunes out of simply handling our lumber. Heretofore the consumer has paid his share, and I think the manufacturers begin to realize that they have paid theirs, and unless they change their tactics they will, from this time on, pay the whole of it.

"The consumers have found out that there are railroads to Saginaw and beyond. They have heard that lumber is cheaper than it was. One comes to Saginaw and tells us what he wants-perhaps a car load of two- by-fours, a car load of stock boards, one or two of selects or finishing lumber, a few uppers and a load of flooring, some siding and fencing. We patiently listen and say we can't bother with his order. We have a cargo or two of log run, or common and culls, or bill stuff, but as for selling in such driblets as half a dozen car loads, we can't bother with it : all is piled together and we can't pick it out for you. The country dealer from Ohio thinks he has come to the wrong place, and goes up the road to the little one-horse affairs, as we contempuously call them, and finds just what he wants-buys it and goes home. In a few days his lumber arrives by rail, without transfer, and is unloaded already sorted, directly in his yard, and he finds that he has saved several dollars per thousand. and the only expense he regrets is the cost of spending a day or two in Saginaw.

"Our railroad connections now are such that we can reach almost every section of the country. We have the advantage of being the largest manufacturing point of lumber in the world, and we would never know what hard times are if we worked the manufacturing business down to a fine point-do the work and sorting here, so that we can sell the cus-

414

HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY

tomer just what he wants without compelling him to take a great surplus that he doesn't want. There is a demand for all we make, dry and dress it, do it here before it starts, and keep the fuel at home to make salt.

"What we want for the good of the trade and the good of the valley, is more labor put upon the lumber right here at home. Increase our population by giving more men work, and increasing the value of our production instead of the amount of feet. The argument that water freights are cheaper than rail 'won't wash.' You can't reach the con- sumer by water, and rough lumber as usually shipped by water weighs two tons a thousand feet. while dry and dressed lumber weighs one, and the different transfers are saved and the lake port charges and profits. Sort your lumber, sell your customers what they want, and you can get your price and your pay ; almost anyone can buy a few car loads if he can get such as he wants. Sub-divide your common lumber, sell the coarse low and get its value for the finer grades."

At that time ( 1874) several lumbermen had already established sorting yards, among whom was Jesse Hoyt, all his lumber being handled in this way, about one million feet of dressed lumber going from the planing mill every month. Wright, Tipton & Company, John McGraw & Company, Brooks & Adams, C. Merrill and several others were doing a prosperous business in this way. The distributing market, though slow in starting, began to increase in the eighties and at about the height of its trade, in 1892, there were eighteen concerns in the Saginaws doing a yard and planing mill business, namely : Bliss & Van Auken, Wright Lumber Company, E. O. & S. L. Eastman, D. Llardin & Company, York & Tillotson, Briggs & Cooper, Gebhard & Esta- brook, E. Germain, Linton Manufacturing Company, O'Donnell, Spencer & Company, Avery & Company, George F. Cross Lumber Company, W. B. Mershon & Company, Ayres Lumber & Salt Company, Charles Lee, Saginaw Box Company, Charles Noll and L. C. Slade, a wholesale lumber yard only. These concerns employed an average of twenty-three hundred men and boys during 1892, to whom were paid eight hundred twelve thousand, four hundred and twelve dollars in wages. They also employed twenty-four commercial travellers. The value of their manufactured product was five million, two hundred and eight thousand dollars, which was four hundred thousand dollars more than the value of the product of the saw mills.

Characteristics of Ammi W. Wright

At a gathering of business associates of Mr. Wright, July 5, 1892, to celebrate his seventieth birthday, James Il. Pearson, a partner in some of his numerous enterprises, gave a few of the peculiar and strongly marked characteristics of their host :

"Ilis motto was 'Early to bed, and early to rise.' He was a sound sleeper whether it be on the floor of a lumber camp, with his coat for a pillow, and a buffalo robe or blanket over him, with the temperature twenty degrees below zero: it was all the same to him. In one minute after his head was on the pillow he was sound asleep. He was the first man to arise and take a general survey of all the horses, oxen, bob-sleds, logs and camp equipments; find out how much pork, beef, flour and other supplies there were on hand ; how many logs were banked. and how many skidded, and he would have the foreman of each department render an account before breakfast of everything that was going on in and about the lumber camp.

"One little incident illustrates his hardy nature. 1 came over from Chicago some twenty-five years ago to spend a week with Mr. Wright in visiting the fifteen or twenty camps in which we were interested,

415

THE LUMBER INDUSTRY

thereby making a circuit of two or three hundred miles with a pair of horses and a tote sleigh. We started on Monday morning and we rounded up on Saturday night at what they called old Daddy Wright's place, some ten or twelve miles above St. Louis. The snow was two feet deep or more, and the night we stayed there the thermometer was between twenty and thirty degrees below zero. Mr. Wright got up in the morning, put on his pants and a woolen shirt, and pulling up his pants as a boy would who was going to wade in the summer time, went out barefooted into the snow two feet deep to the barn to feed his horses.

GRINDING AXES IN CAMP

DRAWING WATER AT SPRING

I think it must have been thirty degrees below zero; the snow creaked. and I thought it a most insane thing to do.

"When he came back into the log house he went to his cold room. and with a dry towel wiped his feet perfectly dry for more than ten minutes, then he put on a pair of good, dry woolen socks, his boots, no overshoes for him; simply a pair of thick boots. Never go near the fire in cold weather,'he said, 'if you want to keep warm.' We drove fifty miles that day and I thought I should freeze, vet he said he was not cold at all. 1 was never so glad in my life to get to a warm house in Saginaw.

"I mention some of these things that you may know, as I do, of his wonderful power and business capacity, his ability to endure hardships and to overcome all difficulties. lle had a wonderful tact in dealing with all classes of men, and knew what to say and what not to say on all occasions ; he was a good judge of human nature. I know of no man his equal to conduct a large business, and to comprehend the entire situation and to make a success of whatever he might undertake to do."

Charles Merrill

Among the prominent lumbermen of Saginaw Valley was Charles Merrill, who was born at Falmouth, Maine, in February. 1793. With ripening years he engaged in the lumber business at Lincoln in his native State, where he operated a saw mill ; and in 1836 visited Michigan and made some purchases of virgin forest lands on the St. Clair River. In 1845 he located perman- ently in Detroit, and began a series of investments in some large tracts of pine lands in Saginaw Valley, and was accounted one of the largest owners of timber limits in this section of the State. Ile purchased in 1854 the saw

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History of Saginaw County, Michigan; historical, commercial, biographical, Volume II, Part 46

Author: Mills, James Cooke Publication date: 1918 Publisher: Saginaw, Mich., Seemann & Peters Number of Pages: 838

Author: Mills, James Cooke
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Saginaw, Mich., Seemann & Peters
Number of Pages: 838