USA > Michigan > Wayne County > Detroit > The city of Detroit, Michigan, 1701-1922, Vol. IV > Part 84
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GEORGE D. BROWN
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tion and has been no small factor in its remarkable development. He is a director and a member of its executive committee and is also connected as a stockholder and director in other affiliated industries.
He is a constructive man, warm-hearted, liberal in his views and charitable in his opinions, rejoicing in the success of others just as he delights in his own advancement.
In 1888 Mr. Mendelson was married to Miss Jennie Grogan and they became parents of a daughter aud a son: Gladys M., who is now Mrs. B. E. Kuhn; and Herbert A, Mendelson.
GEORGE A. MOORE, secretary and treasurer of the Detroit Range, Boiler & Steel Barrel Company, was born in this city, where he has always made his home. He is a son of George H. and Emma (Smith) Moore, the former a native of the state of New York while the latter was born in Detroit, a daughter of Ralph C. Smith.
In the attainment of his education George A. Moore supplemented his early training by a course in the Northwestern University at Chicago, and was grad- uated with the class of 1902, winning the degree of Bachelor of Philosophy. He then returned to De- troit and became associated with the Chicago Pneu- matic Tool Company. He has always directed his .business affairs in this city and has made steady progress as the result of his close application, his thoroughness and his capability. On leaving the Chi- cago Pneumatic Company he joined the United States Heater Company and was sent by them to act as assistant manager of the Chicago branch of the busi- ness. At length that company consolidated with the United States Radiator Company and he became their advertising manager in Detroit. In 1919 the old Detroit Range Boiler Company was reorgan- ized as the Detroit Range Boiler & Steel Barrel Com- pany and Mr. Moore was made secretary and treas- urer. He had joined the old company in 1912 as as- sistant manager, had been promoted to the position of secretary and was finally made secretary and treasurer. During several months of the World war the Detroit plant and the other plant of the company at Toledo were devoted entirely to the making of steel drums for the United States government for the ex- port of gasoline, oil and similar commodities. Mr. Moore is recognized as a brainy, successful, energetic business man, and his position in business circles is indicated in the fact that he is now serving for the second term as president of the Steel Barrel Manu- facturers Association.
Mr. Moore has been twice married. In 1909 he married Mabel Ethelind Scripps of Evanston, Illinois, who died in January, 1912. In May, 1919, he was united in marriage to Miss Gertrude Griffith of Ohio. He belongs to the Detroit Athletic Club, to the Board of Commerce of Detroit, the Oakland Hills Golf Club, the Automobile Country Club, the Detroit Automobile
Club, the Ingleside Club, and the Phi Kappa Psi, a college fraternity, of which he is the national treas- urer. His political endorsement is given to the re- publican party and his religious faith is that of the Episcopal church. His life in every relation measures up to high standards, and Detroit has reason to be proud of him as a native son and also has reason to congratulate him upon what he has accomplished in the business world, for his advancement is attributable entirely to his own labors and capability.
M. WESSON DICKINSON, eldest son of Horace H. and Lucy S. L. (Dickinson) Dickinson, who are mentioned elsewhere in this work, was born in Detroit on St. Valentine's day, 1878, and received his early education in the public schools, finishing in the old Biddle House high school. His early career was ad- venturous and romantic and if fully elaborated would make a thrilling tale for a boy's story-book. He was early imbued with a full-grown wanderlust and had the spirit and courage to gratify his desire to see what was in the world outside of Detroit. At the age of thirteen he took a trip to Butte, Montana, to visit his aunt and before coming back bought up a stock of buffalo horns furnished by the Indians and sold them on the trains between St. Paul and Chicago, making his first business deal a very profitable one. Then he and another boy set out to see the south- west. They hired a boat and started for Mexico. The first leg of the journey was made in the hired boat towed by a steamer to Colchester, Ontario, where they took a steamer to Sandusky, Ohio. From San- dusky they walked to Chicago Junction, Ohio, where his companion gave out and he beat his way on trains to St. Louis and thence on to New Mexico. He re- mained in New Mexico for two years, working as salesman in a livery stable and in various other lines, and then traveled all through the west from Cali- fornia to Minnesota. He became a cowboy and was engaged in sheep shearing through Montana, Wyoming, and the Dakotas, finally going into the cow ranches and becoming a range rider, and putting in seven months on a ranch eighty-five miles from the nearest railroad. His experience was unique in that he saw the old west change to the new. He was present at one of the latest orgies of the old order of things, seeing the cowboys shoot up Shelby Junction, Montana. Another of his western experiences was working for four months on the old wooden pipe line constructed to bring water into Ogden, Utah. Altogether his experiences in those years were a liberal education in themselves, for as the philosopher Locke has said, "Travel broadens a man."
Returning to Detroit he joined his father in the hardware business, but in 1907 started in the same line for himself in what was then known as the "boy- cotted" stores. This venture proved a success, but in 1910, he went back with his father into the H. H. Dick- inson Company. In 1913 he became vice president
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of the corporation and after the death of his father, in May, 1920, he became president.
Mr. Dickinson is a thirty-second degree Mason; a member of Oriental Lodge, No. 240, F. & A. M .; King Cyrus Chapter; Monroe Council; Michigan Sovereign Consistory; and Moslem Temple of the Mystic Shrine. He takes part in the rituals of the consistory and he is also affiliated with the Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Masonie Country Club. In politics he is independent and takes a warm interest in public affairs. Some years ago he was considered a candidate for school inspector, and at present is a deputy sheriff, an office which he took during the World war, be- cause of his patriotic zeal. During the war he was a sergeant in Company A, Five Hundred and Fiftieth Michigan State Troops, and was very active and zealous in all the operations and work of his regiment, which rendered great service in many ways besides training thousands of young men so that when they went to the military camps they were already well versed in duty and drill. He was also a member of Company M, Light Guards in the Spanish-American war, but was taken down with typhoid fever and pre- vented from accompanying his regiment to Cuba. As soon as he was well enough he joined the naval bri- gade, of which he was a member for three years.
On April 5, 1899, Mr. Dickinson married Lucy E. Gray and they have two sons: George Wesson Jerome, born July 12, 1901; and Edward Parker Dickinson, born February 4, 1907. George W. J. Dickinson joined the Boy Scouts and did excellent service during the World war, speaking throughout the state of Michigan with Captain B. N. Pullinger. He is now preparing for the ministry of the Episcopal church.
The family are members of Grace Episcopal church and Mr. Dickinson is a vestryman in that church; also a member of the finance committee and chairman of the building committee for the new edifice that body is now erecting on the northwest corner of Twelfth and Virginia.
From the foregoing it is manifest that Mr. Dickinson is a broad-minded man of large capabilities; a man with a broad outlook on life, liberal, energetic and progressive; and his business ability is well expressed in the large and flourishing enterprise of which he is the head. Mr. Dickinson is a member of the Benevo- lent Protective Order of Elks. He is also a director in the Church Club of the diocese of Michigan, also the U and I Club, of which he was an early member.
AXEL E. MICHELSON, treasurer of the Michelson Land & Home Company, has operated in the real estate field in Detroit since 1916 and was previously connected with the lumber trade and mining industry. He was born January 21, 1878, in Manistee, Michigan, his parents being Nels and Margrethe (Jenson) Michel- son, who moved to Grayling, Michigan, in 1881. Lib- eral educational advantages were accorded him. He was graduated from the Michigan College of Mine's
in 1900, with the degrees of Bachelor of Science and Mining Engineer, after which he followed mining busi- ness in Michigan and in Utah for some time. In 1906 he went to Monroe, Louisiana, where he hecame sec- retary, treasurer and general manager of the Grayling Lumber Company, beginning its operations in that field. In 1908 he was made secretary, treasurer and general manager of the N. Michelson Lumber Company and built the mills at Michelson, Michigan, which he then operated for a number of years with excellent success. He is now interested in sawmills and large timber holdings in northern Michigan and Louisiana, also several retail lumber-yards in Detroit and through- out the state of Michigan.
It was in 1916 that Mr. Michelson took up his abode in Detroit and here became actively and successfully interested in the real estate business with the Mi- chelson Land & Home Company, of which he is the treasurer. He is also president of the Michelson Building Company and through his real estate and building operations is contributing in substantial meas- ure to the development and progress of the city.
On December 2, 1916, Mr. Michelson was married to Miss Elizabeth Marie Finn of Bay City, Michigan, and their children are: Jean Margrethe, born March 25, 1918; and John Axel, born May 4, 1919. Mr. and Mrs. Michelson have gained many friends during the period of their residence in this city and Mr. Michel -. son has become a member of various important social organizations, including the Detroit Athletic Club, the Detroit Automobile Club, Board of Commerce, Detroit Real Estate Board and the Brooklands Golf and Coun- try Club, of which organization he was a charter mem- ber and its first secretary-treasurer. Fraternally he is a Mason of high rank, having attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite, being a member of the Michigan Sovereign Consistory of Detroit, Class of the Ruined Temple, 1903, while with the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine he has. crossed the sands of the desert and has become a member of Moslem Temple. He also belongs to the Knights of Pythias and is a worthy follower of the teachings and purposes of these fraternal organizations. His political allegiance is given to the republican party, but he does not seek nor desire office, preferring to concentrate his efforts and attention upon the business affairs which are rap- idly winning for him a place among Detroit's strong and able business men.
THE MICHELSON LAND & HOME COMPANY was organized under the laws of the state of Michigan and incorporated in April, 1912, with a capital stock of three hundred thousand dollars. The officers at date of incorporation were: President, Nels Michel- son, then of Grayling, Michigan, but now living in Detroit, and a sketch of him precedes this article; Lawrence W. Snell of Highland Park, Michigan, vice president; and Frederick E. Michelson, a son of the president of the company, secretary, treasurer and
AXEL E. MICHELSON
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general manager. Frederick E. Michelson, who had moved from Grayling, Michigan, to Detroit, about the time the company was organized, was injured in May, 1915, in an automobile accident near Saginaw, Mich- igan, and died one week from the date of the ac- cident. Edward E. Hartwick, a sketch of whom is to be found elsewhere in this work, was in the lumber business in Detroit and a son-in-law of the president of the company. He was elected to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Mr. Frederick E. Michelson, and continued to act in such capacity until the United States entered the World war, when he resigned to take active part in the struggle. His death occurred in France shortly after he entered that country, at which time he was serving as Major of the Twentieth Engineers in the Americau Expeditionary Forces.
When Mr. Hartwick resigned Axel E. Michelson, (a sketch of whom also appears elsewhere in this work) of Detroit, Michigan, another son of the president of the company, was elected as Mr. Hartwick's successor. He served in that capacity until June, 1918, when he gave up a part of his duties to enter other activities, at which time Lewis R. Nicholson of Highland Park, Michigan, who has been associated with the company since its incorporation and was then acting as assist- ant secretary, was advanced to the position of sec- retary and general manager, while Axel E. Michelson continued as treasurer of the company. The present officers are: President, Nels Michelson; vice president, Lawrence W. Snell; treasurer, A. E. Michelson; sec- retary and general manager, Lewis R. Nicholson.
The Michelson Land & Home Company makes a specialty of the subdivision of farm property into well restricted residential subdivisions and to date has confined its activities almost exclusively to North Woodward avenue, having developed and sold fifteen properties to date. The sixteenth subdivision of one hundred and twenty lots is now being placed on the market and is known as Michelson Woods, situated in the heart of the thriving village of Ferndale, nine miles from Detroit's city hall. Ferndale is one of Detroit's progressive suburbs and enjoys a most wonderful residential and business development for the short period since its incorporation. Being on Woodward avenue, Detroit's principal thoroughfare to the north, this extraordinary growth is expected. Ferndale village now has water, sewers, fire depart- ment, churches, banks, theatres, and all kinds of busi- ness houses. In 1912 it was but a wilderness. The Michelson Land and Home Company has become one of Detroit's foremost subdivision houses, having been one of the first to foresee the wonderful development that was about to take place in the city, and it has been a big factor in assisting that development by preparing space for the necessary expansion.
The Michelson subdivisions being in the suburbs where water, sewers and other modern improvements were not available when the subdivisions were opened for sale (although many of the properties now have
these conveniences), they were permitted to install in their several subdivisions only such improvements as the grading of streets, laying of cement walks and the planting of shade trees, clearing of land and drain- age of surface water. Some idea of the extent of these improvements can be realized when we state that the Michelson Land and Home Company has con- structed in its subdivisions a total of forty miles of cement walks; twenty-four miles of roadway, miles upon miles of tiling, and has planted in the neighbor- hood of four thousand shade trees.
In addition to the above the Michelson interests organized and developed one of the finest and most modern golf courses in the country, which is at present in successful operation and known as the Brooklands Golf and Country Club. The golf course is just south of Rochester, Michigan, and is surrounded by valuable acreage owned by the Michelson Land and Home Com- pany, which is being held for future development and sale.
The Michelson family, as the Michelson Land and Home Company is practically an incorporation of family interests, have not overlooked the summer resort features in connection with their business ac- tivities as they possess some of the choicest land for this purpose in this section of the country and are owners of several thousand acres on Houghton and Higgins Lakes, Roscommon county, Michigan. During the past summer a small part of these lands has been subdivided into summer resort lots known as Houghton Lake Park subdivision and Houghton Lake Park annex, which property has found ready sale.
All of these properties are being marketed from their main office, No. 717 Ford building, Detroit, Mich- igan, while branch offices are located in Ferndale and Pleasant Ridge villages, both suburbs of Detroit.
ALVAH FRANKLIN MOORE, secretary of the Michigan Mutual Life Insurance Company, is one of the best known men in life insurance circles in the state. His identification with this corporation dates back more than thirty years, during which period he has worked his way upward from the humble position of clerk to his present office of importance and responsibility through close application, faithful service and business ability. He was born in Perry county, Ohio, June 10, 1860, a son of George W. and Harriet (Richards) Moore. In the public schools of Perry county he pursued his education, subsequently attending Madison Academy at Mount Perry, Ohio, after which he engaged in teaching in the public schools of Perry county. After following that pro- fession for a time he went to Chicago, where for ten years he was identified with business interests, and in 1892 he came to Detroit, enterng the employ of the Michigan Mutual Life Insurance Company as clerk in the investment department. His faithful and efficient work in that connection led to his promotion to the position of manager of the department and in
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190I he won still higher advancement, being made secretary and a director of the company, having since served in those capacities. He is bending every energy to the legitimate advancement of the com- pany's interests, which have now assumed large pro- portions, and his keen insight and initiative spirit have contributed much to the assistance of the man- agement.
Mr. Moore married Jean Marshall Hawthorne of New York. Since April, 1920, he has resided on his farm of one hundred and four acres, on the Thirteen- Mile road in Oakland county.
In his political views Mr. Moore is a republican, interested in the welfare and success of the party. He is a member of the Detroit Athletic Club, is identi- fied with the Masons, belonging to Detroit Command- ery, No. 1, K. T., to Michigan Sovereign Consistory, to the Shrine, and to the Detroit Masonic Club. His has been a life of diligence and determination. Wisely utilizing his time, his talents and his opportunities, he has made continuous progress in the business world, in which he has attained a position of confidence and high respect among his business acquaintances. He has charge of the investments for the company which he represents and his judgment iu that line has re- ceived most commendatory words from his business associates.
LEWIS MAIRE, proprietor of one of the finest florist establishments in Detroit, having conducted the business since 1917, is a native son of this city, his parents being Dr. Lewis E. and Florence M. T. (Davis) Maire. The father is one of the leading physicians of this city, prominently known in professional connec- tions.
Lewis Maire attended the Detroit public schools, also the Cass Technical school and the Detroit Church Academy, while for two years he was a student in the Michigan Medical College. It was his father's desire that he become a member of the medical pro- fession and he devoted two years to study with that end in view, but at the close of his second year in college he was convinced that he would find other pursuits more congenial. He then began learning the florist business and, working his way steadily upward, was made superintendent of Water Works Park, which position he filled for seven consecutive years. He then established a florist business on his own account in 1917 and has one of the finest in the city at 9648 Jefferson avenue, East, located near Water Works Park. He has become an expert florist, thoroughly familiar with the best methods of propagating flowers and ornamental plants and shrubs, and his establish- ment furnishes some of the most beautiful specimens of floriculture to be seen in Detroit.
In this city, in 1912, Mr. Maire was married to Miss Nellie Cora Schuetz and they have become par- ents of two children, Herminia and Lewis (III). The religious faith of the family is that of the Epiphany
Episcopal church. It has been said that success in large measure can never be attained except by the man who finds real joy in his work. Mr. Maire, recognizing this fact, wisely concluded not to enter upon a professional career which was not congenial to him but turned to the delightful task of propagating and handling flowers and is today one of the expert florists of Detroit, while through the careful and capable management of his business he has won a . notable measure of success.
EDGAR ALBERT GUEST. New England has her Whittier and Longfellow, Indiana her Riley, Illinois her Field and the west Bret Harte, but no state is prouder of her poet son than Michigan of Edgar Albert Guest. Long since, however, America has ceased to recognize Michigan's exclusive title to ownership in this regard, for public opinion has placed him with those men who have sung the songs of America and her people, who have glimpsed in poetic form the life of the nation, the joys and sor- rows, the hopes, the patriotism and the aspirations of her citizens. If greatness be measured by the hold which a man has upon the hearts of his fellows, then Edgar A. Guest is great; and yet there is no man of more democratic manner, in whose life there is seen so little of ostentation and display as in that of the journalist-poet of Michigan.
While born in Birmingham, England, August 20, 1881, Edgar A. Guest was not yet ten years of age when in May, 1891, he came to America with his parents, Edwin and Julia (Wayne) Guest. The family home was established in Detroit, where he attended the public and high schools, and throughout the inter- vening period he has made his home in this city. He was a lad of but thirteen when in 1894 he answered a want ad and secured a situation at the soda water fountain in Doty Brothers' drug store, working every evening after school hours were over. His capability attracted the attention of David Robbins, another Detroit druggist, who offered him a position at an increased salary, and while employed in the Robbins establishment he formed the acquaintance of a book- keeper in the employ of the Detroit Free Press, to whom one day the future poet confided his ambition to be a reporter. It was through the influence of this bookkeeper, in the summer of 1895, that Edgar A. Guest secured a position in the office of the Detroit Free Press. In winter he attended the public schools and in the summer seasons, for two or three years, worked as an office boy in the bookkeeping depart- ment of the paper, his duties including the marking of baseball scores on a bulletin board which hung on the front of the building. The summer of 1897 brought him promotion to the position of office boy on the editorial floor and he soon attracted the at- tention of William E. Quinby, who had recently re- turned from abroad, having served as minister to Holland. It was through Mr. Quinby's friendship
LEWIS MAIRE
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that Mr. Guest won his appointment as reporter and in course of time he was transferred to the exchange desk. Every experience brought him a widening knowledge of life and at the exchange desk he had to peruse hundreds of papers, clipping everything that might prove of interest to the readers of the Free Press. Again he was called to reportorial service as police reporter and this brought him still wider ex- periences and gained him a knowledge of those to whom the word crime means everyday life.
In the meantime, while at the exchange desk, Mr. Guest first became known to the publie as a writer of verse and later he began writing the epigram- matical paragraphs which, appearing under the head- ing "Homely and Home Made," were eagerly read. The recognition of the popularity of his contribu- tions to the paper led the management to call for a column of verse as a weekly feature, these appearing every Monday under the title of "Blue Monday Chat." The next step in his career of progress was made when he was taken off of reportorial work and given the task of furnishing a column every day for the paper. He was to produce the "funny stuff" and also write most of the feature articles for the Sunday edition. Since that time he has written daily for the Free Press a column of verse, anecdotes and epigrams under the heading of "Breakfast Table Chat." The in- creasing popularity and recognition of the worth of his writings led him eventually to bring out an edition of his poems under the title "Home Rhymes" in 1910. This was undertaken under great difficulty. He and his brother Harry purchased a case of type, which was set up in the attic of their home, and in the evening hours Harry Guest set his brother's verse into type. In this connection one of his biographers said: "There was not a sufficient supply of type to set up all the pages of the book at once and so they set eight pages at a time. That is, they set eight pages if the poems didn't have too many 'e's' in them. When they'd get along to page six or seven, poems with too many 'e's' were put to one side for a later form. When a form of eight pages was set, Harry would Ing it down to the print shop where he was employed and put the form on the press and run off a few sheets. Then he'd take the type back to the attic of his home, tear the verses to pieces and re-assemble the types to form more verses until another set of eight pages was ready to be printed. Thus the edition of eight hundred copies was printed. In much the same way 'Just Glad Things' was pub- lished in 1912-about fifteen hundred copies. They had more type that year, but the book was larger and the work tedious. In the fall of 1914, Eddie gathered the verses that were to fill his third book 'Breakfast Table Chat' and the Rotarians of Detroit urged him to make it thirty-five hundred copies. Superintended by the brother, Harry, Rotarian Tom Henry set the type in his composing room, Rotarian Al Mann handled the presswork in his printing plant and Rotarian John
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