History of Saginaw County, Michigan; historical, commercial, biographical, profusely illustrated with portraits of early pioneers, rare pictures and scenes of olden times, and portraits of representative citizens of today, [Vol. 2]

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HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY

William C. Phipps was reared in Newark, received his education in
the public schools, and graduated from the High School in 1879. Though
only eighteen years of age he had acquired a taste for literature, and at once
secured a position as reporter on the Ohio State Sentinel, of Columbus, Ohio.
Merchandising in those.days, as now, offered greater inducements to ambitious
youth than literature, and soon after he went to Indiana and found employment in a general store owned by five Quaker brothers. He derived much
valuable experience and some amusement, too, in their employ which continued for about a year. In the summer of 1881 he came to East Saginaw
and for three months was a clerk in the clothing store of "Little Jake"
Seligman. In those days all stores were kept open late into the night, and
the close confinement of clerking did not promote his general health.
One day in November, when he was pale and apparently far from well,
he was approached by William L. Ring who had been attracted by his manly
bearing. Believing that the invigorating air of the pine woods would restore
the young man's health, Mr. Ring, with his proverbial kindness, though an
entire stranger, invited him to go to his father's logging camp on the Cedar
River. This offer he gladly accepted, and upon arriving in camp was advised
to keep out of doors a good portion of the day and to mingle freely with
the lumber jacks. Though he had no regular duties he proceeded to make
himself useful, and soon had systematized the keeping of the camp accounts
and supplies so that he was given a regular salary. He stayed in the woods
until the following April when he came down the river with the "drive,"
and arrived in Saginaw with renewed strength and vigor.
During the winter he was closely associated with Eleazer J. Ring, the
father of William L. Ring, for whom he formed a strong attachment.
Several characteristics of Mr. Ring were indelibly impressed upon his
memory, and one in particular. His employer would often stop on the tote
road, step to one side, make strange diagrams in the clean, fresh snow, and
proceed to demonstrate some difficult problem in geometry, which proceeding was not to the edification of his hearers. He recalls that Mr. Ring was
a man of strong convictions, particularly on the question of temperance, and
was self appointed guardian of young and innocent persons who came within his observation.
In the summer of 1882 Mr. Phipps entered the employ of the WellsStone Mercantile Company, which enjoyed a large wholesale trade in lumbermen's supplies. He rose rapidly with this company and eventually
reached the highest position in their trust and confidence. In 1896, when the
decline of the lumber business in Northern Michigan had reduced the volume
of their business, he organized the corporation of Phipps, Penoyer & Company to take over the old business and to develop the wholesale grocery trade
in this section of the State. Although the future of the valley looked dark
and the times were hard, he believed in the future development of agriculture
in the country surrounding Saginaw, and did not hesitate to extend and
develop the territory beyond by sending his salesmen to remote points in
the Thumb and in western and northern counties. Other enterprising men
soon followed his lead and the competition thus created finally established
this wholesale market as the natural point for distribution of grocery supplies
to an extensive territory. This territory is now bounded on the east, north
and west by the lakes, and on the south and west it overlaps the trade of
Detroit and Grand Rapids.
In 1893 Mr. Phipps was married in Saginaw to Miss Kate Richman,
daughter of Captain Charles Richman one of the early pioneers of the valley.
One son, Richman, was born to them in August, 1894, and is now approach