History of Ottawa County, Michigan with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers.

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HISTORY OF OTTAWA COUNTY.

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which are on the corner of First aind Fulton streets, were burned on
May 1st, 1881, and the new were immediately erected-machine
shop, 100x34 feet; moulding shop, 48x34; blacksmith shop, 24x30;
engine twenty horse power, and forty men employed. The specialties are manufacture of marine engines and paten. guide for circular
saws. There are five engine lathes, one 36 inch swing by 24 feet
bed; two planers, one 38 inch wide by 36 inch high and 10 feet long;
drill press, bolt cutter, and all the most improved machinery. They
do a large business, and are a firhm worthy of success.
They were again visited by a severe file in February, 1882.
JOHN BRYCE was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, in 1836; came to
Grand Haven in 1871 and started machine shop; he mariied Ellen
M. Ellis, of Wisconsin, in 1857, and has three sons and one
daughter.
HENRY BLOECKER, born in Holstein, Germany, 1845; came to
Grand Haven in 1867, working at the Ottawa Iron Works until
1878, when he bought out Mr. Gronberg and went in with Mr.
Bryce. He married Mary Glazat in 1868, and has five sons.
- CHRISTIAN GALLMEYER was born in Adams County, Ind., in 1850;
came.to Grand Haven in 1878 to Ottawa Iron Works, and next year
worked for Bryce & Bloecker; since May, 1881, a partner. He married in 1879 Lisette Hilsman, of Ft. Wayne, Ind., and has one son,
Charles, born February 20th, 1880.
W.M. F. DAKE, draughtsman and pattern maker, was born in
West Indies in 1850, and came to Michigan, serving five years at
St. Clair and eight years at Ottawa Iron Works on pattern making
and then in drawing patterns. In November, 1880, he came to Bryce
& Co.'s. Mr. Dake is a natural genius at drafting, having never
taken a lesson in it, and yet he excels in his profession. He married in 1872 Jane Foss, of West Indies, and has two sons.
THE WAIT MANUFACTURING CO.
is one of the institutions of Grand HI-ven, and contributes its full
sha-e to the general activity. Mr. J. B. Wait came from Wisconsill in '72, where he had previously been in business in a small
way. In '73, he made 30,000 hand-rakes and 25 corn planters, and
the company was incorporated, with J. B. Wait, pres., T. Stewart
White, secretary and treasurer, John M. Lockie, foreman and superintendent of works, which office he still holds to the satisfaction of
all.
In '79 Mr. Wait severed his connection with the company,
going to Kansas, and the company was continued, with L. C. Chamblin as president for two years. The officers for '81 were: E. G.
Bell, president and-book-keeper, George Stickney, secretary and
treasurer, J. M. Lockie, foreman, Jas. McCourt, turner, Mr. Gibbs,
blacksmith, J. W. Adams, wheel works, etc. Capital stock, $30,000,
employing 60 men, with a monthly pay roll of $1200 to $1500.
Wholesale house in Kansas City is Weir Plow Co., also John Archer,
Decatur, Ill., and there are also three salesmen from head office.
Annual product, 1,200 two-hors'e cultivators, 500 one-horse drills,
500 drill attachments for two-horse cultivators, 800,000 rafting
pins, 90,000 hand-rakes, wholesaling at $1.25 a dozen. The patent,
known as Schofield & Wait's Challenge Planter Patent is owned by
the company. The works are very commodious and complete, and
are under admirable management. The practical man is Mr. Lockie,

who was born in Gananoque, Ontario, in 1846, served during the
war in the 65th Ill. Regt., and was four years with the Sargent
Bank and Safe Lock Co., Rochester, N. Y.
FESSENDEN & CO'S. BARREL FACTORY,
is just east of Boyden & Akeley's great shingle mill, and commenced
operations in April, 1881. The company has been, however, organized for many years, having headquarters near Boston, Mass.,

and branches in many other places, of which five are in Massachusetts, two in New Hampshire, two in Sandusky, Ohio.
The junior partner and manager is Mr. F. A. Larkin, who
learned the business with his father in Townsend, Mass,. Tle material used is culled pine down as small as three inches in diameter.
There are four barrel saws-one for full barrels, ohe for kegs, and
two for kit staves, and a large amount of new machinery, sufficient
to employ sixty hands. They manufacture staves for fish packages
and syrup packages. The foreman is Mr. John Gardner, who was
born in Pomfret, N. Y., December 27, 1840; enlisted August 7,
'62, in 112th N. Y. Volunteers, 24th army corps, under Gen. Terry;
was in all the battles of the army; came to Muskegon in'67; was in
Montague and Holton. He came to Fessenden & Co.'s in 1881.
STEARNS MANUFACTURING CO.,
Manufacturers of Regulator Windmills, pumps, cylinders, windmill
derricks, and tanks. The company consists of G. L. & L. B.
Stearns, brothers, and they have carried off many medals and first
prizes-notably, the medal of the American Institute, N. Y., in
1879, and prizes at St. Petersburgh, in Russia; Boulogne, in France;
and Havana, in Cuba. They came, in 1874, from Iowa, and purchased the business of Mr. Chaffey, which had been established one
year. They now employ from 30 to 50 men, and produce to the
amount of $65,000 annually. Mills are sent to all parts of the
world, to many parts in Europe, South Africa, and they are to be
found on the royal palace at Havana.
THE FURNITURE STORE OF
James Barns, 157 Washington street, is a well-stocked establishment of 20 feet front, with 100 feet in depth, and an annex, 24x40;
stock carried, $5,000. James Barns was born in Vermont, in 1823,
and is assisted in the shop by his twin brother, John W., who bears
a striking resemblance to his brother. James came in the winter
of 1845 to Grand Haven, and John came the following spring. They
started in 1851 the G'ratnd lRitve' iTimes, the first paper published in
this region; after a time John was left in sole control, and James
commenced the furniture business in 1866, and in company with J.
W. Cook, built Senator Ferry's present- residence, the old schoolhouse, then the best in the county, and other buildings. He married, in 1850, Pamela Ranny, who died in 1861. Four years after
he married Miss Ellen M. Moss, and has a family of four children.
THE GRAND HAVEN WAGON WORKS,
on the corner of 3rd and Elliott streets, is a brick structure, 40x100,
employing seven men. IMr. Hoffmneister attends to the woodwork,
Mr. Tennes to the iron work. The works turn out sixty new wagons
annually, and were founded in 1872 by A. Hubert.
There are two photograph galleries in the city, at which firstclass work is done, so that there is no necessity for going abroad for
Photographing. The oldest is that of Mr. Cresswell. The latest comer
is Mr. E. P. Baker, who came to the city from Ypsilanti, in June,
1880, purchased the gallery of J. T. Wixson, over the postoffice,
which had been opened in 1877. He does work in India ink and
water colors, and all kinds of enlarging.
THE SHIPPING INTERESTS.

The amount of work that has been done upon the ship yards
during 1881 shows the steady advcancement of ship-building interests. There have been about $200,000 expended upon the Mechanics' Dry Dock company's yards during the year in building and
repairing. The steam barge H. C. Akeley; one of the very largest
ships on the lakes, was built upon these yards at a costof $110,000.
A number of fine craft have been turned off at Duncan Rob

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