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Last week I wrote about some of the businesses that were in Edwardsburg over one hundred years ago. In those letters written in the 1870s to the First National Bank of Cassopolis, they identified several businesses, most of them dealing in general merchandise.Jo-Ann Boepple: Names and past pieces of Edwardsburg recalled
Published 10:33am Thursday, September 24, 2009This week we are moving on to the 1880s and how many of those businesses survived? H. C, DeWitt, J.M. Edmiston & Co., J. R. Reese and Charles W. Smith and Willard M. Walter are included in the notes of the 1880s
Willard Walter, The Brick Store with M. A. Reese owner, were the only businesses with letters. Here are some new ones.
Dr. M. Holland who was a son-in-law of Asa Kingsbury also was a druggist and advertised as a dealer in drugs, paints, oils, varnishes, brushes, and fancy goods. His store and business was at 50 Main St., Edwardsburg. Another druggist J. W. Bean, was a dealer in perfumery, toilet articles and fancy goods. He advertised his store as a Drug Store and Apothecary.
Here is a new name, Schmueckle & Paulsen, the proprietors of the Edwardsburg Mills, manufacturers of flour, feed and corn meal.
Last week I noted that W. M Walter had a partner Charles W. Smith. In 1882, Charles Smith had his own business and dealt in dry goods, groceries, boots and shoes. Mr. Smith was apologizing to Mr. Kingsbury because his payment was late due to his serving on a jury for an accident on the railroad.
Another new name is that of Hiram W. Studley, a dealer in all kinds of first class furniture and upholstery. He mentioned in his letter Dyer Dunning who was included in last week’s article.
From the office of Walter, Kroll and Dasher, manufacturers of Overalls was a letter of collection from H. D. Lange of Jones, Michigan.
Several men were partners in the Burlingame Stove and Furnace Company. Listed on their stationery as directors are S. D. Burlingame, M. A. Reese, Wm. W. Sweetland, Levi Aldrich and John Barber.
Another proprietor was C. M. Dennis, a dealer in agricultural implements, seeds, live stock and etc.
The stationery for the Novelty Works lists Holland, Reed and Griffin as proprietors of such specialties as hitching posts, sleigh shoes, milk safes, screen doors, hand carts, wheelbarrows, harrows and cultivators, plow repairs, job casting and woodwork of all kinds.
Another letter is headed the Edwardsburg Novelty works, manufacturers of milk safes, hand carts, harrows, wheel barrows, sewing tables and other novelties. Also a planing mill in Connection.
A note on the letter says “Plow points of all leading plows and all kinds of Plow Repairs, Window Weights, Cistern Curbs, Sleigh Shoes, House Castings, and Job foundry work of all kinds to order. Send for prices to Dr. M Holland, Sec.” Dr. Holland also owned the drugstore as was noted earlier.
In addition to letters written on business stationery in the 1880s there were three letters written to Mr. Kingsbury about their accounts from John Barber, J. Boyd Thomas, and W. W. Bidwell.
In the 1800s, Edwardsburg was an area of commerce but some interesting changes took place in Edwardsburg and Cassopolis and next week’s notes will reveal those changes.
Jo-Ann Boepple provides Reflections of the Past, a weekly feature from the Edwardsburg Museum Group and Historical Collection. She is a third generation Edwardsburg resident.
