Telegram-herald., 1891-12-13
SOUTH CRANDRAPIDS'
Il Nov Having . Big Boom-Tivs
Factories
Located There bv the EHterprising Pol-
icy Of the south Grasd kApids inA.
pEovsNsas Company.


ing as al IsaPorlzas manufScsurinx
point, IS well As ; desirable location
Tor hon e. This is due, Ia part. 70 the
ealerprlslfg and liberal policy pursued
by the s0ula Grand Rapids Improve
ment eonipAny, of winch Mr.. Charles
Fox 10 the president snd manager; siso
on account OF the fat that tina COM
pany has devoted several acres of their
land 20 factory sites These factory
sitee are located between the main iinss
OF the Grand Rapids 4 indiana rail-
rad and the Michigan Central rail-
road. thus aHordlng unusual facilities
for shipping. THIS comps ny also owns.
at South Grand Rapids, nye hundred
residence lots.
Among the institutions which have
ayaliet themselves of the advantages
offered. isthe Grand Rapids Desk COM
pany, which has been IN successful op-
GRAFTON for several months. Mr.. Charles
Fox, president of the South Grand Rap
ids Improvement company and who ls
also Identified with some OF the clty's
solid business Institutions, gives the
Grand Rapids Desk company. as ito
president, the benefit of his wide aud
varsel business experience; MIR. John
1. Strahan. the vice president, is q
thoroughly practical furniture manu-.
iacturer, having been the efficient man.
ager OF the Phoenix Furniture CON-
pauy for several years and subsequent
ly occupied similar position with the
Gum Folding Bed company. Mr.
Adrian Yates, the secretary aud treas
urer. 10 also well qualified for the po-
Ation ne holds, from MS previous large
experience in the furniture business,
tins companys employ about fifty men.
The Grand Rapids Novelty Msnuiac-
turing company occupies \ site directly
east of the Desk company. 1t organi-
Zcd less than year ago and nov em-
ploys forty men and ia. already built
up y large trade IN its line, which is tho
manufacture of mantels and fancy ar
ticies IN wood. The officers are: W.
L. McGurnn, president. Robert Sproul,
vice pre- esIdent,-both of the we'll known
firm OF Sproul & McGurrin OF this city,
Anthony Wlerema, secretary and Her
man Verbeek, treasurer.
The Grand Rapids Steel Wire Nail
company has also decided that south
Grand Rapids is the best location for
itself, and will at once begin the erec-
ton Of Q commodious building for the
ut0uhA oStui . Va AtS kOOuos 1nClt l6Ctoiy
Will be In running order by the first
of February, 1892. when they expect to
largely increase their present output.
TINS company WAS established i'm 1885;
the president Is Mr.. Herman Leitelt. q
nephew of Mr.. Adolph Leitelt of this
city. Geo. IL. Kelsey the salesnia and
all-around utility man, is hustler,
and by his energy and pusn keeps the
twenty-five men employed by his COM
pany busy manufacturing nails 10 I'LL
his orders.
The many advantages which South
Grand Rapids has over other localities
has decided Mr.. John Mack to remove
his factory to that point. Mr.. Mack
will at once commence the erection of
a factory building Of snch size as will
amply accommodate his growing busi-
ness, and will employ about forty men
in the manufacture of carnage and
sIe gh woodwork and patent bob sielghs.
of which he makes speciality. Mr..
John Mack came to this city thirty
years ago; was at one time a partner of
the late Mr.. George T. Kendall In the
bending works, then situated at tho
corner of Canal and Fairbanks street.
Since the death IF Mr.. Kendall, in the
spring ut 1877. Mr.. Mack has carried on
the business in his own name, remov-
ing his plant to the Mechanics block
and from there to the RaniviIe book
the removal in each instance beng
made necessary by the growth of his
business.
Messrs. Ketchum, Chase & Co., en-
ploying about twenty men. have re-
Gently removed their business from the
North to South Grand Rapids. where
they are operating planning and shin
gle mill. The shingie null will be sup
piled with bots shipped in from the
north. There are several other manu-
featuring Institutions which are seri-
ously considering the question of re-
moving TO South Grand Rapids.
Les than a year ago South Grand
Rapids did not have a factory in oper-
al !. BY February l, 1892, the hum uf
the machinery of these five factories,
The employment OF 175 men, and the
shipping in and out of $50 cars annu-
ally, IS certainly evidence OF the
healthy, solid, though rapid. growth OF
our young neighl or, South Grand
Rapids. f 81.