Henry Spring Henry Spring is the veteran among the dry-goods merchants of Grand Rapids. In the early years of the present century a young couple of Farmersville, Cataraugus county, N.Y., formed a life copartnership. Sturdy, healthy bodies, sound minds and honest purposes composed their stock in trade. They were Jared S. Spring and Catharine, his wife. Their simple life moved modestly, in content, through summer’s shine and winter’s storm, until one cold, blustering morning, while the snow was drifting about and sifting into their humble home, February 7, 1830, a little boy came there to stay. They named him Henry. He was the eldest of six boys who found good quarters in the hearts of this robust couple. The boys were given the advantage of the district school in the winter—in summer they were obliged to lend the mite of their small strength for family support. Tired at length of living "from hand to mouth," the parents decided to try life in the then "far west," hoping thus to better the opportunity for their boys. In the spring of 1845 they started with their sons, their household goods on a wagon, a team of horses, and two cows. From Buffalo they took steamboat for Detroit, and there began the struggle over the log ways and through the deep sands of Michigan. The cows and a bag of meal furnished sustenance until they reached Canonsburg, in Kent county. In Clinton county the horses were exchanged for two yoke of oxen. At the present day the pains and pleasures of such a journey may be more easily imagined than realized. They purchased a farm, and the family struggled onward through fever and ague and dire necessities until fairer skies appeared, and they felt that they were literally "out of the woods." Jared and Catharine lived to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary, all the six boys being present, each with wife and family in Cannon township, September 2, 1878. Jared S. Spring died in 1891, at the mature age of eighty-eight years, having survived his wife some seven years. The six sons still gather annually at the old home in Cannon. Henry Spring, the subject of this sketch, began business as a clerk in a small general assortment store in the village of Cannonsburg, where barter was the fashion at the time. Aspiring to something more he came, in 1849, to Grand Rapids, applied to Jefferson Morrison, then one of the leading merchants of the place, for a position, and received it. Morrison’s store stood near the spot where now is the beautiful four-story front whose sign reads "Spring Dry Goods Company." In February, 1854, while in the employ of Lewis Porter as clerk in a clothing store, Mr. Spring had an invitation from two enterprising men of this city who were looking for some bright young man of good habits to whom they could intrust the management of a large stock of goods—to unite his business ability with their capital. They were David Burnett and Amos Rathbone. He promptly accepted their proposal. In February, 1854, also, he married Annis Salsbury, daughter of a farmer of Clarendon, Orleans county, N.Y. After a few years his partners retired from the mercantile firm, leaving Mr. Spring sole proprietor. From this modest beginning has grown the fine business which now for many years has been so well known as that of the firm of The Spring Dry Goods Company. From November, 1860, until the spring of 1876, he was associated with Edwin Avery, under the firm name of Spring & Avery. The firm then became Spring & Company, which continued until April 1, 1898, when the corporation as it now exists sprang into existence with a capital stock of $100, 000, Mr. Spring being its president. The building now owned and occupied by the company is a colossal brick structure, four stories and basement, 44 x 265 feet, fronting Monroe and extending through to Louis street. The trade, which is strictly dry goods, is wholesale and retail, crowds closely the figure of $1,000, 000 per annum, and keeps busy 120 employees. Mr. Spring relates and incident of his boyhood which kindled the desire by which he was led into mercantile life which he has so closely and successfully followed substantially as follows: When I was about ten years old we lived near Victor, N.Y. One morning my mother sent me to the village with a basket of eggs, to exchange them for groceries. It was the first time I had been charged with such a duty, and I felt that a responsibility rested upon me to do the errand so well that she would trust me again. At the store I was received politely by a boy but little older than myself. He attracted me. He was dressed nicely. His shoes were black and his collar was white. He deftly and pleasantly waited upon me, and I was kindled with a desire to occupy such a position—to know how to wait upon people, especially boys, as well as he did, and be able to trade and figure up as easily. I remained, asking him questions about the business, until there was no excuse to stay longer. The boy was as polite when I left as when I came in. From that hour my chief ambition was to get into a store, and when, at the age of fifteen, I entered a little general store, at Cannonsburg, I was the happiest boy imaginable. Mr. Spring is president of the Grand Rapids Electric Light & Power company and vice-president of the Grand Rapids Mutual Building & Loan association, through which many homes have been secured in the city. Always a republican, he has not sought office, thought any in the gift of the people would have been his for the taking. He early took interest in the old County Fair association, and the district and state fairs have found him a valued assistant. The Lakeside club, of which he is president, has done much to improve the social side of the lives of business men, and in it Mr. Spring takes just pride. Its influence is felt over a wide area, and its membership now exceeds 1,000. He is a Mason and an Elk, and no man stands higher in the hearts of the brethren. As was hinted in the beginning of this sketch, Mr. Spring leads all now in mercantile business in length of continual prosecution of the dry-goods trade in this city, having been connected with it for fifty years. In 1859 thirteen dry-goods stores were noted in the city directory; of the names there given only that of Henry Spring now remains in the same connection. Though his head is "silvered o'er" his eye is bright, his step elastic, his countenance smiling and pleasing, his greeting hearty and cordial. Public-spirited and generous with ready ear and open hand for those in misfortune or distress, he is everywhere recognized as an honorable, whole-hearted and genial citizen.