Probably the first lumber utilized for home building in Lowell and Vergennes, all of which was then known as Vergennes, was then known as Vergennes, was in the summer of 1831 when Lewis and Rodney Robinson and Philander Tracy, a cousin, completed their homes on the west bank of Flat River.

They were log structures with partitions, frames, doors, and joists of pine, sawed at Indian Mill, below Grand Rapids, and transported up Grand River to the mouth of the Flat on a scow.

The first entire frame house in Lowell was started on Dec. 18th, 1846 and completed by Cyprian S. Hooker, on Dec. 25th, being only seven days in the making.

For several years previous to that time lumber had been rafted down Flat River to Grand Rapids and Grand Haven.

At Fallasburg the Hecox saw-mill was built in 1839, and that same year George Dickinson passed through Lowell with a raft of 30,000 feet of pine lumber, bound for Grand Haven.

The rafting of cut lumber continued until 1870 at which time the Grand Rapids Booming Co. was formed by saw-mill owners of Grand Rapids and Grand Haven, and that organization brought down the river the vast drives of pine logs from the entire northern reaches of the Flat and its tributaries.

The first saw-mill in Lowell was built by Seth Cogswell in 1856, and stood just south of the Grand Trunk railroad on Kopf's creek, within a "stone's throw," of the first house built in Lowell by Daniel Marsac in 1830, to which the first bride was brought, and the first white child was born.

The Cogswell mill was a very crude affair, with an upright saw, the cutting capacity was less than 3,000 feet of lumber per day. The mill was operated by water power through an undershot wheel. This property was finally converted into a chair factory, and later a furniture factory by John Kopf in 1867.

In 1869 E. W. Tucker built a steam saw-mill on the south side of Grand River just east of the lower bridge. The operations were small, probably on account of its location, as it was afforded no securing booming grounds to hold logs during the numerous freshets of those early times. The mill was operated spasmodically by S.B. Knapp and later by F.O. Taft and was finally destroyed by fire in 1881.

Mr. Tucker also built a mill on Kopf's creek about one mile south of the chair factory, which in the '70s he converted into a factory where he manufactured wooden rakes, grain-cradles, scythe-snaths, nibs, flayles and farm tool handles.

In the village there were lumber yards supplied by the rafting of cut lumber from "up the river." During the period from 1855 to 1870 there were among others engaged in rafting, J. Dodge, Henry and James Shepard, Blass and Strong, all of whom maintained retail yards at various times.

In 1855, Knight Bros., built a planing mill on the corner of Bridge and Hudson streets, where an oil machine now stands. Avery & Johnson purchased the machinery of the Knight Bros.' plant and moved it to their plant on the east side of the river in 1866. It was destroyed by fire in 1867 and rebuilt in 1868. Operated as a planing mill and eave-trough factory, also manufacturing sash doors and blinds. In 1868 B.G. Wilson and Wm. Gardner built a sash door and blind factory which was operated but a short time.

Dodge's lumber yard was one block north of Main street on the east bank of Flat River, joining the school grounds on the south. It was established in 1864 and in 1869 was acquired by Reuben Quick and Cornelius Powlinson. In 1871 a steam saw mill was built. In 1873 Mr. Powlinson disposed of his interest to Francis King and later the firm operated with Frank T. King, under the style of King, Quick & King. In 1879 a shingle mill was added and manufacturing had assumed large proportions. The capacity of the two mills was about 50,000 to 60,000 feet per day respectively and the firm's annual consumption of pine was for several years from 5,000,000 to 6,000,000 feet.

The operation continued as long as the pine lasted and the business was discontinued about 1892.

In 1873 W.J. Ecker and T.W. Mason built a well equipped planing mill on the present site of Hoyt's lumber yard. All of the planing, flooring, siding and moulding work for the saw mill was handled by this firm on contract. This mill burned during the early '90s.

In the early '70s James Buchanan built a saw-mill a mile north of the vilalge which was operated but little. The property is now owned by the Consumers Power Co.

1831. Then, it was all a mystery.

1931. Now, it is only history.

Bert E. Quick