William E. Gill Page 557-559 - William E. Gill, secretary and treasurer of the Wolverine Spice Company, 224 Scribner avenue, Grand Rapids, was born about six miles from East Aurora, at Holland, Erie county, New York, on January 24, 1856. His maternal grandfather, Calvin Rogers, owned a home upon the location where Elbert Hubbard’s Roycroft Shop now stands. Mr. Gill remembers numerous meetings with Elbert Hubbard. He came to Grand Rapids in 1865 with his parents, Alfred J. and Harriet (Rogers) Gill. His father was a farmer and lived on West Bridge street, one mile west of Grand Rapids. He died in March, 1897, at the age of sixty-eight years. His political affiliation has been with the Democratic party. He was survived by the subject of this narrative and Mark W. Gill, who is an industrial engineer for the Grand Rapids Veneer Company, and who in that capacity travels all over the United States. William E. Gill received his education in the public and high schools of Grand Rapids and Swensberg Business College. He then followed the vocation of school teacher for seven years and later became a bookkeeper for Henry S. Smith & Company, manufacturers of agricultural implements. After Mr. Smith’s death Mr. Gill had charge of settling up the business affairs of that institution. Mr. Gill then became secretary and treasurer of the Plumb & Lewis Manufacturing Company, of which concern he was one of the organizers. They manufactured bench clothes wringers and carpet sweepers, being the first concern to manufacture bench clothes wringers. In 1886 this business was sold to the Bissell Carpet Sweeper Company, of which concern Mr. Gill is at this time a director. He was manager of the Plumb and Lewis department of the business for several years, and after it was merged with the Bissell Company, he was given charge of the order and shipping departments until he retired in July 1923. The Wolverine Spice Company had been originally established in 1871 by E. Plumb & Sons Company. Their initial venture has been succeeded in 1883 by the business under the present name of Wolverine Spice Company, of which Mr. Gill has been secretary and treasurer since this organization. He is a member of all bodies of Masonry except the thirty-third degree and holds his membership in Saladin Temple Shrine. He was married January 2, 1882, to Miss Florence N. Calhoun, of Peoria, Illinois. Their children are Gaylord Calhoun, born December 6, 1894, and who was graduated from the Union high school of Grand Rapids, attended the University of Michigan, and after taking a business course, became affiliated with the Wolverine Spice Company, and for the past five years has been its vice-president. He married Nella E. Wagemaker of Grand Rapids, and they have two children, Gaylord Calhoun, Jr., and William E., III. The youngest child of William E. Gill, Corrington Calhoun, was born January 17, 1898, and after graduation from the Central high school of Grand Rapids, and Detroit University, spent three years in the United States Navy, during the World war, making seven trips to France. After the war he was graduated from the University of Wisconsin. After the war he was graduated from the University of Wisconsin. He is now in the city of Washington, D.C. as manager of Washington Press Service, a responsible and lucrative position. He married Julie Turnbull, who was then a teacher of French in Madison, Wisconsin, high school, and is now a teacher of French in Washington, D.C. The wife of William E. Gill died on September 9, 1914, and in 1924 he was married to Mrs. Ulrica Louise Thomas, of Grand Rapids.

Transcriber: Marcia Shears
Created: 25 November 2002