Part V - Government, a supplement to the Big Rapids Pioneer Newspaper. Used with permission.

FURNITURE FACTORIES AND THE BEAT GOES ON
By Jim Bruskotter - Managing Editor



Buildings now occupying the grounds of Simonds Industries are the only remaining evidence of once thriving, wood-based, furniture making industries ay the foot of the Baldwin Street bridge in the city of Big Rapids.

The Simonds complex is located on the west bank of the Muskegon River between Baldwin and Waterloo and occupies buildings that formerly housed Falcon Manufacturing and the Pine Shops and an area that also was the home of Big Rapids Furniture Company and Denham Manufacturing Company.

Falcon Manufacturing and Big Rapids Furniture were the grandaddies of the city's furniture makers.

Other furniture manufacturers that located in Big Rapids over the years were the Luce Redmond Chair Co., the Crescent furniture Co., and the Robert Bergelin Furniture Co., a family business still operating in North Carolina with Robert's son Chris at the helm.

Others include the Griswold Guest Co., the William Drueke Furniture Cp., Joseph O'Laughlin, the International Furniture Technologies plant of the Swedish manufacturer. IKEA and the only furniture maker in operation in Big Rapids today - Big Rapids Components, a Haworth Co. facility.

The areas development dates back to the early days of Big Rapids as Big Rapids Furniture Company arose from a partnership formed in 1870 by Messrs. Ahrens & Stempel for the purpose of building furniture.

The two partners formed one of the earliest corporations in Big Rapids in 1872 and for the next ten years grew under the presidency of E. B. Hutchinson who constructed a three story building on the northeast corner iof Michigan Avenue and Elm Street to serve as a retail outlet for low-priced furniture and chairs produced by the company.

When E. B. Hutchinson retired, John Martz, who had helped build the business from its beginning took over the reigns of the company and continued as its leader for decades to come, eventually buying out the entire stock of the company with the help of other members of the Martz family.

The company operated from a two story brick plant on the west-side raceway to the upper dam and on the south side of Baldwin Street.

In an article published in a special edition of the Pioneer on Nov. 11, 1916 told how the company's original chartrr ran out in 1903 and how it was reorganized then under the complete ownership of the Martz family.

The story also pointed out that the company had produced 7,500 pieces of furniture in 1916 with John Martz serving as General Manager.

Martz was, according to the article, the brother in law of Ahrens, and had come to the city at the age of 24 from Kendavile, Ind. on the advise of his sister.

Martz had intended to stay for only a short time, but quickly found employment in the grocery store of Thomas D. Stimson, "who has since become a multi-millionaire," according to the Pioneer article.

Martz was part of the fledgling firm from its beginnings and became increasingky invioklved in the furniture company after the death of his brother-in-law in 1873, assuming the presidency for four years after the retirement of Hutchinson, before taking over the general managership of the firm.

He and his wife had four sons. The three oildest - Theodore, Arthur and Otto - were all employed with the firm while the fourth - Herbert - had graduated from Ferris Institute and was employed wat Fairman Drug Store at the time of the Pioneer article in 1916.

An 1881 history of the city also refers to the early involvement of William Van Loo as secretary and treasurer of the company-operation of the firm from a three-stories 40 by 60 building on the race near the upper dam; use of the race for powering the plant; and the primary manufacture of bedsteads, bureaus and tables from white ash, maple, oak and black walnut.

Another article in the same Pioneer special section in 1916, talked about the manager of Falcon Manufacturing outmaneuvering his competition during the kitchen cabinet wars of 1914.

Seems the manager, John E. Bergelin took the opposite approach of cost - and price-cutting measures taken by the other companies by raising he quality and price of his products and gaining a greater share of the market.

The 1881 history of the city makes note that Falcon Planing Mill was buult by Col. J.G. Hudnutt and B.M. Hanks in 1871, just a year after the beginnings of Big Rapids Furniture.

"The mill was built in 1871. The building is 40X70 feet, three stories and basement," the article relates. "In 1877 J.M. Crocker and E.W. Hudnutt purchased the mill and the firm of Crocker and Hudnutt has made it one of the best manufacturing establishments in the country."

The article also pointed out that the factory fitted" ... for the manufacture of sash, doors, blinds, moldings and building materials of all kinds.."

Neither article mentioned the fact that the Falcon company also operated a second facility on the east side of the river, just north of the upper dam.

But, by the time of the kitchen cabinet wars in 1914, the company had added "in its output high grade chaffoniers, dressers and library tables -- in quartered oak, mahogany, and other special finishes ..." and the continued manufacture of one of the company's standard products, "its "No. 100 kitchen table."

The kitchen table production began "many years ago when the factory stood on the site now occupied by the Big Rapids Furniture Manufacturing company. During the years the table became so popular that now almost every furniture dealer in Michigan handles it..."

The first plant burned to the ground in 1910 and a new plant was built nearby, measuring 42X112 feet and three stories high before construction of an addition of 42 by 156 feet, three stories, in 1914.

Bergelin had managed mills on the Pacific Coast and in Virginia before coming to Big Rapids to manage the Falcon operation, according to the 1916 Pioneer article.

The Luce Redmond Chair Co., began business in 1903 from a seven acre complex just east of the Maple Street bridge.

The company's officers were C.A. Luce, chairman; F.A. Simonds, vice chairman; P.W. Hathaway, secretary and treasurer; and William H. Redmond, manager.

The principal product of the firm, according to an article in the 1906 Water Power City book, "consists of parlor suits, fancy rockers, office and desk chairs, and dining room chairs, all of which are finished, upholstered and ready for the market before leaving this institution."

The plant, at that time, consisted of a manufacturing facility that was 100 by 250 feet and three stories high; a boiler room in a one story brick annex; and a storage facility across the street on the corner of Maple and Second in a warehouse formerly used by the Reynolds sash and door company.

The firm was, according to the author of the Water Power City article, the largest employer in Big Rapids in 1906.

Redmond came to Big Rapids with more than 35 years experience in the manufacture of chairs, including stints with the Detroit Chair Co., and the Phoenix Furniture Co., in Grand Rapids.

Crescent Furniture Cp. may have been located in the same location as the Luce Redmond Factory, and possibly the same manufacturing building, but there is little information available to corroborate that theory. The 1905 city directory did indicate that the Fire Box 53 was near Crescent Furniture.

Griswold and Guest Co. and Rapids Furniture were located in that same general area, both listed in city directories at 350 Maple at different time periods. Griswold and Guest appear in the 1925 directory whie the 1947-48 city directory lists Rapids Furniture Shops at the same location.

Then, in the 1957 city directory Rapids is listed at 1005 Baldwin with M.E. Aegenbroad serving as its general manager. A special centennial publication in 1955 relates that Rapids Furniture Shops was started "approximately 18 years ago (1937) by A.E. Reinhold. It is a division of Western Table Co., of Chicago. The company specializes in occasional furniture and is now owned by the son of the founder.

A Working List of Historic Michigan Furniture Manufacturers compiled by Dr. Richard H. Harms, curator of archives at Calvin College relates that the Pine Shops, Inc., was in existance from 1947 1987, first in Grand Rapids before moving to Big Rapids in 1950 where it was located in the old Falcon Manufacturing Building on the west side of the river.

A brief sketch of Robert Bergelin's life provided by the Bergelin family differes from Harms listing for the Pine Shops, noting that Bergelin founded the business in 1946 laong with partners, Don Scott and Oscar Johnson and does not mention the business beng located in Grand Rapids at all. Bergelin sold his share of the business to his partners in 1960 and pursued free lance design of furniture.

The 1957 city directory shows the location of the Pine Shops at 115 Waterloo and the officers as: Don S. Scott, president; Oscar H. Johnson, vice-president; D.F. Kurzewski, secretary and Robert B. Bergelin, treasurer.

Still under contradiction is found in another city directory that indicates the Pine Shops purchased the old Falcon plant in 1945.

By 1966, the city directory reveals the existance of the Pine Shops Store, a retail furniture outlet for the furniture manufacturers products, which was located just west of the plant at 826 N. State.

After the Pine Shops went out of business the building was sold to Michigan Knife and then Simonds and the old Pine Shops retail building was attached to the plant, and used for office space.

Dr. Harms' list of historic furnitures from Big Rapids also relates that the William Drueke Furniture Co. began operation in Grand Rapids in 1920 before moving to Big Rapids.

Joseph O'Laughlin is listed in the 1905 city directory under "Furniture Manufacturers" with an address of 714-717 E. Maple near the interesection of Third.

Wood Industries purchased the old Hood and Wright facility in 1945 and is probably the company that produced wooden bowls from that facility.

Little is known about Robinson Furniture other than it closed its operation here in 1964.

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