The Pearl Button Factory
Lamont, Ottawa County, Michigan
The Pearl Button Factory was located in Lamont by the Grand
River around 1900.
The buttons were made from freshwater clams that were found in the bottom of the
river.
Some of the rejected buttons can still be found along the river
Additional Information Contributed by Joan Van Spronsen
Coopersville Observer, March 27, 1908
Lamont Button Factory
Henry Weatherwax has bought out the claims of all the stockholders in the Michigan Pearl Button Company of Lamont and proposed to enlarge the plant and conduct the business on a larger scale. At a recent meeting of the directors, it was decided to dispose of the entire stock of the company, and now it is announced that Mr. Weatherwax was a successful bidder.
Heretofore the company only cut the discs out of the shells, and as the price of these discs is much cheaper than the finished article and more subject to fluctuations in price, what has proved too be a good paying investment, paid no dividend.
Mr. Weatherwax has studied conditions in the button business for some time and is confident that he can solve the dividend problems in a very satisfactory manner.
A finishing plant will be provided to the factory at once and instead of manufacturing just the plain disks, the company will put the finished pearl button on the market. It means considerable expense but as it is in the finishing that the big end of the profits are made, this expense will be more that justified. The Lamont pearl takes a good polish and the clams are easily fished, so that with good management it is predicted that this enterprise will prove a big success.
Northeast Ottawa County People, Places and History by Boersma