Winegar's Furniture Company

I've had this carpet sweeper for a long time.  I use it when I don't feel like lugging the vacuum upstairs to pick up cat hair and litter off the rugs.  It works very well.  It was made by the Bissell Carpet Sweeper Company and sold by Winegar's Furniture Company at the turn of the 20th century..

From a wonderful book called The City of Grand Rapids, Manufacturing Advantages, Commercial Importance. . ., by Robert H Baker, 1889. 

William Winegar

William Winegar, senior member of the Winegar Furniture company, of Grand Rapids, Mich., was born on the first day of January, 1826, in the town of Gaines, county of Orleans, and state of New York. He was the son of John and Susan (Perry) Winegar, and was one of twelve children, four boys and eight girls, ten of whom lived to be men and women, two dying in infancy. The names of his brothers and sisters who lived to be men and women were: John M., Louisa, Catherine, Emeline, Julia, Henry, Samuel, Jeanette and Harriet. They have all passed away with the exception of Julia and Henry.

His earliest remembrance of home is at the age of five years, when he was living in Clarkson, Monroe county, N.Y. He lived there until the year 1835, when his mother died at the age of forty-four years; then they mioved to the town of Farmington, Oakland county, Mich. His father had no brothers, and was a wood carder and clothier in his early days. He died at the age of sixty-eight years in the year 1852, in the town of Fowlerville, Livington county, Mich. His mother was one of twelve chidren, all of whom lived in western New York. The Perry family were agricultural people.

He lived in the town of Farmington, Oakland county, Mich., until the year 1840, when he went to Detroit, Mich., and attended school, working his way through in winter, and farming in summer, continuing in that way until he was about seventeen years of age. He returned to the state of New York in the year 1844, and went to school a part of the summer and taught school the following winter in the log school house where he had learned his "A,B.C’s."

In the latter part of 1844 he went to Rochester, N.Y., with a capital of $3. And started in business, selling Yankee notions, etc.., a business that he followed for about five years, when he went to Elkhart, Ind., where his sister lived. He remained there until July, 1851, when he married Miss Emma E. Smith at Grass Lake, Jackson county, Mich. Of that marriage two children were born: Mary S., who died in 1873, and William S. On the 11^th day of November, 1856, his wife died. On the 23^rd day of March, 1859, he married Miss Mary Emma Bingham, daughter of Dr. David and Mary H. (Smith) Bingham, of Grass Lake, who was born on June 17, 1838, at Whitesboro, N.Y. To this second marriagee, were born four children: Harriet (deceased), Frank Bingham, Alice Frances (widow of Edward W. Tinkham), and Louis Howard, the two latter now living with their parents. The family are members of the Park Congregational church; their politics is republican.

He continued farming and merchandizing in Grass Lake, Mich., until the year 1862, when he enlisted in the Seventeenth Michigan infantry and went to the war. He was appointed second lieutenant, then first lieutenant, then captain, after which he resigned because of physical disability, in the year 1863, at the close of the siege of Knoxville. His commission. was dated June 17, 1862.

He then returned to Grass Lake, Mich., where he engaged in the real estate, lumbering and building business, making sash, doors, blinds, etc., a business that he followed until the year 1871, when he came to Grand Rapids, bringing with him his machinery, and continued in the same business until 1873, when he sold out his manufacturing business, but continued in lumbering and real estate until the year 1882, when he went to manufacturing furniture, and started in the retail business on Canal street, in 1885. In 1887 he built his store on the corner of South Division and Cherry streets, where his business is now located. In 1887 he took his second son, Frank Bingham, into the business.

Frank Bingham Winegar was born in Grass Lake, May 8, 1861, He finished his education in the high school at Grand Rapids. When he was eighteen years of age he engaged in the book business, and continued in same until 1887, when he went into business with his father, as buyer and salesman. In 1893 he was married to Miss Aurilla Pearl. Of this marriage three children have been born: Frances Pearl (Deceased), Mary Bingham and Frederick Perry.

In 1891 William S. Winegar, eldest son, joined the firm of Winegar Furniture company. William S. was born in Grass Lake, Jackson county, Mich., July 27, 1854, where he lived and attended school until nineteen years of age, when he engaged in the lumber business at Chelsea, Washtenaw county, Mich. On account of his heath he had to close up his business and go to Colorado, where he was engaged in mining and lumber. In 1874 he married Miss Margaret G. Swift of Grass Lake. He then engaged in the lumbering and shingle business, which he followed until 1891, when he went into business with his father and brother Frank B., where he now is, and has been the financial and general manager of the Winegar Furniture company. William S. and Margaret G. had six children, two of whom are living: Swift Wells, born in 1882 and now with the Winegar Furniture company, and William Edward, born in 1889.

Louis Howard Winegar was born August 8, 1868, in Grass Lake, Jackson county, Mich. When three years old he came to Grand Rapids where he attended school. When he was seventeen years of age he was engaged in the furniture business, a part of the time with his father, and part of the time in Chicago and Rockford, Ill., and now with the Winegar Furniture company as F.B. Winegar’s assistant.

The business of the Winegar Furniture company has grown from a small beginning to an immense business, occupying a building eighty-two feet front, and 135 feet deep, a portion of which is six stories, besides several large warehouses for storing their immense stock of furniture, carpets, stoves, crockery and all kinds of house-furnishing goods, giving employment to twenty-five people.

The success of the business of the Winegar Furniture company is largely due to the enterprise and thrift of William S. and Frank B. Winegar.

From A W Bowen's History of Grand Rapids and Kent County, 1900.

Just look at this great flow blue advertising plate!

From Robert Kline's site.

Apparently there was a fire in 1927.

Peter Weirich Brewery

A few blocks from my house stand some very old factory-type buildings that are boarded up and abandoned.  These intrigued me, so I looked up their history.

From the 1878 Sanborn Fire Map. 

From the 1888 Sanborn Fire Map.  Bridge Street on the right.

Here is the site in 2011.  The buildings in the back are part of the original brewery.

Photo from Google Street View.  The front street is Bridge, and the cross is Indiana.

The Michigan Brewery, Peter Weirich, proprietor, was built in 1856. He erected two small buildings, in which business was carried on for some time. In 1858 an addition was made to the business, but in 1866 the entire brewery was torn down, and the present one erected. The brewery is 70 x 60 feet, three and half stories high, with a wing 54 x 78 feet. He has in connection five malt floors, an ice house, 70 x 100 feet, and large bottling works in connection. Mr. Weirich owns a farm in Walker township, on which are two ponds, where he freezes all the ice needed in his business. He uses spring water for the manufacture of his beer, and sells about 7,000 barrels annually. His annual trade will exceed $50,000.  From Chapman's History of Kent County, Michigan, p 915.

Ad from the 1883 Polk's Grand Rapids City Directory.

PETER WEIRICH

April 2, 1887, at noon, Peter Weirich, long identified with the brewing and other business interests of the West Side, died at his home on West Bridge street. Mr. Weirich had been sick nearly three months, an attack of pneumonia developing into a quick consumption against which even his  powerful frame and great vitality could make but little resistance. He was born in the village of Todtenorth, near Coblentz, in Prussia, Jan., 18, 1831, and was consequently 56 years of age at the time of his death. The year that he attained his majority he came to America to seek his fortune, with the sole capital of his hands and brains, first going to Milwaukee, but within a year applying for and receiving employment at the brewery of Christopher Kusterer in this city. Within two years (in 1855) he purchased the property where the Michigan brewery now stands and went into business for himself. The next year he married Josephine Arnold, of Austria, who died 12 years ago. Mr. Weirich prospered in business and became identified with the business advancement of the West Side to a considerable extent; he owned several business blocks and was a director in the Fifth National Bank in the organization of 

which he was prominent. The eighth ward elected him to the council for several terms and found him an active and influential representative. In 1875 Mr.  Weirich married as his second wife Mary Peterman, a native of Austria, as was his first wife. She survives him. Of a family of 10 children, but five are now living, a young son, Henry, and four daughters. Two sister of Mr. Weirich, Mrs. Brach and Mrs. Lachman, reside here, and there are two in Germany. He was a Mason and a member of the Turn and Arbeiter Vereins. His acquaintance and associations were extensive, and by them all he was highly esteemed as a business man,  a citizen and a friend. 

Taken from PIONEER SOCIETY OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, ANNUAL MEETING OF 1887, VOL. XI, SECOND EDITION, MEMORIALS AND RESOLUTIONS OF OLD RESIDENTS' ASSOCIATION OF THE GRAND RIVER VALLEY; pages 85-93.

An inquiry from a friend asking if these buildings became the Petersen Brewing Company prompted another search and turned up a picture of a logo, a bottle, and this picture.  It's obviously the one at the top of the page.  Information on the site says the brewery operated from 1900 to 1918.  In a 1921 city directory they were listed at Petersen Beverage Company, Manufacturers and Bottlers of Purity Malt Syrups and Soft Drinks.

In 1928, the Petersen son is working for a National Beverage Company on Shawmut.  By 1938, according to the city directory, there were still Petersens living at 904 Bridge St, but there is no mention of a beverage company.  I found Petersens living at this address up to 1954, but have not searched past that date.

That isn't entirely true, as this piece from Goss' History of Grand Rapids and Its Industries, 1906, p 1085 says.