Michigan State University Archives and Historical Collections
Horner Woolen Mills Records
00148
Table of Contents
Summary Information
- Repository
- Michigan State University Archives and Historical Collections
- Creator
- Horner Woolen Mills (Eaton Rapids, Mich.).
- Title
- Horner Woolen Mills records
- ID
- 00148
- Date [inclusive]
- 1892-1961
- Extent
- 5.5 Cubic feet , 49 volumes (36 boxed; 13 on shelf).
- Language
- English
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: "Item title, Collection title, Collection Identifier, Michigan State University Archives & Historical Collections, East Lansing, Michigan."
Historical Note
In 1880, Samuel Horner, an English immigrant and professional spinner, purchased from John and William Gallery a small Eaton Rapids, Michigan mill built in 1844. Assisted by his entire family, Horner developed a prosperous business processing locally produced wool, and by 1883 operations were substantially expanded with additional machinery for carding, spinning, weaving and finishing. Manufacture of cloth blankets began in 1885, and in 1887 the company contracted to furnish uniforms to the Vocational School of Lansing. Innovative electrical technology brought about subsequent modernization in 1888, and a new mill was erected in 1900.
In 1918 the company was incorporated as the Eaton Rapids Woolen Mills; in 1937 it was renamed Horner Woolen Mills. During World War I, its first government contract ordered spun khaki fabric, and new knitting machines were installed to increase output. During World War II, the mill again produced various products for military use. By the end of the 1940s it had established a nationwide reputation for quality.
Source: W. Scott Munn, The Only Eaton Rapids on Earth: The Pioneer History of Eaton Rapids and Hamlin Township with Reminiscences (Ann Arbor, Michigan: Edward Bros., 1952).
Scope and Contents note
The Horner Woolen Mills collection consists primarily of correspondence and financial records, the bulk of which date from 1903 to 1919.
The correspondence series, including general correspondence, letterpress copies of outgoing letters, and quotations and estimates, relate mostly to the mill's activities between 1907 and 1914. These partially document daily operations; the company's investment in real estate in Michigan and Oklahoma; and its interest, as contract creditors to the Southern Ballast Co., in the development of the Frisco Railroad at Mill Creek, Oklahoma. Another contractor, the Southern Surety Co., also represents the Horner Woolen Mills as stockholders.
The letterpress copies of outgoing letter are in chronological form, indexed by correspondent. The other correspondence series are arranged by subject or correspondent.
The bookkeeping records are incomplete and do not document one common time span. However, the information is presented in a manner consistent with modern accounting principles. The general ledger accounts show aggregate daily transactions, while the control accounts detail orders, sales, accounts receivable, and accounts payable by customer. The General Journal is the first book of entry, recording transactions chronologically by date.
Occasionally these records include unusual items. For example, an employee accident report is found on page 476 of the Order Copybook. The 1904 General Journal includes an inventory pricing list illustrating historical gross margin on a sales per pound basis; the 1952 General Journal contains supplementary financial worksheets. Insurance costs for the period 1909-1912 are itemized in the Inventory and Fixed Assets Journal. The monthly Sales Journals list no customer names.
Most blueprints are of a planned dormitory. There is no evidence in the collection that it was completed. Another blueprint, showing how a fire-proof window is constructed, was sent compliments of the manufacturer.
Administrative Information
Publication Information
Michigan State University Archives and Historical Collections March 1980
Conrad Hall888 Wilson Road, Room 101
East Lansing , MI, 48824
517-355-2330
archives@msu.edu
Revision Description
August 2002
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Legal Status
Copyright: Michigan State University. Property Rights: Michigan State University.
Conditions Governing Use
Permission to publish material from this collection must be obtained from University Archives & Historical Collections, Michigan State University.
Custodial History
Gift of Albert Clegg, 1979-06-18.
Gift of Inis Horner, 1976-06-20.
Related Materials
Records Transferred to Other Collections
The following items were removed from The Horner Mill Woolen Mills Records, accession no. HC 00419, and were transferred to other collections, either to be retained or disposed. Any items that should receive special disposition are clearly marked.
PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION: 1 Black and white aerial view of the Mill, ca. 1950.
MAP COLLECTION: MICHIGAN. EATON RAPIDS. "Map of Eaton Rapids, Michigan," 1946
Processor's Name: A. Miller Date: March 1980
Controlled Access Headings
Corporate Name(s)
- Eaton Rapids Woolen Mills.
Genre(s)
- Commercial correspondence
- Ledgers (account books)
- Photographs
Geographic Name(s)
- Eaton Rapids (Mich.)
- Michigan -- Commerce
Personal Name(s)
- Clegg, Albert
- Gallery, John
- Gallery, William
- Horner, Inis
- Horner, Samuel
Subject(s)
- Industries -- Michigan
- Wool industry
Collection Inventory
RecordsScope and Contents note |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
General Correspondence |
1 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
American Savings Bank (Lansing, MI) -- February 1910 - April 1912 |
1 | 1 | ||
|
W.C. Belcher Land Mortgage Co. -- January 1913 and 1914 |
1 | 2 | ||
|
Capital National Bank (Lansing, MI) -- July 1909 - May 1912 |
1 | 3 | ||
|
Chicago Motor Co. -- March - June 1910 |
1 | 4 | ||
|
First National Bank (Eaton Rapids, MI) April 1909, February - May 1913 |
1 | 5 | ||
|
B.F. Goodrich Rubber Co. -- July - December 1913 |
1 | 6 | ||
|
George C. Howard, Realtor -- June 1911 - October 1913, n.d. |
1 | 7 | ||
|
Hugget and Smith, Attorneys -- August, n.d. |
1 | 8 | ||
|
Miscellaneous -- 1899, 1906, 1910 |
1 | 9 | ||
|
John C. Scott, Realtor -- May 24, 1911 - May 20, [1912] |
1 | 10 | ||
|
Southern Ballast Co. -- December 1910 - June 1912, n.d. |
1 | 11 | ||
|
Southern Surety Co. (Southern Trust Co.) |
1 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
October 1907 - December 1908 |
1 | 12 | ||
|
February - December 1909 |
1 | 13 | ||
|
January - December 1910 |
1 | 14 | ||
|
January - December 1911 |
1 | 15 | ||
|
January - December 1912 |
1 | 16 | ||
|
January 1913 - January 1914, n.d. |
1 | 17 | ||
|
Standard Auto Co. -- September 1912 - March 1913 |
1 | 18 | ||
|
Quotations and Estimates |
1 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Brick -- August - September 1907 |
1 | 19 | ||
|
Glass Hardware -- September 1907 |
1 | 20 | ||
|
Iron and Steel -- September 1907, May 1910 |
1 | 21 | ||
|
Lumber -- August 1907 - January 1910, n.d. |
1 | 22 | ||
|
Metal Sash -- September 1907 |
1 | 23 | ||
|
Miscellaneous -- May - November 1894, n.d. |
1 | 24 | ||
|
Stone -- September 1907 |
1 | 25 | ||
|
Letterpress Copies of Outgoing Correspondence |
1 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
January 21 - September 21, 1908 |
1 | vol. 1 | ||
|
April 30 - October 14, 1908 |
1 | vol. 2 | ||
|
October 18, 1908 - February 8, 1909 |
1 | vol. 3 | ||
|
General Journal |
1 | |||
| Volume | ||||
|
1904 (on shelf) |
4 | |||
|
1908 - 1911 (on shelf) |
5 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
1952 - 1955 |
1 | vol. 6 | ||
|
Inventory of Fixed Assets Journal -- 1909 - 1912 |
1 | vol. 7 | ||
|
Trial Balance Records |
1 | |||
| Volume | ||||
|
1892 - 1903 (on shelf) |
8 | |||
|
1904 - 1908 (on shelf) |
9 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Order Copy Book (letterpress) -- 1904 - 1908 |
1 | vol. 10 | ||
|
Control Accounts Books |
1 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Orders |
1 | |||
| Volume | ||||
|
1903 - 1907 (on shelf) |
11 | |||
|
1904 - 1905 (on shelf) |
12 | |||
|
1907 - 1908 (on shelf) |
13 | |||
|
Sales |
2 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Manufacturers -- 1912 - 1918 |
2 | vol. 14 | ||
|
Wholesalers -- 1915- 1 918 |
2 | vol. 15 | ||
|
Red Cross -- 1917 - 1918 |
2 | vol. 16 | ||
|
Accounts Receivable |
3 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
1905 - 1908 |
3 | vol. 17 | ||
|
1913 |
3 | vol. 18 | ||
|
Accounts Payable |
3 | |||
| Volume | ||||
|
1904 - 1910 (on shelf) |
19 | |||
|
1910 - 1913 (on shelf) |
20 | |||
|
1911 - 1913 (on shelf) |
21 | |||
| Volume | ||||
|
Cash Book -- 1953 - 1954 |
22 | |||
|
General Ledger |
3 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Accounts Receivable Journal |
3 | |||
| Volume | ||||
|
1909 - 1913 (on shelf) |
23 | |||
|
1913 (on shelf) |
24 | |||
|
Notes Receivable Journal -- 1910 - 1915 |
3 | vol. 25 | ||
|
Accounts and Notes Payable Journal -- 1912 - 1916 |
3 | vol. 26 | ||
|
Checking and Cash Deposits Journal -- 1912 - 1920 |
3 | vol. 27 | ||
|
Cash Journals |
3 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
July 1907 - February 1908 |
3 | vol. 28 | ||
|
March 1908 - January 1909 |
3 | vol. 29 | ||
|
February - October 1909 |
3 | vol. 30 | ||
|
November 1909 - June 1910 |
3 | vol. 31 | ||
|
June 1910 - January 1911 |
3 | vol. 32 | ||
|
January - June 1911 |
3 | vol. 33 | ||
|
September 1911 - February 1912 |
3 | vol. 34 | ||
|
March - September 1912 |
3 | vol. 35 | ||
|
October 1912 - May 1913 |
4 | vol. 36 | ||
|
Sales Journals |
4 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
1948 - 1952 |
4 | vol. 37 | ||
|
1952 - 1955 |
4 | vol. 38 | ||
|
1955 - 1959 |
4 | vol. 39 | ||
|
1959 - 1961 |
4 | vol. 40 | ||
|
Departmental Payroll Records |
4 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
1903 - 1906 |
4 | vol. 41 | ||
|
1906 - 1908 |
4 | vol. 42 | ||
|
1908 - 1910 |
4 | vol. 43 | ||
|
1910 - 1911 |
4 | vol. 44 | ||
|
1911 - October 1912 |
4 | vol. 45 | ||
|
March - October 1912 |
4 | vol. 46 | ||
|
November 1912 - April 1913 |
4 | vol. 47 | ||
|
Production Reports |
4 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Conewinder and Twister -- 1918 - 1919 |
4 | vol. 48 | ||
|
Spinning Room -- 1919 |
4 | vol. 49 | ||
|
Invoices and Credit Memos |
4 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Clark L. Belknap, Tailor -- August 1910 - July 1913 |
4 | 1 | ||
|
John Breitmeyer's Sons, Florist -- June 1911 |
4 | 2 | ||
|
E.R. Britten, Jewelers -- October 1911 - August 1913 |
4 | 3 | ||
|
Chicago Car Motor Co. -- March - June 1910 |
4 | 4 | ||
|
Excelsior Supply co. -- July - August 1910 |
4 | 5 | ||
|
Wilber F. Fowler, Plumbing -- July - October 1913 |
4 | 6 | ||
|
B.F. Goodrich Co. -- June 1911 - 1914 |
4 | 7 | ||
|
Joseph B. Hendee, Attorney -- May 4, 1911 |
4 | 8 | ||
|
John Herriman's Sons, Tailors -- March 1905 - January 1914 |
4 | 9 | ||
|
Holden's Reliable Shoes -- May and August 1913, April 1914 |
4 | 10 | ||
|
H.M. Joyce Co. -- April 1914 |
4 | 11 | ||
|
LaFever and Minnie Furniture Dealers -- March 1907 - January 1912 |
4 | 12 | ||
|
Lansing Shirt Co. -- April - June 1909 |
4 | 13 | ||
|
Minnie and Tubbs Hardware Dealers -- December 1909 - 1913 |
4 | 14 | ||
|
Miscellaneous -- March 1903 - 1914, n.d. |
4 | 15 | ||
|
John J. Munger, Register of Deeds -- September 1911 |
4 | 16 | ||
|
Packard Motor Car Co. -- June - July 1910 |
4 | 17 | ||
|
Picard and Picard Shirtmaker -- November 1909 - February 1912 |
4 | 18 | ||
|
Standard Auto Co. -- May 1910 - December 1913 |
4 | 19 | ||
|
H.P. Webster and Sons Lumber Yards -- August 1910 - June 1911 |
4 | 20 | ||
|
Tax Receipts -- 1909, 1910, 1912 |
4 | 21 | ||
|
Sample Company Stationary -- n.d. |
4 | 22 | ||
|
|
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Oversized Materials |
||||
|
Blueprints |
||||
| Drawer | ||||
|
15 Dormitory Plans 1918 |
2 | |||
|
"Pioneer" Fire Window 1907 |
2 | |||
|
|
||||
Photographs |
||||
| Box | ||||
|
Horner Woolen Mills. Collection. Factory |
LC Photo 38 | |||
|
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