Cobbs and Mitchell Building
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Cobbs and Mitchell Building | |
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| Location | 100 E Chapin St, Cadillac, Michigan |
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| Coordinates | 44°14′54″N 85°23′52″W / 44.24833°N 85.39778°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1905 |
| Architect | George D. Mason |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 10000479[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | July 19, 2010 |
| Designated MSHS | February 27, 1980[2] |
The Cobbs and Mitchell Building is an office building located at 100 East Chapin Street in Cadillac, Michigan. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1980.[2] and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.[1]
George A. Mitchell, the youngest son of Congressman William Mitchell, arrived in the Cadillac area in 1869, exploring the proposed route of the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad.[3] Mitchell was particularly interested in the area near Clam Lake (now Lake Cadillac). In 1871, he returned to the area and platted a village on the shore of the lake, and by January 1872 the village had 300 inhabitants.[3] Mitchell was able to induce many influential businessmen and lumbermen to settle in his new community, including his nephew William W. Mitchell; John R. Yale, who opened the Pioneer Sawmill in June 1871;[4] and Jonathon W. Cobbs.
Cobbs was born in Westville, Ohio, in 1828, the son of Joseph and Tacy Cobbs.[5] He learned his father's trade of woodworking, then moved to Butlerville, Indiana, to operate a sawmill. There in 1855 he married Nancy J. Preble; the couple had three daughters: Tacy, Fauna, and Isabelle, and adopted a son, Frank. Cobbs eventually owned three sawmills in Indiana, but decided that the Cadillac area held more promise; he moved there in 1874 and purchased the Pioneer Sawmill from John R. Yale. In 1877, he took on William W. Mitchell as a partner.
William W. Mitchell was born in 1854 in Hillsdale, Michigan, the third son of Charles T. Mitchell.[5] He went to school at Hillsdale College, and in 1873 followed his uncle George to Cadillac. There he married Ella Yost; the couple had two children, Charles T. and Marie. He worked for his uncle for a few years, and in 1877 entered into a partnership with Jonathon W. Cobbs, marking the beginning of the firm of Cobbs & Mitchell.[3] Cobbs & Mitchell was among the largest lumbering firms in Michigan, supplying hardwood flooring and other products to consumers. At its high point, Cobbs & Mitchell used 100,000 feet of raw lumber daily.[3]
Jonathon W. Cobbs remained active in the business until approximately 1895, when he fell ill and turned over his duties to his son Frank. Jonathon W. Cobbs died in 1898.[5] William W. Mitchell continued on as president of the firm; he also formed Mitchell Brothers with his brother, Austin W. Mitchell, to make flooring.[5]
