Justus Smith Stearns
Encyclopedia
Justus Smith Stearns (1845-1933) was an American lumber baron and businessman. He was Michigan
's secretary of state
in 1899 and 1900.
, April 10, 1845. He was an only child. He had limited formal education, with common schooling at the district school of Chautauqua County, New York
. Stearns was trained as a farmer's chore boy as was usual at the time in the area. One of his duties was to milk twelve cows each day. His first exposure to the lumber business was in Pomfret at his father's retail lumber business where he took on a passion for the industry.
His parents moved from the Pomfret area to Erie, Pennsylvania
, when he was sixteen in 1861. Stearns' father was in the retail business there for about ten years. Stearns worked with his father there until 1867 when he moved to Conneaut, Ohio
.
Stearns married Paulina Lyon (b. Nov 24, 1849, Conneaut, Ohio; d. May 5, 1904, Ludington, Michigan
) on March 4, 1868, at Conneaut. They had one child, Robert Lyon Stearns, born March 14, 1872. Because of a tight financial situation with a venture with his brother-in-law Captain E. B. Ward and influence of the lumbermen of the Lyon family, Stearns decided to move to Ludington, Michigan. Initially he was a cashier working for his brother-in-law, Thomas R. Lyon.
Stearns came to Michigan in 1876. He first worked at sawmills in Big Rapids
. This early Michigan venture did not prove successful, and he then moved to Ludington. There, about 20 miles (32.2 km) east of Ludington, he operated a portable sawmill on the line of the Pere Marquette Railroad and founded "Stearns Siding" lumber camp in 1880.
In 1882 Stearns built a house for the family at the corner of Washington Avenue and Fourth Street in Ludington at a cost of something over $6,000, a large sum for the time. In 1898 Stearns bought out the extensive lumber operation of Thomas R. Lyon and formed Stearns Salt & Lumber Company and Stearns Salt Block company. It soon became a large company in Ludington with 50000000 board feet (117,986.9 m³) of lumber output annually and 300,000 barrels of salt yearly. He soon became one of the top businessmen in the state of Michigan. In 1893 he formed Flambeau Lumber Company in Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin, with Fred Herrick. In 1894 he started Stearns Lumber Company in Odanah, Wisconsin
.
In Ludington he not only was in the lumber business, but was also in the salt business. Around 1890 his annual cut of the mills averaged 27000000 board feet (63,712.9 m³) yearly, with a daily production of 1,200 to 1,500 barrels of salt. In 1898 he manufactured 125000000 board feet (294,967.1 m³) of lumber and was the largest manufacturer of lumber in the state of Michigan.
Stearns had large timber interests in Michigan, Wisconsin
, the Pacific Northwest
, and Florida
by 1901. At this time he started acquiring 50000 acres (20,234.3 ha) of timber on the Cumberland Plateau
in Kentucky
, referred to as the "Big Survey." This acquisition consisted of parts of southern Kentucky and northern Tennessee
. Stearns, at this time, leased another 25000 acres (10,117.2 ha) in Whitley County, Kentucky
. He opened a company store there in 1902, and it became the hub of the new founded town of Stearns
. The Stearns Lumber Company was renamed Stearns Coal & Lumber Company in 1910.
Stearns secured transportation of his logs and lumber from the town of Stearns with the Kentucky and Tennessee Railroad. Initially the rails went from his town to Barthell
, 3.5 miles (6 km) away. Then the lines were extended to Yamacraw and Oz. They eventually were extended in 1909 to White Oak Creek 20 miles (32.2 km) away from his town.
Stearns was referred to as the "Pine King" because of his vast timber holdings in the Ludington (Michigan) area and at Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin. In 1901 he purchased 30000 acres (12,140.6 ha) of timber in Kentucky. Later with partners he acquired further large tracts of timber near Ashland, Wisconsin
. Three years later he sold his interests to his partners and then took this capital to leverage it to acquire 107000 acres (43,301.4 ha) in Tennessee and Kentucky. It turned out the timber land in Kentucky contained large coal
deposits, and Stearns became quite wealthy from that. Stearns acquired 180000 acres (72,843.5 ha) of pine timber land in 1903. He set up a mill at Bagdad, Florida
, which he operated until 1919.
Stearns was the President of the following companies he formed: The Stearns Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan
; Stearns Lumber and Salt Company, Ludington, Michigan
; Stearns Coal Company, Cincinnati, Ohio; Stearns Company, Cincinnati; Stearns Lumber Company, Stearns, Kentucky
; Stearns Coal Company, Stearns, Kentucky; Kentucky and Tennessee Railroad Company, Stearns, Kentucky; Stearns and Culver Lumber Company, Bagdad, Florida
; Flambeau Lumber Company of Florida; J. S. Stearns Lumber Company, Odanah, Wisconsin
; J. S. Stearns Improvement Company, Ludington; Ludington and Northern Railway
, Ludington; and Stearns Lighting & Power Company, Ludington.
Stearns was identified with large banking interests in implementing new banking laws beginning in 1899. He is also identified with a number of smaller industrial concerns. In the later part of the nineteenth century and early part of the twentieth century he was the heaviest lumber shipper in Wisconsin. He organized and started up the Kentucky & Tennessee Railroad, Stearns Coal Company of Kentucky, Stearns Lumber Company Incorporated of Kentucky, and Stearns & Culver Lumber Company of Bagdad, Florida - all of which were operated through Stearns Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Stearns built in 1902 the first all electric sawmill in the United States.
. He served as the chairman of Mason County, Michigan
for several years and was School Director at Ludington in the same county. In 1892 he was Presidential Elector from the Ninth Congressional District. Stearns was referred to as the "bald-headed man from Ludington." He served as a Harrison
elector in 1888, but retired from active politics after that. Later he appeared as candidate for the office of Michigan Secretary of State in 1898 and was elected for two years. In 1900 he campaigned for Michigan governor against D. M. Ferry and A. T. Bliss, but lost.
Stearns was appointed "Aide-de-camp" on the governor's staff by Kentucky governor Flem D. Sampson
with rank and grade of colonel for recognition of the economic development of southeastern Kentucky.
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
's secretary of state
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
in 1899 and 1900.
Biography
Stearns was born in Pomfret, New YorkPomfret, New York
Pomfret is a town in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 14,703 at the 2000 census.The Town of Pomfret lies in the north-central part of the county, south of Dunkirk, New York.- History :...
, April 10, 1845. He was an only child. He had limited formal education, with common schooling at the district school of Chautauqua County, New York
Chautauqua County, New York
-Major highways:* Interstate 86/New York State Route 17 * Interstate 90 * U.S. Route 20* U.S. Route 62* New York State Route 5* New York State Route 39* New York State Route 60* New York State Route 394...
. Stearns was trained as a farmer's chore boy as was usual at the time in the area. One of his duties was to milk twelve cows each day. His first exposure to the lumber business was in Pomfret at his father's retail lumber business where he took on a passion for the industry.
His parents moved from the Pomfret area to Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
, when he was sixteen in 1861. Stearns' father was in the retail business there for about ten years. Stearns worked with his father there until 1867 when he moved to Conneaut, Ohio
Conneaut, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,485 people, 5,038 households, and 3,410 families residing in the city. The population density was 473.4 people per square mile . There were 5,710 housing units at an average density of 216.5 per square mile...
.
Stearns married Paulina Lyon (b. Nov 24, 1849, Conneaut, Ohio; d. May 5, 1904, Ludington, Michigan
Ludington, Michigan
Ludington is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,357. It is the county seat of Mason County.Ludington is a harbor town located on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Pere Marquette River...
) on March 4, 1868, at Conneaut. They had one child, Robert Lyon Stearns, born March 14, 1872. Because of a tight financial situation with a venture with his brother-in-law Captain E. B. Ward and influence of the lumbermen of the Lyon family, Stearns decided to move to Ludington, Michigan. Initially he was a cashier working for his brother-in-law, Thomas R. Lyon.
Stearns came to Michigan in 1876. He first worked at sawmills in Big Rapids
Big Rapids, Michigan
Big Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 10,849. It is the county seat of Mecosta County. The city is located within Big Rapids Township, but is politically independent.-Geography:...
. This early Michigan venture did not prove successful, and he then moved to Ludington. There, about 20 miles (32.2 km) east of Ludington, he operated a portable sawmill on the line of the Pere Marquette Railroad and founded "Stearns Siding" lumber camp in 1880.
In 1882 Stearns built a house for the family at the corner of Washington Avenue and Fourth Street in Ludington at a cost of something over $6,000, a large sum for the time. In 1898 Stearns bought out the extensive lumber operation of Thomas R. Lyon and formed Stearns Salt & Lumber Company and Stearns Salt Block company. It soon became a large company in Ludington with 50000000 board feet (117,986.9 m³) of lumber output annually and 300,000 barrels of salt yearly. He soon became one of the top businessmen in the state of Michigan. In 1893 he formed Flambeau Lumber Company in Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin, with Fred Herrick. In 1894 he started Stearns Lumber Company in Odanah, Wisconsin
Odanah, Wisconsin
Odanah is a census-designated place in Ashland County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 254 at the 2000 census.Odanah is the cultural and administrative center of the Bad River Chippewa Band of the Chippewa.-Geography:...
.
In Ludington he not only was in the lumber business, but was also in the salt business. Around 1890 his annual cut of the mills averaged 27000000 board feet (63,712.9 m³) yearly, with a daily production of 1,200 to 1,500 barrels of salt. In 1898 he manufactured 125000000 board feet (294,967.1 m³) of lumber and was the largest manufacturer of lumber in the state of Michigan.
Stearns had large timber interests in Michigan, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
, and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
by 1901. At this time he started acquiring 50000 acres (20,234.3 ha) of timber on the Cumberland Plateau
Cumberland Plateau
The Cumberland Plateau is the southern part of the Appalachian Plateau. It includes much of eastern Kentucky and western West Virginia, part of Tennessee, and a small portion of northern Alabama and northwest Georgia . The terms "Allegheny Plateau" and the "Cumberland Plateau" both refer to the...
in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, referred to as the "Big Survey." This acquisition consisted of parts of southern Kentucky and northern Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. Stearns, at this time, leased another 25000 acres (10,117.2 ha) in Whitley County, Kentucky
Whitley County, Kentucky
Whitley County is a county located in the state of Kentucky. 2005 census projections list its population at 38,029 . The county seat is at Williamsburg, though the largest city is Corbin, and the county's District Court sits in both cities...
. He opened a company store there in 1902, and it became the hub of the new founded town of Stearns
Stearns, Kentucky
Stearns is a census-designated place in McCreary County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 1,586 at the 2000 census. It was founded by Justus Smith Stearns.-Geography:Stearns is located at ....
. The Stearns Lumber Company was renamed Stearns Coal & Lumber Company in 1910.
Stearns secured transportation of his logs and lumber from the town of Stearns with the Kentucky and Tennessee Railroad. Initially the rails went from his town to Barthell
Barthell, Kentucky
Barthell is a former company town in McCreary County, Kentucky, United States. It was established in 1902 and was the first of 18 mining camps to be built by the Stearns Coal and Lumber Company. It now serves as an open-air history museum.-History:...
, 3.5 miles (6 km) away. Then the lines were extended to Yamacraw and Oz. They eventually were extended in 1909 to White Oak Creek 20 miles (32.2 km) away from his town.
Stearns was referred to as the "Pine King" because of his vast timber holdings in the Ludington (Michigan) area and at Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin. In 1901 he purchased 30000 acres (12,140.6 ha) of timber in Kentucky. Later with partners he acquired further large tracts of timber near Ashland, Wisconsin
Ashland, Wisconsin
Ashland is a city in Ashland and Bayfield counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The city is a port on Lake Superior, near the head of Chequamegon Bay. The population was 8,695 at the 2010 census....
. Three years later he sold his interests to his partners and then took this capital to leverage it to acquire 107000 acres (43,301.4 ha) in Tennessee and Kentucky. It turned out the timber land in Kentucky contained large coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
deposits, and Stearns became quite wealthy from that. Stearns acquired 180000 acres (72,843.5 ha) of pine timber land in 1903. He set up a mill at Bagdad, Florida
Bagdad, Florida
Bagdad is a census-designated place in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,490 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Pensacola–Ferry Pass–Brent Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, which he operated until 1919.
Businesses
Stearns ventured into other businesses other than lumber and coal. He purchased the Ludington Electric Light Company in 1900 and ran it for seventeen years. In 1901-02 he took over the Ludington & Northern Railroad. In 1910 he purchased the Carrom Company and in 1917 purchased the Handy Things factory. He also was associated with farm lighting, machine engines and stationary manufacturing. He was elected president of the Ludington First National Bank in 1910 and held that position for many years. The Stearns Hotel, on Ludington Avenue in downtown Ludington, was built by Stearns in 1901. At that time he organized the Stearns Hotel Company to operate it.Stearns was the President of the following companies he formed: The Stearns Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
; Stearns Lumber and Salt Company, Ludington, Michigan
Ludington, Michigan
Ludington is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,357. It is the county seat of Mason County.Ludington is a harbor town located on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Pere Marquette River...
; Stearns Coal Company, Cincinnati, Ohio; Stearns Company, Cincinnati; Stearns Lumber Company, Stearns, Kentucky
Stearns, Kentucky
Stearns is a census-designated place in McCreary County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 1,586 at the 2000 census. It was founded by Justus Smith Stearns.-Geography:Stearns is located at ....
; Stearns Coal Company, Stearns, Kentucky; Kentucky and Tennessee Railroad Company, Stearns, Kentucky; Stearns and Culver Lumber Company, Bagdad, Florida
Bagdad, Florida
Bagdad is a census-designated place in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,490 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Pensacola–Ferry Pass–Brent Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
; Flambeau Lumber Company of Florida; J. S. Stearns Lumber Company, Odanah, Wisconsin
Odanah, Wisconsin
Odanah is a census-designated place in Ashland County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 254 at the 2000 census.Odanah is the cultural and administrative center of the Bad River Chippewa Band of the Chippewa.-Geography:...
; J. S. Stearns Improvement Company, Ludington; Ludington and Northern Railway
Ludington and Northern Railway
The Ludington and Northern Railway, also known as the Dummy Train, or the L&N, is a defunct railroad which operated in Mason County, Michigan between 1902 and 1982. At a length of , it was for decades the shortest operating common carrier railroad in the state.On March 12, 1895, the Epworth League...
, Ludington; and Stearns Lighting & Power Company, Ludington.
Stearns was identified with large banking interests in implementing new banking laws beginning in 1899. He is also identified with a number of smaller industrial concerns. In the later part of the nineteenth century and early part of the twentieth century he was the heaviest lumber shipper in Wisconsin. He organized and started up the Kentucky & Tennessee Railroad, Stearns Coal Company of Kentucky, Stearns Lumber Company Incorporated of Kentucky, and Stearns & Culver Lumber Company of Bagdad, Florida - all of which were operated through Stearns Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Stearns built in 1902 the first all electric sawmill in the United States.
Politics
Stearns was a RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. He served as the chairman of Mason County, Michigan
Mason County, Michigan
Mason County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 28,705. The county seat is Ludington.-History:...
for several years and was School Director at Ludington in the same county. In 1892 he was Presidential Elector from the Ninth Congressional District. Stearns was referred to as the "bald-headed man from Ludington." He served as a Harrison
Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States . Harrison, a grandson of President William Henry Harrison, was born in North Bend, Ohio, and moved to Indianapolis, Indiana at age 21, eventually becoming a prominent politician there...
elector in 1888, but retired from active politics after that. Later he appeared as candidate for the office of Michigan Secretary of State in 1898 and was elected for two years. In 1900 he campaigned for Michigan governor against D. M. Ferry and A. T. Bliss, but lost.
Stearns was appointed "Aide-de-camp" on the governor's staff by Kentucky governor Flem D. Sampson
Flem D. Sampson
Flemon Davis "Flem" Sampson was the 42nd Governor of Kentucky, serving from 1927 to 1931. He graduated from Valparaiso University in 1894, and opened a law practice in Barbourville, Kentucky. He formed a political alliance with future congressmen Caleb Powers and John Robsion, both prominent...
with rank and grade of colonel for recognition of the economic development of southeastern Kentucky.