While we were there, I really wanted to get over to the furniture section of
the museum to see if I could finally find a reference to the MACEY Furniture Co. Fred Macey sold furniture in Grand Rapids, beginning in 1892. He started with a mail-order business, selling office desks made by other furniture makers. His advertising and the offer of a $25 roll-top desk succeeded, and he expanded the line to include office and library furniture. Retail stores then started to complain that his mail-order sales hurt their businesses, so many manufacturers stopped selling him their furniture. Macey decided to open his own factory and make his own furniture around 1900, and he continued to sell by mail. In 1905, the company merged with the Wernicke Furniture Co., and Macey Wernicke Co. started. In 1908, the name was simplified to the Macey Co. Fred Macey died in 1909, and Otto Wernicke became president.
The reason this is important to me is that Mike's Grandmother (paternal) is the niece of Fred Macey. We have 2 beautiful Macey Sectional Bookcases that were manufactured around 1902. One is in oak and the other mahogany, and they were given to us by his Grandparents before they passed. I was happy to find a reference to the company as we were strolling through the displays, spotting a similar bookcase straight away. How neat is it to have a piece of your family history mentioned at the Museum...Of course, the real fun for the kids was riding the beautiful carousel, looking out over the Grand River, as the sun was peeking through the clouds and glistening on the fresh snow. It was a great way to end our morning-they're already asking when we can go back and do it again!
Andrea and her daughter, Vivian are featured in the top photo.
Karena and her daughter, Chloe are in the middle and we of course, are the last one.
All the girls had fun, young and old, and we'll have to schedule another "Play" date again soon!
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