Joseph Austin was a tinsmith from Massachusetts who arrived in Chesaning near the end of the Civil War, and soon opened a hardware store at this location. It was said to the have been the first such store in the village.
John Griswold grew up in New Hampshire, but left home at a young age, and went on to become a sawyer in the lumber industry. He came to Michigan in 1836, as part of a group of workmen who were brought here to construct a dam and sawmill at Owosso.
He was then hired by the Owosso and Saginaw Navigation Company as a construction foreman, helping to clear obstacles from the river, building tow-paths, and making other improvements.
This led to him starting his own operation using flat boats to carry cargo and passengers between Owosso and Saginaw. He played an important role in Chesaning’s early development by delivering much needed supplies, and became the primary means through which mail from the outside reached the settlement.
Chesaning began to grow into a proper village thanks to his efforts, and in 1848 he finally brought his family here from Owosso and became a permanent resident.
He later started a stagecoach service, but eventually left the transport business entirely and opened a general store. He then left the general goods business in 1872 and bought into Joseph Austin’s hardware store.
The grocery store (5) on the corner is listed in the 1877 atlas as belonging to the firm of P. Gould & Son, a partnership consisting of Philetus Gould (1814-1899) and Frank Gould (1850-1933).
Philetus Gould grew up on his family’s farm in New York state, but came to Michigan in 1837. He lived in Ann Arbor for two years, where he worked as a mechanic, before moving to a farm in Battle Creek.
He sold this farm in 1866 and spent two years living in Owosso before finally settling in Chesaning.
Philetus Gould became a prominent member of the local community, and was involved in numerous successful business ventures. He was partial owner of a sawmill in Albee Township, owned most of the land between South Street and Liberty Street, and built the town’s first grain elevator.
In 1874, George L. Chapman sold his general store to the firm of Gould Bros.
I don’t know whether this was Philetus Gould and a sibling, or his two sons Frank Gould and Frederick Gould (1840-1911). But, whatever the case, this firm would later become P. Gould & Son.
Ownership would continue to evolve, however, as the first issue of The Chesaning Argus featured an advertisement for the store under the name of Gould & Oliver.