Please include the following information about RJ Tower:
From: History of Montcalm County, Michigan: Biographical, pg. 137.
R. J. Tower was born on February 1, 1859, on the old Tower farm homestead in Oakfield township. Kent county, Michigan, about ten miles west and south of Greenville.
The first fourteen years of his life were spent on the farm doing the ordinary farm boy's duties, when he could not escape them, and making "things" in the old corn barn shop. He well remembers how in the frosty October mornings he would go down into the back lot, barefooted, to drive the cows up to be milked-—they used to let them out to pasture over night— and how he would stand on the ground where a cow had been lying to get his feet warm.
His early school days are still fresh in his memory. Every inch of the whole one and three-fourth miles to the old White Swan school house is as clearly in mind as though it were traveled over yesterday, and the copper-toed boots which would not keep the water out, but seemed always to have water inside. How the boys played "snap the whip," and how the Tower boy seemed always to be "snapper."
The winter of 1874 and 1875 saw R. J. Tower going to the red brick Union school in Rockford, Michigan, while his father.was in East Tennessee supervising the building of a foundry and machine shop. In April, 1875, he went to his father at Sweetwater. Tennessee, remaining there until December of the same year, when the family came to Greenville. After attending the Greenville schools a year or two, he went into his father's shops and became a machinist. February 1, 1880, he became of age, and with his elder brother took over his father's business, continuing in partnership with his brother until October 1, 1882. At this date his brother drew out of the business and the R. J. Tower iron works was established and for about five years a history of the Tower shop is a history of R. J. Tower, as he made its work his life interest.
In 1887 it began to dawn upon his mind that a certain girl was a necessary possession, if his happiness was to be complete. On December 25, 1888, the girl, Miss Linna D. Baker, and Ray J. Tower were united in matrimony. The partnership has continued for almost twenty-seven years. Many years ago his wife recommended to him to make all his aims have a def1nite goal, and he considers this to he the best advice he ever received.
Since his marriage, the life history of Mr. Tower is only the history of one venture after another. Some failures, some successes. An attempt in 1894 to manufacture opera chairs, which failed. Twelve or fifteen attempts to beautify spots in Greenville, spots which had been anything but beautiful, these attempts have not been failures.
All these years Mr. Tower has heen operating the iron works, digressing in 1907 long enough to start the R. J. Tower electric plant and flouringmills. These and the iron works and other ventures go to make Mr. Tower's life a busy one. He says he is going to quit in "two or three" years, and have some time to play, but there are those who doubt it.
One son only survives of three children born to Mr. and Mrs. Tower. This son, Francis E., is becoming acquainted with the work at the iron works, and will eventually have a share in its management.
From: History of Montcalm County, Michigan: Biographical, pg. 137.
R. J. Tower was born on February 1, 1859, on the old Tower farm homestead in Oakfield township. Kent county, Michigan, about ten miles west and south of Greenville.
The first fourteen years of his life were spent on the farm doing the ordinary farm boy's duties, when he could not escape them, and making "things" in the old corn barn shop. He well remembers how in the frosty October mornings he would go down into the back lot, barefooted, to drive the cows up to be milked-—they used to let them out to pasture over night— and how he would stand on the ground where a cow had been lying to get his feet warm.
His early school days are still fresh in his memory. Every inch of the whole one and three-fourth miles to the old White Swan school house is as clearly in mind as though it were traveled over yesterday, and the copper-toed boots which would not keep the water out, but seemed always to have water inside. How the boys played "snap the whip," and how the Tower boy seemed always to be "snapper."
The winter of 1874 and 1875 saw R. J. Tower going to the red brick Union school in Rockford, Michigan, while his father.was in East Tennessee supervising the building of a foundry and machine shop. In April, 1875, he went to his father at Sweetwater. Tennessee, remaining there until December of the same year, when the family came to Greenville. After attending the Greenville schools a year or two, he went into his father's shops and became a machinist. February 1, 1880, he became of age, and with his elder brother took over his father's business, continuing in partnership with his brother until October 1, 1882. At this date his brother drew out of the business and the R. J. Tower iron works was established and for about five years a history of the Tower shop is a history of R. J. Tower, as he made its work his life interest.
In 1887 it began to dawn upon his mind that a certain girl was a necessary possession, if his happiness was to be complete. On December 25, 1888, the girl, Miss Linna D. Baker, and Ray J. Tower were united in matrimony. The partnership has continued for almost twenty-seven years. Many years ago his wife recommended to him to make all his aims have a def1nite goal, and he considers this to he the best advice he ever received.
Since his marriage, the life history of Mr. Tower is only the history of one venture after another. Some failures, some successes. An attempt in 1894 to manufacture opera chairs, which failed. Twelve or fifteen attempts to beautify spots in Greenville, spots which had been anything but beautiful, these attempts have not been failures.
All these years Mr. Tower has heen operating the iron works, digressing in 1907 long enough to start the R. J. Tower electric plant and flouringmills. These and the iron works and other ventures go to make Mr. Tower's life a busy one. He says he is going to quit in "two or three" years, and have some time to play, but there are those who doubt it.
One son only survives of three children born to Mr. and Mrs. Tower. This son, Francis E., is becoming acquainted with the work at the iron works, and will eventually have a share in its management.
Please include the following information about RJ Tower:
From: History of Montcalm County, Michigan: Biographical, pg. 137.
R. J. Tower was born on February 1, 1859, on the old Tower farm homestead in Oakfield township. Kent county, Michigan, about ten miles west and south of Greenville.
The first fourteen years of his life were spent on the farm doing the ordinary farm boy's duties, when he could not escape them, and making "things" in the old corn barn shop. He well remembers how in the frosty October mornings he would go down into the back lot, barefooted, to drive the cows up to be milked-—they used to let them out to pasture over night— and how he would stand on the ground where a cow had been lying to get his feet warm.
His early school days are still fresh in his memory. Every inch of the whole one and three-fourth miles to the old White Swan school house is as clearly in mind as though it were traveled over yesterday, and the copper-toed boots which would not keep the water out, but seemed always to have water inside. How the boys played "snap the whip," and how the Tower boy seemed always to be "snapper."
The winter of 1874 and 1875 saw R. J. Tower going to the red brick Union school in Rockford, Michigan, while his father.was in East Tennessee supervising the building of a foundry and machine shop. In April, 1875, he went to his father at Sweetwater. Tennessee, remaining there until December of the same year, when the family came to Greenville. After attending the Greenville schools a year or two, he went into his father's shops and became a machinist. February 1, 1880, he became of age, and with his elder brother took over his father's business, continuing in partnership with his brother until October 1, 1882. At this date his brother drew out of the business and the R. J. Tower iron works was established and for about five years a history of the Tower shop is a history of R. J. Tower, as he made its work his life interest.
In 1887 it began to dawn upon his mind that a certain girl was a necessary possession, if his happiness was to be complete. On December 25, 1888, the girl, Miss Linna D. Baker, and Ray J. Tower were united in matrimony. The partnership has continued for almost twenty-seven years. Many years ago his wife recommended to him to make all his aims have a def1nite goal, and he considers this to he the best advice he ever received.
Since his marriage, the life history of Mr. Tower is only the history of one venture after another. Some failures, some successes. An attempt in 1894 to manufacture opera chairs, which failed. Twelve or fifteen attempts to beautify spots in Greenville, spots which had been anything but beautiful, these attempts have not been failures.
All these years Mr. Tower has heen operating the iron works, digressing in 1907 long enough to start the R. J. Tower electric plant and flouringmills. These and the iron works and other ventures go to make Mr. Tower's life a busy one. He says he is going to quit in "two or three" years, and have some time to play, but there are those who doubt it.
One son only survives of three children born to Mr. and Mrs. Tower. This son, Francis E., is becoming acquainted with the work at the iron works, and will eventually have a share in its management.
From: History of Montcalm County, Michigan: Biographical, pg. 137.
R. J. Tower was born on February 1, 1859, on the old Tower farm homestead in Oakfield township. Kent county, Michigan, about ten miles west and south of Greenville.
The first fourteen years of his life were spent on the farm doing the ordinary farm boy's duties, when he could not escape them, and making "things" in the old corn barn shop. He well remembers how in the frosty October mornings he would go down into the back lot, barefooted, to drive the cows up to be milked-—they used to let them out to pasture over night— and how he would stand on the ground where a cow had been lying to get his feet warm.
His early school days are still fresh in his memory. Every inch of the whole one and three-fourth miles to the old White Swan school house is as clearly in mind as though it were traveled over yesterday, and the copper-toed boots which would not keep the water out, but seemed always to have water inside. How the boys played "snap the whip," and how the Tower boy seemed always to be "snapper."
The winter of 1874 and 1875 saw R. J. Tower going to the red brick Union school in Rockford, Michigan, while his father.was in East Tennessee supervising the building of a foundry and machine shop. In April, 1875, he went to his father at Sweetwater. Tennessee, remaining there until December of the same year, when the family came to Greenville. After attending the Greenville schools a year or two, he went into his father's shops and became a machinist. February 1, 1880, he became of age, and with his elder brother took over his father's business, continuing in partnership with his brother until October 1, 1882. At this date his brother drew out of the business and the R. J. Tower iron works was established and for about five years a history of the Tower shop is a history of R. J. Tower, as he made its work his life interest.
In 1887 it began to dawn upon his mind that a certain girl was a necessary possession, if his happiness was to be complete. On December 25, 1888, the girl, Miss Linna D. Baker, and Ray J. Tower were united in matrimony. The partnership has continued for almost twenty-seven years. Many years ago his wife recommended to him to make all his aims have a def1nite goal, and he considers this to he the best advice he ever received.
Since his marriage, the life history of Mr. Tower is only the history of one venture after another. Some failures, some successes. An attempt in 1894 to manufacture opera chairs, which failed. Twelve or fifteen attempts to beautify spots in Greenville, spots which had been anything but beautiful, these attempts have not been failures.
All these years Mr. Tower has heen operating the iron works, digressing in 1907 long enough to start the R. J. Tower electric plant and flouringmills. These and the iron works and other ventures go to make Mr. Tower's life a busy one. He says he is going to quit in "two or three" years, and have some time to play, but there are those who doubt it.
One son only survives of three children born to Mr. and Mrs. Tower. This son, Francis E., is becoming acquainted with the work at the iron works, and will eventually have a share in its management.
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