photograph
Catalog Number
2009.1.13Description
Black and white photograph showing Hart & Cooley employees seated inside the Holland factory. Names of individuals pictured are at the bottom of the photo.In the first row (seated), left to right: Peter Ver Schure (1887-1963). Peter lived with his wife Mabel in Holland at 55 East 21st St.; Conrad G. Lohmann (1896-1990), engineer. Conrad lived with his wife Bertha in Holland at 56 East 21st St.; Margaret Adamaitus (1895-1982), clerk. Margaret lived with her husband Walter in Holland at 310 Washington Blvd.; Walter Adamaitus (1904-1977), clerk, husband of Margaret; Philip E. Enstam (1910-1994), clerk. Philip lived in Holland with his wife Elizabeth at 211 East 16th.; Levi E. Smitters (1902-1987), tool maker. Levi lived in Zeeland, MI with his wife Ruth.; Henry Thias (1888-1971), tool and die. Henry lived in Holland with his wife Barbara.; Julius H. Deur (1912-2009), assembly. Julius lived in Holland at 76 West 32nd with his wife Margaret.; J. Van Dyke; Edward T. Van Dyke; Peter J. Heydens (1913-1998), time keeper. Peter lived in Holland at 350 West 19th with his wife Lillian.;and, Gerrit Boerman (1902-1960). Gerrit lived in Holland at 513 Cleveland with his wife Helene.
History
August Landwehr, a Holland, MI businessman and resident, arranged in 1924 for Hart & Cooley to move to Holland, MI. The thought behind this was for Hart & Cooley to supply the warm air registers for Landwehr's Holland Furnace Co. furnaces.Hart & Cooley was located at 50 East 8th Street in Holland, MI, along the south side of the street, near Walnut Ave.
During World War 2 Hart & Cooley shifted production from registers to 60mm mortar-shell casings. In the 1950s Hart & Cooley designed a line of grills and registers for the newer furnaces being produced,
In 1986 Hart & Cooley became part of Chicago-based Eagle Industries. In 1990 Hart and Colley workers went on strike, which led to a decline in sales and, eventually, a departure of Hart and Cooley from Holland, MI.