photograph
Catalog Number
2020.14.92Description
Photograph, aerial, color, showing the Donnelly plant on Fairbanks Ave ca. 1978. Donnelly is in the center of the photo. Fairbanks Ave runs along the center right, from top to bottom. Railroad tracks run in front of the Donnelly building.Russ' is visible on the left, near the bottom.
History
Russ’ began in Holland, MI in 1934 on the north side of Chicago Drive, between Highland Ave and Reed Ave. That original restaurant was nothing more than a 12' x 16' wooden shack known as Doc's Barbeque before it was purchased by John Bouws, Russ Bouws' father, for $147. In those early years hamburgers cost 10¢ and coffee, milk, or Coke, 5¢.In 1946 the business was moved to 361 East 8th Street. A new, larger restaurant was constructed on this site in 1949. This new facility would be known as Russ' Eastown. The 1949 building was torn down in 1983 and replaced by a larger Russ' restaurant.
In 1965 Russ' opened a restaurant in Muskegon, MI. This was followed by the 28th Street restaurant in Grand Rapids in 1970 and the River Ave location in 1973. The Grand Rapis Plainfield Ave location opened in 1974, Grand Haven's restaurant opened in 1976 and the Wyoming, MI location opened in 1976. 1978 saw the addition of the Portage restaurant, as well as Battle Creek's Russ'.;The Donnelly Corporation began in Holland, MI in 1905 when the Kinsella Glass Co. selected Bernard P. Donnelly (1879-1932) and his assistant John A. Kelley to operate a new mirror manufacturing plant at 50-72 River Ave. This area of River Ave and West 3rd Street would remain the Donnelly headquarters throughout the 20th century. In 1910 Kinsella sold the operation to Donnelley and Kelley and the Donnelly-Kelley Glass Company was formed. Kelley would sell his 40% of the company to Donnelly in 1924 for $72,000.
1910 saw $120,000 in sales while 1920 saw $285,000. By 1928 sales had dropped to $170,000. They dropped to $155,000 in 1930 and $80,000 by 1932, the year Bernard P. Donnelly suddenly died from a heart attack.
Bernard’s son John F. Donnelly (1912-1986) took over operation of the company in 1933. By 1938 his mother Mary C. Fenlon Donnelly (1878-1963) was in that role. Mary would serve as president of the Donnelly-Kelley Glass Company until 1960.
By 1941 sales had climbed up to $160,000, rising to $420,000 by 1946. Military contracts were largely responsible for this increase. By the 1960s Donnelly was producing automotive mirrors.