What's In A Name?
This story involves two people that connected in Adrian, Michigan about 1912. We will start off with Samuel Roy Beal.
Samuel Roy Beal was born in Madison Township in Lenawee County, Michigan, in 1879. This is in southeast Michigan just south of the county seat town of Adrian. His grandfather had migrated from New York to Ohio and then into Michigan. Samuel spent his early years growing up on the family farm. At age 22 he left to attend the nearby University of Michigan. In 1906 he graduated from there with a degree in Law. Returning home, he started his law practice in Adrian.
Samuel Roy Beal was born in Madison Township in Lenawee County, Michigan, in 1879. This is in southeast Michigan just south of the county seat town of Adrian. His grandfather had migrated from New York to Ohio and then into Michigan. Samuel spent his early years growing up on the family farm. At age 22 he left to attend the nearby University of Michigan. In 1906 he graduated from there with a degree in Law. Returning home, he started his law practice in Adrian.
As you probably already know the swastika symbol was an ancient good luck sign long before it reached its status of a hate sign.
Even in 1897 New York City papermaker George B. Hurd named his best top of the line paper "Swastika". In the mid-1920s he would have a deck with swastikas.
By 1906 the popularity of the swastika was hitting a peak. Newspapers in Michigan had many ads for swastika related items at that time.
Even Michigan's Benton Harbor High School's yearbook was named "The Swastika" for decades.
Many magazines, sports teams and social groups were using the symbol to denote good luck.
Sam Beal apparently also saw this as a selling point and created a new playing card design.
Applying in December 1906 for a patent it was accepted a year later.
United States Playing Card also saw it as a selling point. Just one month before Beal's was accepted ones for a swastika pattern card back was accepted for USPC's Five Hundred and Texan card brands.
Beal used his card design to create the card game of SWASTIKA. He advertised his game as a "popular new Indian card game". The deck is composed of 55 cards in five suits: bows, arrows, peace pipes, tomahawks, and swastikas.
Beal's card company used the business address of 1 Lenawee Saving Bank Building on East Maumee Street. It is currently the location of the Adrian City Hall. But after a couple years he expands. In February 1910 he and two others incorporate the Adrian Novelty Company. It is located a block west of their old location. His partners were James D. Crandell and Frank A. Bradish. Beal and Crandell each owned 150 shares of the new company and Bradish only owned 1. Bradish was the county treasurer and Crandall was Beal's design man. Their business, besides Swastika cards, was selling vending machines created by Beal and Crandell.
The business was short lived. In 1912 Beal moved to Cuba, Crandall moved to Jackson, Michigan, and Bradish stayed in Adrian and worked his county job. But, before Beal left town, he apparently made a deal with Adrian businessman William O. Albig.
William Oliver Albig was born in 1873 in Raisinville Township in Monroe County, Michigan. This is about 20 miles east of Adrian. His parents had moved the family there from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, during the Civil War.
After attending secondary school, he left the farm life and took a course at the Normal College in Valparaiso, Indiana (Now Valparaiso University), and then Davis Business College of Toledo, Ohio, (Now Davis College). Returning to Monroe County he taught in the district schools until 1895 and then went to Spring Arbor, Michigan, to work as a clerk in a general store. Two months later he purchased a half interest in this store, which he continued to manage for a year. He then sold his interest and moved to Willard, Ohio. There he became a partner with his future brother-in-law, C. C. Hansberger, in the operation of a general store.
After attending secondary school, he left the farm life and took a course at the Normal College in Valparaiso, Indiana (Now Valparaiso University), and then Davis Business College of Toledo, Ohio, (Now Davis College). Returning to Monroe County he taught in the district schools until 1895 and then went to Spring Arbor, Michigan, to work as a clerk in a general store. Two months later he purchased a half interest in this store, which he continued to manage for a year. He then sold his interest and moved to Willard, Ohio. There he became a partner with his future brother-in-law, C. C. Hansberger, in the operation of a general store.
Normal College of Valparaiso
In 1898 Albig married and sold his interest in the store to Hansberger and moved to Adrian to open his own general merchandise store on North Main street. His business was doing well and in 1909 he became an incorporator and director of the new National Bank of Commerce in town. In 1910 he opened the first department store in Adrian. It was just around the corner from Beal's novelty company.
Just before Beal closed shop in Adrian he apparently made a deal with Albig because in December 1911 Albig now trademarks rules to a card game called "Cheyenne". He claims it is a popular card game that has been played in Adrian for several years. It's really just Swastika with a new name.
Just before Beal closed shop in Adrian he apparently made a deal with Albig because in December 1911 Albig now trademarks rules to a card game called "Cheyenne". He claims it is a popular card game that has been played in Adrian for several years. It's really just Swastika with a new name.
Albig also soon patents his own inventions. In 1915 he had a Paper Bag Dispensing Device, in 1916 a Combined Blacking Container and Dauber and in 1926 an improvement of his first device. Their commercial success is unknown.
Mr. Albig, besides having his successful store and bank job, also served as a director of the Y. M. C. A., was active in the Chamber of Commerce and was superintendent of the Methodist Episcopal church Sunday School during his career.
After being gone a couple years, Beal returns to Adrian from Victoria de las Tunis in southeastern Cuba. The city was becoming a principal commercial and manufacturing center for a rich agricultural and pastoral hinterland, whose major yields were sugarcane, bananas, oranges, and cattle; beeswax and honey were also produced. Deposits of both iron ore and marble were also located in the vicinity. His reason for moving there is unknown.
When Samuel returns, he no longer practices law or opens his novelty company back up. He goes to work for S. W. Raymond's Ford Garage. Raymond was the brother-in-law of the famous Henry Ford, Besides selling Fords they also manufactured gas pumps.
After being gone a couple years, Beal returns to Adrian from Victoria de las Tunis in southeastern Cuba. The city was becoming a principal commercial and manufacturing center for a rich agricultural and pastoral hinterland, whose major yields were sugarcane, bananas, oranges, and cattle; beeswax and honey were also produced. Deposits of both iron ore and marble were also located in the vicinity. His reason for moving there is unknown.
When Samuel returns, he no longer practices law or opens his novelty company back up. He goes to work for S. W. Raymond's Ford Garage. Raymond was the brother-in-law of the famous Henry Ford, Besides selling Fords they also manufactured gas pumps.
S. W. Raymond Ford Garage
In 1922 Samuel W. Raymond recognized the need for a new all-purpose tractor and expands the garage. The tractor used a Ford Model T engine to power the machine. Less than 150 were produced between 1922 and 1925, when Raymond retired from the tractor business. There is one on display at the Henry Ford Museum.
Samuel Beal would spend the rest of his business career working for the company as an accountant or manager,
Beal's business partner and designer James Crandell ended up in Kalamazoo. When he left Adrian he had also gotten a divorce for non-support of his wife and child.
After working as a lathe operator in Jackson he moved to Detroit as a machinist during World War II. Leaving that job he started managing a billiard room the rest of his life at the famous, in its day, Burdick Hotel in Kalamazoo.
Rebuilt in 1911 the Burdick Hotel facilities, such as the lobby, dining rooms, billiard room, and bar were located on the arcade’s west side. Retail shops lined the east side. Two large parlors and a ballroom were located on the second floor, and provided ample quarters for social events of all types and sizes. The décor was described as art nouveau, and featured elaborate plasterwork, marble, hand-painted wall designs, and mosaic floors. For much of the 1930s and 1940s the Burdick Hotel was the home of Kalamazoo’s first radio station, WKZO.
After working as a lathe operator in Jackson he moved to Detroit as a machinist during World War II. Leaving that job he started managing a billiard room the rest of his life at the famous, in its day, Burdick Hotel in Kalamazoo.
Rebuilt in 1911 the Burdick Hotel facilities, such as the lobby, dining rooms, billiard room, and bar were located on the arcade’s west side. Retail shops lined the east side. Two large parlors and a ballroom were located on the second floor, and provided ample quarters for social events of all types and sizes. The décor was described as art nouveau, and featured elaborate plasterwork, marble, hand-painted wall designs, and mosaic floors. For much of the 1930s and 1940s the Burdick Hotel was the home of Kalamazoo’s first radio station, WKZO.
The Burdick Hotel
In 1972 the Burdick was torn down and in 1975 The Kalamazoo Center opened. Today the Kalamazoo Center is known as the Radisson Plaza Hotel.
Special thanks to the Lenawee County Historical Society for some of this information.