J.I. Prentiss & Co. timeline:
- 1883 - Jerome I. Prentiss involved with Prentiss & Loveland, commercial merchants, at 98 W. Market Street.
- 1888 - J.I. Prentice & Co. at 98 West Market, 155 & 157 Michigan Streets. (invoice in Prentice Museum)
- 1893 - J.I. Prentice & Co. at 140 Michigan Street. (invoice in Prentice Museum)
- 1920 - J.I. Prentice & Co. at 140 Michigan Street. (letter in Prentice Museum)
- 1920 - Jerome retired and the company merged with Becker to form Prentiss Becker Inc. (photo in Prentice Museum)
- 1944 - Became a division of Francis H. Legget & Co.
- 1958 - Legget was bought by Peter J. Schmitt Co. and promptly closed
Various bits of information collected regarding J.I. Prentiss & Co. If you have additional information to share, please let us know!
In 1883 Civil War veteran Jerome I. Prentiss was involved with Prentiss & Loveland, commercial merchants, with a location at 98 W. Market Street. By 1897 the company was named J.I. Prentiss & Co., wholesale grocers, located at Michigan Avenue and Perry Street. When Prentiss was ready to retire in 1920 he merged the company with Becker's forming Prentiss Becker Inc. In 1944 they became a division of Francis H. Legget & Co., and in 1958 Legget was bought by Peter J. Schmitt Co. and promptly closed.
From "Nine Nine Eight: The Glory Days of Buffalo Shopping," by Michael F. Rizzo .. Google Books
Jerome Ingersoll Prentiss, son of Nelson and Electa Ingersoll Prentiss, was born 6 Nov. 1839, in Georgetown NY. He was the fifth of six children. A descendant of Valentine (Valentine, John, John, Joseph, Joseph, Manassah, Nelson, Jerome). He m. Ellen Celestia Hawley at Hastings, MI, 16 June 1868. Ellen was b. at Ridgeway, NY, 26 Feb. 1842. They had three children, Albert, Mary, and Ada.
On 30 Aug 1863, Jerome entered the Army as a private in the Michigan First Regiment of Engineers, and was involved in many of the leading events which preceeded peace. He was promoted duging the service to sergeant of Company K, 31 Dec. 1862, and on 8 Jan 1865, to second lieutenant, and first lieutenant of Engineers' Company G, 3 April 1865, which position he held till his discharge, 22 Sept 1865, at Nashville, at the close of the war. He served under Buel and Rosecrans, and under Sherman in his march to the sea, and was with Joe Hooker at the siege of Chattanooga.
After the war he visited in Hastings and Decatur, MI, and engaged in making sash, doors, and blinds. In 1870 he removed with his family to Cedar Rapids, IA, where he resided, and was in the produce commission and grain business to 1881. In 1882 he resided at 42 Niagra Square, in Buffalo, NY, in the produce commission business, under the firm of Prentiss & Loveland.
From "Prentice or Prentiss Family in New England," by C.J.F. Binney, 1883, p.234
Check out the J.I. Prentiss & Co. collection at the Prentice Museum.
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