Kellogg

Orlando “Len” Kellogg lived from 1852 until 1944 and touched so much of the history of Lowell.

He was 13 years old when he came with his family from New York. They began their trip the day after Abraham Lincoln’s funeral.

He remembered the early days of Lowell, how all of the village stores were on the east side of the Flat River. The “long bridge” was built over the Flat River, and then buildings were erected on the west bank. He talked of the argument over which side of the river should host the post office. The solution was to build the Post Office on the bridge, at the east/west dividing line. This building is the home to today’s Los Portales Restaurant.

He married Clara Squires in 1873 and together
 they had 11 children. Clara died in 1907.

Kellogg liked to tell how he worked at everything but railroading. Here is a list of his various jobs and experiences which played an integral part in the early days of Lowell.

Kellogg grew up working on the family farm. His first outside job was unpaid, as he apprenticed for Webster Morris, the first Lowell publisher. He helped print the first issue of the Lowell Journal.

His first paid job was cutting wood for Charlie Hine, an early Lowell Township Supervisor.

He carried brick for J.C. Train when he built the opera house. The opera house still stands today in the 200 block on the south side of West Main Street.

He worked as a carpenter for B.G. Wilson, an early builder, known for building the Post Office on the river.

He worked as a butcher at Ed Lee’s market. In addition to owning a grocery store, Lee was a large part of the beginning of the light and power plant, to the point that he was called the “Father of the Lighting Plant”, and he was the father of Dr. S.S. Lee, a generous benefactor to Lowell.

He worked at the sawmill of King, Quick and King. He loved the lumbering days, cutting trees in the woods and riding them down the Flat River. He loved to boast that even though long days were spent on the icy river, and nights were spent sleeping in tents on the frozen ground, they never got sick.

He also worked for the Cutter Company. The Lowell Cutter Company made wooden bodies for horse drawn sleighs, buggies, delivery wagons and surreys, up to 200 per day. This factory became Lowell’s largest industry and the country’s largest manufacturer of cutter and sleigh woods, producing thirty thousand bodies annually in hundreds of styles by 1909.

Kellogg belonged to the Octo-Genarian Club. This was a fun thing the Lowell Ledger would do. A person became a member by turning 80 years old, then newspaper would interview them and share their life story. In his interview after his spring birthday, Kellogg credited hard work as his secret to long life. He was said to be hale and hearty for his age. In his interview he bragged about cutting 40 cords of heavy oak timber wood, 20 of which he hauled to his own door the previous fall. Kellogg lived until the age of 92.

Images:

Logging on the Flat River

Logging on the Flat River

King, Quick King Saw Mill

Lowell Cutter Co.

Train's Opera House