F. B. MOORE.

The subject of this sketch, who is one of the well-known businessmen of Elk Rapids, through his connection with the Elk Portland Cement Company, is a native of Palmyra, New York, though he was brought to Coldwater, Michigan, at the age of seven years. His father was a merchant and gave the subject fair educational advantages in his early youth.

At the age of seventeen years F. B. Moore engaged in selling goods for himself, and at the age of twenty sold out and engaged in the banking business in Nebraska. In 1891 he brought his capital to Elk Rapids, Michigan, and established the Elk Rapids Savings Bank, of which he was cashier until 1900, when he became identified with the cement company at this place, with which he has since remained, being now the efficient secretary and general manager of that company.

The Elk Portland Cement Company was organized in 1899, and the buildings of the plant were erected in 1900-01, being opened for business during the summer of the latter year. The original capital was four hundred thousand dollars, which has since been increased to seven hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars. The original officers were O. F. Jordan, president and general manager; Fitch. Roberts William, vice-president, and F. B. Moore, secretary and treasurer, while the present officer is as follows: S. S. Olds, president; F.R. Williams, vice-president; E.R. Sly, vice-president; FB. Moore, secretary and general manager, and E. M. Sly, treasurer.

About twenty-five per cent. of the original investment is held in Elk Rapids. The concern manufactures high-grade Portland cement, with a normal capacity of six hundred barrels per day, using lime rock from Emmet and Charlevoix counties. During the first season they operated a marl plant, having a fine marl bed contiguous to the plant, but finding that a higher quality of cement could be manufactured from lime rock and shale clay, they changed the composition to those materials.

In all departments  of the work about seventy-five men are employed, the pay-roll amounting to about five thousand dollars per month. This concern has also become the owners of the Bay Shore Lime Company, and they have largely increased the output of that plant, having now five kilns in operation with a capacity of five hundred barrels of lime per day. They have five hundred acres of lime rock accessible to the plant, and also have an extensive area of lime rock suitable for beet-sugar making. The cement company, with its allied interests, forms one of the most important plants in this part of the state.