Newaygo is saying goodbye to one of its mot picturesque buildings. The Rowe Manufacturing Company, so long a part of the Newaygo story, is being demolished.

Snug against the banks of the Muskegon River, where the Pennoyer Creek cascades into the river, the plant stood for some one hundred hears, really a testimony to one mans achievement.

Henry Rowe came to Newaygo in 1905 with $10 in his picket, toting a typewriter. He had been associated with Berkey & Gay in Grand Rapids, furniture makers. He heard someone in Newaygo had a dowel machine for sale, and he had fallen in love with Newaygo.

Rowe found the man, paid $10 down with a promise to pay the rest, a total of $50 in all, and so had part of the machinery for his dreamed of factory.

The Rowe plant was incorporated in June, 1905. The basic building ha belonged to the Portland Cement Company and the outpost of energy from the creek also was part of the cement company holdings.

Pennoyer Creek was important to the new industry. It turned a big turbine under the plant producing 100 horsepower.

At the closing of the plant in 1967 this same water power still produced 50% of the power used. Rowe Manufacturing sent out into the world more then forty varieties of wood parts. Also, school benches and factory benches were make in the pant. One of the big outputs was all types of wooden spindles, door knobs, drawer pulls, decorate rosettes, some cleverly designed with sheaves of wheat or floral patterns.