STAFF PHOTO: Woodard Brothers Planing Mill Employees in 1867. Lyman Woodard can be found in the photograph on the front row with a black hat and his dog.

The original site of what was to become the Woodard Furniture Company was the woolen-mill, built in 1844 on the banks of the Shiawassee River where the present Owosso City Hall stands. The woolen-mill became a planing mill in 1855 when it was operated as a manufacterer of furniture, sash, doors, and blinds by the White Brothers.

Three years after the Woodard brothers built the four-story brick building on Main Street adjoining the planing mill 1885, a series of unfortunate events commenced that would have discouraged and overcome a family with less perseverance.

FIRE OF 1898: The Woodard brick chimney still stands after the devastating fire of 1898 that ravage the mill and other surrounding buildings.

In 1888, the Owosso Casket Company on Elm Street was destroyed by fire, and then rebuilt. Then a second fire in 1898, which was disastrous to other Owosso businesses, including the Mueller's brewery across Main Street along with the planing mill and furniture factory. The only thing remaining of the original factory and mill was its huge brick chimney which stood for 24 years until 1922 when several hundred people gathered to watch it crumble to the ground as city crews demolished it. Owosso City Hall was built on the site two years later.