J.J. Deal & Son Carriage Factory - Michigan Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

Around 1865 blacksmith Jacob J. Deal began to build and repair carriages, wagons, sleighs and carts in Jonesville. By 1884 he had a manufacturing complex on this site. Jacob's son George became a partner and manager in 1891, and the company was renamed "J. J. Deal and Son." This factory was built in three phases between 1892 and 1909. When Jacob retired and George died in 1908, the company was renamed "Deal Buggy Company." During this period, the company began to make automobiles under the name "Deal Motor Vehicle Company." Its models included the Deal Model "R," which sold for $1,250 and featured a speedometer, thirty-horsepower engine and wind shield. Jacob Deal died in 1914; the company closed the next year.

From 1918 to 1928 the Universal Body Company built automotive bodies for such companies ad Ford and Arrow Line in this factory. In the 1930s, Jonesville Sheet Metal Products and Jonesville Screw Products Company used portions of the building. In 1937 Paul A. Jones bought the factory for his Kiddie Brush and Toy Company. Workers made all kinds of toys: board games, dolls, furniture and Susy Goose housekeeping sets, which included a mop, carpet sweeper, apron broom and dust pan. In 1961 the company began making accessories for Barbie dolls. When Kiddie Toy relocated in 1970, the factory closed. After listing in the National Register of Historic Places In 2012, the building was rehabilitated and reopened in 2016 as an apartment building.

Parking nearby?: yes Registered Site #: L2293 Historical Date: Not listed Historical Name: Not listed Description: Not listed D/T ratings: Not listed website: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Take a photo of your GPS at the marker. We'd prefer a photo of you with your GPS, but we realize that sometimes that's just not possible or preferable. Also include a bit about your visit to the marker.

NEW: Instructions for logging Missing Marker Visits.

If the Marker is missing, but still listed here, you must provide a photo of you at the actual item historically honored. (This should be the waymark's "default" image). Indicate in your log that you took your photo at the Historical Location instead of the marker, because the marker was missing. Please also still include a bit about your visit to the site.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   04/12/2023 bobfrapples8 visited it 05/01/2020 just for the fun visited it 03/04/2018 Historic Markers visited it

View all visits/logs