Martin Mathias Secor

Martin Mathias Secor

Martin Mathias Secor (February 4, 1841–January 5, 1911) was founder and proprietor of the Northwestern Trunk and Traveling Bag Manufactory (est. 1861); and M. M. Secor Trunk Company (est. 1877), in Racine, Wisconsin. He was also elected mayor of Racine for two terms in the years 1884 and 1888.

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Early years

Martin M. Secor was born near Prague to Mathias (1807–1887) and Josephine (Beider) (1813–1889) Secor, in the town of Strakonitz, Austria; although some sources claim that he was born in Bohemia, but biographical records propose his birth in Austria.[1] At age 10, he and his family immigrated to Racine, Wisconsin. The journey there was arduous; the Secor family having spent almost seven weeks sailing in a vessel until they reached New York Harbor, where they then took a train to Buffalo. From there, they traveled via train to Chicago, and then boarded a six-wheel steamer which took them to Racine. It is possible that the family name was changed to "Secor" after passing the immigration post, but subsequent sources neither make mention of the transition, although it is likely.

Martin's father, Mathias Secor, purchased a fifteen acre farm in Racine, which he cleared and cultivated. Later he would buy an additional twenty acres in the town of Caledonia. At the age of fourteen, after working four years on his father's farm, Martin left home to work for himself, and possibly aid his father in finances. He worked on a farm for a German family, and was given a wagon and a steer, which he lent to his father, and also managed to earn enough money to buy his father an additional ox. After a two-year stint on the farm, Martin found work at a grocery store, earning eight dollars per month, which funded his board and washing. In 1857 he went to Darien, Wisconsin, and learned the harnessmaker's trade.[2] This sparked an interest in him that inspired him to start a company dealing with harnesses and other commodities, such as the production of trunks.

After two years in Darien, he returned to Racine and worked as a journeyman. In late 1861, he opened a shop of his own, where he focused on making the harnesses. In early 1862, he married Fannie Hayek, whose union would produce nine children. One of their daughters would marry another trunk maker named F. W. Gromm, who produced many well-built trunks. Martin had more success with his trunks, so he prioritized their construction; but since they were being made in his wife's small kitchen, dwindling space prompted him to rent out Weed's Hall, which would later become City Hall. It is about this time that he dubbed the establishment: "The Northwestern Trunk and Traveling Bag Manufactory."

M. M. Secor's Trunk Company's beginning

In 1877, after purchasing the three Durand buildings and several lots on Chatham Street, Martin Secor became acquainted with two brothers, named Joseph and Anthony Hayek. The trio styled the firm as "Northwestern Trunk and Traveling Bag Manufactory" as before, but with clearer emphasis to M. M. Secor's role. However, in 1878, Martin became sole proprietor.[3] The M. M. Secor Company would be responsible for the production of thousands of trunks, and create distinctive trunk styles such as the Champion Wall Trunk. Martin additionally built a five-story brick building on Chatham street which would manufacture approximately 100 trunks a day, and gross $100,000 a year.[4]

This wealth permitted Martin to build a beautiful home on an entire block, including a large flower conservatory and hothouse. He was noted as having gardens, fruit tree plots and a water fountain which adorned the near entrance to his estate. Not only did he have a strong affinity for nature, but he was a great lover of animals. Another feature of his estate was a small, personal zoo that housed a half-dozen deer, two bears, and several parrots among some other birds. His factory employed over seventy to eighty people in the early 80s (nearly several hundred more in its heydey), and manufactured trunks and valises, which were sold in all sections of the Union, except the extreme East. Among other proprietorship opportunities, Martin Secor owned his own block named after him, where the only fire-proof building in Racine was built. Other industries popped up on M. M. Secor block, such as the New Office building, the Belle City Furniture Company building, and bathrooms for furnishing Turkish, Russian, and Karlsbad commodities.

Political involvement

Martin's reputation was not limited to his business, but distended out to the political arena as well. In 1884 and 1888, Martin Mathias Secor was elected mayor of Racine. He was a noted Independent, voting rather for the man than for the party, which made him well liked among the populace. But when he ran for mayor for the first time in 1883, he sided with the Democratic Party. He lost by 250 votes to Republican Titus Fish, but in the following year won the mayoral position.

His first term saw the paving of streets in the city, including the streets in front of his factory and estate.[5] He vied to remove wild dogs from the Fifth Ward precinct situated near his house, who had reportedly killed some peacocks and several exotic pets that belonged to him. But, to his disappointment, purging the streets of wild dogs could not suffice another mayoral term.

In 1885, running a third time, he lost to Republican David Janes. Not until 1888 would he manage to win another mayoral election, this time against challenger J. G. Meachem, Jr., and Prohibition candidate J. P. Corse. Martin Secor's strong opposition to the prohibition of alcohol caused the mayor of Chicago to dub him as a drunkard, which prompted him to sue the mayor for libel. After his second term as mayor, Martin continued to administer the goings of his factory, while being active in politics and propagating his beliefs on religion through the publishing of pamphlets.

Secor was a staunch Freethinker, opposing organized religion. His parents were once Roman Catholics, but lost faith in the Church and became Freethinkers as well, which is attributed to influencing Martin's spiritual skepticism.

In 1907, Martin ran for another mayoral term, but lost to Alex Horlick, a Republican. The defeat would signify his retirement from politics, but he would remain active in producing new patents and designs for his trunks until his death.

Death

On January 5, 1911, Martin Secor died as the result of injuries suffered during a fall on New Year's night. According to his obituary in the Racine Daily Times, he fell getting out of his bed to use the bathroom, hitting his bedpost, breaking a rib and sustaining other internal injuries.[6]

A $2,500 granite gravestone was erected in his honor on which a whimsically-written epitaph was inscribed in the stone, reading: "This world is my home/ To do good is my religion/ Why did a good God make a bad Devil?"

Examples of M. M. Secor's trunks

An example of a M. M. Secor trunk
An example of a M. M. Secor Company's manufacturer's label
Another example of a M. M. Secor Company's manufacturer's label

See also

References

  • Commemorative Biographical Record of Prominent and Representative Men in Racine County by J. H. Beers & Co. (1906)
  • The History of Racine and Kenosha Counties, Wisconsin by Western Historical Community (1879)
  • History of Racine County by Fanny S. Stone (1916)
  • Racine: Growth and Change in a Wisconsin County by Richard H. Keehn, e.i. (1977)

Notes


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