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Portrait and Biographical Record of Northern Michigan
Record Publishing Company, Chicago - 1895

-135-

        JOSEPH E. MAILHOT is proprietor of a large grocery at No. 419
     River Street, Manistee.  He carries a large and well selected
     stock of staple and fancy groceries, and commands such an extensive
     trade that employment is given to three clerks constantly.  He is
     a native of Canada, of French descent, and is the only representative
     of his family in the United States, within whose borders he has made
     his home for the past twenty-nine years.
        JOSEPH E. MAILHOT'S birth occurred December 1, 1846, in the pro-
     vince of Quebec, where he gained his education and lived until he
     was twenty years of age.  On leaving home he visited New York City,
     Boston, Chicago and other points of interest, spending about two
     years in travel.  He not only desired to see something of the
     country, but wished to ascertain where would be a favorable opening
     for a young man beginning in business.  He finally settled in Manis-
     tee, and, as he had no means, found employment as a laborer in the
     mills, where he worked for about a year.  Finding out that the
     young man possessed more than ordinary ability and intelligence,
     Magnan & Richmond offered him a position as clerk in their office
     and store.  He accepted the place gladly and remained for three
     years in the employ of that well known lumber firm.  He had been
     offered a good salary, but instead of getting it was constantly
     put off with promises, and at the end of his three-years service
     the firm failed and he lost a large share of his earnings.  This
     was certainly discouraging, but young MAILHOT possessed pluck and
     energy and bravely set to work once more at the bottom round of
     the ladder.  He obtained a place as bookkeeper with HORACE BUTTERS,
     in whose employ he remained for about three years.  For a similar
     period he was afterward bookkeeper for Dempsey & Cartier, and while
     with this firm also had a disastrous experience, as he lost fifty
     percent of his savings through the failure of the bank.  He then
     loaned some money on real-estate security, which depreciated in
     value and caused him to lose the money in that investment.
        Gathering together what means he had left, Mr. MAILHOT turned
     his face westward to see if the fickle goddess Fortune would at
     last smile on his endeavors.  Going to the Black Hills, he re-
     mained there for about six months, and then returned to Michigan
     with little more than he had gone away with.  His former employ-
     ers, Dempsey & Cartier, then offered him a position in their branch
     store at Ludington, and this place he helf for two years.  He then
     took a logging contract, the first year making a considerable sum,
     but the following year he lost everything he had and came out of
     the transaction in debt.  For the three years following he was a
     member of the firm of D. A. McCormick & Co., lumber importers.
     In this business he made some money.
        His previous experience at clerking now served Mr. MAILHOT in
     good stead, for he took the management of a store belonging to
     A. E. Cartier & Co. at West Troy, this state, and three months
     later bought out the stock.  This was a profitable venture and
     promised increasing returns, but at the end of a year and a-half
     his store, stock and everything in the line of household goods
     which he possessed were destroyed by fire, the insurance covering
     perhaps one-third of the loss.  Coming to Manistee he invested
     his insurance money in a
     
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-136-

     stock of groceries and opened a store at his present location.
        February 6, 1876, our subject married Miss LILLIE GRAY, who
     died about two years later.  One child was born of his first
     union, namely, ROY E.  June 9, 1884, Mr. MAILHOT was united in
     marriage with Miss BLANCHE MERRITT, a native of Canada, and of
     his second marriage he has two daughters, MAY and IRENE.
        In his political faith our subject is a loyal Republican,
     and like a true patriot is interested in the cause of education
     and all public improvements.  Religiously he was reared as a
     Catholic, but is not a member of any congregation.
     
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