Monroe County

Michigan


Nicholas William Francis Cunningham

Nicholas William Francis Cunningham was born on July 27, 1889 in Frenchtown Township, Monroe County, Michigan. The son of Albert Henry and Delia (Hanrahan) Cunningham. He moved to Detroit sometime before 1911 and opened up his first grocery store at the corner of Watson and Beaubien Streets. He married Florence Heck on December 12, 1912, at the Heck home in Detroit. They lived just a few blocks from the store on Watson Street. Their first three children, Edward, Nellie and George were born there at home. In 1922 they moved to Rockwood, Michigan, starting a new store at 32735 Church Street. The new store had the living quarters above and behind the store. William was better know to his customers by his middle name, Frank. He ran the store from 1922 till his death on December 25, 1947. The store was operated under the name of William F. Cunningham & Sons.

In 1928, in order to serve the farmers and residents in Brownstown, Berlin, and Ash townships, Frank outfitted two refrigerated trucks, one being a 1928 Dodge, which his two sons, Ed and George, drove about the countryside. Fresh, refrigerated meats of all kinds brought to the kitchen doors of the outlying patrons of the store, and the ambulant meat markets were an instant success. Farmers in those days had iceboxes, but no electric refrigerators, and were happy to get the meats delivered to their doors. At harvest time, farmers would buy 35 to 40 pounds of meat at one purchase.
The trucks continued serving the three townships until the war restrictions shut them down , as "non-essential" in 1944. One of the boys, Ed, went into the factory and George the other into the Navy.

After Frank passed away in 1947, Florence and son Skip, ran the store for another seven years, until the last of six sons and five daughters had finished school, then they closed the store. The Cunningham's have made their presence felt pleasantly in the Rockwood area for many years. Most of the Cunningham children, took turns delivering both the morning and evening newspapers around Rockwood, besides all of them having their duties and chores in the store. The store also housed the Rockwood Post Office, and Frank was Postmaster from 1932 until 1935.

I am researching all the Cunningham's in Monroe County, if you have any Cunningham information to share, please contact me, Mike Cunningham.
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