Franck Chicory Company

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the introduction of chicory into Bay County brought an industry to the area and provided farmers with a profitable cash crop. Chicory was a popular beverage in Europe at the time, and the root, when roasted and ground, was used to mix with coffee or as a coffee substitute. Like beet processing, the work was entirely seasonal, and the Franck Company employed upwards of 100 people during peak periods. Although chicory production was an important industry for many decades, no mills were operating in the county as it approached the twenty-first century.

Bay City, Michigan · United States