1916
- Arlington
- Browning-B
- Doublyn
- Drexel
- Fortunate
- Gordon
- Imperial
- MaCherie
- Manse & Manseigneur
- Montrose
- Mystic
- Rembrandt
- Richelieu
- Sentinel
- Sterlyn
- Straitway
- Stratford-B
- Tarleton
- Waldemar
- Winsom
- Worthington
Bibliography
Sterling Systems Homes
by International Mill & Timber
Bay
City, Michigan was the home of three major kit home manufacturers including
International Mill & Timber, Aladdin, and Lewis Manufacturing. Located
on Saginaw Bay with its easy access to Lake Huron and blessed with an
abundance of timber, milling was big business. It was a logical location
for multiple kit home builders to emerge.
International Mill & Timber had generous terms. In 1915, the average annual income was about $650. Many of the homes in the Sterling catalog were well within reach of the average buyer. By making a 50% cash down payment, they could arrange financing for the remaining balance for 24 months. After two years, a buyer could own their home free and clear.
One unforeseen problem proved IM&T's undoing. Purchasers would buy the house and build it without owning the land. If the buyer ran into financial problems, the local bank foreclosed on the lot and IM&T was left with the bad debt and no financial recourse. By 1922, after the death of the founder W. D. Young, the company went bankrupt and was subsequently reorganized under a new owner.
Sterling was purchased by Bay City lumber dealer, John Kantzler, and continued to sell kit homes until 1971. The company was dissolved in 1975.
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