Markin, Morris
Biography
Morris Markin was born in Russia July 15, 1893. In 1912, he moved to Chicago where he worked as an errand boy and later as a tailor’s apprentice. When his boss died suddenly, he bought the shop on credit for his boss’s widow. In WWI he was hired on contract to make US Army uniforms and made a fortune.
He later began running a fleet of taxicabs and an auto body shop. The two main cab companies at the time were Yellow Cab Company and Checker Cab Company. Checker did not own a cab manufacturing company in 192 like Yellow Cab Company did. Instead, they partnered with Lomberg Auto Body Manufacturing Co. and Commonwealth Motors to produce the Mogul Taxi for Checker Cab Co. Markin loaned money to Lomberg and he later took possession of the company, renaming it Markin Automobile Body and bought Commonwealth Motors in October 1921 and merged them to form Checker Cab Manufacturing Co. in 1922. The company moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1923.
Markin made cabs for Checker Cab Co., but also made Checker passenger cars for a time, including the Superba, a sedan, and a limousine.
Morris Markin died July 8, 1970 and his son took over Checker. The last Checker Cab made in Kalamazoo was made July 12, 1982, though they continued making parts until 2009. The Kalamazoo Plant was sold January 14, 2010 to the Jones Group, marking the end of the company.
Gender
- Males
Occupations
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Ralph E. Oakland Collection
The collection is composed of 2 boxes filled with 21 folders of books, magazines, newspapers, brochures, correspondences, history, and other papers regarding the Checker Cab Company of Kalamazoo, Michigan from its start in 1921 to its bankruptcy in 2010.