The Kirster Building

From the onset, cigar manufacturing in Manistee was a small but persistent industry that continued in the area for decades. Over those years, the leading cigar maker in Manistee was a man by the name of Joseph Kirster who arrived in Manistee in 1880. Kirster immediately set up a small shop on River Street and began making cigars but as his business grew, he needed to expand his operation. Thus, in 1892, he constructed the building at 354 River Street where he continued to operate for the next 30 years.