His other endeavors included being director of the Michigan State Agricultural Society, and owner of a large stock farm near Birmingham where he bred Hackney horses. Newcomb-Endicott Co. was Michigan's first department store, founded in 1868, predating the J.L. Hudson Co., Crowley-Milner Co., or the Ernst Kern Co. When the Detroit Athletic Club (DAC) was reorganized in the early 1910s, merging with the Wolverine Automotive Club and the remnant of the nearly defunct original organization, Newcomb-Endicott was picked as the contractor to provide much of the original interior furnishings. The front section of the April 17, 1915 edition of "Detroit Saturday Night" was devoted almost exclusively to how the DAC was built. The store was given an “honorable mention” in the "Detroit Saturday Night" paper, which described how it provided “carpets and rugs of handsome design and exquisite workmanship.” Newcomb-Endicott had been chosen among Detroit's other department stores because its “ability to handle big orders of this kind has been demonstrated often before in the equipping and furnishing of other public buildings,” the paper continued. Newcomb Sr. was president of Newcomb-Endicott up until the time of his death in late 1915, but had abandoned an active role in the business due to failing health. also enjoyed automobiling. He was a Republican and a Universalist. Known for his philanthropic work, he was a member of the board of several charities and was active in politics although he never ran for elected office. Cyrenius Newcomb Sr. died in late 1915.