A History of Northern Michigan and Its People, Volume I, Part 27

Author: Perry F. Powers
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 597


USA > Michigan > A History of Northern Michigan and Its People, Volume I > Part 27


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57


During the decade prior to 1909 potatoes increased 53,520 acres, or 17.2 per cent. From 1879, when 128,848 acres were harvested, po- tatoes rose to 198,476 in 1889; to 311,963 in 1899; and again to 365,483 in 1909. The aggregate yield in 1909 was 38,243,828 bushels, as com- pared to 23,476,444 bushels in 1899. The average yield per acre was 105 bushels; the average value per acre $27.10. Value of crop $9,- 913,778.


Dry edible beans increased from 167,025 acres in 1899 to 398,133 acres in 1909, a gain of 231,108 bushels or 138.4 per cent. The total yield in 1909 was 5,195,055 bushels, as compared to 1,806, 413 bushels in 1899. The average yield per acre was 13 bushels; the average value per acre, $24.


The organization of county fairs and societies to encourage agricul- ture was of infrequent occurrence prior to 1880, as the lumbering and salt industries held the stage to the exclusion of almost all else until well along toward 1890. The pioneer fair in Northern Michigan was held at Benzonia, Benzie county, on the eighth of October, 1864, sev- eral years before the organization of the county agricultural society. The previous notice was short, and the day was blustering and un- propitious, yet the fair was not a failure. The grains and vegetables exhibited were, for the most part, first crops from new ground imper- fectly worked. There were no premiums, the only award being an honorable mention by the committees, the merit of the article being


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classed as extra good or fair. There was but little fruit. Of livestock of all kinds, only three animals were mentioned by the committees, presumably the only three present. This fair was mainly gotten up by W. S. Hubbell and H. E. Steward. Among the articles exhibited were twelve green pumpkins, and one solitary peach in a bottle. The next year the fair was a little better and continued to improve as the county developed. In 1867 a county society was organized and the following year the grounds at Benzonia, consisting of six acres of land, were purchased.


In 1873 the State Pomological Society was held at Traverse City, and Benzie county exhibited four hundred plates with fruit and di- vided the first premium with the peninsula in Grand Traverse county.


The Alcona Agricultural Society was organized in 1872, at a pub- lic meeting called for that purpose, and a committee appointed to draft bylaws and other rules and regulations. These were drafted and sub- mitted by C. P. Reynolds and adopted by the meeting, and the first election of officers was held at the courthouse in 1873, when George Hamilton was elected president, Edward Chapelle treasurer and C. P. Reynolds secretary. Mr. Reynolds made a certified report of said organization to the board of supervisors, who granted the sum of $100 to the society in aid of its finances. The first annual fair of the so- ciety was held at the courthouse, October 16, 1873, which was well attended and over $200 paid to prize-takers in the various departments ; and the first exhibition was pronounced a success, although it had re- quired weeks of personal exertion to collect the articles from various parts of the county, bring them to the place of exhibition and arrange them in their several classes.


There is evidence of an early interest in the agricultural advance- ment of Wexford county, in the fact that before its population had reached 3,000 a county agricultural society was organized. Early in October, 1873, a meeting was held at Sherman, a report of which was published in the local paper as follows: "At a meeting of the citizens of Wexford county at the courthouse in this village on Tuesday last for the purpose of organizing an agricultural society, the following com- mittee was chosen to draft articles of association: T. A. Ferguson, C. Hollister and I. N. Carpenter. The committee were requested to make their reports on Thursday evening, October 16th. As no more business came before the meeting, after a few remarks, it adjourned until Thursday evening, at seven o'clock P. M.


"Sherman, October 16, 1873-The meeting was called to order by Alonzo Chubb, chairman. On motion H. B. Sturtevant was chosen secretary pro tem. On motion of William Mears the report was ac- cepted and the committee discharged. On motion the articles were voted on separately and adopted. On motion of George Wheeler the society proceeded to elect the following officers: President-Alonzo Chubb, Cleon ; vice-president-A. Lamb, Clam Lake; T. A. Ferguson, Hanover and Warren Seaman, Cedar Creek; secretary-George Manton, Colfax; treasurer-C. J. Manktelow, Selma."


In 1878 a number of the leading farmers of Kalkaska county deter- mined to interest themselves in promoting its agricultural interests, and


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with that end in view a farmers' club was organized. The meeting for the purpose of effecting an organization was held at the courthouse in Kalkaska, Wednesday, July 24, 1878. A committee on permanent or- ganization was appointed to report at a subsequent meeting. August 15th an adjourned meeting was held, of which H. U. Hill was chair- man and D. D. Smith secretary. A permanent organization was effected by the election of the following officers: President, H. U. Hill; vice- presidents one from each township; secretary, C. H. Metzgar; treas- urer, Henry Spence. The object of the organization was to facilitate the study of agriculture, gather statistics for local and general circula- tion and promote the general welfare of the county. Stated meetings were held for discussion and the membership of the organization steadily increased.


In April, 1879, it was decided to organize for a county fair, and such an organization was effected. J. E. Rainbow was elected presi- dent, C. H. Metzgar, secretary, and Henry Spence, treasurer. A con- stitution and bylaws were adopted and a very successful fair was held in the fall of that year. Grounds were provided and buildings erected. This society has been liberally encouraged by the people of the county and village, and its annual exhibitions have increased in variety and interest.


STATE LANDS OPEN TO PURCHASE


Agriculturists who are interested in taking up lands in Northern Michigan should know that over a third of a million acres may be pur- chased directly from the state through the Land Office at Lansing. No local agents are employed by that department which does not engage to furnish information. Plats, however, are sold at the legal prices and those who desire to purchase are advised to examine the lands for themselves. Full information as to all these lands is given in the Mich- igan Manual for 1911, to which all interested are referred. The present object of the editor is to indicate the various amounts which the state offers for sale in the counties embraced in this history :


Swamp Land. Acres.


Primary School Land. Acres.


Tax Home- stead Land. Acres.


Counties.


Totals.


Alcona


302.63


440.00


30,543.48


31,286.11


Alpena


801.73


80,00


15,080.59


16,002.32


Antrim


116.00


531.40


647.40


Arenac


40.00


5,769.80


5,809.80


Benzie


160.00


160.00


Charlevoix


158.25


601.02


759.27


Cheboygan


1,026.20


735.35


11,841.90


13,900.13


Clare


40.00


413.03


3,395.37


3,848.40


Crawford


2,920.00


40.00


33,506.16


36,466.16


Emmet


240.00


280.00


2,499.99


3,019.99


Gladwin


135.00


200.00


6,302.81


6,637.90


....


.....


. .


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Swamp Land. Acres.


Primary School Land. Acres.


Tax Home- stead Land. Acres.


Counties.


Totals.


Grand Traverse


9,019.32


9,019.32


Iosco


560.00


796.86


13,946.97


15,303.83


Kalkaska


79.00


120.00


30,104.87


30,303.87


Lake


620.65


620.65


Leelanau


159.20


258.20


417.40


Manistee


360.00


360.00


Mason


240.00


240.00


Missaukee


9,234.01


9,274.01


Montmorency


40.00


400.00


38.067.79


38,507.79


Ogemaw


80.00


18,082.09


18,162.09


Osceola


6,122.86


6,122.86


Oscoda


32.18


200.00


30,342.77


39,523.85


Otsego


120.00


240.00


7,845.77


8,205.77


Presque Isle


418.95


240.00


29,891.97


30,577.38


Roscommon


487.11


3,875.42


4,362.53


Wexford


5,397.36


5,397.36


Totals


7,557.05


4,384.44


313,642.57


334,936.19


-


. .


..


. .


.. . .


....


....


.....


In addition to the swamp, primary school and tax homestead lands are the Agricultural College lands, comprising small areas in all but Oscoda county. The lands of this class held by the state amount to the following : Alpena county, 40 acres; Cheboygan, 296.68 acres; Mis- saukee, 40 acres; Oscoda, 8,948.90 acres and Presque Isle, 26.46 acres.


DIVERSE INDUSTRIES


Perhaps Northern Michigan now contains as great a diversity of manufacturing plants as can be found in the country. The old lumber centers-Ludington, Manistee, Traverse City, Cheboygan and Alpena- still turn out the standard products, such as lumber, shingles and lath, but with the development of horticulture and agriculture, the opening of hardwood tracts and the demands of modern communities, they have added such branches as the manufacture of baskets, crates and all kinds of fruit packages; potato and seed planters and agricultural implements in general; furniture, billiard cues, veneering, maple flooring, game boards, and what not ? Canneries and flour and grist mills, have sprung up in all directions, as well as foundries and iron works on a small scale. Ludington makes watch cases and game tables, as well as manufactures wood and salt, boasting not only the largest salt plant in the world (capacity 7,500 barrels daily), but the leading factory in the production of game boards. Manistee, the "Salt City," includes, besides her great lumber and salt industries, a plant for the manufac- turing of lumber machinery and implements, a factory which turns out hardwood sideboards and chiffoniers, candy and shirt factories,


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boiler and engine works and other even more diverse manufactories. Traverse City claims the largest oval dish factory in the world and the largest basket factory in the state and has also plants for the mak- ing of maple flooring, starch, plows and leather; its tannery one of the largest west of New York. Then comes Alpena with its pulp works, canneries, veneer manufactories, breweries and cement and lime plants, besides her old-line lumber and shingle mills. Cadillac is one of the most flourishing interior points in the line of industrial life. Her pineries have been eaten away, but manufactories for hardwood furni- ture, maple flooring, charcoal, wood alcohol, pig iron, chemicals, car- riage stock and sawmill machinery have replaced the old order of things to her manifest advantage. Reed City is a noted manufacturing point for hardwood flooring. In all of Northern Michigan there is not a community of a thousand people which has not established some form of industry to contribute to the convenience and prosperity of the people.


GROWTH THROUGH NATURE'S FAVORS


Climate, scenery and nature as a whole have also contributed in a marked degree to the development of all Northern Michigan-partic- ularly northwestern Michigan. In the earlier periods the steamers of the great lakes brought little parties of visitors to the beautiful coun- try around the two Traverse bays, who returned to their homes smitten with its charms. The reputation as an ideal region for those seeking rest, recreation and invigoration spread abroad, the coming of the rail- road and the added incursion of visitors broadened its fair name, and Charlevoix, Harbor Springs, Petoskey and the picturesque and fresh- ening regions around became annually so many Meccas for tired and restless pilgrims who flocked thither in thousands, by boatloads and trainloads, from every section of the universe. Substantial stores and industries; great hotels; meeting places for literary and religious or- ganizations; villages, towns and cities followed in the wake of this periodical migration which was ever leaving behind not a few perma- nent settlers who could not break away from these charms of nature.


As stated more in detail: "Western Michigan is the playground of hundreds of thousands of people from the inland cities of the middle west and south. The 'summer resorter' is a development of the old- time picnic party, and in the process of development from the drive to the country, with its merry crowd of young and old, spreading a feast beneath the trees on the banks of the river, the great resort centers of this region have come to be known throughout the United States. Here the climate plays an important part in making this an ideal vaca- tion country. In the old days 'back home,' a picnic was not a picnic unless the scene was laid on the banks of a river; here, in the land where lakes are so numerous, the resorts are principally located on the shores of Lake Michigan, or upon the banks of some one of the hundreds of beautiful rivers and inland lakes which dot the country. From Hol- land, with its Macatawa Park and Ottawa Beach, through Grand Haven, Muskegon, Whitehall and Montague; Pentwater, Ludington and Ham-


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CHARMS OF LAKE AND RIVER


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HISTORY OF NORTHERN MICHIGAN


lin lake, Manistee and Onekama lake; Empire, Glen Haven and Glen Arbor with their Glen lake; Leland at the outlet of Lake Leelanau; Northport and Northport Point, at the entrance of Grand Traverse bay, and down that bay to Traverse City, passing Omena, Sutton's Bay, Old Mission and Neahtawanta and Edgewood, all well known to the summer-loving folk of many states; Elk Rapids, at the outlet of the Intermediate Lakes Chain, extending for a distance of over seventy miles into the interior and including such beautiful bodies of water as Elk lake, Round lake, Torch lake (the rival of any lake in America for beauty ) ; Clam, Grass, Intermediate and Central lakes, easily reached through the beautiful towns of Alden, Bellaire and Central Lake; and Charlevoix, the queen of the northern resorts; "There's only one Petos- key," the center of the Little Traverse bay region, round which are situated Bay View, Ramona Park, Roaring Brook, Wequetonsing, Har- bor Springs, Harbor Point and Forest Beach.


"And of the lakes of the interior contiguous to the great lake ports mentioned, there are hundreds, each with its community of summer enthusiasts, and many of them supporting good hotels. The rivers and brooks throughout the whole territory are the natural home of the brook trout, and the lakes are as naturally the habitat of the black bass, the pike and the lordly muscallonge, while the smaller pan fish, such as perch, bluegills and rock bass, abound everywhere.


"'The woods' coverts furnish the sportsman with such sport as kings spend millions to preserve, in the gamiest of all game birds, the ruffed grouse. The lakes and water ways are the breeding ground of the wild duck, and in season these birds are plentiful. The swamps of the far interior shelter deer and bear, with occasionally a cat to en- liven the monotony of the stilly night.


"All of this paradise of picnic ground and sporting country is easily accessible to the tourist through any of the railway stations or lake ports. It is estimated that no less than five million strangers annually visit this section of Michigan, either for sport or for recrea- tion."


Northeastern Michigan has also its splendid actualities and its brighter future as a summer resort country, only awaiting better trans- portation facilities and a more thorough "advertising" to equal the older and more developed country of the northwest. Along the line of the Detroit & Mackinac railroad may be found numerous beautiful spots, a few "improved" by the hand of man-or rather made accessi- ble to the general public not inclined to "rough it"-but more pre- sented fresh from the hand of nature.


In Iosco county are the sparkling Tawas lakes, with the popular summer resort at East Tawas known as the Beach, with its thorough accommodations as to lunching, boating, dancing, etc., and its large hotel and charming cottages. This is the finest summer resort on Lake Huron.


Further north is what is left of Au Sable village, but the trout still run plentifully in the river-rainbow, speckled, brook and all the rest. Two miles away is Van Ettan lake, about half a mile inland from Huron,


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HISTORY OF NORTHERN MICHIGAN


which is also a pretty bathing resort, abounds in fish and its shores are being built up with cottages.


Harrisville, Alcona county, is getting to be quite a resort, while Hub- bard lake about midway between that place and Alpena, but some dis- tance to the west of the railroad, is lined with fine beaches and well stocked with white fish, bass, pickerel and perch. It is reached from Alpena by public automobile, and in the summer season its waters are lively with sail boats, launches and steam yachts. Hubbard lake is eight miles long and varies in width from one to six miles; is surrounded by wooded hills and bluffs, and, in many respects, bears several strik- ing resemblances to the famous Chautauqua lake.


Alpena itself is by no means given over to lumber and cement, but lies in the center of a beautiful country which is the delight of fisher- men, boatmen and tourists. The place is usually the headquarters of those who make flying trips to Hubbard and Long lakes, the latter about seven miles north of the city. Then there is Grand lake, in Presque Isle county, sixteen miles north, which is almost "unfished" and therefore provides rare sport for the angles. This body of water is twelve miles long and averages two wide, embraces nineteen densely wooded islands, and is embedded in a region which furnishes the sports- man with such game as partridge, duck, deer, fox and (occasionally ) black bear.


Resorts such as El Canjon Beach and "Stonycroft," within ten miles of Alpena, are provided with facilities for boating, bathing and fishing and furnish ideal camping sites-all of which tourists and sports- men are rapidly learning.


Rogers City, Presque Isle county, on Lake Huron, is reached by a spur of the Detroit & Mackinac road, and has become the center of quite a tourist's activity. Trout river flows into the big lake a mile north and there is also good hunting in the vicinity. Hay-fever patients are also flocking to all the country between Alpena and Cheboygan ;- and they know a good thing "when they can see it."


The Presque Isle county chain of lakes, the sparkling, cool and teeming waters of Roscommon county to the west, and finally Cheboy- gan, which is now proud to be known as the "Hub City of the Resort Region," provide more strong proofs that northeastern Michigan is also destined to owe much of its substantial development to its pure air, clear sunshine, crystal water, picturesque combination of lake, river and forest, and to all those provisions calculated to refresh and rein- vigorate human kind.


The distinction which Cheboygan has earned as a center of the summer travel and resorters is largely due to its favored natural posi- tion and harbor on the straits of Mackinac and that it has transporta- tion lines to practically all northern resorts radiating from it as the base. It is also itself the center of a fine hunting and fishing coun- try. The Cheboygan river, Mullet lake, Burt lake, Carp lake, Douglas lake, Sturgeon creek, Pigeon creek, Upper Black river, Little Black river, Elliott creek, Black lake and a number of others offering splendid sport, ranging from brook trout and small-mouth bass through all va-


Vol. 1-15


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HISTORY OF NORTHERN MICHIGAN


rieties found in that section of the country. Deer, rabbits, squirrels, partridges, ducks and similar game and birds are plentiful.


GROWTH IN STATISTICS


The development of Northern Michigan has been traced in broad lines from lumbering to resorting, and the writer hopes he has put up a tolerably strong case in proof that all the agencies mentioned have played good parts in the general progress of this fair and vigorous land. Perhaps the most marked general evidence of its growth from infancy to lusty manhood is found in the population statistics which follow :


Counties


1910


1900


1890


1880


1870


1860


Alcona


5,703


5,691


5,409


3,107


696


185


Alpena


19,965


18,254


15,581


8,789


2,756


290


Antrim


15,692


16,568


10,413


5,237


1,985


179


Arenac


9,640


9,821


5,683


Benzie


10,638


9,685


5,237


3,433


2,184


. ..


Charlevoix


19,157


13,956


9,686


5,115


1,724


517


Clare


9,240


8,360


7,558


4,187


366


. ..


Crawford


3,934


2,943


2,962


1,159


Emmet


18,561


15,931


8,756


6,639


1,211


1,149


Grand Traverse


23,784


20,479


13,355


8,422


4,443


1,286


losco


9,753


10,246


15,224


6,873


3,163


175


Kalkaska


8,097


7,133


5,160


2,937


424


. ..


Lake


4,939


4,957


6,505


3,233


548


Leelanau


10,608


10,556


7,944


6,253


4,576


2,158


Manistee


26,688


27,856


24,230


12,532


6,074


975


Mason


21,832


18,885


16,385


10,065


3,263


831


Missaukee


10,606


9,308


5,048


1,553


130


...


...


Ogemaw


8,907


7,765


5,583


1,914


12


Osceola


17,889


17,859


14,630


10,777


2,093


27


Oscoda


2,027


1,468


1,904


467


70


Otsego


6,552


6,175


4,272


1,974


(e)


Presque Isle


11,249


8,821


4,687


3,113


355


26


Roscommon


2,274


1,787


2,033


1,459


(e)


...


Wexford


20,769


16,845


11,278


6,815


650


.. . .


Totals


328,544


291,663


217,204


120,704


38,919


7,798


...


Cheboygan


17,872


15,516


11,986


6,524


2,196


Gladwin


8,413


6,564


4,208


1,127


(b)


(e)


Montmorency


3,755


3,234


1,487


. ...


The only counties in the above list enumerated by the census of 1854 were Emmet, with a population of 4,965; Gladwin, 14 and Grand Traverse, 911. Emmet is reported as follows: Peaine township, 2,020; Galilee, 588; Charlevoix, 1,706; unorganized territory, consisting of some small islands and about five townships of the main land east of Peaine, a few islands at the entrance of Green bay, and a very few small islands south of Charlevoix, 651. Total, 4,971. This census was


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HISTORY OF NORTHERN MICHIGAN


taken when James J. Strang was king of the Beaver Island Mormons and of the realm, and false returns were made of the population, as was afterward satisfactorily shown.


The counties embraced in this work are also worth something in dol- lars, as witness these figures indicating the valuation placed on their property by the various boards of supervisors and the state board of equalization, respectively, with the amount of state tax produced by each in 1910.


Counties


Supervisors' State Board's Valuation (1906) Valuation (1906)


State Tax


Alcona


$ 1,014,877


$ 1,300,000


$ 3,545.21


Alpena


5,800,000


6,500,000


17,725.91


Antrim


5,248,615


7,500,000


20,452,94


Arenac


1,950,744


2,600,000


7,090.36


Benzie


3,213,582


3,600,000


9,817.46


Charlevoix


5,652,462


6,000,000


16,362.38


Cheboygan


6,426,000


6,500,000


17,725.91


Clare


1,820,138


2,500,000


6,817.65


Crawford


1,519,000


1,600,000


4,363.29


Emmet


7,881,229


9,000,000


24,543.57


Gladwin


2,063,555


2,500,000


6,817.65


Grand Traverse


8,457,000


10,000,000


27,270.65


Iosco


1,960,000


2,000,000


5,454.12


Kalkaska


3,229,051


3,600,000


9,817.46


Lake


1,342,805


1,400,000


3,817.87


Leelanau


2,229,220


3,000,000


8,181.18


Manistee


9,737,303


11,500,000


31,361.25


Mason


6,746,974


7,000,000 3,000,000


8,181,18


Montmorency


1,000,000


1,500,000


4,090.58


Ogemaw


2,337,000


2,500,000


6,817.65


Osceola


3,892,000


5,500,000


14,998.86


Oscoda


800,000


900,000


2,454.36


Otsego


2,777,769


3,000,000


8,181.18


Presque Isle


2,654,246


3,000,000


8,181.18


Roscommon


952,580


1,000,000


2,727.07


Wexford


6,098,000


7,000,000


19,089.44


Totals


$98,936,060


$115,500.000


$314,975.80


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19,089.44


Missaukee


2,130,910


CHAPTER VIII


MILITARY HISTORY


EARLY CIVIL WAR MOVEMENTS-FOURTH AND SIXTH DISTRICTS ENROL- MENT-TROOPS FURNISHED BY COUNTIES-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS- THE GRAND TRAVERSE REGION-MANISTEE COUNTY IN THE WAR- ALPENA COUNTY-HOME COMING OF MICHIGAN TROOPS-ROBERTSON'S TRIBUTE TO MICHIGAN SOLDIERS -- SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR -- THIRD) REGIMENT, M. N. G.


While the territory of Northern Michigan was being secured to the white man for purposes of civilization, and was being defended against the aggressions of England, after it became American soil, the active part played by its people was confined to the operations which centered at old Fort Michilimackinac and, later Fort Mackinac on the island. This, for the very good reason that actual settlers did not come into the country until some years after the lands from the straits to what, in 1840, became the southern bounds of Gladwin and Arenac counties extended to Lake Michigan, had been transferred to the United States by their aboriginal owners. At the outbreak and during the progress of the Mexican war, the settlers in the part of Northern Michigan to which this work refers were confined virtually to scattering settlements in the Grand Traverse region. In short until nearly the period of the Civil war the population was so sparse as to escape the national census enumerations. The only counties in this area which the United States census bureau deigned to notice prior to 1860 were Grand Traverse and Mason-the former being credited with a population of 900 in 1854, and the latter of 93 in 1850. So that until the period covered by the War of the Rebellion, Northern Michigan had no military his- tory-that is, as a consolidation of civil communities.




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